Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
FBI confirms investigation into Trump campaign ties with Russia
The FBI is probing whether Donald Trump or his advisers coordinated with Russia ahead of the November election, Director James B. Comey said Monday, but his agents have found no evidence to back up the president's repeated accusations that the Obama administration was snooping on him. Published March 20, 2017
President Donald Trump’s border wall will be tall, imposing
President Trump's is eyeing a 30-foot border wall, and wants it to be particularly imposing to would-be illegal immigrants pondering an attempt to sneak into the U.S. from Mexico, Homeland Security officials said in contract documents released Friday as the administration officially solicited bids to build the barrier. Published March 19, 2017
Obamacare replacement battle hinging on what to call new bill
For conservatives, it's Ryancare. For Senate Democrats, it's Trumpcare. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, had been trying — without much luck — to get folks to call it the "pay more for less" bill. Published March 19, 2017
Trump administration now officially requesting bids to build border wall
President Trump's new border wall is supposed to be 30 feet high and should look imposing to potential illegal immigrants, Homeland Security officials said in documents Friday that officially requested the first bids to begin building the barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border. Published March 18, 2017
Mexico’s governors to lodge human rights complaint against Donald Trump
The head of Mexico's governors' association will lodge a complaint with the Organization of American States Saturday accusing President Trump of human rights violations, demanding the OAS help ensure protections for migrants facing raids or deportation from the U.S. Published March 17, 2017
Lawmakers warn judges ruling on travel bans against exceeding power
This week's rulings against President Trump's revised executive order on travel and refugees have sparked heated pushback from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who say judges have crossed the line to become adversaries of this White House — and suggested retribution could be coming. Published March 16, 2017
Senate investigation contradicts Trump: Campaign HQ wasn’t wiretapped
The Senate intelligence committee announced Thursday that it can find no evidence to back up President Trump's claim that U.S. intelligence officials were eavesdropping on him during the campaign. Published March 16, 2017
Paul Ryan says Donald Trump is key to Obamacare repeal
President Trump is the glue that's keeping the Republican health bill on track, Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Thursday, offering effusive praise. Published March 16, 2017
Donald Trump budget goes big on border wall, short on agents
Candidate Trump made bold promises about hiring enough agents to secure the border and deport illegal immigrants from the interior of the country. President Trump's first budget gets off to a very slow start. Published March 16, 2017
Immigrants’ children numbers growing in U.S. public schools
A Virginia neighborhood in Fairfax County ranks with parts of other cities as having the highest percentage of children from immigrants in its public schools, with 78 percent of students coming from immigrant households, according to a report that the Center for Immigration Studies is releasing Thursday. Published March 15, 2017
Trump judge’s block of travel ban ‘unprecedented judicial overreach’
President Trump said the federal judge's order halting his revised extreme vetting policy was "an unprecedented judicial overreach," as he rallied supporters in Tennessee Wednesday night. Published March 15, 2017
Border Patrol can’t say how long it will take to hire 5,000 agents
The Border Patrol can't say how many of President Trump's 5,000 new agents it will be able to hire this year or next, but suggested it will take as long as five years to get them in the door. Published March 15, 2017
Legal groups accuse Trump administration of cutting access to illegal immigrants
Homeland Security has begun denying immigrant-rights groups access to detention facilities and to some of the illegal immigrants being held in them, a coalition of organizations said in a civil rights complaint filed Wednesday. Published March 15, 2017
House probes government snooping on Donald Trump campaign
President Trump said Wednesday that he didn't mean to suggest that President Obama actually tapped his phones, but he insisted that "some very interesting items" will be coming to back up his claim that the previous administration snooped on him and his campaign. Published March 15, 2017
Republican health care bill leaves loopholes for illegal immigrants
Republicans' health care bill bans illegal immigrants from getting tax credits, but it doesn't do much to improve the checks already in place under Obamacare — a system that led to more than $700 million in benefits to unauthorized people. Published March 14, 2017
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC host, claims to have Donald Trump’s tax returns
President Trump earned more than $150 million and paid $38 million in federal income taxes in 2005, according to figures released by the White House Tuesday night showing he paid a higher rate than the average wealthy person that year. Published March 14, 2017
Nancy Pelosi demands Steve King be ousted from chairmanship
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi demanded Tuesday that Republicans kick Rep. Steve King out of his post as chairman of a subcommittee with jurisdiction over the U.S. Constitution, saying the congressman needs to be punished for his controversial comments about culture this week. Published March 14, 2017
Number of sanctuary cities nears 500: Report
Nearly 500 jurisdictions are now sanctuary cities, according to a group that's tracked the issue for more than a decade, and who said there's been a massive surge in the number of places trying to thwart federal immigration agents since President Trump's election. Published March 14, 2017
Democrats announce bill to revoke Trump’s ‘extreme vetting’ order
Senate Democrats announced a bill Monday to revoke President Trump's latest extreme vetting executive order, saying it's discriminatory and counterproductive to the country's efforts to influence allies. Published March 13, 2017
Dems vow govt. shutdown over Donald Trump border wall
Senate Democrats said Monday that they will block any spending bill that includes money for President Trump's border wall, even if it leads to a government shutdown, saying it's up to Republicans to resist touchy issues in the looming spending debate. Published March 13, 2017
