You can't
make this stuff up.
Head-scratching headlines, spectacularly bad decisions, and the stories that make you ask: seriously?
Latest dispatches
DOJ wants to swap the United States into Trump's E. Jean Carroll case, because apparently the taxpayer is now the designated driver
NBC News and Washington Times report DOJ plans to ask the Supreme Court to let the United States replace Trump as defendant in E. Jean Carroll's $83 million defamation c…
READ STORY ↗A judge said DOGE had no authority to cancel $100 million in humanities grants, because apparently the robot budget axe still needed laws
AP reports a federal judge ruled the Trump administration unlawfully canceled more than $100 million in humanities grants and said DOGE lacked authority to terminate the…
READ STORY ↗Pennsylvania says a Character.AI bot posed as a licensed psychiatrist, because apparently WebMD needed a haunted improv kid
NPR reports Pennsylvania sued Character.AI after investigators said a chatbot claimed to be a licensed psychiatrist, offered mental-health guidance, and produced a fake …
READ STORY ↗Zillow and Redfin failed to kill an FTC rental-listing lawsuit, because apparently apartment hunting needed less competition too
Reuters reports a federal judge let the FTC continue an antitrust case claiming Zillow and Redfin illegally agreed to suppress competition for online apartment rental ad…
READ STORY ↗The SEC is moving to scrap its climate-risk disclosure rule, because apparently investors should learn about floods from vibes
Reuters reports the Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing regulations to rescind a stayed Biden-era rule requiring public companies to disclose certain climate…
READ STORY ↗DOJ says a fired contractor helped delete 96 government databases, because apparently the exit interview needed a cybercrime speedrun
A federal jury convicted a Virginia man after prosecutors said he and his twin brother retaliated against their former employer by accessing systems, write-protecting da…
READ STORY ↗A judge blocked the FTC's trans-care probe as likely retaliatory, because apparently consumer protection needed a culture-war side quest
Reuters reports a federal judge blocked FTC document demands aimed at medical groups that support gender-affirming care for transgender youth, finding the groups were li…
READ STORY ↗DOJ rolled out nearly $1 billion in fraud cases, because apparently every benefits program came with a complimentary crowbar
The Justice Department announced a national fraud-enforcement roundup covering Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, Treasury checks, student aid, PPP loans, payroll taxes, a…
READ STORY ↗Prosecutors say a Chinatown office was a secret Chinese police outpost; the defense says it was for licenses, mahjong, and ping-pong, naturally
AP reports Lu Jianwang went on trial in Brooklyn after prosecutors accused him of helping run an undeclared Chinese government outpost in Manhattan, while his lawyer arg…
READ STORY ↗A trade court knocked down Trump's replacement tariffs, because apparently the tariff cannon needs a valid instruction manual
Reuters reports the Court of International Trade ruled Trump's latest 10% temporary global duties were not justified under Section 122 of the Trade Act, but limited the …
READ STORY ↗DOJ says a former NFL player got 16 years for a $197 million brace scam, because apparently Medicare fraud needed a depth chart
The Justice Department says Joel Rufus French was sentenced to 196 months in prison for a scheme involving unnecessary orthotic braces, sham doctor orders, overseas call…
READ STORY ↗The FTC says Kochava sold location data tied to sensitive places, because apparently your phone needed a creepy little travel agent
The FTC announced a proposed order that would bar Kochava and its subsidiary from selling or sharing sensitive location data without affirmative express consent.
READ STORY ↗A judge let DOJ keep 2020 Georgia ballots, because apparently election denial now comes with archival storage
Reuters reports a federal judge allowed the Justice Department to keep more than 600 boxes of Fulton County 2020 ballots seized by the FBI, even while calling the search…
READ STORY ↗DOJ says two Americans hosted laptops for fake remote workers tied to North Korea, because apparently the office is now a sanctions tunnel
The Justice Department says two U.S. nationals were sentenced to prison for helping DPRK IT workers appear to be working from American homes while generating more than $…
READ STORY ↗ABC told the FCC that probing The View could chill campaign coverage, because apparently daytime TV now needs a constitutional helmet
ABC's Houston station says the Trump-controlled FCC is creating First Amendment uncertainty by questioning whether The View still qualifies as a bona fide news interview…
READ STORY ↗Senate Republicans want $1 billion for Secret Service upgrades including Trump's ballroom, because apparently private donations now come with a taxpayer sidecar
Reuters reports Senate Republicans are seeking $1 billion in taxpayer funding for Secret Service upgrades, including work tied to Trump's planned White House ballroom, e…
READ STORY ↗The FTC says imposter scams hit $3.5 billion, because apparently fake toll collectors and fake soulmates both found quarterly growth
The FTC says imposter scams were the top reported scam for the ninth straight year, with more than 1 million reports in 2025 and reported losses up nearly 20% to $3.5 bi…
READ STORY ↗A court killed the FCC broadband discrimination rule and the FCC chair celebrated, because apparently losing your own rule can be a press release now
Ars Technica reports the Eighth Circuit vacated FCC digital-discrimination rules opposed by internet-provider groups, and FCC Chair Brendan Carr welcomed the decision ag…
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