Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
GOP wants key Justice Dept. lawyer to testify in IRS scandal probe
The House oversight committee has asked a lawyer who's helping run the criminal investigation into IRS targeting of tea party groups to testify to Congress next week, seeking to find out where the investigation stands and whether her political leanings have undermined the probe. Published January 29, 2014
Eric Holder: Criminal charges still possible in IRS scandal
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Wednesday that the Justice Department could still bring criminal charges against IRS officials for targeting tea party groups, contradicting press reports that said investigators have already concluded no crime was committed. Published January 29, 2014
Deport Bieber petition succeeds — earns votes for White House response
The petition asking the White House to deport Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber has been wildly successful, taking just six days to collect the 100,000 online signatures needed to earn a presidential response. Published January 29, 2014
Obama’s SOTU speech leaves environmentalists feeling cold
Despite promising to do an end-run around Congress to fight global warming in his Tuesday speech, President Obama is still taking heat from environmental activists for not going further and attacking all fossil fuels. Published January 29, 2014
Amid executive actions, Obama shuns order on deportations
President Obama vowed executive action on a host of issues Tuesday night, but left out one major step that immigration advocates had wanted to hear — halting deportations. Published January 29, 2014
White House’s ‘We the People’ petition site slows to a trickle
After a feverish postelection flurry of responses in late 2012, the White House has dramatically slowed down its answers to petitions the public has filed on President Obama's We the People website, leaving the project stumbling even as it turns into a forum for international communities to settle scores. Published January 28, 2014
Congress’ bipartisan facade for State of the Union seen fading
Three years after an assassination attempt on then-Rep. Gabrielle Gifford brought members of Congress together, fewer lawmakers crossed the aisle Tuesday night, leaving the chamber once again a partisan seesaw. Published January 28, 2014
Christmas tree fee, hemp support find way into farm bill
Tucked inside the massive new farm bill, which House Republican leaders are speeding to the floor, is a controversial 15-cent fee the government will collect on every Christmas tree cut in or imported into the U.S. Published January 28, 2014
GOP State of the Union response: Look outside D.C. for what really matters
Republicans countered President Obama's threat of unilateral action Tuesday night with a less combative speech by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers that expressed disappointment the White House's initiatives have failed to bring about an economic rebound. Published January 28, 2014
Deport Bieber petition nears success
The White House petition to deport Justin Bieber is more than halfway to success, surging beyond 60,000 signatures Tuesday morning and putting it well on pace to reach the 100,000 needed to earn an official response. Published January 28, 2014
State of the Union: Few will tune in as Obama becomes lame duck
With the State of the Union proving ever less entrancing for viewers, the White House is desperate to turn the speech into a multiday event in an effort to bolster interest in Mr. Obama's policies, even if people don't tune in to hear his words. Published January 27, 2014
Benghazi victim Tyrone Woods’ father to attend State of the Union
An Oklahoma congressman said Monday that he will host Charles Woods, father of former Navy SEAL and Benghazi terrorist attack victim Ty Woods, at Tuesday's State of the Union. Published January 27, 2014
Study finds little change in poor to rich mobility over past 25 years
Contrary to the hand-wringing in Washington, the rags-to-riches American dream is not impossible — and in fact has grown ever so slightly easier over the past couple of decades, according to a study last week by economists from leading universities. Published January 26, 2014
Labor union membership ticks up
Labor union membership rose slightly in 2013, according to new government statistics released Friday that showed at least a temporary reprieve in the long-term travails for the labor movement. Published January 24, 2014
Privacy board rules NSA snooping illegal
The federal government violated the Patriot Act by stockpiling Americans' phone records and the phone companies are violating other federal laws by turning over the information, a federal privacy watchdog said Thursday, adding more hurdles for advocates who are trying to preserve the snooping program. Published January 23, 2014
Conservative super PAC to fund secretary of state hopefuls
With voter-ID laws and other reforms taking center stage, a conservative group said Wednesday it is launching a new super PAC to fund state secretary of state candidates willing to go toe-to-toe with Democrats and defend more rigorous voter roll rules and stiffer election requirements. Published January 22, 2014
EPA chief knew of employee’s claims to be working for CIA, deposition shows
The deposition of John C. Beale, released Wednesday by the House oversight committee, contrasts with the EPA’s own claims that it was EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy who exposed the fraud and helped oust Beale. Published January 22, 2014
As U.S. supply accelerates, gas prices stuck in neutral
America is in the midst of an energy boom has left the country floating in crude oil and natural gas — but consumers are seeing only modest returns at the gas pump, where analysts said the chief benefit has been stability, not cost-cutting. Published January 21, 2014
Fight seen for Coburn’s Senate seat as Lankford jumps in
Rep. James Lankford said Monday he'll run to serve out the term of retiring Sen. Tom Coburn in Oklahoma, setting up what could be another brutal primary GOP battle involving outside conservative pressure groups and the party's establishment. Published January 20, 2014
Big shoes for Republicans to fill with Tom Coburn’s early departure from Senate
To appreciate the hole that Sen. Tom Coburn's looming retirement leaves in the Senate, look at the reactions of his fellow Republicans last week after he made the announcement. Published January 19, 2014
