Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Oregon House passes National Popular Vote, sends bill to Democratic governor
The Oregon House passed legislation Wednesday to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, sending the measure to Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, who has indicated she will sign it. Published June 5, 2019
Trump administration cancels funding for research using aborted fetal remains
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it would immediately cancel federal funding for research at the University of California San Francisco using human fetal tissue from abortions, weighing in again on a charged issue fraught with scientific and moral implications. Published June 5, 2019
Josh Hawley, Elizabeth Warren united on Big Tech anti-trust crackdown
When lawmakers as ideologically divided as Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren agree that your industry has become too powerful, you could be in trouble, and that's the problem facing Big Tech. Published June 4, 2019
Disney, Netflix accused of hypocrisy with Georgia abortion ban talk
Disney CEO Bob Iger said it would be "very difficult" for the company to continue to film in Georgia if the state's newly enacted abortion law goes into effect, though the entertainment giant had no similar reservations about shooting in Jordan. Published June 3, 2019
Democrats defy party abortion stance with pro-life votes, opposition to late-term bills
In one of the biggest surprises of the 2019 legislative session, dozens of Democratic state legislators have defied their party on abortion, emerging as a decisive force on pivotal votes in what may signal a fraying of the Democratic consensus on a signature issue. Published May 30, 2019
Steve Sisolak vetoes National Popular Vote bill
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak surprised onlookers Thursday by vetoing a bill to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, saying it would reduce the influence of low-population states like his in presidential contests. Published May 30, 2019
John Bel Edwards to break with party by signing Louisiana fetal-heartbeat bill
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says he plans to sign a fetal-heartbeat bill passed by the state legislature, breaking with the Democratic Party on the pivotal abortion issue. Published May 30, 2019
Planned Parenthood resists probe of Missouri last abortion clinic
The last abortion clinic in Missouri could close in two days, a situation that Planned Parenthood has attributed to the state's increasingly tough regulations, while pro-life activists say the facility has only itself to blame. Published May 29, 2019
Mike Parson says state’s only abortion clinic should receive no ‘special treatment’
Missouri Gov. Michael Parson said Wednesday that the state's last abortion clinic should receive no "special treatment," while insisting that Planned Parenthood could still avoid a shutdown by complying with the law before the Friday deadline. Published May 29, 2019
Kamala Harris: Justin Amash put ‘country before party’ with Trump impeachment call
Rep. Justin Amash, Michigan Republican, has taken plenty of flak for his call to impeach President Trump, but the congressman received a shout-out Tuesday from Sen. Kamala D. Harris, a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Published May 29, 2019
Illinois House makes abortion ‘fundamental right’ with late-term bill
The Illinois House approved Tuesday a bill creating a "fundamental right" to abortion, clearing the way for late-term procedures in what supporters described as a rebuke to red-state legislatures limiting access. Published May 28, 2019
Kamala Harris plans for DOJ to block state abortion laws that violate Roe v. Wade
Sen. Kamala Harris, California Democrat, released Tuesday a plan that would require the federal government to block strict abortion laws such as those passed this year in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Ohio. Published May 28, 2019
Northwestern won’t rescind job offer to Steven Thrasher over anti-Semitism allegations
There was plenty of outrage when journalist Steven Thrasher used his graduation speech last week to praise the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and call Israel an "apartheid state," but he's still got a job waiting for him at Northwestern. Published May 27, 2019
Impeaching a president has little historical precedent
With Democrats debating whether to impeach President Trump, it's worth remembering that no president has ever been removed via the impeachment process. Not so for the governors of Oklahoma. Published May 26, 2019
Nine Klansmen met by 350 officers, 600 counterprotesters
A rally by the Honorable Sacred Knights, a KKK group from Indiana, went off without incident after police fenced off the Montgomery Courthouse Square, placing two police lines, a barricade, and blocks between the KKK and a counterprotest crowd estimated at 600. Published May 26, 2019
Los Angeles County approves Alabama travel ban over abortion law
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a one-year suspension on travel to Alabama to protest its toughest-in-the-nation abortion law, calling abortion "part of the very fabric of the United States." Published May 23, 2019
Colorado’s Jena Griswold worked with Planned Parenthood on Alabama travel ban release
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold conferred with Planned Parenthood officials on a press release before issuing her ban on office travel to Alabama over legislation prohibiting most abortions. Published May 23, 2019
Peter Strzok-Lisa Page show ‘FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers’ to hit Mead Theater stage
The story of anti-Trump FBI sweethearts Peter Strzok and Lisa Page will hit the stage next month in a theatrical production starring Dean Cain and Kristy Swanson. Published May 22, 2019
U.N. mass species extinction warning blasted by skeptics
A widely touted United Nations report predicting mass species extinction took a beating Wednesday at a House subcommittee hearing, with Republican-called witnesses blasting the claims as "highly exaggerated" and "authoritative propaganda." Published May 22, 2019
Nevada Senate passes National Popular Vote bill on party-line vote
The Nevada Senate approved Tuesday a National Popular Vote bill on a party-line vote, sending the legislation aimed at upending the Electoral College to the governor. Published May 22, 2019
