Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Phone snoop ruling sets precedent on technology
Rulings on contraception and recess appointments may have grabbed bigger headlines, but the Supreme Court's decision last month requiring police to get a warrant before snooping through someone's cellphone is likely to have a bigger lasting impact. Published July 6, 2014
Texas Gov. Rick Perry says U.S. border less secure now
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday that the surge of people illegally crossing the southwestern border has become such a distraction for immigration agents that the border is now less secure than at any other time in recent years. Published July 3, 2014
Rep. Goodlatte says time to end ‘catch-and-release’ for illegals surging border
A top Republican who spent the past two days investigating the border surge of illegal immigrants from Central America said Thursday that most of them are trying to reunite with relatives who are already living illegally in the U.S., and the best way to stop the surge is to speed up the threat of deportations. Published July 3, 2014
Feds’ ad campaign denying legalization aimed at parents of children surging across border
The federal government launched a major public relations campaign Wednesday to try to urge Central Americans not to send their children to the U.S. as illegal immigrants. Published July 2, 2014
Privacy board gives approval to some NSA spying programs
At least some of the government's snooping programs get high marks from a federal privacy watchdog, which approved a report Wednesday saying foreign intelligence collection is generally done in accordance with the Constitution and has been remarkably successful in sniffing out terrorist plots. Published July 2, 2014
Foreign intelligence snooping stopped dozens of terrorist plots: Privacy board
At least some of the government's snooping programs get high marks from the federal privacy watchdog, which approved a report Wednesday saying foreign intelligence collection is generally done in accordance with the Constitution and has been remarkably successful in sniffing out terrorist plots. Published July 2, 2014
Obama worst president since WWII, new poll shows
Poll after poll shows President Obama's approval rating dipping recently, and one new Quinnipiac University Poll finds that voters say Mitt Romney would have been a better choice in 2012. Published July 2, 2014
Privacy panel: Government snooping may hit ‘large scope’ of Americans
An "unknown and potentially large scope" of Americans are caught up in the government's overseas electronic surveillance programs, according to a federal privacy watchdog report slated to be adopted Wednesday. Published July 1, 2014
Obama: I will bypass Congress to fix immigration
President Obama began Monday by promising a get-tough approach to illegal immigration at the border and ended it by vowing to reduce enforcement in the interior, signaling a major shift in his policies as he conceded Congress is unlikely to pass a broad legalization bill this year. Published June 30, 2014
Obama to announce new immigration policy Monday afternoon
President Obama has scheduled a Monday afternoon announcement on immigration, coming as the Associated Press reported House Speaker John A. Boehner has informed the White House there won't be a vote this year on the issue. Published June 30, 2014
Immigration activists say Obama enforcement surge ‘dangerous’
President Obama's move to try to speed up deportations of children and families surging across the southwest border drew fire Monday from immigrant-rights groups who said he's endangering children in order to score political points at home. Published June 30, 2014
Supreme Court ruling dents public sector labor unions
The Supreme Court dealt a blow to public employee unions Monday, ruling that at least in some cases, they cannot compel workers to pay dues because it violates their freedom of political speech. Published June 30, 2014
GOP’s appeal to courts for resolution is a new tack that signals the rise of libertarians
House Speaker John A. Boehner's call to sue President Obama for overstepping the bounds of executive authority marks a stunning break for Republicans, who for years have tried to keep the courts out of the big questions of the day. Published June 29, 2014
Univision demands Obama treat illegal immigrant children better
The head of Univision, the largest Spanish-language broadcast network in the U.S., sent a letter Friday begging President Obama to be more generous to the illegal immigrant children surging across the U.S. border, and decrying "attempts to politicize it." Published June 27, 2014
Job gains equal to number of immigrants
Since 2000, all of the net jobs added by the U.S. economy have gone to immigrants, both legal and illegal, according to a report being released Friday by the Center for Immigration Studies that challenges prevailing wisdom that the country needs an influx of workers. Published June 27, 2014
Senators demand Obama ‘personally’ push back against illegal immigrant surge
Senators told President Obama on Thursday that he must personally step up and make clear illegal immigrant children surging across the border will be quickly sent home, as the administration faces growing bipartisan pressure to get a better handle on the situation playing out in Texas. Published June 26, 2014
Supreme Court strikes down Obama recess appointments
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President Obama overstepped his bounds when he tried to circumvent the Senate and install his nominees to key positions — but the justices left the heart of the executive's recess appointment powers intact. Published June 26, 2014
IRS’s Lerner sought tax audit of Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley over his wife’s free meal
Lois G. Lerner, the woman at the center of the IRS tea party targeting scandal, tried to get her agency to conduct an exam on a sitting U.S. senator, according to emails released Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee. Published June 26, 2014
Illegal children likely to remain in U.S. for years
The Obama administration acknowledged Wednesday that most of the illegal immigrant children surging across the U.S.-Mexico border are still here, and most will remain in the country for years while their cases wind through the immigration courts. Published June 25, 2014
Iraqi assassination attempt survivor is now a U.S. citizen
For Karzan Mahmoud, the journey began in 2002 with 23 shots from assassins' guns in Iraq, which left him shattered and clutching to life. On Wednesday, the journey ended with him taking the oath of American citizenship. Published June 25, 2014
