Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
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
Chuck Grassley blasts Trump over IG firings
Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, the chamber's senior Republican, rebuked the White House Tuesday for its handling of the firings of two inspectors general, saying President Trump is refusing to come clean on why he did it. Published May 26, 2020
Russell Graham arrested for child porn after coronavirus jail release
A man who was freed from jail last month because of coronavirus was caught sending child pornography over the Internet, federal authorities in New Hampshire announced Tuesday. Published May 26, 2020
Kevin McCarthy sues to stop Nancy Pelosi proxy-voting plan
House Republicans said Tuesday they'll ask a federal judge to intervene and block Speaker Nancy Pelosi's designated-voter plans, which would allow members to give cast votes on legislation on the House floor by proxy during the coronavirus crisis. Published May 26, 2020
Thomas Cooper, postal worker, faces mail-in voting fraud charges
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday lodged mail-fraud charges against a postal worker they say altered absentee ballot requests in last month's primary election. Published May 26, 2020
Speeding epidemic sparked by coronavirus stay-at-home orders
With streets emptier than usual, drivers have begun to take more liberties. Stop signs in many neighborhoods have become little more than suggestions, and by at least one key yardstick, speeding is at epidemic proportions. Published May 25, 2020
Gavin Newsom to resume church services in California with restrictions
California will allow churches and other houses of worship to reopen at up either 25% capacity or 100 attendees during the coronavirus pandemic, the state announced Monday, though local county authorities still have final approval over whether to allow it within their jurisdiction. Published May 25, 2020
Top lawmakers tell VA to remove German POW headstones with swastikas
Top House Democrats and Republicans demanded Monday that the Department of Veterans Affairs remove three headstones over German prisoner-of-war graves that bear swastika insignias and words praising Adolf Hitler, calling it "callous" to leave them in place. Published May 25, 2020
Jo Jorgensen tapped as 2020 Libertarian Party nominee for president
The Libertarian Party on Saturday picked Jo Jorgensen, a psychologist and grandmother who was the party's vice presidential nominee in 1996, to be its nominee for president in the 2020 election. Published May 24, 2020
DHS to permit foreign athletes to enter despite coronavirus travel ban
Homeland Security will exempt foreign professional athletes from President Trump's strict coronavirus travel ban, acting Secretary Chad Wolf announced late Friday, saying the nation needs its sports competitions back up and running. Published May 22, 2020
DOJ tells Illinois to handle shutdown fight in state courts
The Trump administration struck a blow for federalism Friday, filing papers in court telling Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker that the fight over his coronavirus shutdown order belongs before a state judge, not in federal court. Published May 22, 2020
Marco Rubio demands probe of Planned Parenthood’s coronavirus stimulus loans
Sen. Marco Rubio, chairman of the committee that oversees the Small Business Administration, demanded an investigation Friday into how Planned Parenthood affiliates were able to access coronavirus stimulus loans that the government now says they clearly didn't qualify for. Published May 22, 2020
Donald Trump faces deadline to punish China aggression toward Hong Kong
If President Trump is looking for an early opportunity to strike back at China amid the coronavirus crisis, one is about to land on his doorstep. Published May 21, 2020
Judge punishes Trump administration over mishandling of census citizenship question
A federal judge ruled Thursday that the administration misled the court over President Trump's determination to ask about citizenship on this year's census, and ordered the government to pay attorney fees as a means of punishment. Published May 21, 2020
Democratic Party official admits to stuffing ballot boxes in Philadelphia elections
A Philadelphia elections judge and Democratic Party official pleaded guilty Thursday to stuffing ballot boxes in favor of Democratic candidates in elections in 2014, 2015 and 2016, while collecting thousands of dollars in cash to make the changes. Published May 21, 2020
Donald Trump cancels border wall section over rising costs
The Trump administration told a federal court Wednesday that it has canceled a portion of border wall it had planned to build near Yuma, Arizona, saying costs for other parts of the wall are coming in higher than anticipated and there's not enough money to go around. Published May 20, 2020
Hispanic Democrats tell Trump to stop deportations during coronavirus pandemic
Hispanic Democrats in Congress begged the Trump administration on Wednesday to stop all deportations, saying the U.S. could actually be spreading the coronavirus back to other nations by sending their citizens back home. Published May 20, 2020