Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Transgender-friendly Nike hit with blowback for ad extolling women’s sports
Nike has championed male-born competitors in women's sports for years, which is why its Super Bowl ad paying tribute to female athletes was accused of being hypocritical, not to mention a few decades behind the times. Published February 10, 2025
Daughters of American Revolution board rejects ban on biological males
The Daughters of the American Revolution leadership has nixed a proposal to ban transgender women, fending off for the second time a membership revolt against transgender applicants. Published February 10, 2025
NCAA bans trans athletes from women’s sports after Trump executive order
The NCAA voted Thursday to ban male-born students from women's sports, retreating on years of transgender inclusion just one day after President Trump's executive order on female scholastic sports. Published February 6, 2025
Trump administration probes Penn, San Jose State over transgender athletes
The Education Department launched investigations Thursday into three institutions where biological males who identify as female have played female sports, citing President Trump's executive order on scholastic athletics issued the day before. Published February 6, 2025
Trump signs order banning biological men from women’s sports
President Trump ordered a ban Wednesday on biological males seeking to participate in girls' and women's scholastic sports, fulfilling a campaign promise and posterizing Democrats on an issue that has become a slam dunk for Republicans. Published February 5, 2025
Former teammates target Thomas’ swimming records in Title IX lawsuit against Ivy League
Three former University of Pennsylvania swimmers have sued to expunge the women's swimming records set by Lia Thomas, arguing that the male-born athlete who identifies as female was allowed to compete in violation of Title IX. Published February 5, 2025
Trump to sign ban on biological males in girls’ and women’s sports
President Trump is scheduled to sign an executive order Wednesday barring male-born athletes from girls and women's sports, fulfilling a campaign promise on an increasingly high-profile issue pitting fairness and safety against against transgender inclusion. Published February 5, 2025
Trump administration promises smooth FAFSA rollout, drops ‘nonbinary’ option
Things have changed since President Trump's team took over at the Department of Education, and that includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid rollout. Published February 4, 2025
Trump’s ban on gender-transition drugs, surgeries for youth hit with lawsuit
Transgender rights advocates sued Tuesday to block President Trump's order cutting off federal funds for gender-transition drugs and surgeries prescribed to those under 19, arguing that the directive exceeds the president's authority. Published February 4, 2025
Conservative nonprofits battle racial discrimination in education fueled by DEI
Racial discrimination in education has been illegal for 60 years, and yet race-exclusive programs continue to crop up at K-12 schools and universities in the name of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Published February 4, 2025
Boston University shuts its antiracism center, as founder Ibram Kendi decamps to Howard University
Boston University plans to shut down its Center for Antiracist Research and part ways with founder Ibram X. Kendi. Published February 4, 2025
Trump administration opens antisemitism investigation into five universities
The Department of Education announced Monday an investigation into five universities over reports of "widespread antisemitic harassment" in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israelis. Published February 3, 2025
Former Mormon church member loses bid to retrieve millions in tithes
A federal court has rejected a prominent ex-member's effort to claw back millions of dollars in tithes from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over its funding of commercial ventures. Published February 2, 2025
George Mason to lift punishment, pay damages to students who opposed tampons in men’s rooms
George Mason University has agreed to pay $15,000 in damages and attorneys' fees to two female students who were disciplined for raising objections to stocking tampons in men's restrooms. Published February 1, 2025
Federal websites shut down temporarily as Trump administration scrubs DEI content
The Trump administration began shutting down federal websites Friday evening, taking them offline temporarily to remove diversity, equity and inclusion content. Published January 31, 2025
Trump administration scraps Biden-era Title IX rule that added ‘gender identity’
The Department of Education has announced it will enforce Title IX protections based on biological sex, not gender identity, jettisoning the Biden administration's effort to extend the landmark civil rights law to men who identify as women. Published January 31, 2025
FCC opens probe into whether NPR, PBS stations are breaking law by ‘airing commercials’
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has ordered an investigation into National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service over concerns about promoting sponsors, a probe that may influence the debate over taxpayer funding of public media. Published January 30, 2025
Senate Republicans seek to delist Yellowstone grizzly bear after Biden’s rebuff
Former President Joseph R. Biden's refusal to delist the grizzly bear as a threatened species earlier this month infuriated Western Republicans, but Mr. Biden is no longer in power -- and they are. Published January 29, 2025
Feds launch Title IX probe into school that converted girls’ restroom to all-gender facility
There are two restrooms on the second floor at East High School in Denver, one for boys and one that is "all-gender," and the Trump administration has a problem with that. Published January 28, 2025
Backlash erupts against Selena Gomez sobbing over Trump deportations in now-deleted video
Superstar Selena Gomez's tears over the deportation of illegal aliens are misplaced, as far as supporters of President Trump are concerned. Published January 28, 2025
