Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Illegal immigration leaps for third straight year
Illegal immigration on the southwestern border spiked 14 percent over the past year, marking the third straight increase, though Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said it was almost all because of the surge of illegal immigrant children and families from Central America — a crisis he said is subsiding. Published October 9, 2014
U.S. commander warns of Ebola threat at Mexican border
While the Obama administration plans to start checking travelers from West Africa for Ebola at five U.S. airports, the commander of the U.S. Southern Command is warning that West Africans already are entering America illegally at the porous southern border. Published October 9, 2014
FEC deletes unconstitutional campaign regulations, embraces Citizens United
The Federal Election Commission finally agreed Thursday to recognize the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision that unshackled corporations and unions to play a more active role in political advocacy. Published October 9, 2014
EPA to admit it lost agency chief’s text messages
The EPA is poised to "do an IRS" — similar to what the tax agency had to do with dismissed top official Lois G. Lerner — and officially notify the National Archives that it may have lost key electronic records, according to a think tank that's suing to get text messages under an open-records request. Published October 8, 2014
Photo ID laws do hurt voter turnout: study
Requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polls does lower turnout, the Government Accountability Office, Congress's non-partisan watchdog, concluded in a major report released Wednesday that said young, black and newly registered voters were most likely to stay home. Published October 8, 2014
Feds run $486B deficit in 2014 — smallest of Obama administration
The federal government ran a deficit of just $486 billion in fiscal 2014, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates released Wednesday that show the budget, while not in the black, is on much firmer ground than when President Obama took office. Published October 8, 2014
Immigration activists court Luis Gutierrez for presidential bid
Stung by President Obama's on-again, off-again attitude on immigration, one prominent activist is launching a Draft Gutierrez petition designed to convince Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, to run for president in 2016 as an independent. Published October 7, 2014
Obamacare opens door for inmates to get taxpayer-funded Medicaid: study
Obamacare has made most prison and jail inmates eligible for Medicaid in states that expanded the federal-state health program, according to a new study Monday from the Government Accountability Office — but few inmates are actually getting the kinds of services that can be reimbursed by federal taxpayers. Published October 6, 2014
Disease plagues illegal immigrants; lack of medications, basic hygiene blamed
Communicable diseases continue to be a problem at the New Mexico facility built to house illegal immigrant families surging across the U.S.-Mexico border, and the immigrants themselves aren't taking their own health care very seriously, according to an audit released Monday. Published October 6, 2014
One in five in the U.S. don’t speak English at home, immigration report says
Nearly half of all California school-age children speak a language other than English at home, as do a third of Texans and Nevadans, a report being released Monday by the Center for Immigration Studies found. Published October 6, 2014
Voting rights on docket as Supreme Court term opens; gay marriage, Obamacare fights possible
With the country's voters so evenly split, both Republicans and Democrats are increasingly turning attention to the rules for voting, hoping to gain an edge — and their disputes will make their way to the Supreme Court in the term that begins Monday. Published October 5, 2014
Sen. Thad Cochran’s Democratic opponent signs no-amnesty pledge
Travis Childers, Democrats' Senate candidate in Mississippi, signed the Federation for American Immigration Reform's "No Amnesty" pledge on Thursday, making him the first Democratic Senate candidate to sign this year. Published October 3, 2014
Ebola fears prompt calls for travel restrictions between U.S., West Africa
The first case of Ebola diagnosed within the U.S. is prompting calls for heavy travel restrictions between the U.S. and those West African countries hardest hit by the outbreak — and one advocate is even warning against the possibility of "Ebola tourism" by patients seeking better care here. Published October 2, 2014
Indiana Gov. Pence tops 2016 GOP field on fiscal scorecard
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence was named a "champion tax cutter," in the Cato Institute's new statehouse report card, released Thursday, which puts Mr. Pence at the top of all of the GOP governors mentioned as potential 2016 presidential contenders. Published October 2, 2014
Hispanics promised executive action this year on illegal immigrant deportations
President Obama deployed a top Cabinet secretary Wednesday to assure Hispanic leaders that the White House will take executive action this year to stop deportations for more illegal immigrants, trying to revive Hispanic voters' backing of Democrats ahead of November's elections. Published October 1, 2014
Dubious anniversary for both parties: One year since Obamacare, shutdown
Democrats and Republicans each celebrated dubious anniversaries on Wednesday: For the GOP, it was a year from the day they orchestrated a government shutdown over Obamacare. For Democrats, it was the beginning of the health law's rocky rollout, which sent President Obama's poll numbers tumbling. Published October 1, 2014
Julia Pierson resigns as Secret Service director
Secret Service Director Julia A. Pierson resigned Wednesday amid intense pressure from lawmakers on Capitol Hill who feared the president and his family were being endangered by security lapses — highlighted by an intruder forcing his way into the White House last month. Published October 1, 2014
Boehner to Obama: You should consider firing Secret Service chief
House Speaker John A. Boehner urged President Obama on Wednesday to consider firing U.S. Secret Service Director Julia A. Pierson, and called for a blue ribbon commission Wednesday to investigate the agency after its latest security lapse. Published October 1, 2014
Voters say illegal children should be denied schooling, legal rights
Voters overwhelmingly reject extending legal protections to the new illegal immigrant children who surged across the U.S.-Mexico border this year, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll released Wednesday. Published October 1, 2014
Nancy Pelosi sounds pessimistic note about Dems’ chances to take House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi seemed less than confident Democrats can retake the House in November's elections, telling reporters on Wednesday that this year is preparation for retaking control of both chambers in 2016. Published October 1, 2014
