Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Ken Cuccinelli endorses Ted Cruz for president
Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential bid Friday at an appearance in Mechanicsville, Virginia, praising the Texas GOP hopeful as someone who will respect rights and bring the deficit under control. Published December 18, 2015
Obama overstates extent of Homeland Security’s social media screening
President Obama said Friday that social media is already part of the Homeland Security Department's screening process when deciding to issue visas, but his top immigration officials told Congress earlier this week that's not really true. Published December 18, 2015
Bernie Sanders threatens to sue DNC over data fight
Sen. Bernard Sanders' campaign accused the Democratic National Committee of "actively attempting to undermine our campaign" Friday after the DNC suspended Mr. Sanders' access to the party's voter file, saying he snooped on what fellow candidate Hillary Clinton was doing. Published December 18, 2015
Obama administration to re-examine fiance visas, ramp up social media screening
The Obama administration claimed a mulligan on terrorism Thursday, saying it will go back and retroactively re-examine visas it already issued under the fiancee program, trying to spot other would-be terrorists after this month's San Bernardino, California, attack. Published December 17, 2015
DHS official: Don’t use terror watch list to stop gun sales
A top Homeland Security official shot a hole in Democrats' efforts to deny gun sales to those on the government's terrorist watch lists, saying Thursday that the list isn't designed for those sorts of uses. Published December 17, 2015
Budget deal increases federal deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars
Having reached a deal on a nearly $2 trillion deal to keep the government open, President Obama and congressional leaders tried to build support Wednesday for the massive bill, which hikes spending across government, thrilling Democrats, and extends a host of special interest tax breaks, exciting Republicans. Published December 16, 2015
Massive spending agreement reached; 2,009-page bill spends $572 million per page
The new spending deal reached early Wednesday morning spans more than 2,000 pages, spends $1.149 trillion -- and lawmakers will have only a few days to digest it all before they're asked to vote on the legislation, which lays out Congress's priorities for the rest of fiscal year 2016. Published December 16, 2015
Tax deal doles out year-end goodies for NASCAR tracks, racehorses, college students
Congressional leaders agreed to a budget-busting set of tax cuts late Tuesday as part of a year-end, clear-the-decks deal that marks a major reversal from the last four years' focus on deficits and streamlining the tax code. Published December 16, 2015
Donald Trump defends Muslim ban as security dominates Republican debate
Donald Trump defended his call for a halt on Muslim visitors to the U.S., taking credit for having ignited a needed conversation over the roots of terrorism, as he and the rest of the Republican presidential field faced off Tuesday in their final debate of the year with fear of another terrorist attack growing among the electorate. Published December 15, 2015
Ted Cruz rules out legalizing illegal immigrants
Sen. Ted Cruz ruled out ever legalizing illegal immigrants in Tuesday's GOP presidential debate as he tried to draw distinctions between himself and Sen. Marco Rubio on the thorny issue that has cleaved the Republican Party. Published December 15, 2015
Homeland Security social media screening ‘common sense’ for visas, lawmakers agree
Fearing the U.S. is losing the battle against the Islamic State terrorist network in cyberspace, those on all sides of the political spectrum demanded Tuesday that the administration immediate begin screening social media profiles of all visitors and enlist tech companies in the battle to shut down radical Islam's presence online. Published December 15, 2015
Donald Trump’s Muslim ban rejected by Republicans in undercard debate
Donald Trump wasn't even on the stage yet and he was already the focus of Republicans in Tuesday's undercard presidential debate, with his fellow contenders rejecting his plans to halt Muslim visitors. Published December 15, 2015
Obama demands compassion for Syrian refugees as he swears in new citizens
President Obama made a pitch Tuesday for Americans to remember their immigrant roots, describing the U.S. as the traditional home for refugees fleeing the world's worst troubles. Published December 15, 2015
Feds to require drone owners to register
Private drones must be registered with the federal government and owners will have to pay a $5 "drone tax" under rules Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx released Monday, as officials belatedly try to bring accountability to the Wild West in the sky. Published December 14, 2015
Catholic bishops reject halt to Muslim visitors, urge gun control
America's Catholic bishops came out in opposition to GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump's call for a temporary ban on admission of Muslim immigrants and visitors, issuing a statement Monday saying the U.S. should never "target specific classes of persons based on religion." Published December 14, 2015
DNC craves tax dollars for convention
Already struggling with finances, the Democratic Party has drafted a plan to have taxpayers help pay about $20 million for next summer's nominating convention, reversing a change Congress approved just a year ago. Published December 13, 2015
Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric sparks Hispanic activists’ effort to punish GOP at polls
Immigrant rights activists have vowed to sign up 1 million immigrants -- mostly Mexicans -- for citizenship and then quickly register them to vote in time to punish Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans at the polls in November for their harsh rhetoric. Published December 13, 2015
Dems eye taxpayer bailout for 2016
Already struggling with finances, the Democratic Party has drafted a plan to have taxpayers help pay for next summer's nominating convention, reversing a change Congress approved just a year ago. Published December 11, 2015
Antonin Scalia accused of embracing ‘racist’ ideas for suggesting ‘lesser’ schools for blacks
Sen. Harry Reid on Thursday accused Justice Antonin Scalia of embracing "racist" ideas, joining in criticism from the Rev. Al Sharpton and other affirmative action supporters who said the Supreme Court jurist went too far when he questioned the push to recruit black students to prestigious universities. Published December 10, 2015
Affirmative action hangs in balance as Supreme Court hears University of Texas admissions case
Supreme Court justices found themselves enmeshed in the thorny issue of affirmative action once again Wednesday, hearing a University of Texas case that could determine whether any race-based school admissions plans can pass muster under the court's evolving jurisprudence. Published December 9, 2015
