Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Sarah Root’s family set for ‘empty’ Christmas despite Donald Trump’s help
There was a time when Scott Root and Michelle Wilson-Root looked forward to Christmas, but not this year. Their 21-year-old daughter, Sarah Root, was killed Jan. 31 by Eswin Mejia, an illegal immigrant from Honduras accused of plowing into the back of her vehicle as he street-raced while drunk in Omaha, Nebraska. He skipped bail. Nearly a year later, he remains a fugitive. Published December 22, 2016
Dakota Access pipeline: Judge tell protesters trying to wiggle out of lawyer bills to ‘get a job’
A North Dakota judge had a message for Dakota Access pipeline protesters seeking to avoid paying their public defenders: Get a job. Published December 21, 2016
Colin Powell places third in presidential race at Electoral College
Colin Powell didn't campaign or raise any money, but he outperformed every presidential candidate not named Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton at the 2016 Electoral College. Published December 21, 2016
Donald Trump wins Electoral College as Hillary Clinton suffers more defections
The Electoral College officially voted Monday to select Donald Trump as the 45th president as noisy anti-Trump protests across the country fizzled, and Democrats ended up with an even worse black eye in the results. Published December 19, 2016
Anti-Trump forces press Electoral College voters to upend election results
State officials braced for an anything-can-happen vote Monday of the Electoral College as Democratic and progressive operatives took their historic campaign to upend President-elect Donald Trump down to the wire. Published December 18, 2016
Tarantula fans fret over endangered listing
Tarantula collectors have no fear when it comes to their favorite large, hairy pets, but U.S. breeders are scared to death of a Fish and Wildlife Service proposal that would list the species as endangered. Published December 18, 2016
John Kasich emerges as choice for rogue Electoral College movement
Despite his protestations, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has emerged as the top choice of rogue electors seeking to throw the presidency to someone other than Republican Donald Trump. Published December 18, 2016
Liberal Hollywood stars reach out to Republican electors to stop them from voting for Trump
A bevy of liberal Hollywood stars have put aside their differences with Republicans in an eleventh-hour plea to GOP electors to convince them not to cast their ballots for Donald Trump at the Monday vote of the Electoral College. Published December 17, 2016
Anti-Trump Washington state electors plan to appeal after judge rejects bid to defy popular vote
Two "faithless electors" from Washington state plan to file an appeal after a judge rejected their effort to unbind their ballots from the popular vote as part of a long-shot campaign to upend President-elect Donald Trump. Published December 15, 2016
Yasmin Seweid made up story about being harassed by Trump supporters, New York police say
A Muslim teen who said she was harassed over her religion on a New York City subway by Trump supporters was arrested Wednesday for fabricating the account. Published December 14, 2016
Harvard professor advising electors behind scenes says 20-plus Republicans may vote against Trump
State officials scrambled Wednesday to uphold the Electoral College process as a Harvard Law School professor insisted that he was closing in on enough Republican defectors to upend President-elect Donald Trump. Published December 14, 2016
Gun-control ‘propaganda’ film ‘Miss Sloane’ goes down as historic box-office bomb
Second Amendment fans are grinning as they watch the Hollywood gun-control film "Miss Sloane" bomb in historic fashion at the box office. Published December 14, 2016
Abortion foes await next Congress to score series of victories
For six years, Rep. Diane Black has fought a losing battle against Planned Parenthood and its pro-choice allies in Congress, but the Tennessee Republican says that dynamic is about to shift. Published December 13, 2016
Hamilton Electors’ ‘faithless’ are replaceable, Colorado judge rules
If Democratic electors in Colorado refuse to vote for Hillary Clinton, then they can be replaced by others who will follow the law, a judge ruled Tuesday. Published December 13, 2016
Judge rejects Democratic electors’ bid to unbind votes as anti-Trump ‘political stunt’
Two Colorado Democratic electors have lost their bid to break with the popular vote after a federal judge threw out their motion, calling it a "political stunt." Published December 13, 2016
Al Gore set to release sequel to ‘An Inconvenient Truth’
Former Vice President Al Gore plans to unveil in January a sequel to "An Inconvenient Truth," his widely lauded but hotly disputed 2006 climate-change documentary. Published December 13, 2016
Sheriffs: Obama should be ‘ashamed’ for abandoning North Dakota as pipeline protests rage
In a blistering letter to Mr. Obama released Monday, a dozen law-enforcement officials accused the administration of fanning the flames of the Dakota Access pipeline protest and then refusing to help local law enforcement stuck with trying to maintain order. Published December 12, 2016
Nancy Pelosi’s daughter leads electors demanding intel briefing on Russia’s ties to Donald Trump
The accusations of Russian interference in the November presidential election have provided a last-minute lifeline for the long-shot effort to head off Donald Trump at the Electoral College. Published December 12, 2016
Donald Trump promises to resolve Dakota Access pipeline impasse ‘very quickly’ after taking office
President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday he planned to resolve the Dakota Access oil pipeline standoff "very quickly" after taking office if necessary as the action moves from the camps to the courtroom. Published December 12, 2016
Reince Priebus rewarded with chief of staff post after guiding GOP through ‘revolution’
It wasn't long ago that Reince Priebus looked like a quarterback on the verge of being sacked. Published December 11, 2016
