A federal judge dealt another setback to former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan on Tuesday, upholding her conviction for helping an illegal immigrant evade federal immigration authorities and rejecting her request for reconsideration.

The ruling marks the latest development in a case that has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement and whether public officials can interfere with federal efforts to apprehend individuals living in the country illegally.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman declined to overturn Dugan’s conviction and also refused to establish a new sentencing date after previously postponing sentencing from June 3.

Dugan, a former Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, was convicted in December on obstruction-related charges stemming from her actions involving Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant whom federal authorities were attempting to arrest.

Her legal team argued that the conviction should be reconsidered based on a recent federal appeals court ruling in United States v. Hernandez. In that case, an immigrant detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement escaped custody, was later recaptured, and convicted of obstructing a pending immigration proceeding. The conviction was ultimately overturned on appeal.

Dugan’s attorneys argued that Flores-Ruiz was not involved in a pending proceeding at the time of the incident but was instead the subject of an arrest warrant.

In a statement following Tuesday’s decision, Dugan’s lawyers called Adelman’s ruling “wrong.”

However, the federal judge rejected the argument and found that the circumstances of Dugan’s case were significantly different.

“At oral argument, defendant noted that ICE goes out every day to try to arrest people on the street,” Adelman wrote in his ruling.

He further summarized the defense’s position by writing, “Given the estimated 10 million undocumented persons in the United States, does that mean there are 10 million pending proceedings?”

Adelman noted that Dugan “insists that there needs to be some formality, i.e., a proceeding before an agency involving parties trying to come to a determination, an adjudication.”

“The problem for the defense is that this case did not involve some random encounter on the street,” he continued.

“It was a targeted operation, conducted pursuant to agency procedures, including the issuance of an arrest warrant for a specific person, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.”

The case drew national attention earlier this year after federal authorities accused Dugan of actively helping Flores-Ruiz avoid apprehension by federal agents.

According to prosecutors, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, along with agents from the FBI, DEA, and Customs and Border Protection, arrived at the courthouse on April 18 intending to arrest Flores-Ruiz following a scheduled court appearance.

Flores-Ruiz was facing three misdemeanor battery charges and was accused of assaulting two individuals.

Federal authorities alleged that after learning agents were waiting to take Flores-Ruiz into custody, Dugan directed law enforcement personnel away from the area and then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted jury door, bypassing the public exit where federal agents were stationed.

Prosecutors argued that the actions were intended to help Flores-Ruiz avoid arrest.

The controversy quickly escalated, leading to Dugan’s arrest and subsequent removal from judicial duties.

In April, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an administrative order directing Dugan to be “temporarily relieved of her official duties” while the case proceeded.

The incident also drew sharp criticism from then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, who questioned how a sitting judge could allegedly interfere with a lawful federal arrest operation.

“We could not believe that a judge really did that,” Bondi said.

“You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she’s protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime,” Bondi added.

Bondi also highlighted the allegations against Flores-Ruiz, describing the violence that prosecutors say led to the criminal charges.

“[He] beat the guy, hit the guy 30 times, knocked him to the ground, choked him, beat up a woman so badly; they both had to go to the hospital,” she said.

With Adelman refusing to reconsider the conviction, Dugan now faces sentencing on the obstruction charge, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. While first-time offenders rarely receive the maximum sentence, the case has become a prominent example of the Trump administration’s broader emphasis on enforcing immigration laws and holding public officials accountable when they interfere with federal law enforcement operations.

Supporters of stricter immigration enforcement argue that the ruling sends a clear message that no one—including judges—is above the law when it comes to obstructing federal authorities carrying out their duties. As sentencing approaches, the case is likely to remain at the center of the national debate over immigration, public accountability, and the rule of law.

President Donald Trump scored another major political victory Tuesday night as Rep. Barry Moore cruised to victory in Alabama’s Republican Senate runoff, further cementing the president’s unmatched influence within the Republican Party.

Moore, a three-term congressman and longtime Trump ally, defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in a closely watched race to replace outgoing Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is leaving the Senate to pursue Alabama’s governorship this November.

The race was viewed nationally as another test of Trump’s political strength heading into the midterm election cycle. Despite media speculation and polling that suggested a potentially close contest, Moore ultimately delivered a decisive victory, defeating Hudson by 18 percentage points and reinforcing the power of a Trump endorsement in Republican politics.

Trump’s backed candidates have enjoyed an impressive track record throughout the 2026 election season, with voters repeatedly rallying behind candidates who embrace the president’s America First agenda.

Following his victory, Moore thanked supporters and highlighted the close working relationship he has built with President Trump over the years.

“When I call him, he takes my calls,” Moore told supporters after the race was called.

The congressman also urged Republicans not to take future elections for granted despite the party’s recent success.

“We’ve got the White House. We’ve got a delegation that’s pretty conservative, but it’s vitally important that we show up and vote,” Moore said.

Moore has long been one of Trump’s most loyal supporters in Congress. As a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, he was an early supporter of Trump’s first presidential campaign and has consistently backed the president’s policy priorities throughout both administrations.

Just days before the runoff election, Trump delivered a strong endorsement that many political observers believe helped propel Moore to victory.

“Barry Moore has my complete and total endorsement. He’s the best America First candidate you can imagine,” Trump said.

Hudson entered the race as a political outsider and attempted to capitalize on voter frustration with Washington. The former Navy SEAL forced Moore into a runoff after a strong showing in the initial primary election and campaigned heavily on his military service and lack of political experience.

Throughout the campaign, Hudson argued that Alabama needed a fresh voice in Washington and frequently contrasted his military background with Moore’s congressional tenure.

Leaning heavily on his service record, Hudson pledged to be “a warrior for President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda.”

“If you want the same thing over and over again, elect a career politician. If you want different results, somebody who can take your issues to Washington and not bring the stupidity of Washington back here to you, send a warrior to Washington,” Hudson said during a candidate forum in May.

Despite Hudson’s energetic campaign, Moore successfully convinced Republican voters that proven conservative leadership and a demonstrated record of supporting Trump mattered more than outsider credentials alone.

Throughout the race, Moore pointed to his voting record and conservative ratings as evidence that he has consistently delivered for Alabama voters.

“Look at my record, the most conservative member in the Alabama delegation, an ally of the president,” Moore said. “The president has endorsed me because he’s seen me in the fire. I never bow down.”

For many Alabama Republicans, experience and results ultimately proved decisive.

“He’s the best qualified, I can tell you that — no question,” said Bob Marshall, 91, after casting his ballot for Moore in Pike Road outside Montgomery.

Hudson continued to highlight his military accomplishments throughout the campaign, often noting that while he lacked a legislative scorecard, he had accumulated an impressive combat record.

Hudson has quipped that he doesn’t have a legislative scorecard, but has racked up a high score “against the Taliban in over 60 combat operations.”

Some voters found that message compelling.

“I like the fact that he was willing to put his life on the line for our country,” said Julian Metheny, 70, who voted for Hudson in Shelby County.

With Tuesday’s victory, Moore advances to the general election as the clear favorite in a deeply Republican state. The result also adds to a growing list of Trump-endorsed candidates who have prevailed this year, underscoring the president’s continued dominance within the GOP and the enduring appeal of the America First movement among Republican voters.

Elon Musk is warning that the future of artificial intelligence may not be on Earth at all.

During a recent podcast appearance, the billionaire entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX argued that the biggest obstacle facing the next generation of AI isn’t software, computing power, or engineering talent. Instead, Musk believes the limiting factor will be something far more basic: electricity.

As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly sophisticated, they require enormous amounts of energy to train and operate. Data centers powering advanced AI models already consume vast quantities of electricity, and demand continues to surge as companies race to develop more powerful systems.

According to Musk, that growth trajectory is rapidly approaching a point where existing power infrastructure simply won’t be able to keep pace.

Rather than viewing AI development as primarily a software challenge, Musk sees energy production as the critical bottleneck that could determine how far and how fast the technology advances in the coming years.

He pointed to America’s current power consumption as an example of the challenge ahead. The United States consumes roughly half a terawatt of electricity on average, and significantly increasing that capacity would require a massive expansion of power generation infrastructure.

Building enough new power plants to meet future AI demand would be expensive, time-consuming, and politically challenging. Environmental regulations, permitting requirements, and local opposition often slow major energy projects, creating additional hurdles for rapid expansion.

Musk believes these constraints will force technology companies to begin looking beyond Earth much sooner than many experts currently anticipate.

In fact, he predicts that within the next two to three years, it could become economically advantageous to operate large-scale AI systems in space rather than on the ground.

While the idea may sound like science fiction, Musk argues that the economics increasingly favor orbital computing facilities.

One of the biggest advantages is access to uninterrupted solar energy.

Solar panels on Earth lose efficiency due to weather, cloud cover, nighttime conditions, and atmospheric interference. Space-based solar arrays, by contrast, can receive nearly continuous sunlight while avoiding many of the energy losses associated with terrestrial systems.

As a result, orbital solar systems can generate substantially more power than comparable installations on the ground.

The implications for AI are enormous.

Modern AI systems require not only tremendous computing resources but also vast amounts of electricity to keep servers running around the clock. Data centers must also devote substantial energy to cooling systems that prevent processors from overheating.

Musk noted that one of the major benefits of operating in space is the ability to eliminate many of the energy storage challenges that exist on Earth.

When continuous solar power is available, the need for large battery systems is dramatically reduced. Eliminating battery infrastructure lowers costs, improves efficiency, and simplifies operations.

The comments come as AI companies continue investing billions of dollars into new data centers and computing infrastructure. Industry leaders have increasingly acknowledged that energy availability is becoming one of the most important factors influencing future AI development.

Major technology firms are already exploring partnerships with utilities, investing in nuclear energy projects, and securing long-term power agreements to meet anticipated demand.

Musk believes those efforts may ultimately prove insufficient if AI capabilities continue advancing at their current pace.

His prediction also aligns with SpaceX’s broader vision of expanding humanity’s presence beyond Earth. While discussions about colonizing Mars often capture headlines, Musk’s latest comments suggest that space-based computing and energy production could become a practical commercial reality much sooner.

If his forecast proves accurate, the next major leap in artificial intelligence may not come from a breakthrough algorithm or a new software model. Instead, it could come from moving the world’s most powerful computers beyond Earth’s atmosphere and into orbit, where virtually unlimited solar energy could fuel the next generation of technological innovation.

For Musk, the race to build smarter AI may ultimately become a race to find enough power to sustain it—and that race could soon lead straight into space.