Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Oklahoma will review methods after botched execution
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin defended capital punishment Wednesday while calling for an independent review of the state's death-penalty procedures after a botched execution prompted widespread criticism. Published April 30, 2014
Feds raid Denver pot shop suspected of cartel ties
DIn the first state to make recreational pot legal for sale, federal agents raided a Denver marijuana dispensary early Wednesday suspected of having ties to a Colombia drug cartel. Published April 30, 2014
Nevada rancher’s racial remarks cost him range of support
Whatever goodwill Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy had built during his widely publicized standoff with the federal government evaporated Thursday after his comments that blacks might be "better off as slaves" went viral. Published April 24, 2014
Georgia’s new carry law a big win for gun rights
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a sweeping right-to-carry bill Wednesday, making his state the latest to give a victory to the gun rights movement in what is emerging as a banner year for advocates of firearms access and self-protection. Published April 23, 2014
Opposition rising to Colorado gun control laws
More than a year after pushing through through some of the toughest gun control measures in the country, Colorado Democrats are finding it finding the measures are more unpopular than ever with state residents. Published April 23, 2014
Professor apologizes after blasting Republicans in class
An English professor who told his students that Republicans want to shut down colleges apologized Tuesday after a recording of the lecture was posted on the conservative website Campus Reform. Published April 23, 2014
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy hailed as patriot, ripped as lawless deadbeat
An organizer for the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada has decided to take the party to Cliven Bundy's ranch for a 30-day, rules-free "Bundyfest." Published April 22, 2014
Colorado lawmakers set limits on pot edibles possession
The Mile High City was jammed with pot revelers Sunday for the annual 4/20 festival, but the mood was far from celebratory Monday as state legislators moved to tighten rules on marijuana products in the wake of two tragic deaths. Published April 21, 2014
Ukraine, Russia trade blame over Easter Sunday shootout
Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk warned Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union, first by annexing Crimea and then by swallowing the Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine. Published April 20, 2014
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Vulnerable Democrats must ‘run their own race’
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida Democrat, brushed off concerns Sunday over vulnerable Senate Democrats running against the Obama administration, saying that they “have to run their own race.” Published April 20, 2014
Ukrainian prime minister accuses Putin of moving to restore Soviet Union
Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk warned Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union, first by annexing Crimea and then by swallowing the Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine. Published April 20, 2014
Critics rail against liberal bias for commencement speakers
This year's Democratic commencement speakers outnumber their Republicans counterparts by more than 2 to 1, according to a survey by Campus Reform. Published April 18, 2014
Harry Reid blasts Bundy ranch supporters as ‘domestic terrorists’
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called supporters of rancher Cliven Bundy "domestic terrorists" Thursday, turning up the rhetorical heat on the already tense situation at the Nevada cattle operation. Published April 18, 2014
‘Culture of intimidation’ seen in Nevada ranch standoff
Sending scores of armed agents along with helicopters and dogs to confront an elderly Nevada rancher over grazing fees may seem like overkill, but critics say it's not inconsistent with the federal government's recent approach to environmental enforcement. Published April 15, 2014
Defiant Reid vows Bundy ranch confrontation ‘not over’
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid weighed in on the Nevada ranch standoff, warning that even though federal agents retreated over the weekend, "it's not over." Published April 14, 2014
Nevada Bundy ranch standoff could leave dirt on Harry Reid reputation
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said little as federal agents seized and then released cattle last week from the Bundy ranch, but there is little doubt that the highly charged episode was threatening to become a political headache for the Nevada Democrat. Published April 13, 2014
Court rules bias at University of North Carolina-Wilmington against conservative professor
It took seven years of court battles, but conservative academic Mike Adams is now a full professor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Published April 9, 2014
Colorado Dems have gender pay problems of their own
Democratic lawmakers may preach paycheck equality, but it turns out their female staffers are still coming up short compared to their male counterparts. Published April 9, 2014
Alaska to sue Interior Department for road to reach medical aid
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell announced Monday that the state will sue the Obama administration to allow construction of a 10-mile road to give residents of a remote fishing village access to emergency medical flights at an all-weather airport. Published April 7, 2014
High court declines photographer’s appeal in gay marriage case
The Supreme Court refused Monday to jump into the raging debate over whether artisans must participate in same-sex weddings, allowing to stand a New Mexico high court against a photographer who declined to take pictures at a commitment ceremony. Published April 7, 2014