Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
‘13 Hours’ pushes Benghazi back into spotlight, reignites debate
It's enough to turn Republicans into Hollywood fans: A big-budget action movie about the 2012 terrorist raid on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi hits theaters Friday, reigniting debate over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's role in the deadly attack. Published January 14, 2016
New Mexico to sue EPA over toxic Gold King Mine spill
New Mexico announced Thursday that it plans to sue the Environmental Protection Agency over last year's massive mine spill that sent toxic orange sludge into the Animas and San Juan rivers. Published January 14, 2016
Al Jazeera America shut down
Al Jazeera America was already dogged by low ratings and an anti-American image, and then the network aired a thinly sourced report last month accusing Peyton Manning and other top athletes of using performance-enhancing drugs. Published January 13, 2016
Sam Brownback moves to defund Kansas Planned Parenthood affiliates
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback announced Tuesday that he would act to cut off state Medicaid dollars to Planned Parenthood affiliates and called on state legislators to cement his policy into law. Published January 12, 2016
Ammon Bundy-led Oregon standoff a mixed bag for Western federal lands crusade
The Bundy-led occupation unfolding in rural Oregon may have delivered a public relations blow to the lawful effort to loosen the federal government's grip on Western lands, but in one key respect, the protest may also be helping. Published January 11, 2016
Muslim workers may reapply for jobs sooner after firings over prayer dispute
The dispute over on-the-job prayer that led to the firing of about 150 Muslim employees at a Colorado meat-packing plant moved closer to resolution Friday after the company said workers may reapply for their positions after 30 days, instead of 180. Published January 8, 2016
Al Jazeera America sports doping report puts hard-won respect at risk
Despite paltry ratings and ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera America had gained a measure of respect among U.S. journalists for its in-depth investigations, a hard-won reputation now at risk over its explosive sports-doping report. Published January 7, 2016
Colorado probes scam as demand for driver’s licenses by illegal immigrants outstrips predictions
The Colorado attorney general's office announced Thursday that it has launched an investigation into a suspected black market in which scammers sell appointment times to illegal immigrants seeking driver's licenses for up to $1,000. Published January 7, 2016
Jane Norton won’t give up fight to defund Planned Parenthood in Colorado
If anyone knows how difficult it is to defund Planned Parenthood, it's former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane E. Norton, who has been working on it for more than 15 years. Published January 5, 2016
Tom Steyer spending big in Colorado leading up to election
San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer, the left's answer to the free-market Koch brothers, is spending heavily in swing-state Colorado entering the pivotal 2016 election. Published January 5, 2016
Oregon ranchers report to prison as sheriff calls for end to ‘armed occupation’
The father-and-son ranchers whose legal battle spurred the takeover of a federal wildlife building in eastern Oregon reported to prison Monday as the local sheriff called on armed militants to "end this peacefully." Published January 4, 2016
Donald Trump says Bill Clinton sexual past is ‘fair game’ in campaign
Fair game or not, former President Bill Clinton's sexual dalliances, which include rape accusations, emerged as a hot topic Sunday as the ex-president prepared to campaign Monday in New Hampshire for his wife, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Published January 3, 2016
!["Whenever [President Obama] can't get what he wants — because, quite frankly, the American people have rejected his agenda — now this president wants to act as if he's a king, as if he's a dictator," said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. (Associated Press)](https://twt-thumbs-staging.washtimes.com/media-staging.washtimes.com/media/image/2016/01/03/1_3_2016_gop-2016-christie-68201_c0-33-4412-2604_s652x380.jpg?348a9b3e098f5bb46aa4d7e2dc4e59cca6efbdad)
Obama’s gun control executive orders on background checks draw Republicans’ ire
Gun control surged to the forefront of the 2016 campaign Sunday as Republicans unloaded on President Obama's anticipated executive orders on background checks, taking advantage of a potent wedge issue less than a month before the Iowa caucus. Published January 3, 2016
Donald Trump refuses to back down after being used in terrorist recruitment video
Donald Trump on Sunday shrugged off the use of his image in a recently released terrorist recruitment video, saying, "I have to say what I have to say." Published January 3, 2016
Cliven Bundy’s family joins militia members in seizing Oregon wildlife refuge
Armed anti-government militants who took over an unoccupied national wildlife refuge headquarters in rural Oregon said Sunday that they have no intention of engaging in violence unless the federal government comes after them. Published January 3, 2016
Bernie Sanders slams Donald Trump for broaching Bill Clinton’s sex life as a campaign issue
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders slammed Donald Trump on Sunday for bringing up former President Bill Clinton's "sexual life" as a 2016 campaign issue. Published January 3, 2016
Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator, defends Obama’s expected crackdown on gun access
Vermont Sen. Bernard Sanders on Sunday defended President Obama's anticipated use of executive orders to clamp down on firearms access. Published January 3, 2016
Transgenders in Washington state to use restrooms based on identity, not anatomy: rule
A legislative battle over transgender restroom access is brewing in Washington after a state commission enacted rules requiring that bathroom, shower and locker room use in public accommodations be based on "gender identity," not sex. Published December 31, 2015
Sweet Cakes by Melissa forks over $135,000 for not baking gay-wedding cake
The owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa have paid a hefty $135,000 in state-mandated damages for "emotional suffering" inflicted by their refusal to prepare a cake for a lesbian couple's wedding. Published December 29, 2015
Planned Parenthood’s patients, services drop as its federal funding jumps: report
Nobody questions the clout of Planned Parenthood as a political player, feminist icon and Democratic fundraising machine, but as a health care provider, the organization is increasingly finding itself on the skids. Published December 29, 2015
