Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Justices eye letting candidates challenge states that change voting rules
The Supreme Court seemed poised Wednesday to embrace new rules that would give candidates for federal office the chance to challenge election rules in court well before the voting takes place -- a move that could give Republicans more room to confront Democratic states' mail-in ballot laws. Published October 8, 2025
National Guard arrives in Illinois as Trump pursues crime crackdown
The first contingent of President Trump's call-up of National Guard troops arrived in Illinois on Tuesday as the administration pushes to crack down on crime in some of the country's major cities. Published October 7, 2025
Senate Democrats want to see more evidence that the FBI illegally spied on GOP lawmakers
Senate Democrats on Tuesday said they wanted to see more evidence that President Biden's FBI spied on Republican lawmakers before they would believe there was wrongdoing. Published October 7, 2025
Attorney General Bondi challenges Democrats to let go of ‘hate’ for Trump
Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted Democrats on Tuesday for the current government shutdown, accusing them of allowing an overriding hatred of President Trump to leave her law enforcement agents patrolling their cities without getting paid for it. Published October 7, 2025
Federal appeals court dispute tests limits of Supreme Court pro-LGBTQ workplace ruling
A case winding its way through the federal courts could test the limits of the Supreme Court's ruling that allowed employees to sue over transgender discrimination. Published October 7, 2025
WATCH: Supreme Court skeptical of Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ children
Colorado's law banning "conversion therapy" for children confounded the Supreme Court on Tuesday, with justices saying it seemed to shut down speech that would normally be protected by the First Amendment. Published October 7, 2025
Best border in 55 years: DHS nabs fewer than 240,000 illegal immigrants at southwest boundary
The Border Patrol has just completed its best fiscal year since 1970 when it comes to the southern border, where agents seized fewer than 240,000 people trying to sneak in across the Mexican boundary. Published October 7, 2025
Grassley reveals more ‘weaponization’ at FBI, including 2017 attempt to probe Trump
The Senate's senior Republican revealed new documents Tuesday that he said show more "weaponization" by the FBI against President Trump and his allies, including one that details an effort soon after the 2017 inauguration to find information that "could predicate a case." Published October 7, 2025
Street gang placed ‘hit’ on senior Trump immigration official, DHS says
The Latin Kings street gang in Illinois placed a bounty on a senior Border Patrol official who has been instrumental in the administration's attempt to surge arrests and deportations in big cities, government officials said Monday. Published October 6, 2025
Chicago declares ‘ICE-free’ zones as city escalates feud with Trump
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an order Monday creating what he called "ICE-free zones" in his city, where federal agents are forbidden from staging to carry out immigration arrests. Published October 6, 2025
Supreme Court returns to the bench for new term, rejects dozens of legal battles on first day
The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear arguments in Missouri's effort to declare itself a "gun sanctuary" where federal firearms restrictions do not apply. That was one of dozens of cases the high court refused to add to its docket on the first day of its new term. Published October 6, 2025
Illinois Democrats escalate confrontation with Trump’s ICE sweeps, National Guard deployments
Illinois officials made a bid for sanctuary supremacy Monday with Chicago's mayor signing an executive order declaring city property to be "ICE-free zones," and the city and state suing to block President Trump from sending in the National Guard to quell anti-ICE protests. Published October 6, 2025
Senate chairman to investigate judges’ use of AI after courts issued botched rulings
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley opened a probe into two federal district judges who had to retract opinions this summer amid allegations that the rulings were plagued with errors from using artificial intelligence. Published October 6, 2025
Supreme Court rejects Missouri’s bid to defend gun sanctuary law
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Missouri's case that sought to declare the state a gun sanctuary that negates federal firearms restrictions. Published October 6, 2025
Judge issues new order blocking Trump from bringing out-of-state troops to Oregon
A federal judge issued a new restraining order late Sunday barring the Trump administration from deploying other states' National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, moving to head off President Trump's end-run around a previous order. Published October 6, 2025
Trump to send 300 National Guard troops into Chicago after more violent clashes
President Trump authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago this weekend to safeguard federal agents fighting crime and enforcing immigration law in the city, which has resulted instead in riots against the crackdown. Published October 5, 2025
Agents shoot woman accused of ‘ambush’ vehicle attack on Border Patrol in Chicago
Federal immigration agents shot at a woman they say was attempting to use her vehicle to run down officers in the Chicago area on Saturday. Published October 5, 2025
U.S. District judge in Oregon blocks Trump from sending troops to Portland
A federal judge on Saturday blocked President Trump's attempt to federalize and deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. Published October 5, 2025
Labor union sues to stop Trump from blaming Democrats for shutdown in fed employees’ emails
The largest federal labor union sued the Education Department on Friday, accusing it of a free speech violation by inserting language into employees' emails blaming the government shutdown on Democrats. Published October 4, 2025
Kavanaugh attempted assassination plotter gets 8-year prison term; government had sought 30 years
Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh's would-be assassin was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison, delivering a sentence in a shocking case of political violence that became ensnared with gender identity politics. Published October 3, 2025
