Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court fight not resonating in Senate races
It was the most consequential vote they've taken all year, but the confirmation Monday of Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett is playing surprisingly little role in senators' reelection chances back home. Published October 26, 2020
Boston ballot box set on fire; some votes likely lost
The FBI announce an investigation Sunday after someone set fire to a ballot drop box in Boston overnight. The box was outside the Boston Public Library, and the fire likely destroyed five to 10 ballots, The Boston Globe reported. Published October 25, 2020
Election lawsuits break record before votes counted
This presidential election is already the most litigious in American history -- and that's before the first vote has been counted. Published October 25, 2020
How the shenanigans of rogue postal workers expose the weak link in mail-in voting
Postal employees in New Jersey and Florida have been charged this month with dumping or blocking the delivery of mail-in ballots, and a third employee was fired after investigators say they found more than 100 mail-in ballots dumped in Kentucky. Published October 25, 2020
Border Patrol agents involved in two shootings in one day
Border Patrol agents killed two illegal immigrants in separate incidents Friday, in both cases opening fire after being attacked, Homeland Security said Saturday. Published October 24, 2020
Pa. Supreme Court says mail-in ballots will count even if signatures don’t match
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruled Friday that election officials must accept mail-in ballots even if the signatures on them don't match those on file for a voter. Published October 23, 2020
Biden blames Obama for deportations
President Trump lashed out at Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden over the border on Thursday, demanding to know "who built the cages" that housed illegal immigrant children during the Obama administration. Published October 22, 2020
Trump getting ‘hammered’ by outside spending in election
Outside groups have now spent more than $2 billion on the U.S. election, with nearly two weeks still to go before it's all over, the Center for Responsive Politics said this week. Published October 22, 2020
MS-13’s wave of murder fueled by illegal immigrants
Most MS-13 gang members charged with federal crimes are in the country illegally, according to a new Justice Department report that underscores just how much the violent criminal cartel relies on foreigners. Published October 22, 2020
Growth of immigrants slows from Obama era as nearly 1 million a year decide to leave the U.S.
For many immigrants, it turns out there's no place like home -- and home is no longer the U.S. Published October 22, 2020
Supreme Court ruling allows Alabama to ban curbside voting
The Supreme Court issued a ruling Wednesday that will allow Alabama to block communities that wanted to offer curbside voting, shooting down objections from some justices that disabled voters will now have to risk contracting the coronavirus if they want to vote in-person. Published October 21, 2020
John Ratcliffe, DNI: Russia, Iran obtained voter info, working to ‘intimidate’ voters
Iran and Russia have obtained U.S. voter registration information and Iran is already using it to "intimidate" voters and "damage President Trump," Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said Wednesday night. Published October 21, 2020
DHS moves to seize Chinese stevia imports after finding forced labor was used
Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it has issued a forced labor finding against a Chinese company that manufactures stevia, which gives Customs and Border Protection officers the ability to seize and forfeit the products when they reach the U.S. Published October 20, 2020
Postal worker charged with stealing vote-by-mail ballot in Florida
A postal employee in Florida was charged late Monday with stealing mail and interfering with the right to vote after authorities say they caught her pilfering a mail-in ballot, political flyers and other mail. Published October 20, 2020
DOJ, DHS announce new rules to keep drunk drivers, gang members from getting asylum
The Trump administration announced a new standard for asylum-seekers Tuesday, saying those engaged in gang crimes, racked up drunken-driving convictions, engaged in domestic violence or were convicted of felonies can now be denied asylum on those grounds. Published October 20, 2020
Texas prevails in court fight to block bogus ballots
A federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Texas government Monday, saying mail-in ballots are more prone to voter fraud and blocking a lower court decision that could have upended the state's signature-match requirement for those ballots. Published October 19, 2020
Trump H-1B guest worker rules challenged by big business, immigration lawyers
Immigration lawyers and some of the country's largest business lobbies went to court Monday to challenge new Trump administration rules designed to force employers to pay Americans higher wages before they can offer jobs to foreign guest-workers under a key visa program. Published October 19, 2020
Senate GOP announces constitutional amendment to block court packing
A group of Senate Republicans on Monday announced a constitutional amendment to fix the Supreme Court at a maximum of nine members, playing defense as Democrats ramp up talk of expanding the court to try to swamp President Trump's nominees. Published October 19, 2020
Census reached 99.98% of homes; shoots for Dec. 31 deadline to report final number
The Census Bureau is rushing to finish the final 2020 tally of Americans "as close to" the end-of-year deadline as possible, after reaching 99.98% of all households, officials announced Monday. Published October 19, 2020
Supreme Court to hear Trump immigration cases on border wall, asylum
The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will take up two key cases involving President Trump's get-tough immigration policy, granting hearings on his border wall construction and his crackdown on bogus asylum claims. Published October 19, 2020
