Valerie Richardson

Colorado shooting victims’ kin seek theater boycott

Relatives of those killed in the Aurora movie shooting called Wednesday for a boycott of the Century 16 theater and rejected an offer to attend a reopening ceremony in two weeks. Published January 2, 2013

States slowly killing capital punishment

The death penalty, already on the decline across the United States, could face its own demise at the hands of several state legislatures next year. Published December 26, 2012

Pessimism grows as ‘fiscal cliff’ nears

There was more finger-pointing and jostling Sunday over how to avoid the "fiscal cliff," but there was also a growing sense of pessimism over whether a deal can be reached before the year-end deadline. Published December 23, 2012

Affleck ducks question on political career in the Senate

Ashley Judd reportedly is considering a run for the Senate, so why not Ben Affleck? Published December 23, 2012

Gunman kills dozens, including 20 children, in Connecticut school shooting

In one of the most grisly and terrifying school shootings in the nation's history, a lone gunman entered a small-town Connecticut elementary school Friday morning and killed more than 26 people, including 20 children in his mother's kindergarten classroom and another room, according to law enforcement officials and multiple press reports. Published December 14, 2012

Complaining but not quitting: Federal workers choose security despite tepid job satisfaction

Working for the government may sound like a sweet gig — regular hours, generous benefits, job security — but it turns out that it's not how things look from inside the bureaucratic bubble. Published December 12, 2012

Western state groups urge immigration reform

Democrats pushing for comprehensive federal immigration reform are getting some help from Republicans still reeling from their drubbing at the hands of Hispanic voters in 2012. Published December 12, 2012

Obama, Boehner face to face

President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner met at the White House on Sunday to try to jump-start the "fiscal cliff" negotiations as members of Congress teetered between calls for cooperation and jabs at the other side's failure to compromise. Published December 9, 2012

Iowa’s GOP governor pushes to ditch the straw poll

This isn't the first time Republicans have tried to bail on the Iowa straw poll. Published November 29, 2012

Pot smokers’ outlook still hazy after Colorado legalization vote

When it comes to legalized pot, Coloradans are still holding their breath. Published November 27, 2012

Cure for gridlock? One-party rule

The bitter partisan gridlock facing Congress really isn’t a problem in Tennessee. Or California. Or North Dakota. The same voters who re-elected the Republican House and Democratic Senate also swept in one-party rule in a whopping 45 state legislatures, up from 41 in 2010, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Published November 22, 2012

Incoming Congress least devout, most religiously diverse

The 113th Congress won't be sworn in until January, but it's already making history on the religious-diversity front. Published November 18, 2012

Secession petitions boosting spirits on right wing

November 6 was a rough day for the normally peppy Cathy Cloud. Like many voters, she truly believed it was the most important presidential election of her lifetime. Then Mitt Romney lost. Published November 15, 2012

Inclusion key in anti-suicide drive

The anti-euthanasia movement found new life last week after voters in Massachusetts defied the conventional wisdom by rejecting a physician-assisted suicide initiative. Published November 14, 2012

Petitions to secede are filed for 23 states since election

It's traditional for Americans to threaten to move to France or Canada when their candidate loses, but this year some disappointed voters are implementing a different plan. In the wake of the Nov. 6 election, petitions seeking to secede from the union have been filed on behalf of 23 states on the White House website. Published November 12, 2012