Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
‘I am sorry’: Searing antisemitism report spurs apology, reforms from Harvard president
Harvard took its lumps after the university's long-awaited report on campus antisemitism acknowledged the obvious: that school officials failed to protect Jewish students as they were targeted, bullied and ostracized after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Published April 30, 2025
B.A. for $6K: BYU-Pathway pioneers three-year degree for four-figure price tag
For aspiring college students who don't think they have the time or money to earn a four-year degree, the Brigham Young University system has a deal for you. Published April 30, 2025
Chicago Public Schools’ ‘Black Students Success Plan’ faces federal civil rights probe
The Trump administration's war on racially discriminatory DEI programs has reached the Chicago Public Schools, where a "success plan" designed specifically for Black students is under investigation. Published April 29, 2025
Adams family values: Commission drums up support for John Adams memorial
Congress signed off on legislation to create a memorial to John Adams in 2001, but with each passing year, the Founding Father's prediction that "monuments will never be erected to me" looks more and more prescient. Published April 29, 2025
Trump administration opens racial-discrimination probe into Harvard Law Review
The federal government launched a probe Monday into allegations of race-based discrimination at Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review, the latest salvo in the battle over wokeness between the Republican administration and the famously left-wing campus. Published April 28, 2025
Women’s sports bills run up score as Georgia governor signs ‘Riley Gaines Act’
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Monday barring males from female scholastic sports starting in sixth grade, joining a majority of states requiring students to compete based on sex at birth. Published April 28, 2025
Trump administration tells Penn to cancel trans athlete’s swimming records or face DOJ referral
The University of Pennsylvania must erase transgender swimmer Lia Thomas from its women's record books or risk federal charges under a resolution agreement proposed Monday by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Published April 28, 2025
Maine lawmaker takes state House censure over transgender athlete to U.S. Supreme Court
A Maine state legislator who was barred from the House floor over a social media post about a transgender athlete in girls' sports has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to get involved. Published April 28, 2025
Abortion pills 22 times more dangerous than billed on warning label, study finds
A largest-of-its-kind study found that more than 10% of women who terminate their pregnancies with abortion pills experience serious health problems. Published April 28, 2025
Team Trump jumps into Indian mascot battle by investigating New York’s ban
The New York Board of Education sought to eliminate "culturally abusive" stereotypes by nixing American Indian mascots in schools, but as far as the Trump administration is concerned, the ban itself may be discriminatory. Published April 26, 2025
DOJ rejects immunity for U.N. Palestinian relief agency in boost for Oct. 7 families’ lawsuit
President Trump wasted no time defunding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, but it turns out his administration wasn't finished. Published April 26, 2025
Trump administration opens foreign-funding investigation into Berkeley
The Department of Education has opened an investigation into whether the University of California, Berkeley, failed to disclose the extent of its international funding, as the Trump administration trains its sights on foreign dollars flowing into U.S. higher education. Published April 25, 2025
Biden official who targeted pro-life protesters hired by university to to teach civil rights law
Students who harbor qualms about abortion may want to avoid Kristen Clarke's class at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Published April 24, 2025
Neighbors win court battle against home-based abortion clinic
An abortion clinic operating in a residential neighborhood in Illinois lost its legal fight with neighbors after a state court reversed the facility's zoning approval. Published April 23, 2025
ADL: Antisemitic incidents hit record high in U.S. as post-Oct. 7 climate fuels harassment
The number of U.S. antisemitic incidents set a record last year as reports of assault, harassment and vandalism continued to surge in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israeli civilians. Published April 22, 2025
Student loan defaults headed to debt collection for first time in five years
The federal government plans to resume involuntary collection efforts on millions of defaulted federal student loans after a five-year lapse amid concerns that the program is headed toward a "fiscal cliff." Published April 21, 2025
Rep. Stefanik calls for federal probe into N.Y. school board defying Trump’s trans-athlete order
The Saratoga Springs City School District in upstate New York is standing behind biological males in girls' sports, and Rep. Elise Stefanik has a problem with that. Published April 21, 2025
Federal judge rules against Maine Rep. Laurel Libby in transgender-athlete flap
A federal judge ruled against a Maine state lawmaker who was censured by the state House for a viral post drawing attention to a male-born high school athlete who won a girls' state track competition. Published April 18, 2025
Biden dogged by protesters, gaffes, ice cream fail at private Harvard event
Former President Joseph R. Biden's under-the-radar visit to Harvard University might not have gone as well as expected, thanks to protesters, gaffes, and an ice cream situation. Published April 17, 2025
Trump administration goes scorched-earth by targeting Harvard’s tax-exempt status
Harvard University's bottom line took a major hit earlier this week with the loss of billions in federal research grants, but it turns out the Trump administration was just getting started. Published April 17, 2025
