Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
DOJ tries to block Boasberg’s contempt hearings against the Trump administration
The Trump administration rushed to a federal appeals court Friday asking judges to head off Judge James Boasberg's investigation into whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should face a criminal contempt of court investigation over controversial deportation flights. Published December 12, 2025
New York gave illegal driver’s licenses to foreign truck drivers: Feds
New York has intentionally been giving out truck driver's licenses to illegal immigrants in violation of federal rules, the Transportation Department said Friday, adding that unless the state fixes things it will be stripped of tens of millions of dollars in highway money. Published December 12, 2025
18,000 confirmed and suspected terrorists entered U.S. under Biden
The government has identified 18,000 known or suspected terrorists who reached the U.S. during the Biden administration, senior officials told Congress on Thursday. Published December 11, 2025
Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson calls National Guard killing ‘unfortunate accident’
A senior House Democrat on Thursday called the shooting that took the life of a National Guard soldier an "unfortunate accident" and an "unfortunate situation." Published December 11, 2025
Court orders DHS to release illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to "immediately" release Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ruling that the migrant's detention violates his rights. Published December 11, 2025
Trump’s tariffs spur government’s improving deficit
The deficit has ticked down in the new fiscal year, and analysts said there's one obvious reason for the improvement: President Trump's tariffs. Published December 10, 2025
Environmentalists sue to erase Trump’s ‘bloated’ face from appearing on national parks pass
An environmental group filed a lawsuit Wednesday asking a judge to stop the government from putting President Trump's face on a new national parks and monuments pass, saying the country doesn't want to see his "bloated, fragile, attention-seeking" headshot. Published December 10, 2025
Is IQ of 72 too low to dodge death penalty? Supreme Court wrestles with cutoff
The Supreme Court struggled Wednesday to determine when someone is too mentally disabled to be executed for crimes, with the justices pondering when IQ tests or more subjective yardsticks are sufficient methods to determine intellectual ability. Published December 10, 2025
Judge orders Trump to stop using California’s National Guard
A federal judge accused President Trump on Wednesday of using National Guard troops to create a "national police force" and ordered him to relinquish control of the California troops he's commandeered. Published December 10, 2025
Appeals court rules in favor of Pentagon’s limits on transgender troops
A federal appeals court gave a boost Tuesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's limits on transgender troops, saying that a lower court that tried to block him didn't show enough deference to his decision-making. Published December 9, 2025
Supreme Court grapples with limits on campaign spending by political party committees
Supreme Court justices grappled Tuesday with whether to topple another domino in campaign finance restrictions -- this one a limit on political party committees' ability to coordinate with individual candidates on how to spend money. Published December 9, 2025
Senate report details 22 Americans caught in crosshairs of Trump’s mass deportation sweep
A report from Senate Democrats accuses Homeland Security of sweeping Americans up in its push to deport illegal immigrants, including some detained for more than a day, seemingly in defiance of Supreme Court guidance this year. Published December 9, 2025
ACLU sues to force release of legal justification for Trump’s attacks on alleged drug boats
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the administration on Tuesday to force disclosure of the Justice Department opinion that provides the legal backing for President Trump to carry out attacks on vessels he says are carrying drugs toward the U.S. Published December 9, 2025
Judge allows release of secret Epstein docs from Maxwell case
A federal judge on Tuesday approved the Justice Department's request to release files relating to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein that were kept under seal as part of the case against his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Published December 9, 2025
Boasberg calls DOJ whistleblower to testify as he considers contempt charge against Trump officials
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg demanded the Justice Department send one of its key lawyers to testify in person about why the government made three deportation flights to El Salvador in March despite what the judge thought were clear orders to ground the planes. Published December 8, 2025
DOJ says Loudoun school transgender policy violated Christian students’ rights
The Trump administration sued Loudoun County public schools on Monday, accusing the Virginia system of forcing its concept of "gender identity" on students without considering their religious beliefs. Published December 8, 2025
Supreme Court delivers win to religious vaccine resisters
The Supreme Court on Monday erased a lower court ruling that had upheld New York's strict school vaccine rules that don't allow religious exemptions, telling the judges to reexamine the case with an eye toward parental rights. Published December 8, 2025
Georgia state lawmaker charged with stealing pandemic unemployment money
A state representative in Georgia was arrested Monday on charges of stealing pandemic unemployment benefits from the government and making false statements to cover for it. Published December 8, 2025
Supreme Court poised to grant Trump broader firing powers over independent agencies
The Supreme Court signaled Monday a readiness to upend a 90-year-old precedent and give presidents expansive powers to fire top officers at independent agencies. Published December 8, 2025
Chief Justice Roberts blocks ruling that threatened Trump personnel moves
Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has put a hold on a lower court ruling that had suggested judges could step in to hear cases where the normal machinery of the executive branch wasn't working. Published December 7, 2025
