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Judge finds cause to hold Trump administration in criminal contempt for violating deportation order
By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMANUpdated 6:24 PM CDT, April 16, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday said he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt
of court and warned he could seek officials’ prosecution for violating his orders last month to turn around planes carrying deportees to an El Salvador prison.
The ruling from U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg, whom President Donald Trump has said should be impeached, marks a dramatic battle between the judicial and executive branches of government over the president’s powers to carry out key White House priorities.
Boasberg accused administration officials of rushing deportees out of the country under the Alien Enemies Act last month before they could challenge their removal in court, and then willfully disregarding his order that planes already in the air should return to the United States.
The judge said he could hold hearings and potentially refer the matter for prosecution if the administration does not act to remedy the violation. If Trump’s Justice Department leadership declines to prosecute the matter, Boasberg said he will appoint another attorney to do so.
“The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders — especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it,” wrote Boasberg, the chief judge of Washington’s federal court. ...
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Bill taking aim at IRS would strip agency of guns and ammo
Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and several other House Republicans push the "Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act" that would strip the IRS of firearms and ammunition.
www.foxnews.com
DOJ files lawsuit against Maine claiming the state violated Title IX by "by failing to protect women in women's sports"
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that the Justice Department is filing a civil lawsuit against Maine's Department of Education, claiming it violated Title IX.
www.cbsnews.com
Israel says its troops will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely
Defence minister says army ‘will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and [Israeli] communities’.
www.aljazeera.com
Asian shares mark moderate gains in the face of anxiety over Trump's trade war
Asian shares are mostly higher despite continued fretting over President Donald Trump’s trade war, with all eyes on the negotiations that just began between the administration and Japan.
apnews.com
Dem rising star eyes Vance as key long-term threat: 'Needs to be defeated'
Rep. Ro Khanna, the California Democrat who likely harbors national ambitions in 2028, is turning up the volume in his broadsides against Vice President JD Vance, the heir apparent to President Donald Trump.
www.foxnews.com
Six arrested, two tased at Representative Marjorie Taylor Green town hall in Georgia
At a town hall in metro-Atlanta, Marjorie Taylor Greene was interrupted multiple times by protesters.
www.usatoday.com
Promising hints of life found on distant planet K2-18b
Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.
www.bbc.com
Retail sales rise 1.4% in March as shoppers stock up on big ticket items ahead of tariffs
U.S. shoppers increased their shopping last month, fueled by a spending spree on foreign-made new big ticket items from gadgets to cars before President Donald Trump’s expansive new tariffs started kicking in.
apnews.com
Protesters tased, arrested at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Georgia town hall
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of President Trump’s most loyal allies in the House, faced several protesters who were removed by police at her town hall on Tuesday.
abcnews.go.com
10 NY prison guards indicted, 2 for murder, in connection to inmate's beating death
Ten New York corrections officers were charged, two with murder, in connection to the beating death of Messiah Nantwi, an inmate at the Mid-State Correctional facility.
abcnews.go.com
US stocks drop as Nvidia slides and the fog of Trump's trade war thickens
U.S. stocks dropped as the costs of U.S. restrictions on global trade compounded. The S&P 500 fell 2.2% Wednesday. The Dow lost 1.7%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 3.1%.
apnews.com
Maldives bans Israeli passport holders in protest against Gaza war | CNN
The Maldives has banned Israeli passport holders from entering its territory, the president’s office said on Wednesday, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza war, an allegation Israel has repeatedly denied.
www.cnn.com
Abrego Garcia live updates: Senator travels to El Salvador; Trump admin defends deportation
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he hopes to meet with officials in El Salvador to discuss Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release.
www.usatoday.com
White House proposal axes UN, NATO funds and halves State Department budget
The Trump administration is weighing a proposal to slash the State Department’s budget by $27 billion — nearly half — and shutter small embassies and consulates worldwide.
www.foxnews.com
How major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 4/16/2025
U.S. stocks dropped as the costs of U.S. restrictions on global trade compounded. The S&P 500 fell 2.2% Wednesday. The Dow lost 1.7%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 3.1%.
apnews.com
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst gets her first Democratic challenger for 2026
In his launch, Nathan Sage touts his background as a veteran, mechanic and sports radio announcer, pushing for a party that "people like me will actually want to be a part of."
www.nbcnews.com
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