The Washington Times was founded on May 17, 1982, by Unification movement leader Sun Myung Moon and owned until 2010 by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate founded by Moon. It is currently owned by Operations Holdings, which is owned by the Unification movement.[4][5] Throughout its history, The Washington Times has been known for its conservative political stance.[6][7][8][9] It has drawn controversy for publishing racist content, including commentary and conspiracy theories about United States president Barack Obama[10][11] and support for neo-Confederatism.[12] It has published material promoting Islamophobia.[13] It has published many columns which reject the scientific consensus on climate change,[14][15][16] as well as on ozone depletion[17] and on the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.[18][19]