Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Bill de Blasio divests New York pensions, sues oil companies for climate change
A week after a brutal snowstorm froze New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered a one-two punch Wednesday in the name of climate change, announcing he will seek billions in damages from five major oil-and-gas companies while moving to divest from fossil fuels. Published January 10, 2018
Cliven Bundy may sue federal government for malicious prosecution, civil-rights abuses, lawyer says
Rancher Cliven Bundy no longer faces federal charges in the 2014 Nevada standoff, but that doesn't mean his legal fight with the Justice Department is over. Published January 10, 2018
ExxonMobil: Calif. localities suing over climate change failed to mention alleged risks to investors
The risks posed by human-caused climate change were apparently alarming enough to prompt seven California municipalities last year to sue ExxonMobil, but not serious enough to disclose in full to their investors. Published January 9, 2018
Judge throws out case against Bundys, bars retrial in devastating defeat for federal prosecutors
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy could have spent the rest of his life in jail, but instead he walked away Monday a free man, the case against him and his sons thrown out over what the judge decried as "outrageous" misconduct by federal prosecutors. Published January 8, 2018
Judge to consider ending Bundy standoff trial as government’s case crumbles
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy didn't seem to have much of a chance in his legal battle with the federal government, but he now finds himself with the upper hand entering Monday's court hearing as the Justice Department's case against him falls apart. Published January 7, 2018
Al Gore under fire for climate change claim on bomb cyclone icy storm
Former Vice President Al Gore is taking heat for his claim that the icy nor'easter blanketing the eastern seaboard with snow and freezing temperatures is "exactly what we should expect from the climate crisis." Published January 7, 2018
Meteorologist blasts those linking nor’easter to climate change
Meteorologist Joe Bastardi had a decidedly unscientific term for the effort to link Thursday's frigid winter storm to human-caused climate change: "witchcraft." Published January 4, 2018
Planned Parenthood enters transgender market
As dozens of its clinics closed amid a dwindling U.S. abortion rate, Planned Parenthood has moved to diversify its business model by getting into transgender hormone therapy. Published January 3, 2018
Matthew Riehl, Colorado gunman, railed against police, university before killing deputy in ‘ambush’
Before Sunday's deadly shooting spree, Matthew Riehl raised red flags with his disjointed diatribes against law enforcement and his alma mater, prompting the University of Wyoming to issue warnings to students and staff. Published January 1, 2018
Trump administration kills Obama-era fracking rule before it can be enacted
The Obama administration's 2015 fracking rule was never actually implemented, thanks to an ongoing court battle, and it apparently never will be. Published December 31, 2017
Report: ‘Multiple officers down’ in Sunday morning shooting near Denver
A gunman killed a sheriff's deputy and wounded six others Sunday before dying in a hail of gunfire, a bloody scene that shook this quiet suburban community on the last day of the year. Published December 31, 2017
Donald Trump cheers as holiday shoppers set spending records
There was plenty of good cheer at America's shopping malls this holiday season as consumers unleashed their wallets and set spending records, buoying retailers and raising confidence levels for more economic gains in 2018. Published December 28, 2017
Anita Hill as Hollywood sex harassment commission choice controversial
Casting Anita Hill to lead a commission on sexual harassment in Hollywood may have seemed like an inspired choice, but it turns out the feminist icon hasn't always been a champion of women preyed upon by powerful men. Published December 27, 2017
Jeff Sessions orders examination of Bundy case after mistrial over prosecution bungling
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has stepped into the Bundy prosecution after Wednesday's mistrial, ordering a third-party examination of the case in light of the latest government snafu. Published December 21, 2017
Judge declares mistrial in Cliven Bundy case, faults federal prosecutors for withholding evidence
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy has long maintained that the federal government is persecuting him, and Wednesday's mistrial over prosecutorial misconduct did nothing to dispel that notion. Published December 20, 2017
Record snow on Alaska mountain linked to climate change
A study released Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports found that snowfall on the highest peak in the Alaska Range has more than doubled since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century, which researchers attribute to climate change. Published December 19, 2017
Watergate nostalgia in vogue as Trump foes seek to link him to Nixon
If you missed the Senate Watergate hearings in 1973, fear not: A massive wave of nostalgia for the scandal that brought down a Republican president has engulfed foes of President Trump as they seek to draw parallels to his administration. Published December 18, 2017
Students stand, turn back on Betsy DeVos at University of Baltimore graduation speech
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was met Monday by several dozen students and at least one faculty member who stood and turned their back to her during her fall commencement speech at the University of Baltimore. Published December 18, 2017
White House officials tamp down speculation about firing special counsel Robert Mueller
There was plenty of chatter Sunday outside the White House about whether President Trump will fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but apparently nothing of the sort on the inside. Published December 17, 2017
Bernie Sanders: Corporate taxes would ‘absolutely’ go back up if Democrats win Senate in 2018
Sen. Bernard Sanders said Sunday that corporate taxes would "absolutely" go back up if Democrats retake the Senate in 2018. Published December 17, 2017
