Stephen Dinan

Massachusetts mayor charged with stealing pandemic money

The FBI arrested the mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, charging him with stealing pandemic assistance money and siphoning it to his political campaign account.

August 14, 2026

Trump asks Supreme Court to approve his White House ballroom project

President Trump went to the Supreme Court on Friday to ask permission to keep building his grand plans for a ballroom at the White House, telling the justices the project is "vitally required by national security."

August 14, 2026

Los Angeles agrees to speed issuing concealed-carry permits for gun owners; deal settles fed lawsuit

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has agreed to speed up issuing concealed-carry permits, in a deal struck with the Trump Justice Department that commits the county to making an initial decision within 90 days.

August 13, 2026

Transportation Dept. imposes English requirement on railway engineers, conductors

Fresh off its effort to remove people who struggle with English from jobs in commercial driving, the Trump administration is now moving to boot them off the rails, too.

August 13, 2026

State Department cancels DEI diplomacy; ‘White Fragility,’ BLM lessons expunged from training

Diversity training had infected the State Department to the point that a full day of training for foreign service officers was dedicated to DEI, employees were told to mitigate their "unconscious bias," and diplomats were urged to discuss DEI and "allyship" as part of their talks with foreign governments, the Trump administration revealed Thursday.

August 13, 2026

Court says mail ballots are ‘prone to fraud,’ backs Texas crackdown law

A federal appeals court upheld a Texas law requiring voters to provide an identification number before casting ballots by mail, plus scolded voting rights activists and a lower court for their efforts to undermine the state's statute.

August 13, 2026

Supreme Court doesn’t act in time to stop execution of ‘vicious’ dog

A last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court wasn't enough to stave off the euthanization of Bruce, a 3-year-old dog that a California county deemed too "vicious" after multiple biting incidents.

August 13, 2026

ICE aims to buy shock gloves for agents, deportation officers

ICE is seeking to buy electrified gloves for its agents and officers to use for "distraction and de-escalation" of situations.

August 12, 2026

Former Southern Poverty Law Center official arrested in federal fraud case

Federal authorities arrested the former chief financial officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center on Wednesday, accusing her of signing off on fraudulent bank payments that have put the storied civil rights organization in the Justice Department's crosshairs.

August 12, 2026

Feds bust massive Chinese fraud ring that arranged 1,000 bogus marriages

Federal prosecutors said Wednesday they disrupted one of the biggest marriage fraud rings in U.S. history that orchestrated more than a thousand bogus unions over a decade in the hopes of getting green cards.

August 12, 2026

Court orders do-over on Biden’s gas stove rule

A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered the Energy Department to take a do-over on President Biden's attempt to regulate gas stoves, saying the government botched the rollout by using an abbreviated process that only applies to uncontroversial policies.

August 11, 2026

Appeals court revives DHS’ speedy deportation powers against Biden’s paroled migrants

A federal appeals court on Tuesday breathed new life into the Department of Homeland Security's plans to use a speedy deportation power on migrants who were paroled into the U.S., potentially giving the Trump administration a new tool to boot hundreds of thousands who were admitted by President Biden.

August 11, 2026

Immigration groups ask judge to block Trump’s new birthright citizenship order

Immigrant rights advocates rushed to a federal court Tuesday to ask the judge to shut down President Trump's latest attempt to restrict birthright citizenship, saying the Supreme Court has already settled the issue and the White House lost.

August 11, 2026

Fauci’s phone messages showed concern about pregnant women miscarrying after COVID vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci privately acknowledged a potential risk of miscarriage if pregnant women took a COVID vaccine in the first trimester, even as he and the rest of the federal government were urging them to get the shots, according to messages from his phone.

August 11, 2026

Decision to revive anti-weaponization fund rests with Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump says

President Trump on Monday hinted that his anti-weaponization fund could still be revived if newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche decides to resuscitate it.

August 10, 2026

U.S. almost deports Afghan ally because of wrong calendar

A federal appeals court stepped in and ordered a do-over after an Afghan man who spent years opposing the Taliban was poised to be deported because a translator in his immigration case used the wrong calendar.

August 10, 2026

Senate confirms Blanche as new attorney general

Senate Republicans voted to confirm Todd Blanche as the new full attorney general, overcoming stiff headwinds President Trump created for his own nominee and installing a new top cop at the Justice Department.

August 8, 2026

Judge won’t shut down Trump Justice Department prosecution of Southern Poverty Law Center

The Justice Department can move forward with its criminal case against the Southern Poverty Law Center, the federal judge overseeing the case ruled, rejecting the SPLC's claim that it is the victim of an illegal and vindictive prosecution.

August 7, 2026

Appeals court halts White House ballroom project, says Trump needs Congress’ approval

A federal appeals court ordered President Trump to stop construction on his White House ballroom project, ruling that he should have asked Congress for permission before razing the old East Wing and starting his new building.

August 7, 2026

Sen. Bill Cassidy to back Todd Blanche, keeping nomination as attorney general alive

Todd Blanche, President Trump's pick to become attorney general, got key backing Friday from Sen. Bill Cassidy, boosting his confirmation chances.

August 7, 2026