Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Texas vote-by-mail expansion rejected by 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
A federal appeals court shot down a push to expand mail-in voting in Texas during coronavirus, erasing a lower court ruling, eviscerating the judge for a shoddy opinion, and saying it's up to states, not courts, to set voting rules. Published June 4, 2020
Cristobal Francisco-Nicolas smuggled girl to be surrogate mom
Federal prosecutors this week announced they had won convictions and closed out a disturbing illegal immigration case in which an Iowa woman and her husband sneaked a girl into the U.S. with a plan to impregnate her and have her carry the baby as a surrogate. Published June 4, 2020
Unemployment more lucrative than work for most would-be recipients in extension: CBO
Roughly 80% of recipients of expanded federal unemployment insurance would get more money from the benefits than they could expect to earn from a job if the emergency program is extended another six months, Congress' official budget scorekeeper said Thursday. Published June 4, 2020
William Barr order clearing Lafayette Park to be probed by House committees
Four House committee chairs fired off a letter Wednesday demanding the Justice Department, the Pentagon, the Interior Department and Homeland Security each answer for their personnel's roles in clearing protesters from Lafayette Park on Monday, ahead of President Trump's stroll to St. John's Church. Published June 3, 2020
Police racism, bias toward blacks difficult to determine, researchers find
It's been six years since the Ferguson riots put a microscope on relations between police and black communities, and despite dozens of new studies on the matter, researchers say they're still no closer to a consensus on the role bias and racism play. Published June 2, 2020
Border officers broke policy to separate families: Audit
Officers at border crossings between the U.S. and Mexico broke policy to separate dozens of illegal immigrant families during the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy in 2018, according to a new inspector general's audit released Tuesday. Published June 2, 2020
Gerry Connolly, Democratic chairman, says Donald Trump made Secret Service ‘a tool of fascism’
The chairman of the House oversight subcommittee on government operations demanded Tuesday that the Secret Service explain its actions in clearing protesters from near the White House the night before, saying the agency "is not a tool of fascism." Published June 2, 2020
Border agents deployed put down riot in Washington, D.C.
The Homeland Security Department said Monday it has deployed some of its border forces to downtown Washington, D.C. to help quell the unrest that's gripped the city over the last few days. Published June 1, 2020
Judge Rudolph Contreras delays on Nancy Pelosi proxy-voting rules
A federal judge signaled Monday he's in no hurry to rule on whether the House's new rules allowing lawmakers to skip votes but pick a designated voter to speak for them are legal. Published June 1, 2020
IRS doesn’t pursue wealthy tax cheats, leaving billions in unpaid taxes: Audit
The IRS is leaving tens of billions of dollars on the table by not pursuing wealthy Americans who fail to file their taxes, according to a striking new inspector general's audit Monday that said the tax agency left "hundreds of thousands" of cases unaddressed. Published June 1, 2020
Trump H-2B visa decision splits small business, immigration crackdown supporters
Homeland Security and the Labor Department have transmitted recommendations to President Trump for next steps in his immigration pause, putting the White House on the clock for its next big decision about whether foreign workers will help or hurt the coronavirus recovery. Published May 31, 2020
Activists sue over Trump’s coronavirus immigration pause
Immigrant-rights activists filed a lawsuit Thursday asking a federal judge to block part of President Trump's coronavirus immigration pause, saying that blocking the arrival of some children of U.S. residents could set them back decades in their quest to immigrate. Published May 28, 2020
ICE joins manhunt for illegal immigrant shielded by Seattle-area sanctuary policy
ICE said Thursday it's helping Seattle-area police search for an illegal immigrant wanted in connections with the disappearance of another man. Published May 28, 2020
Escaped drug convicts tried to get deported to Mexico
It's not often that the Border Patrol encounters people begging to be sent to Mexico, but that's what happened Wednesday when agents in Arizona stopped a vehicle and found two men who said they were illegal immigrants and begged to be sent immediately back to Mexico. Published May 28, 2020
GOP plan would block pay for lawmakers who don’t show for work during coronavirus pandemic
If members of Congress can't be bothered to show up and vote, they shouldn't collect their pay, according to a group of House Republicans who announced legislation Thursday that would strip them of their pay if they use Democrats' new designated voter scheme. Published May 28, 2020
Coronavirus slams Social Security trust fund, speeds depletion
The coronavirus crisis will reverberate for years, including hastening the depletion of Social Security's trust fund and bringing ever closer the date when the venerable program will have to cut benefits, according to a new analysis Thursday. Published May 28, 2020
Steve Sisolak, Nevada governor, allows churches to open after Justice Department warning
Hours after the federal Justice Department warned Nevada that its coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship were too strict, Gov. Steve Sisolak changed them late Tuesday, allowing services of up to 50 people. Published May 27, 2020
Texas court rules coronavirus fear not excuse to vote by mail
Fear of coronavirus isn't a "disability" and can't be used as a reason to demand to vote absentee, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday -- though it said the final decision is left to voters themselves, leaving open the possibility many will still try to do it. Published May 27, 2020
National Science Foundation ‘urgent’ coronavirus grants miss target
The NSF has doled out more than $75 million in what is known as Rapid Response Research or "RAPID" grant funding over the last couple of months, as it seeks to improve understanding of the pandemic. Published May 27, 2020
DHS to relax coronavirus rules, start swearing in new citizens again
The government's legal immigration agency said Wednesday it will start its post-coronavirus crisis reopening June 4, including once again starting to swear in new citizens. Published May 27, 2020
