Dianne Feinstein news stories on Newser

Attention, Silicon Valley: You Might Return to Sea

John Johnson — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:44:15 CDT

It might just be the only thing that could take down Facebook and Google in one fell swoop: some good old-fashioned biblical flooding. As the AP explains, a chunk of Silicon Valley sits on land that used to be part of San Francisco Bay. Which is fine except for two...

Treasurer 'Fleeced Calif. Dems Out of $7M'

Rob Quinn — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:19:00 CDT

The woman California's Democrats once considered their most reliable treasurer scammed dozens of candidates, officeholders, and organizations out of at least $7 million over a decade, prosecutors say. Kinde Durkee—who was dubbed the "Madoff of campaign treasurers" after her arrest in September —is expected to plead guilty this week...

Birther Queen Running for Senate

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:06:42 CDT

Orly Taitz, aka the "Birther Queen," has already lost one California election ... but she’s not letting that stop her. The dentist, lawyer, and preeminent Obama birth certificate doubter is running for US Senate. The Republican hopes to win her party’s nomination and then unseat California’s Democratic incumbent, Dianne Feinstein, in...

Feinstein Also Hit by 'Madoff of Campaign Treasurers'

Kevin Spak — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:47:54 CDT

Dianne Feinstein's campaign was one of those ripped off by an allegedly fraudulent Democratic campaign treasurer, the senator tells the LA Times . Kinde Durkee was arrested on fraud charges two weeks ago, with California Reps. Loretta Sanchez and Susan Davis listed among her alleged victims; Davis dubbed her “the Bernie...

Obama Backs Repeal of Marriage Law

Rob Quinn — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:00:00 CDT

President Obama's " evolving views " on gay marriage appear to have evolved even further: The president has endorsed a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act , which defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is thought unlikely...

Romney: Obama Threw Israel 'Under the Bus'

Kevin Spak — Fri, 20 May 2011 07:42:06 CDT

President Obama is taking some heat for his speech on Middle Eastern policy , particularly the section on Israel, in which he advocated a return to Israel’s pre-1967 borders . “President Obama has thrown Israel under the bus,” Mitt Romney declared in a statement. “He has disrespected Israel and undermined its ability...

Senate Dems Move to Zap DOMA

Polly Davis Doig — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:56:38 CDT

It was another day of undoing in Congress: As House Republicans moved to dismantle financial reform yesterday, Democrats over in the Senate were fixing to make the Defense of Marriage Act go away. "It is time to right this wrong," Dianne Feinstein said in introducing the legislation. "This bill will...

US Intel Spending Breaks $80B

Matt Cantor — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:36:35 CDT

American intelligence spending hit $80.1 billion, or some 12% of defense spending, for the just-ended fiscal year—more than what was spent on either the Department of Homeland Security ($53 billion) or the Justice Department ($30 billion). It's triple the $26.7 billion that was budgeted in 1998, the...

Health Reform Bill Won't Stop Premium Hikes

Emily Rauhala — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:09:00 CDT

Turns out the big health care reform bill doesn't actually rein in those out-of-control premium rate hikes. The Democrats used outrage over whopping increases to corral support for the overhaul, but the bill doesn't deliver, finds the Los Angeles Times , because it doesn't give the government the regulatory authority. "It...