Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Federal employees can support Black Lives Matter on the job, Office of Special Counsel rules
Black Lives Matter is not inherently political so federal employees are free to express their support for the movement while on the job, according to the government agency that polices such matters. Published July 13, 2020
Feds spent $1 trillion last month
The federal government spent $1.1 trillion last month, shattering the record for the highest monthly spending ever, and sending the deficit soaring to $2.7 trillion so far this fiscal year, the Treasury Department reported Monday, Published July 13, 2020
Democrats bring ‘Defund’ movement to Capitol Police
Democrats from Seattle to New York are working to cut their police budgets, but not on Capitol Hill, where the House -- controlled by Democrats -- is moving ahead with a budget that freezes but doesn't trim any funding for the U.S. Capitol Police. Published July 12, 2020
White House clarifies Trump’s remarks on DACA, immigration
The White House played clean-up Friday after President Trump suggested he was working on an executive order that would attempt to grant citizenship rights to "Dreamers," saying Mr. Trump is actually talking about two different issues. Published July 12, 2020
Business leaders warn Trump not to mess with DACA
Leaders of some of the country's biggest companies signed a letter Saturday urging President Trump not to make a new attempt at revoking the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty, saying it would be a significant disruption to lose those employees during the coronavirus recovery. Published July 11, 2020
Trump says he’ll sign order granting ‘Dreamers’ citizenship; White House says he didn’t mean that
The White House played clean-up Friday after President Trump suggested he was working on an executive order that would attempt to grant citizenship rights to illegal immigrant "Dreamers," saying Mr. Trump is actually talking about two different issues. Published July 10, 2020
Chuck Schumer backs effort to slash Pentagon spending
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat, threw his support Friday behind a proposal to cut $74 billion from the Pentagon's budget, embracing a key priority of the left wing. Published July 10, 2020
Brian Frosh, Maryland attorney general, slams Gov. Larry Hogan, demands vote-by-mail election
Maryland's Democratic attorney general scolded GOP Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday and insisted the state move to embrace a vote-by-mail election amid coronavirus this fall. Published July 10, 2020
California sues to keep foreign student pipeline amid coronavirus pandemic
California filed a lawsuit early Friday challenging the administration's new rules canceling student visas for foreign students whose schools have gone to exclusive online classes this fall, calling it inexplicable as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Published July 10, 2020
Illegal immigration on southern border surged 40% in June
The number of immigrants caught crossing the southern border illegally surged 40% in June, rebounding from a coronavirus lull that had pushed traffic to its lowest level in years. Published July 9, 2020
Tax audits plummet amid IRS budget cuts
Budget cuts have hollowed out the IRS's enforcement abilities, leaving tens of billions of dollars in money that's owed to Uncle Sam and could have been collected, had Capitol Hill ponied up, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. Published July 8, 2020
Joe Biden immigration plan grants citizenship to 11 million illegal immigrants
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden on Wednesday formally embraced citizenship rights for 11 million illegal immigrants and a full erasure of all of President Trump's get-tough border policies, as part of the party's new unity platform. Published July 8, 2020
Harvard, MIT sue to preserve foreign students’ access during coronavirus pandemic
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, hoping to undo a new rule that would block some foreign students from being admitted to the U.S. Published July 8, 2020
Paycheck Protection Program attracts Planned Parenthood, Little Sisters of the Poor
At least 15 Little Sisters of the Poor affiliates also won millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. So has the Archdiocese of New York, dozens of other dioceses, and thousands of Catholic churches and charities nationwide. Published July 7, 2020
ICE dinged for broken showers, bungled treatment of detainees
Homeland Security's inspector general found problems at all four ICE detention facilities where it conducted unannounced visits last year, including one that didn't document why it sent some migrants into segregation, and another that failed to check up on migrants often enough, heightening risk of suicide. Published July 7, 2020
Montgomery County defies ICE, releases accused rapist
Maryland's Montgomery County last month defied ICE's request and released a man accused of rape from custody, the agency said Monday. Published July 6, 2020
House Democrats announce cuts to Border Patrol, ICE
It's not "abolish ICE," but House Democrats took their best shot Monday, announcing a bill to slash the Department of Homeland Security's deportation operations by 25%, blocking new hiring of Border Patrol agents and trying to erase dozens of miles of President Trump's border wall. Published July 6, 2020
Manufacturers warn recovery could falter without more immigration
President Trump's coronavirus immigration pause could stunt the recovery by preventing key managers from multinational companies from being able to come into the U.S. to get their operations moving again, the National Association of Manufacturers warned Monday. Published July 6, 2020
Michael Avenatti reputation at George Washington University law school tarnished
Michael Avenatti used to be the golden boy of George Washington University's law school, having been awarded its Alumni Achievement Award in 2010, served on its dean's board of advisers and been the subject of a fawning profile in its alumni magazine. Published July 2, 2020
Manassas battlefield hit with Black Lives Matter graffiti
Vandalism against Confederate statues has now spread beyond cities and to Manassas National Battlefield itself, with vandals painting "BLM" on the base of an iconic statue of Stonewall Jackson. Published July 2, 2020