Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
J.B. Pritzker, Illinois governor: Coronavirus restrictions needed ‘until we’re able to eradicate it’
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker defended Sunday his cautious economic reopening plan, which leaves schools and many businesses shuttered until the novel coronavirus is all but defeated, saying the state will be unable to return to normal "until we're able to eradicate it." Published May 10, 2020
Kevin Hassett, White House economic adviser, expects 20% unemployment rate before recovery
White House senior adviser Kevin Hassett predicted Sunday that the economic news would get worse before it gets better, estimating that the unemployment rate will climb to 20% or higher in May or June as a result of the coronavirus economic fallout before rebounding. Published May 10, 2020
Republicans more willing to risk coronavirus cases, deaths to reopen economy, poll finds
Most Republicans say it's time for America to reopen even if that means more novel coronavirus cases and deaths, while most Democrats say it's not worth the risk. Published May 10, 2020
Karl Manke, Owosso, Michigan, barber: Gretchen Whitmer has ‘no concept of the damage she’s doing’
A Michigan barber said Sunday he plans to stay open in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's extended order on nonessential businesses, insisting that the Democratic governor "has no concept at all of the damage she's doing." Published May 10, 2020
Harvard home-schooling crackdown hit by shutdown surge
No sooner had Harvard Law School touched off a campaign for a government crackdown on home-schooling than every student in America began learning at home, thanks to the coronavirus shutdown. Published May 7, 2020
Jared Polis: Colorado first coronavirus case in January or February, not March
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Wednesday it was "extremely likely" that the state had its first case of the novel coronavirus in January or February, well before the first official diagnosis on March 5. Published May 6, 2020
Rand Paul leads anti-mask rebellion after coronavirus recovery
Leave it to Rand Paul, the Senate's top libertarian and a physician to boot, to lead the charge against tyrannical government leaders calling for their previously coronavirus-infected subjects to wear face masks. Published May 6, 2020
Betsy DeVos moves to end Obama-era ‘kangaroo courts’ by protecting rights of accused on campus
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made good Wednesday on her vow to restore due process on campus, seeking to end the "kangaroo courts" that sprung up under the Obama administration by protecting the rights of the accused while strengthening safeguards for accusers. Published May 6, 2020
CBS denies faking scene of crowded Michigan testing clinic alleged in Project Veritas sting
CBS News has denied faking a scene of novel coronavirus testing in Michigan by padding the drive-thru line with clinic workers to make the health center look busier than it was, as alleged in a Project Veritas expose released Wednesday. Published May 6, 2020
Dana Canedy, Pulitzer Prizes chief, defends New York Times Project 1619 honor
Pulitzer Prizes Administrator Dana Canedy defended Tuesday the decision to honor the widely disputed 1619 Project, which reframes the American Revolution as a battle to protect slavery, even as she acknowledged that "perhaps most historians" would disagree with its premise. Published May 5, 2020
Harvard backtracks on air pollution-coronavirus deaths link
Harvard researchers publicly walked back Monday a key finding in a highly touted but hotly contested paper linking air pollution exposure to deaths from the novel coronavirus, slashing the estimated mortality rate in half. Published May 4, 2020
Anti-Kavanaugh Women’s March commends Joe Biden for ‘addressing this issue head-on’
Less than two years ago, the Women's March led the charge against then-Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh with its "Believe Survivors" protests, but the feminist group took an entirely different tone Friday with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden. Published May 1, 2020
University of Washington coronavirus model lowers U.S. death estimate as Americans social distance
The standard-setting University of Washington has lowered its estimate of U.S. novel coronavirus mortality by 1,640 deaths as Americans surpass expectations on social distancing. Published April 30, 2020
Rose McGowan, Tara Reade defender, says she’s lost faith in Democrats, media
MeToo champion Rose McGowan posted a heartfelt message late Wednesday saying that she has lost faith in the Democrats and the media as she advocates for Biden accuser Tara Reade. Published April 29, 2020
Jason D. Hill, conservative professor sues DePaul for ‘harassment’
A DePaul professor who was vilified on campus for his pro-Israel views has sued the university for waging an "unfair campaign of harassment" against him, arguing that he was targeted because he is black and gay. Published April 29, 2020
Bill de Blasio, New York City mayor, blunders his way through coronavirus crisis
First he encouraged New Yorkers to go out on the town in the early days of coronavirus pandemic. Then he urged them to snitch on each other for getting too close to one another. Published April 29, 2020
Bill de Blasio slammed for singling out ‘Jewish community’ after breaking up rabbi’s crowded funeral
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is under fire for singling out the "Jewish community" with threats of arrest after breaking up a crowded funeral gathering for a prominent rabbi who died of the novel coronavirus. Published April 29, 2020
Coronavirus shutdown skeptics challenge establishment over ‘mistake’
As the statistical models on deaths are revised downward, and the economic and social costs of the stay-at-home strategy grow more dire, contrarians are diving into the data and asking whether the lockdown pain was worth the gain -- or if the COVID-19 reaction was overblown. Published April 28, 2020
WHO walks back ‘no evidence’ claim on coronavirus immunity from reinfection
The World Health Organization has retreated from its claim last week that there is "no evidence" that recovered coronavirus patients will be resistant to future infections, saying that most will enjoy some level of immunity. Published April 27, 2020
Trump administration plans to reopen national parks ‘as rapidly as possible’
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced Sunday that the department plans to reopen the national parks, most of which were shuttered at least partially for the coronavirus lockdown, "as rapidly as possible." Published April 27, 2020
