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U.S. press freedom reaches new low, says global journalism organization

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

The U.S. hit a historic all-time low in press freedom, now ranking 64th globally, according to Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index.

Inside job: For Uncle Sam, the fraud is coming from government employees

A sign is displayed outside the Internal Revenue Service building May 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Congress and President Trump have complained about massive fraud by immigrants, street gangs, international organized crime syndicates and everyday Americans. But in many cases the fraud is actually coming from inside the house.

A sign is displayed outside the Internal Revenue Service building May 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Inside job: For Uncle Sam, the fraud is coming from government employees

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Agriculture to rollout the USDA'S National Farm Security Action Plan in Washington, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Nebraska becomes first state to impose Medicaid work requirements before OBBB deadline

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

An abortion-rights activist holds a box of mifepristone pills as demonstrators from both anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)

Drugmaker files emergency appeal to restore access to mail-order abortion pill mifepristone

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Golden Tempo (19) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Golden Tempo takes Kentucky Derby as DeVaux becomes first woman to train its winner

By Stephen Whyno - Associated Press

FILE - Greg Biffle looks on during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

After fatal plane crash, police think ‘friends’ of NASCAR’s Greg Biffle stole from family

By Steve Reed - Associated Press

Happening Now

Golden Tempo (19) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Golden Tempo takes Kentucky Derby as DeVaux becomes first woman to train its winner

By Stephen Whyno - Associated Press

FILE - Greg Biffle looks on during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

After fatal plane crash, police think ‘friends’ of NASCAR’s Greg Biffle stole from family

By Steve Reed - Associated Press

Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, Washington, D.C. File photo credit: Kit Leong via Shutterstock

Anti-war, anti-AI protester Guido Reichstadter still on top of arch on Douglass Memorial Bridge

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Donald Trump Jr. stands near the Oval Office after a ceremony to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk to his widow Erika Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) **FILE**

Amazon looking at potential reboot of ‘The Apprentice’ with Don. Jr. as host

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Commentary View all

Gavin Newsom illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Newsom’s illegal-alien funding spree

By Editorial Board

U.S. Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump before he was taken from the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WHCD shooting highlights danger of reckless political rhetoric

By Scott Walker

Construction on the new White House ballroom is seen from the Washington Monument, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

How to save the Trump ballroom

By Hiram Sasser

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a campaign event for a proposed "billionaires tax," in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Bernie’s wealth tax proposal would drain the economy

By Thomas Jipping and Preston Brashers

From left, Xavier Becerra speaks besite Katie Porter, Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa during a gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Will California’s gubernatorial primary bring change or just Newsom’s ‘third term’?

By Editorial Board

Culture View all

Colombian singer Shakira and Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso take part in a rehearsal a day ahead of Shakira's free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Shakira to follow Madonna and Lady Gaga in giving a huge free concert on Copacabana Beach

By Eléonore Hughes - Associated Press

The humpback whale recovered from a shallow bay off Wismar is being transported towards the North Sea in a flooded cargo ship just before the Danish border in Fehmarn, Germany, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Philip Dulian/dpa via AP)

Humpback whale ‘Timmy’ released in the North Sea after weeks stranded off Germany

Associated Press

Ben's Chili Bowl and, next door to it, the restored Lincoln Theatre are landmarks in the U Street Northwest corridor. (Charlie Mars-Mahlau/The Washington Times) ** FILE **

Half-smokes, go-go music and a ribbon cutting: Iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl throws a grand reopening

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

An Oscar statue appears outside the Dolby Theatre for the 87th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 21, 2015. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP) **FILE**

Oscars organization expands international film eligibility, addresses AI in new rules

By Lindsey Bahr - Associated Press

View all

In this Dec. 9, 2010, photo, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet hooks up a boom as it receives a mid-air refueling from U.S. Air Force KC-135R air refueling tanker during "Keen Sword" U.S.-Japan joint military exercise over the South China Sea. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye) **FILE**

Navy’s new flying gas station will soon be ready for autonomous carrier missions

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

In this Friday, May 13, 2011, photo, soldiers of 1AD attend a color casing ceremony of the First Armored Division at the US Army Airfield in Wiesbaden, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) **FILE**

Hegseth pulls 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany amid Trump tiff with chancellor

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Daryl Caudle, talks to selected journalists during his visit in Tokyo, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mari Yamaguchi, File)

Video
Adm. Caudle, chief of naval operations, outlines ‘hedge’ strategy to maintain U.S. dominance

By Vaughn Cockayne and Guy Taylor - The Washington Times

A UAE navy ship sails next to a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ** FILE **

UAE’s surprise OPEC exit throws a wrench into a U.S.-friendly global oil production machine

By Jacob Wirtschafter - Special to The Washington Times

Trump Central View all

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Ocala International Airport, in Ocala Fla., Friday, May 1, 2026, after speaking at an event in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The controversial Qatari jet gifted to Trump is almost ready for takeoff

By Jonathan J. Cooper - Associated Press

President Donald Trump and Hunter Campbell attend UFC 327 at Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) **FILE**

Breaking ground: A 4,500-seat UFC octagon is coming to the White House South Lawn

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump walks to speak with reporters as he prepares to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump says he’s not afraid to appear in public after latest assassination attempt

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he meets with NASA's Artemis II astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Trump says Iran ‘not there’ yet in offering an acceptable deal

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Politics View all

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Agriculture to rollout the USDA'S National Farm Security Action Plan in Washington, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Nebraska becomes first state to impose Medicaid work requirements before OBBB deadline

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

State senators listen to debate on SB 8-D, a redistricting bill, during a special session of the Florida Legislature, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Democrats rush to court to stop GOP states’ new redistricting push

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera speaks with media outside a federal court in Miami, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Joshua Goodman, File)

Former Miami Congressman David Rivera is convicted of secretly lobbying for Maduro’s Venezuela

By Joshua Goodman - Associated Press

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks to the City Club of Cleveland, in Cleveland, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Rep. Ro Khanna goes everywhere, weighs in on everything — and eyes 2028

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

Dive Deeper View all

In this June 13, 2017, photo, University of Houston incoming students tour the campus as part of an orientation in Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP) **FILE**

Feds cap graduate student loans based on earnings potential in bid to lower spiraling costs

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

Activists participate in a demonstration to end the use of fossil fuels at the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) ** FILE **

Video
Losing its cool? Climate movement takes hits as Trump wages onslaught, leftists pivot

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

The injectable drug Ozempic, by Novo Nordisk, is shown on Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Doctors flag ‘Ozempic personality’ as some GLP-1 patients lose appetite for life

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee, right, speaks as District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, listens during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new addition at Raymond Elementary School on the first day of school, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023 in Washington. Tens of thousands of students started the new school year at public schools in the nation's capital on Monday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Records show D.C. Public Schools attorney is working two jobs at the same time

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

National View all

New nonprofit owners of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette slash jobs

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Close-up of female player serving the ball while playing doubles in pickleball. File photo credit: Drazen Zigic via Shutterstock.

Five members of pickleball club killed in Texas plane crash

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Police investigate the scene after a reported stabbing and shooting at the Grand Central subway station in New York on Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Video of NYC police killing machete-wielding man at Grand Central station released

Associated Press

An NJ Transit train leaves the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Officials recommend commuters using NJ Transit work from home during World Cup

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

World View all

Bundeswehr troops demonstrate their capabilities during a visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the army at the Bundeswehr base in Munster, Germany, Thursday, April, 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Germany focuses on shared interests after U.S. announces troop drawdown

By Kirsten Grieshaber and Emma Burrows - Associated Press

Sinaloa state Gov. Ruben Rocha waves as he takes part in an annual earthquake drill in Culiacan, Mexico, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

Mexican governor indicted by the U.S. for drug trafficking says he’ll step down

Associated Press

In this Friday, May 13, 2011, photo, soldiers of 1AD attend a color casing ceremony of the First Armored Division at the US Army Airfield in Wiesbaden, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) **FILE**

Hegseth pulls 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany amid Trump tiff with chancellor

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, right, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, 2nd left, speak with members of the Jewish community during a visit to Golders Green, north west London, Thursday April 30, 2026, following an attack on Wednesday in which two men were stabbed. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)

Starmer urges tougher action against Gaza protests in U.K. following antisemitic attacks

By Sylvia Hui - Associated Press

Sports View all

Golden Tempo (19) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Golden Tempo takes Kentucky Derby as DeVaux becomes first woman to train its winner

By Stephen Whyno - Associated Press

FILE - Baltimore Orioles' Trey Gibson poses for an official photo on Feb. 18, 2026, in Sarasota, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Orioles to give 23-year-old righty Gibson his big league debut against Yankees

By Ronald Blum - Associated Press

President Donald Trump and Hunter Campbell attend UFC 327 at Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) **FILE**

Breaking ground: A 4,500-seat UFC octagon is coming to the White House South Lawn

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Former Washington Wizard player John Wall getting ready to broadcast before an NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., January 29, 2026. (Photo for the Washington Times)

Ex-Wizard Wall to lead basketball operations at Howard

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

Higher Ground View all

Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Leo XIV encourages wealthy U.S. Catholics to keep donating

By Nicole Winfield - Associated Press

Mifepristone tablets sit on a table at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Ames, Iowa, on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) **FILE**

Appeals court limits access to abortion drug by telemedicine

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala speaks on a panel about immigration at Georgetown University in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

Catholic priest who criticized Trump immigration crackdown named West Virginia bishop

By John Raby and Giovanna Dell'Orto - Associated Press

This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice, April 29, 2026, shows Cole Tomas Allen, left, inside his hotel room, on Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Washington, using his cellphone to take a photograph of himself in the mirror. (Department of Justice via AP)

Commentary
The key biblical lesson Trump’s would-be assassin totally missed

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Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, Washington, D.C. File photo credit: Kit Leong via Shutterstock

Anti-war, anti-AI protester Guido Reichstadter still on top of arch on Douglass Memorial Bridge

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Donald Trump Jr. stands near the Oval Office after a ceremony to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk to his widow Erika Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) **FILE**

Amazon looking at potential reboot of ‘The Apprentice’ with Don. Jr. as host

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

U.S. Secret Service agents respond near President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during the White House Correspondents Dinner, in Washington, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Gunshots, a kitchen closet and questions: inside the chaos of the White House Correspondents Dinner

By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times

Kentucky Derby entrant The Puma works out at Churchill Downs Friday, May 1, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Puma scratched: Kentucky Derby is down to 19 horses

By Stephen Whyno - Associated Press

A Spirit Airlines 319 Airbus approaches Manchester Boston Regional Airport for a landing, June 2, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Spirit Airlines says it’s going out of business after 34 years and is ending operations immediately

By Aamer Madhani and Rio Yamat - Associated Press

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attends a meeting with members of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), about financial literacy, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at the Treasury Department, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Bessent to lottery-playing young men: Stop it and invest instead

By Fatima Hussein - Associated Press

Barbed wire fencing is shown behind a sign in English and Spanish in a recreation yard used by detainees during a media tour of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, Dec. 16, 2019, in Tacoma, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) **FILE**

ICE failed to tell Justice Dept. it could reveal warrant to judge; murder suspect went free

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Homeless people gather with their belongings and tents in the Mission District, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Video of zombie-like drug addicts near San Francisco’s Tenderloin goes viral

By The Washington Times AI News Desk

U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Daryl Caudle, talks to selected journalists during his visit in Tokyo, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mari Yamaguchi, File)

Video
Adm. Caudle, chief of naval operations, outlines ‘hedge’ strategy to maintain U.S. dominance

By Vaughn Cockayne and Guy Taylor - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump walks to speak with reporters as he prepares to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump says he’s not afraid to appear in public after latest assassination attempt

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles are parked outside a post office in Boys Town, Neb., Aug. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

Mail carriers, a bank manager and a repeat offender: inside an alleged $4.9 million postal scheme

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Prison bars and a hallway. (txking via Shutterstock) ** FILE **

Female inmate allegedly pummeled by transgender prisoner sues Washington state

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks to the City Club of Cleveland, in Cleveland, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Rep. Ro Khanna goes everywhere, weighs in on everything — and eyes 2028

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

Mifepristone tablets sit on a table at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Ames, Iowa, on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) **FILE**

Appeals court limits access to abortion drug by telemedicine

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times

Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, Washington, D.C. File photo credit: Kit Leong via Shutterstock

High-wire protest: Man scales Washington bridge arch with black ribbon to oppose Iran war

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

A family watch people march to mark International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, in Sydney, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

May Day worker-oriented events promoted by groups funded by billionaires

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

A school classroom. (File photo credit: cactus_camera via Shutterstock) ** FILE **

Montgomery County to close its only charter school

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

This image made from New York Police Department body camera video shows an officer after an explosion at a house while responding to a call of an armed man Thursday, April 30, 2026, in the Queens borough of New York. (New York Police Department via AP)

Massive explosion at NYC home sends police officers flying

Associated Press

Catholic nun walking along nave towards altar in church. File photo credit: AnnaStills via Shutterstock.

Biden DOJ fantasized about prosecuting habit-wearing nuns

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

What's the right way for the Army to think about using robots and autonomous systems for important tasks? File photo credit: TSViPhoto via Shutterstock.

Pentagon partners with major AI companies for use in classified networks

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times