Stephen Dinan

Inauguration 2013: Political cooperation? Little hope for change as Obama starts second term

Americans enter President Obama's second term more upbeat about the direction of the country than they were four years ago, when the recession was at its depths, but voters are less sure that government can be of any use to them. Published January 21, 2013

Inauguration 2013: Obama faces a daunting 4 years as he takes the reins for second term

Barack Hussein Obama took the presidential oath at 11:55 Sunday morning in a small ceremony at the White House, gripping the reins of office for another four-year term and a chance to build on his already historic legacy — though unlike the beginning of his first term, he now faces a divided Congress capable of thwarting him. Published January 20, 2013

Four years after Obama’s signature promise, Gitmo is still open

It was one of Barack Obama's marquee campaign promises in 2008: Close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which would erase a terrorist recruiting tool and a black spot on America's human rights record. Published January 20, 2013

Biden officially sworn in to second term

Vice President Joseph R. Biden was officially sworn in to a second term of office Sunday morning at a small ceremony at the Naval Observatory, hours ahead of President Obama's expected inauguration in a similar ceremony at the White House. Published January 20, 2013

Obama administration eases path for ‘Dreamers’ to get behind the wheel

The Obama administration says that illegal immigrants who qualify for its new non-deportation policy are now "considered to be lawfully present" in the U.S. — a legal status that could help them to get driver's licenses. Published January 18, 2013

TSA to scrap full-body ‘naked’ X-ray scanners

The Obama administration says it will scrap the controversial airport X-ray machines that critics said showed a little too much of travelers' bodies. Published January 18, 2013

Leahy: Abolish mandatory minimum sentences

The longest-serving Democrat in the Senate on Wednesday called for scrapping mandatory minimum sentences at both the federal and state levels, and said he wants Congress to take a critical look at the way U.S. law enforcement agencies use drones. Published January 16, 2013

Critics of violent films, video games  note the call for study, not controls

President Obama's plans to curb gun violence focus heavily on firearm restrictions and on mental health, but video games and movies — two cultural issues that many Americans blame for violence — got little attention Wednesday. Published January 16, 2013

Obama using gun issue to advance health law

President Obama is using the national debate over gun violence to push for further action on his health care law, including insisting on the kind of mental health coverage states must provide under their Medicaid programs. Published January 16, 2013

Top Senate Democrat warns against police use of drones

The senior Democrat in the Senate on Wednesday called for scrapping mandatory minimum sentences at both the federal and state levels and said he wants Congress to take a critical look at the way police agencies in the United States are using drones. Published January 16, 2013

House’s reading of Constitution speaks volumes

What if they read the Constitution and barely anybody came? Published January 15, 2013

Sandy funding passes House; GOP is denied cost offsets

The House on Tuesday approved $50 billion in emergency funds for Superstorm Sandy relief, rejecting conservatives' plea to offset the spending with cuts as most lawmakers said worries about the deficit need to take a back seat when natural disasters strike. Published January 15, 2013

Constitution reading draws yawns from House

What if they read the Constitution and nobody came? Published January 15, 2013

Schumer says he’ll back Hagel nomination for Pentagon

Sen. Charles E. Schumer said Tuesday he will vote to confirm former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense, clearing a major hurdle to President Obama's pick for the Pentagon chief. Published January 15, 2013

Congress has a Constitution problem — many don’t understand document

Each of them takes an oath to defend the Constitution, but many House lawmakers either don't understand the founding document or don't take its precepts seriously, according to an analysis by The Washington Times that studied the constitutional backing that representatives submitted for each of the more than 3,000 bills they introduced in 2011. Published January 14, 2013

GOP recalls Obama, Biden opposed debt-limit hikes

President Obama's vow not to negotiate on the debt limit this year is a stark reversal for an administration whose two top officials both have a history of balking at debt hikes. Published January 14, 2013

Obama puts debt deal on shoulders of lawmakers

The White House this weekend rejected Senate Democrats' push for President Obama to do an end run around Congress and raise the government's borrowing limit, saying he won't test the limits of executive power and that it's up to lawmakers to strike a deal. Published January 12, 2013