Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Oregon Democrats abandon bill to oust teachers’ union critic from state education board
Democrats in the Oregon legislature have shelved a hotly contested bill that would have removed an outspoken critic of the teachers' union from the State Board of Education. Published March 3, 2018
Colorado House expels Democratic state legislator over sexual-harassment claims
The Colorado House voted Friday to expel a Democratic state legislator faced with complaints of sexual harassment filed by five women, including a Democratic colleague. Published March 3, 2018
Nathan Deal, Georgia governor, signs bill without Delta tax break after NRA rift
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed Friday a tax-reform bill that eliminated a lucrative tax break for Delta Airlines over dropping its partnership with the National Rifle Association, but the airline insisted that there are no hard feelings. Published March 2, 2018
Politicizing Parkland: DNC enlists student survivor for election-year voter drive
Not only have major left-wing activist groups partnered with Parkland students to push for gun control, but the Democratic National Committee has enlisted at least one shooting survivor to campaign on its behalf. Published March 2, 2018
DeVos awards $1M grant to aid Parkland school district
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Friday that the department will award recovery funds to the Broward County Public Schools in Florida in the aftermath of last month's deadly shooting, starting with a $1 million grant. Published March 2, 2018
Chilling: Play titled ‘Kill Climate Deniers’ launches theatrical run
Global warming skeptics, beware: A play with the alarming title "Kill Climate Deniers" may be coming to a theater near you. Published March 1, 2018
High school gun control protests cheered by colleges, universities
Ditching class won't hurt your chances of gaining admission to the college of your dreams -- and may even help -- as long as you're playing hooky in order to agitate for gun control. Published February 28, 2018
Most Americans blame government bungling more than guns for Parkland shooting: Poll
Most Americans say government ineptitude was more responsible for the deadly Parkland mass shooting than insufficient gun control laws, according to a newly released poll. Published February 28, 2018
Georgia Republicans target Delta tax break after airline drops NRA discounts
Georgia Republicans outraged at Delta's decision to sever its partnership with the National Rifle Association have threatened to cancel a proposed tax break. Published February 27, 2018
Kim Sordyl, union critic, seen as target of Oregon House Bill 4013
She may be a Democrat, but Kim Sordyl has locked horns for years with Oregon's powerful teachers unions -- and now it looks as if her foes may be seeking payback. Published February 26, 2018
Cristina Garcia, state legislator under investigation for sexual misconduct, wins Calif. endorsement
The California Democratic Party refused to endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein last weekend at its state convention but did throw its endorsement behind a state legislator under investigation for sexual harassment. Published February 26, 2018
NRA accuses companies of ‘cowardice’ after severing ties under threat of boycott
The National Rifle Association has swung back at companies severing their partnerships with the gun-rights advocacy group under the threat of boycott, accusing them of "political and civil cowardice." Published February 25, 2018
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, Columbine High School killers, inspire mass shooters
The 1999 Columbine High School massacre gave rise to a fascination with the two teenage killers and mass shootings in general, spawning a social media subculture and inspiring dozens of disturbed young men to seek fame and vengeance by emulating their deadly heroes. Published February 22, 2018
Democrats defeat Columbine survivor’s concealed carry guns bill
Colorado Democrats defeated a bill Wednesday to remove restrictions on concealed-carry in K-12 public schools, a measure introduced by a Columbine survivor aimed at providing another line of defense against mass shootings. Published February 21, 2018
Women’s March leader works behind scenes on ‘student-led’ Parkland gun-control protest
The students billed as leading the gun control charge "from their parents' living rooms" after last week's deadly high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, are receiving help from seasoned left-wing activists. Published February 21, 2018
Jill Stein, Bernie Sanders under fire as Robert Mueller Russian indictments reopen old wounds
The feud over whether Jill Stein and Bernie Sanders helped sink Hillary Clinton's presidential bid re-erupted after the Russian indictment found that the trolling operation tried to boost their 2016 election prospects along with those of Donald Trump. Published February 19, 2018
Columbine survivor introduces bill to expand concealed-carry in schools
Some students are calling for tougher gun-control laws after escaping last week's horrific massacre in Parkland, Florida, but another school-shooting survivor is going in a different direction. Published February 19, 2018
Bloomberg-backed gun-control group slammed for inflating school-shooting numbers
Last month, a shot fired at a high school near Seattle entered an office window and hit a three-ring binder. Six weeks later, 17 people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Published February 17, 2018
Increase in school shootings blamed on pressure to succeed, culture changes
Adam Lankford, University of Alabama associate professor of criminology, said today's teens and young adults are under more pressure to succeed, and they increasingly define success as being famous. Published February 15, 2018
Milo Yiannopoulos ‘10 Things I Hate About Mexico’ speech canceled by UCLA Bruin Republicans
The UCLA Bruin Republicans nixed the event Wednesday, just one day after announcing that Milo Yiannopoulos would appear Feb. 26 to deliver a speech entitled, "10 Things I Hate About Mexico." Published February 15, 2018
