Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Supreme Court worries about limiting feds’ interactions with social media companies
Supreme Court justices seemed inclined Monday to give the government wide latitude to secretly pressure social media companies to silence dissenting voices, saying officials have the right to strenuously argue their case to the platforms. Published March 18, 2024
Family of victim of illegal immigrant crime: ‘Our young women are at huge risk’
Wendy Corcoran, whose son was killed by an undocumented immigrant in a car crash in 2018, said she's worried many more families will experience the same heartbreak as she did. Published March 18, 2024
Supreme Court allows New Mexico to bar local official over participation in Jan. 6 riot
The Supreme Court allowed New Mexico on Monday to block a man from holding any office by ruling he was part of an insurrection due to his participation in the mob assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Published March 18, 2024
Smugglers selling access to Mayorkas’ ‘parole’ program for $5,000
Unauthorized migrants are being sold access to the Biden administration's "parole" program for as little as $5,000 in Nicaragua, The Washington Times has learned. Published March 18, 2024
Migrant draws jail time for threatening to kill Biden, Trump
A Somali immigrant in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, was slapped with a three-year prison sentence Thursday for telling police he wanted to kill President Biden and former President Donald Trump. Published March 16, 2024
Inside job: Feds arrest Social Security employee for pocketing dead people’s benefits
A Social Security employee has been arrested and charged with using her position to approve benefits for dead people and then directing the payments to herself. Published March 15, 2024
Supreme Court says public officials can block social media followers in some cases
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that public officials have some flexibility in how they maintain their own social media accounts, even if they use them for government business, and that means they can delete comments and even block users in certain instances. Published March 15, 2024
Supreme Court faces decision on feds strong-arming social media
Sen. Eric Schmitt says the key to derailing government censorship is to make the bureaucrats pay -- literally. Published March 14, 2024
Federal audit dings Kamala Harris’ border czar plan to tackle ‘root cause’ of illegal immigration
A U.S. project to derail illegal immigration from Central America -- part of Vice President Kamala Harris' border czar portfolio -- is poorly staffed and prone to fraud, the government's comptroller general said in a new report Thursday. Published March 14, 2024
Biden’s border goes green with zero-emission crossings
The Biden administration is resisting wall construction, but it has found a border project it will support: a billion-dollar effort to make the entry points more environmentally friendly. Published March 14, 2024
Feds keep paying out benefits to dead people; internal problems invite more fraud
Payments to dead people are one of the more infuriating aspects of government spending, especially when they involve bureaucratic bungling or outright fraud. But from disaster relief payments to farm subsidies, the government has trouble sorting out when it's paying someone who's already gone. Published March 13, 2024
Senate Republicans introduce Laken Riley bill to deport illegal immigrant thieves, burglars
Republican senators demanded Wednesday that the Senate pass legislation to press the government to deport migrant thieves, burglars and shoplifters, saying it can help oust dangerous migrants who are in the country illegally before they commit more serious crimes. Published March 13, 2024
Conservatives demand Biden block pro-Hamas Palestinians from amnesty
Conservative leaders are asking the president for assurances that his new deportation amnesty for Palestinians won't apply to those who support Hamas. Published March 13, 2024
IRS opens Direct File for some taxpayers in 12 states
The IRS officially began accepting tax returns Tuesday from residents of 12 states through its new Direct File program, a free tax-preparation system meant to give taxpayers an option other than paying for services such as TurboTax. Published March 12, 2024
House votes to force sell-off of ‘ghost town’ government offices left vacant by pandemic telework
Irked by reports that federal office buildings sometimes operate at less than 10% capacity, the House on Tuesday approved a use-it-or-lose-it policy, ordering agencies to either get employees back at desks in their office buildings or give up the space. Published March 12, 2024
FBI is probing migrant smuggling network with ties to ISIS
The FBI is aware of at least one migrant smuggling operation with ties to the Islamic State terrorist organization, Director Christopher A. Wray told senators this week. Published March 11, 2024
Biden’s budget bets bigger on artificial intelligence with ‘AI talent surge’ across government
Call it the government's first AI budget. Published March 11, 2024
Biden’s budget drops plans to cut immigrant detention
The new budget calls for the government to maintain an average of 34,000 detention beds for migrants awaiting deportation, marking a retreat for Mr. Biden, who has in the past called for slashing detention funding. Published March 11, 2024
Biden’s budget calls for massive tax increases and $7.3T in spending
President Biden on Monday released his 2025 budget proposal asking for an eye-popping $7.3 trillion in government spending, but he pledged to reduce the national debt by persuading Congress to soak the rich and corporations with massive tax increases. Published March 11, 2024
Hunter whodunnit: Biden’s son denies giving laptop to repair shop
Hunter Biden indicated to Congress that he never visited the Delaware repair shop where his laptop was left, adding a bizarre twist to the computer's sordid history. Published March 11, 2024
