Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Donald Trump, Ted Cruz top anti-endorsements list in unusual Republican race
Call it the year of the anti-endorsement. Many major Republican figures haven't settled on whom they're backing in the presidential primary, but they do know who they don't want. Published January 27, 2016
Harry Reid says Donald Trump is his man in GOP race
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday he's "kind of pulling" for Donald Trump to win the GOP's presidential nomination, agreeing with the billionaire businessman that they used to work well together. Published January 27, 2016
Christina Fialho, illegal immigrants advocate, files complaint to end jail strip-searches
Illegal immigrant women being detained at a California jail say they are being "humiliated" by strip-searches, particularly in cases involving transgender detainees, and have filed a complaint demanding federal officials put a stop to it. Published January 26, 2016
David Daleiden, Sandra Merritt indicted in Planned Parenthood undercover videos
A Texas grand jury has cleared a Planned Parenthood affiliate of accusations it sold fetal tissue for profit, and instead indicted two pro-life activists whose secret recordings ignited a national debate over the abortion provider's activities, a state prosecutor said Monday. Published January 25, 2016
Obamacare enrollment projections down nearly 40 percent
Obamacare enrollment is lagging far behind what economists had projected, the Congressional Budget Office said in a new report that cuts the total number of customers expected to buy plans on the exchanges from 21 million down to just 13 million this year. Published January 25, 2016
Warning: Feds now foresee $30 trillion debt, blame looming tax hikes and Obamacare
The federal government will be flirting with $30 trillion in debt within a decade, the Congressional Budget Office reported Monday, blaming an aging population, new spending and tax cuts approved on Capitol Hill, and the growing burden from Obamacare for erasing the progress Washington had made over the past few years. Published January 25, 2016
State Dept. accused of political tampering in delay of Clinton emails
The reporter whose case has forced the release of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails accused the Obama administration Monday of political tampering by asking to delay making the final set of messages public until after the first four states have already voted in the Democratic presidential primary. Published January 25, 2016
Government background checks still don’t require review of social media profiles
The Obama administration has announced a new set of rules for government background checks -- but still doesn't require a review of applicants' social media profiles, leaving the government well behind the private sector in vetting high-risk employees. Published January 24, 2016
Hillary Clinton email release delay sought in wake of blizzard
The House canceled all business for this week because of the snowstorm, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Sunday as the disruption of official Washington business looked to continue for some time. Published January 24, 2016
Democrats’ attempt to force disclosure of campaign donors foiled by court
A federal appeals court shot down Democrats' effort to try to force groups that engage in political spending to disclose all of their donors, issuing a ruling Thursday that upheld the right to anonymous speech. Published January 21, 2016
DHS ends visa waivers for terrorism countries; Iranian travelers granted leniency
The Obama administration announced a special carve-out Thursday for Iranian business travelers, granting them a potential exemption from a new law designed to make sure foreign fighters tied to the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations can't get into the United States. Published January 21, 2016
TSA seizes record number of firearms in 2015
TSA screeners seized more than 2,600 firearms from carry-on luggage in 2015, the airport security agency said Thursday, acknowledging the dubious new record as it announced its year-end totals. Published January 21, 2016
Illegal immigrants who overstay visas rarely investigated
The federal government doesn't investigate 99 percent of illegal immigrants who entered the country legally but overstayed their visas, Homeland Security officials told the Senate on Wednesday, exposing what critics said was a giant loophole in immigration enforcement and national security. Published January 20, 2016
Democrats filibuster to defend Obama’s Syrian refugees
Brushing aside new fears of terrorists exploiting the refugee program, Senate Democrats on Wednesday successfully defended President Obama's plans to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees this year, saying the U.S. cannot turn its back on its obligation to help the needy. Published January 20, 2016
Pentagon wasted millions trying to rebuild Afghanistan: Internal report
The Defense Department poured hundreds of millions of dollars into boondoggle development programs in Afghanistan without caring how much they would cost, a government watchdog said Wednesday in a damning report that portrays a culture of carelessness at the top levels of the Pentagon. Published January 20, 2016
Visa overstays swell ranks of illegals as 500,000 broke the law in 2015
More than 500,000 visitors overstayed their visas in fiscal year 2015, the Homeland Security Department said in a report released Tuesday night that signals the problems of illegal immigration extend well beyond the land borders and include the millions of people who enter by air or sea. Published January 19, 2016
Bernie Sanders nearly doubling up Hillary Clinton in latest New Hampshire poll
Sen. Bernard Sanders is nearly doubling up Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, extending his lead in the polls to 60 percent versus her 33 percent, according to the latest CNN/WMUR survey Tuesday evening. Published January 19, 2016
Federal deficit to soar in 2016 after Ryan-Obama tax deal
The federal budget deficit will soar this year, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday, after President Obama and Congress gave up on austerity late last year, embracing spending hikes and massive new tax cuts that have left the government awash in red ink. Published January 19, 2016
Supreme Court to hear Obama amnesty case
The Supreme Court will rule on whether President Obama has the power to grant a deportation amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants without needing the approval of Congress, the justices announced Tuesday, setting up what could become the biggest showdown over executive powers so far this century. Published January 19, 2016
Donald Trump pulls Republicans further right on immigration as Democrats veer left
It was supposed to have been solved more than a decade ago, but immigration continues to roil the American political debate, and has come to dominate this year's presidential primaries in a way few would have expected after the 2012 election. Published January 18, 2016
