Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Surge halts screenings of terrorism suspects; border officers lack time, tools
The number of illegal immigrant terrorism suspects -- people whose names trigger the government's terrorism watchlist -- is breaking records, igniting a debate on just how real the threat of a terrorist encroachment at the southern border is. Published September 17, 2023
IRS to hire 3,700 new employees to audit the wealthy
The IRS said Friday it has launched a nationwide search to recruit 3,700 new employees that the tax agency said it wants to use to expand audits on the country's wealthiest taxpayers. Published September 15, 2023
IRS shuts down pandemic tax credit after being overrun with fraud
The IRS shut down a pandemic-era tax credit program on Thursday, saying it had become too much of a target for scammers. Published September 14, 2023
After gun charges brought to Hunter Biden, questions swirl over second firearm from laptop footage
Video from his abandoned laptop computer appears to show a naked Hunter Biden holding a semi-automatic pistol, with the hammer cocked and his finger on the trigger. That is markedly different from the Colt revolver that resulted in charges against Mr. Biden. Published September 14, 2023
Supreme Court halts ruling that blocked White House pressure on social media companies
The Supreme Court halted a court ruling Thursday that had ordered the White House and FBI to stop coercing social media companies to erase content the government didn't like. Published September 14, 2023
Federal judge rules Biden’s revised DACA policy illegal
A federal judge ruled Wednesday against President Biden's attempt to preserve and update the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty for illegal immigrant "Dreamers," leaving hundreds of thousands of them to worry about their status. Published September 13, 2023
Pandemic budget honeymoon disappears as federal spending surges
The real federal budget deficit is on track to double this year, according to new projections that puncture hopes of a post-pandemic fiscal honeymoon and indicate rough fiscal seas ahead. Published September 13, 2023
GOP senators propose $11 minimum wage coupled with immigration restriction
Republican senators announced legislation Wednesday to gradually raise the national minimum wage to $11, but tied it to requiring businesses to use E-Verify, a tool that would help prevent illegal immigrants from taking jobs. Published September 13, 2023
Fraudsters stole up to $135 billion in unemployment benefits during pandemic
Fraudsters stole up to $135 billion in unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic, the Government Accountability Office reported Tuesday, delivering the most thorough government examination of the problem to date. Published September 12, 2023
U.N. calls U.S.-Mexico border world’s deadliest; lax Biden rules lure migrants into danger
The United Nations on Tuesday declared the U.S.-Mexico border the most lethal land crossing in the world, adding another grim superlative to President Biden's immigration record. Published September 12, 2023
Congressman says Maryland sheriff is too ‘anti-immigrant’ to work with ICE
A Maryland congressman is demanding that Homeland Security cancel its agreement that allows the Frederick County Sheriff's Office to enforce immigration laws, saying the government should punish the sheriff for stoking "hatred and fear of immigrants." Published September 12, 2023
House committee warns staffers as crime rates soar in nation’s capital
House Republicans warned congressional staff Monday about the spike in violent crime in Washington D.C., urging those who work on Capitol Hill to take steps to ensure they are safe. Published September 11, 2023
DHS lost track of 177,000 illegal immigrants from border surge, inspector general says
Nearly 20% of newly arrived migrants give bogus addresses to the Border Patrol when they are arrested, an inspector general reported Monday, making it nearly impossible to track them as they spread through the U.S. and confounding efforts to deport them later. Published September 11, 2023
Life on the run from Taliban ‘nightmarish’ for allies left behind in Afghanistan
Mohammad Firoz is living in Kabul, but he says it's not much of a life anymore. He has effectively been on the run for two years, since the fall of the Afghan government and the U.S. military withdrawal stranded him in a sea of enemies. Published September 10, 2023
Appeals court slams White House for social media censorship but limits injunction
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the White House and the FBI both likely engaged in unconstitutional campaigns to pressure social media companies to censor content the administration disliked, and the judges ordered them to stop using coercive tactics against the tech companies. Published September 8, 2023
Yale nixes race-based admissions preferences after Supreme Court ruling
Yale University has promised to stop using race as a factor in offering admission or financial aid as the school moves to comply with this summer's Supreme Court ruling. Published September 8, 2023
IRS vows ‘equity’ in new approach to audits
The IRS says it will pursue "equity" in its decisions on whom to audit, vowing to pay special attention to the wealthiest Americans while working to reduce scrutiny on the working poor. Published September 8, 2023
Report: DHS eyes ordering illegal immigrants to stay in Texas
The Biden administration is pondering a new policy that would order unauthorized immigrants to stay in Texas after they arrive, preventing them from spreading throughout the country, according to a new report Thursday. Published September 7, 2023
Biden’s construction halt worsens Trump wall damage; erosion undermines integrity
President Trump's border wall scarred the environment, but so did President Biden's decision to halt all work, according to a new report Thursday which said the new administration ended up stopping all the remediation work that had been planned to repair the lands. Published September 7, 2023
New York Mayor Eric Adams warns that migrants will ‘destroy New York City’
New York Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that the migrants arriving rapidly in New York will "destroy" his city. Published September 7, 2023
