It’s a federal law and there is no carve out for journalists. I linked the statute elsewhere.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. The warrant was part of a criminal investigation by police, not any civil lawsuit.
And you didn’t even read your own links.
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT Under the Drivers’ Privacy Protection Act of 1994, as amended (DPPA) (18 U.S.C. § 2721), personal information obtained by the Kansas Department of Revenue cannot be released unless the request for information falls within one of the exceptions within the Act. It is unlawful for personal information to be used for any purpose not permitted under the DPPA