The Washington Times AI News Desk

Life from Mars? New study suggests life could travel between planets on asteroid debris

Tiny microorganisms tucked inside space rocks could survive being hurled between planets -- including to Earth -- according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University, raising fresh questions about how life may have first begun on our world.

March 4, 2026

They knew — and did nothing: How political fear enabled one of America’s biggest frauds

Minnesota officials knew within weeks of the pandemic's start that a children's meals program was being defrauded -- but kept the money flowing anyway, fearing lawsuits and racial backlash, according to a new House report released Wednesday.

March 4, 2026

What’s next for embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales after being forced into runoff?

Rep. Tony Gonzales survived Tuesday's GOP primary -- but just barely. Now, with a runoff looming, a congressional ethics investigation underway and mounting calls from members of his own party to resign, the embattled West Texas congressman faces an increasingly uncertain political future.

March 4, 2026

Dan Crenshaw’s primary loss underscores structural shifts reshaping the Texas GOP

Rep. Dan Crenshaw's defeat in Tuesday's Republican primary in Texas is more than the fall of a prominent conservative lawmaker -- it reflects deeper structural changes reshaping the Republican Party in the nation's largest red state.

March 4, 2026

Federal antitrust trial targeting Live Nation and Ticketmaster begins in New York

A federal antitrust trial opened in New York on Tuesday, with the Justice Department seeking to break up Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster, alleging the entertainment giant holds an illegal monopoly over the concert industry.

March 4, 2026

Claude beats ChatGPT in downloads as consumers rally behind Anthropic’s military AI stance

Anthropic's refusal to allow its Claude AI to be used for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance has triggered a government standoff, a consumer backlash against rivals and a broader debate about AI's readiness for military use.

March 4, 2026

Colts place transition tag on Jones and Hall gets franchise tag from Jets

The Indianapolis Colts placed a transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones and the New York Jets used the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall as teams beat the deadline Tuesday to place tags on potential free agents.

March 3, 2026

Gas price anxiety surging: Is there real reason to panic?

The price spike at the pump arrives at a precarious moment for the broader U.S. economy. January's Consumer Price Index report showed inflation cooling to a nine-month low, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, raising hopes that price pressures were finally easing. Higher oil prices threaten to reverse that progress, and analysts warn the effects extend well beyond the gas station.

March 3, 2026

Culture Wire: Joan Lunden breaks silence in new memoir, ‘Deadliest Catch’ deckhand dies and more

In Joan Lunden's searing new memoir, "JOAN: Life Beyond the Script," the "Good Morning America" legend pulls no punches, alleging that an early boss pressured her into an uncomfortable situation on Fire Island and then systematically torpedoed her stories after she refused his advances.

March 3, 2026

Father who gave son rifle used in Apalachee school massacre found guilty of murder

A Georgia jury needed less than two hours Tuesday to send a message that has been building in courtrooms across America: Parents who arm dangerous children will be held responsible for what those children do.

March 3, 2026

About-face at Justice: DOJ suddenly wants to keep Mueller-linked law firm cases alive

The Justice Department pulled a stunning U-turn Tuesday, asking a federal appeals court to keep alive President Trump's retaliation cases against four Democrat-connected law firms -- less than 24 hours after asking the same court to drop them.

March 3, 2026

$232,000 to get out: Luxury charter flights boom as Iran war shuts down Middle East air travel

Tens of thousands of airline passengers are stranded by the Iran war that has spread across the Gulf region, but some wealthy travelers are getting out - by paying large sums for luxury flights to Europe via airports that are safe from Iranian drone and missile attacks.

March 3, 2026

Elisabeth Hasselbeck returns to ‘The View,’ clashes with co-hosts over Iran strikes

Elisabeth Hasselbeck's return to "The View" took a fiery turn Monday when the conservative personality clashed with her co-hosts over President Trump's strikes on Iran -- and found herself called out on live television for her vote.

March 3, 2026

Texas Senate Republican primary: What to know and what’s at stake

Texas Republicans head to the polls Tuesday in a closely watched three-way Senate primary that could reshape the state's political landscape and determine whether Democrats see an opening in a state they have not won statewide since 1994.

March 3, 2026

Global markets slide as Iran war fears spike oil prices, hammer stocks

Global markets slid Tuesday as a widening war with Iran rattled investors, sending oil prices sharply higher and weighing on stocks from Asia to Europe and the United States amid fears of prolonged economic damage.

March 3, 2026

‘Evil Dead’ star Bruce Campbell announces cancer diagnosis: ‘Fear not’

Bruce Campbell, the cult horror icon best known for his role in "The Evil Dead" franchise, announced Monday that he has been diagnosed with a form of cancer that is "treatable" but not "curable."

March 3, 2026

McDonald’s CEO tries to sell America on the Big Arch — it did not go as planned

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski wanted to show the world just how good the company's new Big Arch burger was. What he got instead was a masterclass in how not to eat a hamburger on camera.

March 3, 2026

Apple unveils iPhone 17e: What to know about the company’s newest budget iPhone

Apple on Monday announced the iPhone 17e, a more affordable addition to its iPhone 17 lineup that starts at $599 and is set to hit shelves March 11.

March 3, 2026

What to know: The war powers debate over Trump’s Iran strikes

Congress is gearing up for a rare and potentially consequential vote this week on a pair of bipartisan war powers resolutions aimed at reining in President Trump's military operations in Iran.

March 3, 2026

What happens next for Nancy Mace?

Rep. Nancy Mace, South Carolina Republican, is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations she improperly billed her congressional office for expenses tied to her Washington, D.C., home -- and the fallout could shape the trajectory of her political future.

March 3, 2026