Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Abortion clinics built with federal tax law aid
Federal taxpayer funding generally isn't allowed to be spent on abortions, but Republicans say they have spotted a loophole in which tax-free municipal bonds have been used to put federal cash on the line in order to help build abortion clinics -- including Planned Parenthood's headquarters in New York. Published October 22, 2017
Up to 3.6 million Dreamers in line for citizenship under DACA replacement
As many as 3.6 million illegal immigrant "Dreamers" could be in line for permanent legal status in the U.S. under plans being circulated on Capitol Hill to replace the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty, according to a new report Friday from the Migration Policy Institute. Published October 20, 2017
Feds post $666 billion deficit for 2017 as government finances deteriorate
The federal government posted a $666 billion deficit in the just-completed fiscal year 2017, the Treasury Department announced Friday, marking another year of deteriorating finances as the government slinks back toward the trillion-dollar mark. Published October 20, 2017
Joe Arpaio files appeal to have conviction expunged
Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio appealed a judge's ruling late Thursday that his contempt-of-court conviction must remain on his record despite President Trump's pardon. Published October 20, 2017
Afghan troops go AWOL in U.S.; IG says wastes taxpayer money, poses security threat
More than 150 Afghan troops brought to the U.S. for military training have gone AWOL since 2005, with 13 of them still unaccounted for and perhaps living as here illegal immigrants now, an inspector general said in a new report Friday. Published October 20, 2017
Susan Bolton refuses to clear Joe Arpaio conviction record
Sheriff Joe Arpaio will retain the stain of having been convicted of contempt of court, even though President Trump's pardon means he won't face any punishment, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Published October 19, 2017
Haiti begs for 18-month stay of deportation for Haitians in U.S. after 2010 earthquake
Haiti has asked the Trump administration to grant an 18-month deportation amnesty to its citizens who are already in the U.S., saying the island nation is still struggling to recover from the 2010 earthquake and can't handle return of tens of thousands of people. Published October 19, 2017
Donald Trump to lunch with GOP senators next week to discuss legislative agenda
President Trump will meet next week with Republican senators on Capitol Hill, hoping to congratulate them on passing a budget and rally them ahead of a months-long push to approve a massive tax reform deal. Published October 19, 2017
DHS won’t target DACA recipients for deportation
Illegal immigrant Dreamers whose status under the Obama-era DACA status expires won't be particular targets for deportation, Homeland Security said Thursday, trying to tamp down on fears of massive sweeps being fed by immigrant-rights advocates. Published October 19, 2017
Judge Theodore D. Chang rules against Donald Trump’s Muslim ban
President Trump's Twitter account landed him into trouble yet again Wednesday, with a federal judge using a recent tweet about shooting terrorists with bullets dipped in pigs' blood to prove Mr. Trump still maintains "religious animus" toward Muslims — and therefore his latest travel ban is illegal. Published October 18, 2017
Curtis Lee Wyatt pleads not guilty to helping Eric Conn escape
Curis Lee Wyatt stands accused of helping his boss escape from house arrest, ducking a 12-year prison sentence for orchestrating the largest Social Security fraud in history. Published October 18, 2017
Lawyer files to have ex-FBI chief James Comey disbarred after Clinton scandal
A crusading lawyer filed a bar grievance this week accusing former FBI Director James Comey of lying to Congress and destroying potential evidence in the Clinton email scandal, in a process that could end up costing him his law license. Published October 18, 2017
Donald Trump hasn’t been able to end catch-and-release of illegals: Jeff Sessions
Illegal immigrants are still being caught and then quickly released after sneaking across the U.S.-Mexico border, Attorney General Jeff Sessions told lawmakers on Wednesday, saying it would likely take action by Congress to shut down the loopholes the migrants are using. Published October 18, 2017
Jeff Sessions says DACA illegal because of high approval rate
The Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty for "Dreamers" wasn't illegal on its face but rather because of the way it was being carried out, Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Congress on Wednesday. Published October 18, 2017
Second judge issues halt to revised travel ban, rules on ‘extreme vetting’
A federal judge in Maryland added a new legal blockade to President Trump's travel ban early Wednesday, ruling that the White House's third attempt at "extreme vetting" is still poisoned by the president's campaign-season "religious animus" toward Muslims. Published October 18, 2017
Judge William Alsup says Trump sending conflicting signals on Dreamers
The Trump administration can't even agree on which agency was responsible for officially ending the Obama-era deportation amnesty for Dreamers, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, as he ordered the government to disclose more documents about how the decision was reached. Published October 17, 2017
Trump urges Americans to use ‘Merry Christmas’ at holidays
President Trump on Tuesday said he wants Americans to be comfortable wishing each other "Merry Christmas" during the December holiday, setting a standard for yet another hot-button issue. Published October 17, 2017
Sharafat Ali Khan sentenced in ‘terrorism’ illegal immigrant smuggling plot
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced the mastermind of a smuggling ring who brought dozens of illegal immigrants from terrorist hot-spots into the U.S. to 31 months in prison, rejecting the man's pleas for leniency and saying he could have ended up getting Americans killed. Published October 17, 2017
Judge blocks Trump’s travel ban for third time
A federal judge blocked a large part of President Trump's revised travel ban Tuesday, just hours before it was to take effect, saying the White House's latest attempt to impose extreme vetting on travelers from dangerous countries is just as illegal as the last two versions. Published October 17, 2017
Jeff Flake demands database for tax-loophole transparency
The government has gotten better about transparency in spending, with a fairly comprehensive online database detailing most contracts, grants and loans. Published October 17, 2017