Stephen Dinan

CPAC-Times poll: Conservatives love Trump — but not so much the tweeting

President Trump has taken firm reins of the conservative movement in the U.S. according to the CPAC-Washington Times poll that found grassroots leaders on the political right thrilled with just about everything he's doing -- except his tweeting. Published February 24, 2018

Cornyn supports addressing bump stocks in Senate gun debate

A key senator said Friday the Senate should expand its looming gun debate beyond background check improvements to also include giving the administration authority to ban bump stocks. Published February 23, 2018

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services drops ‘nation of immigrants’ from mission

The federal agency that oversees legal immigration to the U.S. has removed the words "nation of immigrants" from its mission statement, as the Trump administration moves to put Americans as the top priority. Published February 22, 2018

Illegal immigration lowest since 2003

Illegal immigration from Mexico has fallen dramatically this decade, sending the overall population of unauthorized people in the U.S. tumbling below the 11 million mark, according to a new think tank study released Thursday. Published February 22, 2018

Billy Graham, ‘America’s Pastor,’ to lie in honor at U.S. Capitol

The Rev. Billy Graham's body will lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol next week, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Thursday. Published February 22, 2018

Youth demanding to be heard in U.S. political discourse

The rallying cry among politicians for years has been to do it for the children. Now those children are embracing their political power first-hand. Published February 21, 2018

Democrats demand $700 million to stop Russian election intrusions

Democratic congressional leaders demanded Wednesday that the new funding bills due by late March include a serious infusion of resources for the FBI, Homeland Security and federal elections officials to monitor and combat Russian election meddling. Published February 21, 2018

Schumer: Trump’s gun overtures ‘won’t come close’ to solving problem

Top Democratic Sen. Charles E. Schumer said Wednesday that Republicans are undergoing a "welcome shift" on gun control, but said the proposals they're talking about don't go far enough to clamp down on availability of firearms. Published February 21, 2018

MS-13 gang members gaining numbers by recruiting illegal immigrants: Report

The violent MS-13 gang, which was nearly eradicated by the Bush administration, has been able to rebuild its ranks on the backs of illegal immigrant recruits, according to a new think tank report Wednesday. Published February 21, 2018

HHS looking to courts to settle illegal immigrant abortion rights

Health Secretary Alex M. Azar II said Tuesday that his department has a difficult balancing act when it comes to illegal immigrant girls seeking abortions, saying he has to balance their rights versus "as well as the interests of their unborn children." Published February 20, 2018

Pennsylvania Supreme Court issues new congressional map

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a new map for the state's congressional districts Monday and analysts said it's a "dream come true" for Democrats. Published February 19, 2018

Obama faulted on Russian election meddling

President Trump is pointing to the indictment of 13 Russians and three companies for interfering in the 2016 election as vindication for his campaign after it has faced accusations of collusion for more than a year. Published February 18, 2018

Dianne Feinstein: Raise gun buying age to 21

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Friday she'll write legislation to impose a 21-year-old age requirement to buy a rifle, after police say a man used an AR-15 in a killing spree at a Florida High School this week. Published February 16, 2018

Mueller indictments: Feds charge 13 Russians with meddling in 2016 election

Special counsel Robert Mueller won indictments Friday charging 13 Russian nationals and several companies with interfering in the 2016 U.S. election in order to aid President Trump. Published February 16, 2018

ICE arrests 212 illegals, targets 122 businesses in LA sweep

Federal deportation officers staged one of the biggest enforcement actions in years against businesses in Los Angeles last week, arresting 212 people and serving audit notices to 122 businesses who will have to prove they aren't hiring illegal immigrants. Published February 16, 2018

Senate dismisses sanctuary-crackdown bill

The Senate on Thursday killed a bipartisan bill that would have cracked down on sanctuary cities, as the long-awaited immigration floor fight turned into a massacre. Published February 15, 2018

IRS pays bonuses to tax cheat employees

The IRS is still paying bonuses to nearly 2,000 bad employees, including more than two dozen who were actual tax-cheats themselves, the agency's inspector general said in a new report this week. Published February 15, 2018

John McCain’s immigration proposal dies in Senate

With dozens of Dreamers looking on from the viewing gallery, the Senate was unable to muster the votes Thursday to approve an amnesty for them and 1.8 million other illegal immigrants, leaving their fate in doubt with just weeks to go before many of them start to lose their DACA protections. Published February 15, 2018

Appeals court said Trump travel ban ‘tainted with animus toward Islam’

Yet another federal appeals court ruled Thursday against President Trump's revised travel ban, saying it is "unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam." Published February 15, 2018

Trump issues veto threat over Senate’s latest amnesty

President Trump issued his first veto threat of the immigration debate on Thursday, with the White House saying the plan being offered by Senate Democratic leaders and a handful of GOP rebels would make border security worse, not better. Published February 15, 2018