The Washington Times AI News Desk

Washington’s cherry blossoms on the cusp of peak bloom — how long do they last?

The National Park Service has projected peak bloom for the iconic cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin and National Mall between March 22 and April 1, with the clock now ticking down.

March 24, 2026

WATCH — ‘Not the right look’: Trump asks ICE agents to go maskless at airports

President Trump says ICE agents working at U.S. airports should ditch their masks -- the right look for the streets, he says, but not the terminal.

March 23, 2026

Law firm expands child exploitation litigation against Roblox, Discord and Snap

A Philadelphia law firm has filed a federal lawsuit against three major technology companies, alleging their platforms enabled the sexual exploitation of a teenage girl through design features that made it easier for predators to identify and target minors, according to a press release from Anapol Weiss and the complaint.

March 23, 2026

Ex-Puerto Rico bank CEO pleads guilty to $24.9M fraud, Venezuela sanctions evasion

The former chief executive officer of a Puerto Rican international bank pleaded guilty Thursday to leading a scheme that fraudulently obtained at least $24.9 million from the institution and to conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions tied to Venezuela's state-owned oil company, the Justice Department announced.

March 23, 2026

Auto safety roundup: Major recalls affect Hyundai, VW, Ford, Nissan and Ferrari

A closer look at the automotive safety recalls affecting the industry today.

March 23, 2026

Trump killed Yucca Mountain — now AI is driving America’s nuclear comeback

The long-troubled plan to bury America's nuclear waste beneath Nevada's Yucca Mountain is dead -- and the AI revolution may be what finally replaces it.

March 23, 2026

What is the SAVE America Act? Senate debates voter ID and citizenship requirements

Senate Republicans are forcing Democrats to take public stands on President Trump's top legislative priorities as debate continues on the SAVE America Act, a House-passed bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, a photo ID to cast a ballot, and mandate states to clean up voter rolls.

March 22, 2026

Trump deploys ICE agents to airports as TSA staffing crisis deepens

President Trump announced Sunday that he would deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the nation's airports beginning Monday, escalating a standoff with Senate Democrats over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

March 22, 2026

Why helium shortages could slow down AI chip manufacturing worldwide

Iran's attacks on Qatar's natural gas infrastructure have disrupted global helium supplies, threatening semiconductor manufacturing, medical imaging and space industries worldwide.

March 21, 2026

Florida’s 7-foot-9 gentle giant, Olivier Rioux, steals the show at March Madness

He barely plays. He wears size 20 shoes. And somehow, he has become the most beloved player in the NCAA Tournament.

March 21, 2026

Musk offers to pay TSA salaries as DHS shutdown stretches into fifth week

Elon Musk on Saturday offered to personally cover the paychecks of Transportation Security Administration officers as a partial government shutdown enters its fifth week, leaving tens of thousands of airport security workers without pay and travelers facing hours-long checkpoint lines.

March 21, 2026

Trump cheers Mueller’s death, says former special counsel ‘can no longer hurt innocent people’

Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and special counsel who led the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, died Friday at age 81 -- and the news drew a swift, celebratory reaction from President Trump, who called the investigation a "witch hunt" throughout much of his political career.

March 21, 2026

What Trump’s new executive order means for the Army-Navy football game on TV

President Trump signed an executive order Friday reserving a four-hour broadcast window on the second Saturday of December exclusively for the Army-Navy football game -- barring any other game, including powerhouses like Ohio State and Notre Dame, from competing on television during that time.

March 20, 2026

White House blocks Bill Maher from receiving Mark Twain Prize at Kennedy Center

Bill Maher, the HBO host who has traded insults with President Trump for decades, has been selected to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to The Atlantic, which first reported the news Thursday.

March 20, 2026

Student loans shifting to Treasury in Education Department overhaul

The Trump administration announced Thursday a three-phase plan to transfer the federal government's nearly $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio from the U.S. Education Department to the U.S. Treasury Department -- the latest and most consequential step yet in its bid to shutter the Education Department entirely.

March 20, 2026

‘All-American in every way’: Chuck Norris’ death spurs tributes from celebrities, public figures

Chuck Norris, the martial arts champion and action hero who became one of Hollywood's most enduring icons through films like "Missing in Action" and the long-running television series "Walker, Texas Ranger," has died. He was 86.

March 20, 2026

Chuck Norris, ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ star, dead at 86

Chuck Norris, the martial arts champion turned Hollywood action star whose iron-jawed persona made him one of the defining icons of 1980s cinema, died Friday morning. He was 86.

March 20, 2026

ABC cancels ‘Bachelorette’ Season 22; sponsors, co-stars react

ABC pulled the plug Thursday on Season 22 of "The Bachelorette" just three days before its scheduled premiere, after a video surfaced showing lead Taylor Frankie Paul attacking her ex-boyfriend in front of their child -- a development that triggered swift fallout from sponsors, co-stars and the network's parent company, Disney.

March 19, 2026

University of Alabama student Jimmy Gracey found dead in Barcelona after spring break disappearance

The body of James "Jimmy" Gracey, a 20-year-old University of Alabama junior who went missing during a spring break trip to Barcelona, Spain, has been recovered, authorities confirmed Thursday.

March 19, 2026

Justice Department proposes rule to speed up state death penalty appeals

The Justice Department announced it has proposed a new regulation aimed at helping states speed up the federal appeals process in capital cases, a move Attorney General Pam Bondi said advances the Trump administration's goal of reinvigorating the death penalty.

March 19, 2026