Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Veterans Affairs quietly bans the Confederate flag at cemeteries it runs
The Veterans Affairs Department quietly moved this month to ban flying of Confederate flags from fixed flagpoles at the cemeteries it runs, striking yet another blow against the controversial emblem. Published August 29, 2016
Wealthy immigrant investors on special path to U.S. under Obama program
President Obama plans to use parole authority to go around normal rules and try to admit thousands of entrepreneurs to the U.S., the administration announced Friday, once again testing the limits of executive power on immigration. Published August 26, 2016
IRS vows to finally stop targeting tea party groups
The IRS is still holding up three tea party groups' applications, Commissioner John Koskinen admitted in a letter to Congress last week -- but he insisted he agents are finally about to begin processing them. Published August 25, 2016
Clinton pummels Trump for ‘taking hate groups mainstream,’ ties GOPer to fringe ‘alt right’
Donald Trump's campaign has become a haven for racism and bigotry, allowing hate to become part of the political debate, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton charged Tuesday in a blistering speech intended to make her Republican opponent too poisonous for voters. Published August 25, 2016
Donald Trump’s backslide on immigration angers base, does no good with Hispanics
Donald Trump was supposed to deliver a major address on immigration Thursday, laying out a plan that would win over swing voters while reassuring his base that he is serious about enforcing the law. Published August 24, 2016
Harry Reid calls mother of Benghazi victim ‘crazy,’ then retracts it
Sen. Harry Reid, who led Democrats to a Senate majority and then back into the minority, triggered the nuclear option to change Senate rules and used a special budget tactic to get Obamacare passed, told a Nevada newspaper not to blame him for partisanship in Washington. Published August 24, 2016
Donald Trump open to ‘softening’ deportation stance
Donald Trump said Tuesday he's open to "softening" his stance on deporting illegal immigrants with deep ties to the U.S., adding still more confusion to where the GOP presidential nominee stands on one of the core issues he rode to victory in this year's primaries. Published August 23, 2016
NLRB rules that university students can unionize
Graduate students at private U.S. universities can unionize, the National Labor Relations Board ruled Tuesday in a decision that could upend the balance of power on campuses and deliver tens of thousands of new members to labor unions. Published August 23, 2016
Poor economy, continued spending mean more red ink for federal government
The deficit will spike 33 percent this year, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday, saying the gains of the last six years are coming to an end. Published August 23, 2016
Federal court rejects judge’s order to restore week of early voting in Ohio
Ohio can stick with its 29-day early-voting law and doesn't have to go back to 35 days, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in a decision small in its actual effects but major in what it says about judges' willingness to meddle in the "minutiae" of state decisions. Published August 23, 2016
Jill Stein: Hillary Clinton’s email gaffe endangered CIA agents
Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein blasted Hillary Clinton's emails, saying Tuesday that the former secretary of state risked the lives of CIA secret agents and crossed the line in mixing her family's personal business with her duties as chief diplomat. Published August 23, 2016
Donald Trump calls for special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton ‘pay-for-play’
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump demanded a special prosecutor investigate Hillary Clinton's actions at the State Department after emails made public Monday showed the former secretary's top aides being begged to do special favors for the Clinton Foundation. Published August 22, 2016
GOP demands all Hillary Clinton emails before Election Day
All of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails should be processed and released before the election, the Republican National Committee demanded Monday, after the Obama administration admitted it has obtained "tens of thousands" of messages Mrs. Clinton failed to turn over. Published August 22, 2016
New emails show Clinton Foundation asked Huma Abedin for favors at State Dept.
New emails Monday show the Clinton Foundation using Huma Abedin to try to arrange meetings between the foundation's supporters and then-State Department Secretary Hillary Clinton. Published August 22, 2016
FBI found nearly 15,000 new Hillary Clinton emails
The Obama administration acknowledged Monday that the FBI found at least 14,900 more email messages former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton never turned over to the government, and officials are facing intense pressure to release them ahead of November's election. Published August 22, 2016
No deposition for Hillary Clinton in email lawsuit, judge rules
Hillary Clinton will have to give testimony about her secret email server and account, but it will be in writing rather than in person, a federal judge ruled Friday, delivering a partial victory to the Democratic presidential candidate. Published August 19, 2016
Federal judges debate bisexuality in immigration case
A panel of federal judges ended up in a bizarre debate this week over bisexuality where the evidence offered ranged from testimonies from past homosexual partners to a YouTube video of gay men mocking those who identify as bisexual. Published August 19, 2016
Justice Department plan to phase out private prisons won’t affect Homeland Security
The Justice Department's plans to stop using privately run prisons won't affect the Homeland Security Department, which says its mission is different and it will continue to buy bed space from private facilities. Published August 18, 2016
IRS vows action on tea party applications held up by targeting
Under pressure from the federal courts, the IRS did an abrupt about-face this week and said it will finally begin processing some of the tea party applications it has blocked for years — but the agency still refuses to say what the new process will be. Published August 18, 2016
Voters — including immigrants themselves — back Trump call for ‘extreme vetting’
Immigrants themselves support Donald Trump's call for a stiffer ideological test for newcomers to the U.S., according to a surprising new poll that suggests the GOP presidential nominee's plans strike a chord. Published August 18, 2016