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Court rules first graders have First Amendment rights in Black Lives Matter dispute

A federal appeals court ruled that this drawing that a first grade student gave to a Black classmate is protected by the First Amendment. (Image courtesy of Pacific Legal Foundation)

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

A federal appeals court has ruled that First Amendment free speech rights apply all the way down to first graders, as the judges weighed in on a tricky case involving a student who wrote a note to a Black classmate trying to say “all lives matter.”

Encrypted message detected by U.S. triggers warning about Iranian sleeper cells

Shiite Muslims shout slogans as they burn effigies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) **FILE**

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

An encrypted broadcast message tied to Iran’s regime could be an activation call for “sleeper assets” to launch attacks, federal officials are warning law enforcement agencies this week.

Shiite Muslims shout slogans as they burn effigies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Budgam, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) **FILE**

Encrypted message detected by U.S. triggers warning about Iranian sleeper cells

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

"U.S. forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz," said U.S. Central Command in an X post. Here is a screenshot image from the video posted by CENTCOM on X. (https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2031489675760640370?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet)

Video

Projectiles hit three cargo vessels in and near Strait of Hormuz as closure continues

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican Members Issues Conference at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla., on Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) **FILE**

Trump swoops onto home turf of his GOP foe Thomas Massie

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) ** FILE **

‘Dramatic departure’: Republicans challenge birthright citizenship for babies of illegal immigrants

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Bondi moves to military housing after receiving threats

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Happening Now

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) ** FILE **

‘Dramatic departure’: Republicans challenge birthright citizenship for babies of illegal immigrants

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Bondi moves to military housing after receiving threats

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

The White House is seen in Washington, on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Van plows through White House barricade, prompting Secret Service investigation

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

People shop at the Somerset Collection mall, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Troy, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) ** FILE **

Inflation holds steady, with prices rising 2.4% on an annual basis in February

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Commentary

FILE - Tucker Carlson attends a meeting with President Donald Trump and oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Carlson’s latest polemic is definitionally antisemitic

By Arie Lipnick

Tucker Carlson illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

Tucker Carlson ‘has lost his way’

By Clifford D. May

Texas Democratic Senate candidate Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, waves before speaking for the first time since winning the Democratic nomination in Austin, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

James Talarico: Obama 2.0

By Everett Piper

David Keene (Associated Press) **FILE**

You will be missed, David Keene

By Christian Josi

Japan, freedom of religion and the Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Religious freedom is nailed to the cross in Japan

By Randy Evans

Culture View all

Tilly Norwood. File photo credit: Shutterstock AI Asset Gen via Shutterstock.

AI-generated ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood takes up singing, posing in new music video

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Middle-aged man using a landline phone. File photo credit: sirtravelalot via Shutterstock.

‘Call a Boomer’ phone line connects young people in Boston to old people in Nevada

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Miley Cyrus arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Disney’s ‘Hannah Montana’ is back with anniversary special

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses before taking questions at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Speaker Mike Johnson says Shariah law in the U.S. is contrary to Constitution

By Mallory Wilson - The Washington Times

View all

"U.S. forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz," said U.S. Central Command in an X post. Here is a screenshot image from the video posted by CENTCOM on X. (https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2031489675760640370?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet)

Three cargo ships near Strait of Hormuz hit by projectiles

Wednesday, March 11 2026

In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducts routine underway operations while transiting through the Taiwan Strait Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd class Ismael Martinez/U.S. Navy via AP)

Beijing pulls back warplanes near Taiwan before Trump-Xi summit

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

Iraqi Kurds inspect the damage to their homes after a drone attack struck their neighborhood in Irbil, Iraq, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Salar Salim) ** FILE **

Kurdish militias move to strike back at Tehran despite U.S. hesitation

By Joseph Hammond - Special to The Washington Times

Trump's Armenia and Azerbaijan (Caspian region) peace plan and Iran illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

Commentary
Tehran trying to sabotage Trump’s Caspian region peace plan

By Efgan Nifti

Trump Central View all

Chester County, Pa., election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., on Nov. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) **FILE**

Trump’s rewrite of SAVE America Act complicates already perilous path to passage

By Lindsey McPherson - The Washington Times

Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble in the aftermath of what Iranian officials said was an Israeli-U.S. strike on a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (Abbas Zakeri/Mehr News Agency via AP)

Trump says other nations have Tomahawk missiles after strike hits school, kills more than 160 people

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Josue Hernandez, 35, pumps gas into his work pickup truck at a gas station in Southfield, Mich., Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

White House predicts gas prices will come down rapidly following the Iran war

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the field office in Portland, Ore., Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

The Trump administration widens its probe of the 2020 election as it obtains records from Arizona

By Josh Kelety - Associated Press

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Encrypted message detected by U.S. triggers warning about Iranian sleeper cells

Tucker Carlson 'has lost his way'

'Dramatic departure': Republicans challenge birthright citizenship for babies of illegal immigrants

DOJ approves record $708M in Camp Lejeune water contamination settlements

Politics View all

California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks during a news conference in Ceres, Calif., April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) **FILE**

Dem-led states sue to stop Trump team from gathering college race admissions data

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

April groundbreaking set for first new U.S. oil refinery in nearly 50 years

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he walks to depart on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump says ships should still use Strait of Hormuz

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

A coffin is carried during the funeral of mostly children killed in what Iranian officials said was an Israeli-U.S. strike Feb. 28 at a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Abbas Zakeri/Mehr News Agency via AP)

Top Trump Senate ally says he believes U.S. responsible for school bombing in Iran

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Dive Deeper View all

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Companies rehire workers after AI replacements fail

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

A man walks out of a vaccination bus at a mobile vaccine clinic in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) **FILE**

Rights groups push Congress to rebuff COVID overreach

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Video
WATCH: Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon on election integrity and DOJ priorities

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) ** FILE **

‘Dramatic departure’: Republicans challenge birthright citizenship for babies of illegal immigrants

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

National View all

A federal appeals court ruled that this drawing that a first grade student gave to a Black classmate is protected by the First Amendment. (Image courtesy of Pacific Legal Foundation)

Court rules first graders have First Amendment rights in Black Lives Matter dispute

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

In this May 28, 2010, photo, a Global Entry Trusted Traveler Network kiosk awaits arriving international passengers who are registered for the service at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) **FILE**

Customs and Border Protection resumes Global Entry program for travelers

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

The White House is seen in Washington, on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Van plows through White House barricade, prompting Secret Service investigation

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

People shop at the Somerset Collection mall, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Troy, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) ** FILE **

Inflation holds steady, with prices rising 2.4% on an annual basis in February

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

World View all

A man waves an Iranian flag as a crowd attends the funeral procession for senior Iranian military officials and civilians killed during the U.S.-Israel campaign in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran declares banks, companies with U.S., Israeli ties targets in war

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

U.S. warns civilians they could be targets at ports with Iranian naval vessels

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

A member of the Iranian community flashes a victory sign from behind a poster of Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, during a rally outside the Iranian embassy in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Exiled son of late shah of Iran calls on Iranians to await his ‘final call’ amid war

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Mourners attend the funeral procession for senior Iranian military officials and some civilians killed during the U.S.-Israel campaign, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran targets commercial ships, Dubai airport and oil facilities as concerns grow over global energy

By Jon Gambrell and David Rising - Associated Press

Sports View all

Iranian players pose for a team photo ahead of the Women's Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP) ** FILE **

Defection-wary Iran will not send soccer team to upcoming World Cup in U.S.

By Andrew Salmon - The Washington Times

United States manager Mark DeRosa adjusts his baseball cap before an exhibition baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) **FILE**

Team USA faces elimination at World Baseball Classic after manager’s ‘ticket punched’ gaffe

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (24) in action during a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Sept. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File) **FILE**

Nationals name Cavalli as opening day starting pitcher

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

New England Patriots linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson, left, hits Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) ** FILE **

Washington Commanders to sign edge rusher Chaisson to one-year, $12M deal

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

Higher Ground View all

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses before taking questions at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Speaker Mike Johnson says Shariah law in the U.S. is contrary to Constitution

By Mallory Wilson - The Washington Times

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questions Amer Ghalib during a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on his pending nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Sen. Cruz calls Tucker Carlson ‘most dangerous demagogue’ as right seeks to uproot antisemitism

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France - 02-02-2025: candles with Christ seen in the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene, the third tomb of Christendom. File photo credit: Obatala-photography via Shutterstock.

Notions of ‘Christendom’ often miss the mark

By Brett Whalen - Associated Press

Parishioners take part in an offering to a giant Baby Jesus in Mexico City, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says operations in Iran headed for ‘most intense day’

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