Stephen Dinan

Early voting reduces voter turnout, mailing ballots boosts

Allowing voters to show up and cast ballots ahead of Election Day appears to actually reduce participation, but letting them vote by mail or to show up and register on Election Day boosts turnout, the government's chief research agency said in a new report last week.

July 4, 2016

State Department thwarts deportations to appease illegal immigrant criminals’ home countries

The State Department is thwarting efforts to deport immigrants to China, Guinea, Liberia and other countries that are reluctant to take back their own citizens convicted of crimes -- forcing immigration agents to release often-violent criminals back onto the streets, U.S. government documents show.

July 4, 2016

West Virginia’s Obamacare challenge over enforcement alterations dismissed

A federal appeals court seemed sympathetic to West Virginia's complaints about Obamacare but tossed out the state's challenge in a ruling Friday that leaves President Obama with a free hand to alter enforcement of the law.

July 3, 2016

Clinton gives ‘voluntary interview’ to FBI over email account

Hillary Clinton submitted to an interview with the FBI on Saturday as the Obama administration nears completion of its investigation into her use of a secret email server during her time as State Department secretary.

July 2, 2016

Appeals court dumps states’ latest challenge to Obamacare

A federal appeals court seemed sympathetic to West Virginia's complaints about Obamacare, but tossed out the state's challenge in a ruling Friday that leaves President Obama with a free hand to alter enforcement of the law.

July 1, 2016

House to vote on Cornyn gun measure next week

The House has scheduled a vote next week on a bill to stop suspected terrorists from buying firearms from gun dealers as part of a new anti-terrorism package.

July 1, 2016

Nearly 1 million immigrants — including more than 170K convicts — ignoring deportation

Nearly 1 million immigrants are ignoring deportation orders to remain in the U.S. -- including more than 170,000 convicted criminals, according to a new report Thursday that suggests the government's deportation efforts are still falling short.

July 1, 2016

Hillary Clinton emails didn’t ‘set off any bells’ for State Department’s Patrick Kennedy

The State Department's top management official received dozens of emails from Hillary Clinton's secret account but said he never bothered to focus on what address she was using -- leaving her free to circumvent open-records laws for her four-year tenure.

June 30, 2016

U.S. accepts record number of Syrian refugees in June despite terrorist screening worries

The U.S. accepted more than 2,300 Syrian refugees in June alone, sending the fiscal year total soaring past the 5,000 mark and putting the government on track to surpass President Obama's goal of 10,000 by the end of September, but raising questions about screening out potential terrorists.

June 30, 2016

Harry Reid: ‘We’ve taken a bite out of the NRA,’ confident of gun-control deal this year

Senate Democrats say they are increasingly confident that they will beat the National Rifle Association and force stricter gun control laws in the wake of the Orlando terrorist attack, insisting the tide of public opinion will swing the debate.

June 30, 2016

Voter citizenship checks in Kansas, Alabama, Georgia upheld by judge

Kansas, Alabama and Georgia can demand their residents submit proof of citizenship before signing up to vote even if they're using the federal government's registration forms, a judge said Wednesday, delivering a win to states concerned about voter fraud.

June 29, 2016

Hillary Clinton private email server set up before becoming secretary

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began planning use of her secret email address even before she took office in January 2009, top aide Huma Abedin said in sworn testimony this week, raising questions about why no emails from her first few months in office were part of the set she returned to the government.

June 29, 2016

Benghazi report shows inability of Congress to investigate executive branch

The two-year, $7 million congressional probe into the Benghazi terrorist attack did more than produce an 800-page report, it also exposed how weak Congress has become in trying to investigate the executive branch.

June 28, 2016

Harry Reid says Marco Rubio should pay taxpayers for missing votes

Sen. Marco Rubio should pay back taxpayers for the votes and committee meetings he missed while running for president, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid insisted Tuesday, delivering a fierce political attack on the Florida Republican.

June 28, 2016

Benghazi panel: White House focused on anti-Islam film over saving Americans as attack unfolded

Both President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta ordered that all available resources be used to help fend off the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack, but top administration officials -- including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- put those plans on hold, according to a congressional report, which said the officials instead debated how to appease the Libyan government.

June 28, 2016

Benghazi GOP lawmakers say Hillary Clinton created conditions for attack

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ignored repeated warnings of what one security agent called their "suicide mission" in Benghazi, creating the opportunity that terrorists took on Sept. 11, 2012, to kill the ambassador to Libya, two Republicans on the Benghazi probe charged Tuesday.

June 28, 2016

Immigrant activists stage blockade to stop deportations

Immigrant-rights activists attempted to block the road to federal immigration agents' headquarters in Atlanta on Monday, demanding President Obama stop deporting any more illegal immigrants after last week's Supreme Court stalemate.

June 27, 2016

Obama: Most illegals still won’t be deported

President Obama said most illegal immigrants still won't be deported, even after the Supreme Court's tie ruling Thursday upheld an injunction on his broader deportation amnesty.

June 23, 2016

In wake of ruling, immigrant activists demand Obama stop all deportations

Immigrant-rights advocates say it's now up to President Obama to stop all deportations after the Supreme Court Thursday left in place an injunction on his tentative amnesty.

June 23, 2016

Supreme Court blocks Obama immigration plan in 4-4 tie

President Obama lost his bid to kick-start his deportation amnesty Thursday after the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4, keeping in place a lower court's injunction, nixing the policy for the rest of Mr. Obama's tenure and igniting political and legal debates that will carry on well beyond.

June 23, 2016