Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Paul Manafort subpoenaed by Senate Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena late Monday demanding former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort testify publicly about his activities with foreign governments. Published July 25, 2017
‘Supreme Court 5’ protesters get jail time for disruption
Five activists decided the best way to protest a major First Amendment Supreme Court case was with more First Amendment activity, so they disrupted the justices' oral arguments two years ago. The justice system struck back Monday when a federal judge in Washington sentenced the activists to jail time. Published July 24, 2017
Court allows Trump’s voter commission to proceed
A federal judge on Monday rejected complaints that President Trump's voter integrity commission was breaking the law by requesting and storing states' voter data, saying that as long as the panel is just advisory it doesn't need to meet strict standards that would apply to government agencies. Published July 24, 2017
James Bradley Jr., trucker, charged with smuggling after 10 illegal immigrants die
Federal prosecutors charged a truck driver Monday with smuggling illegal immigrants after 10 of them died in his trailer over the weekend, renewing a fierce argument over border security and the risks migrants take to try to sneak into the U.S. Published July 24, 2017
Democrats vow to win back working-class voters
After watching working-class voters flee their party in last year's elections, congressional Democrats promised Monday to try to win them back by becoming the economic populist warriors that President Trump had promised to be -- and they have already lined up a record number of candidates to help them. Published July 24, 2017
Democrats surge to giant advantage in recruiting candidates: Report
A huge number of Democrats have already filed papers signaling an interest in running for the U.S. House in 2018, according to a new study released Monday that signals just how much anti-Trump sentiment is shaping the political scene Published July 24, 2017
Congress tests Donald Trump with Russia sanctions bill
Congress will vote this week on codifying Obama-era sanctions against Russia, pursuing a bipartisan deal that will mark lawmakers' first major show of independence from President Trump. Published July 23, 2017
Congress strikes deal to stiffen Russia sanctions; Trump questions boost bill
Congress has reached a final deal on new Russia sanctions legislation, leaders announced Saturday, clearing the path for final approval of legislation that would codify penalties imposed by the Obama administration and would require President Trump to seek approval from Capitol Hill should he want to lift the sanctions. Published July 22, 2017
DHS grants small number of guest-worker visas, tests Trump’s ‘America first’ promise
Homeland Security will issue 15,000 additional seasonal guest-worker visas over the next few months, the department said Monday, delivering some relief to businesses who'd insisted they were starving for workers and desperate for foreigners to fill seasonal jobs such as landscaping and seafood processing. Published July 17, 2017
Eric Conn gets 12 years for Social Security fraud scheme
Eric C. Conn, the man responsible for the largest Social Security disability fraud in history, was sentenced in absentia Friday to 12 years in prison, and ordered to pay a staggering sum of nearly $170 million in restitution. Published July 16, 2017
Donald Trump’s travel ban to head back to Supreme Court
President Trump's travel ban is already headed back to the Supreme Court after a Hawaii judge late last week put severe limits on the administration's ability to enforce the ban, forcing the Mr. Trump to seek again the help of the high court. Published July 16, 2017
Jeff Sessions says he’ll appeal travel ban case back to Supreme Court
The administration on Friday said it will appeal directly to the Supreme Court after a lower federal judge, for the second time, ruled against President Trump's updated travel ban policy. Published July 14, 2017
Eric Conn, Social Security fraudster, hit with $170 million penalty
Eric C. Conn, the man responsible for the largest Social Security disability fraud in history, was sentenced in absentia Friday to 12 years in prison, and ordered to pay a staggering sum of nearly $170 million in restitution. Published July 14, 2017
Judge in Hawaii carves new hole in Donald Trump’s travel ban
A federal judge took another swing at President Trump's travel ban late Thursday, ruling that the administration must expand the definition of family who are exempted from his policy -- and also dramatically expanding the number of refugees who can be admitted. Published July 14, 2017
Eric Conn fraud whistle-blowers say they fear for their safety
Eric C. Conn, the convicted ringleader of the biggest Social Security disability fraud in history, was supposed to be sentenced Friday. Instead, he's on the run, and the two whistleblowers who helped expose his scam say they fear for their safety. Published July 13, 2017
Donald Trump says he wants ‘comprehensive immigration plan’ but country isn’t ready
President Trump said Wednesday that he'll make the final decision on whether to defend President Obama's 2012 deportation amnesty for Dreamers, and said he wished Congress would pass "a comprehensive immigration plan" -- though he said the country's not ready for that. Published July 13, 2017
Donald Trump: Border needs 700-900 miles of wall
President Trump put the first concrete number on the miles of border he wants to fence off, saying "anywhere from 700 to 900 miles" need his border wall -- and he said he wasn't joking when he suggested erecting solar panels to help pay for constructions. Published July 13, 2017
Donald Trump’s budget cuts deficits, but never reaches balance: CBO
President Trump's budget doesn't solve the deficit, though it makes a significant dent, the Congressional Budget Office said in a new report Thursday, saying that his deep spending cuts on everything from health care to education would save an additional $3.3 trillion over the next 10 years. Published July 13, 2017
U.S. citizen sues over listing on terrorist watch list
An American Muslim family detained for more than 10 hours at the border because the father appeared on a terrorism watch list sued the government Thursday, saying the use of watch lists has spiraled out of control and federal agents are now using them to "abuse" the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens. Published July 13, 2017
John F. Kelly doubts Dreamer amnesty will survive courts
Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly told members of Congress on Wednesday that he doubts the 2012 deportation amnesty for so-called Dreamers could survive legal scrutiny, leaving key Democrats warning of potential "mass deportations." Published July 12, 2017
