Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Inspector general dings DHS over money spent on migrant welcome program
Homeland Security misspent money on its program to pay local nonprofits to welcome illegal immigrants caught and released into the country, according to an inspector general's report that dinged the department for failing to oversee how the money was spent. Published March 30, 2023
AG Garland tells Congress he needs controversial spying power to keep China in check
Attorney General Merrick Garland made an impassioned plea Wednesday for Congress to renew a controversial government spying authority, warning that if the "Section 702" powers go away the U.S. will suffer in its ability to keep track of China's efforts to undermine the country. Published March 29, 2023
Agents’ busy weekend: 6 miles of border, nearly 300 illegal immigrants, 35 different nationalities
Border Patrol agents in the Imperial Beach region of California reported a hectic night last weekend, nabbing 290 illegal immigrants over a 13-hour stretch. Published March 29, 2023
U.S. Marshals told not to arrest protesters outside justices’ homes, documents reveal
Deputy U.S. marshals assigned to guard Supreme Court justices last year were directed to try not to make arrests, according to documents a U.S. senator revealed Tuesday, contradicting Attorney General Merrick Garland's assurances to Congress. Published March 28, 2023
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans urge DHS Chief Mayorkas to resign in acrimonious hearing
Calls to resign rained down on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday as he insisted the border was secure, while struggling to answer questions about illegal immigration and the flow of deadly fentanyl. Published March 28, 2023
Attorney General Garland: Too early to call Nashville shooting a hate crime
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Tuesday that it's too early for the Justice Department to say whether the horrific shooting at a Christian school in Nashville should be considered a hate crime. Published March 28, 2023
Mayorkas ‘not aware’ cartels use illegal immigrants to distract border agents
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday told Congress he's unaware that cartels use illegal immigrants to flood the border and sneak over dangerous contraband. Published March 28, 2023
House GOP to subpoena State Department for secret Afghanistan documents
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul said Monday that he has signed a subpoena to force the State Department to turn over a secret cable revealing diplomats' urgent plea to Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2021 not to follow through on President Biden's troop-withdrawal plans. Published March 27, 2023
Biden administration urges Supreme Court to uphold law against enticing illegal immigration
The Biden administration pleaded with the Supreme Court on Monday to preserve a section of the law that punishes people who entice illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S., brushing aside First Amendment worries. Published March 27, 2023
Bernie Sanders, other ideological warriors stumble in ratings of lawmakers’ effectiveness
They may win the most headlines, but Congress' ideological warriors fared particularly badly in a study of lawmakers' effectiveness as they struggled to get their ideas passed into law. Published March 27, 2023
Feds say immigrant led reign of terror as mayor of Haitian village
Federal prosecutors charged a Haitian politician with visa fraud this week after a jury in a civil trial found that Jean Morose Viliena oversaw a campaign of terror against his opponents while he was mayor of a Haitian village. Published March 24, 2023
Reports: U.S., Canada strike new migration deal to calm the border
The U.S. and Canada have reached a deal to try to stop what's become an increasingly chaotic border between the two nations, according to news reports from both countries. Published March 23, 2023
175 Americans are still in Afghanistan, some held by the Taliban
There are about 175 Americans still in Afghanistan, and some of them are being held captive by the Taliban, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress on Thursday. Published March 23, 2023
Federal agency tries to downplay its ‘ecogrief’ training; skeptics question employee triggers
The Fish and Wildlife Service downplayed the scope of its training for employees to handle "ecogrief," telling Congress on Thursday that no more than 150 employees took the classes and calling the sessions "small bore." Published March 23, 2023
Bitcoin ATMs were used to launder COVID fraud money, feds charge
Federal authorities arrested the founder of Coindawg, a bitcoin ATM operation, and charged him with money laundering, saying he helped steal pandemic loans and used the ATMs to launder the proceeds. Published March 23, 2023
DHS nabs migrant smuggler using tow truck to hide people
Prosecutors have brought charges against a man they say tried to sneak illegal immigrants through a Border Patrol checkpoint by packing them in the rear of an SUV, then calling to have it towed through the checkpoint. Published March 23, 2023
Biden endorsement comes at expense of Nature’s credibility; Republican readers lose interest
Nature magazine is finding out that Republicans also consume scientific literature -- but they're less likely to do so when they perceive the publication has gone woke. Published March 22, 2023
Red states flee bipartisan voter roll cleanup group, blame its left-wing election agenda
A seemingly inoffensive bipartisan outfit created to help states sort out their voter rolls has emerged as the latest partisan battlefield, with a half-dozen GOP-led states canceling their involvement with the organization this year, saying it's turned into a proving ground for left-wing ideas. Published March 22, 2023
Florida lawmaker who sponsored ‘don’t say gay’ legislation pleads guilty to pandemic fraud
Joseph Harding, a former state representative in Florida, pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from his attempt to collect pandemic loans to which he wasn't entitled. Published March 21, 2023
D.C. man rebukes Fauci’s COVID-19 vaccine pitch on video: ‘You all attack people with fear’
A D.C. man delivered a verbal scolding to Dr. Anthony Fauci in a newly revealed video showing the world-famous doctor's struggles to convince Black residents in the city's poorest area to get the coronavirus vaccine back in 2021. Published March 20, 2023
