Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Heritage Action ads urge three Senate Democrats to oppose ‘radical’ Xavier Becerra
Heritage Action for America released Wednesday a two-state ad campaign urging three swing-vote Senate Democrats to vote against Health and Human Services nominee Xavier Becerra, calling him "radical and unqualified." Published March 3, 2021
Senate committee splits along party lines on Xavier Becerra, Biden’s HHS nomination
The Senate Finance Committee split evenly Wednesday on Xavier Becerra's nomination as Health and Human Services secretary, teeing up another pitched battle over a Biden Cabinet pick. Published March 3, 2021
Texas frozen wind turbine debacle prompts climate warriors push green energy
Frozen wind turbines became a symbol of last month's Arctic blast that left millions of Texans without power, but as far as green energy proponents are concerned, the solution is not less wind but more. Published March 2, 2021
Steve Daines reintroduces bill to protect gun owners bringing firearms across state lines
"I will always defend the 2nd Amendment and work to strengthen protections for law-abiding gun owners, including the right to safely transport firearms. We've already seen President Biden threaten the 2nd Amendment and we must act now to protect these rights for all Americans." Published March 2, 2021
Pope Benedict XVI uneasy with Joe Biden’s adherence to Democratic Party line
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, better known as emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, expressed misgivings in a Monday interview about President Biden for falling in line with the Democratic Party's political platform. Published March 1, 2021
Women’s sports bills in states face Equality Act headwinds
State lawmakers racing to pass legislation to stop transgender participation in female sports risk being lapped by the Equality Act as it sprints to the Senate with a boost from the Biden administration. Published March 1, 2021
Berkeley union leader under fire for sending child to private preschool while fighting reopenings
The head of the Berkeley teachers' union is being accused of hypocrisy for sending his daughter to an in-person preschool despite leading the fight against school reopenings over novel coronavirus concerns. Published March 1, 2021
Michael Che, SNL joke decried as anti-Semitic
Protesters gathered outside NBC Studios in New York City to demand an apology for a "Saturday Night Live" joke suggesting that Israel was only vaccinating Jews, a quip decried as anti-Semitic. Published February 28, 2021
House votes to set aside 3 million Western acres in ‘massive land grab’
The House voted Friday to cordon off nearly three million acres of Western land in the name of environmental protection, overriding Republicans who called it a "massive land grab" that will kill jobs, increase wildfire danger and reduce access to public lands. Published February 26, 2021
House passes Equality Act despite objections over religious freedom, women’s sports
House Democrats passed Thursday the Equality Act, taking their cues from President Biden as he pushes transgender rights to the forefront despite warnings of dire repercussions for religious freedom, women's sports and parental rights. Published February 25, 2021
Marjorie Taylor Greene hangs ‘two genders’ sign after Marie Newman posts transgender flag
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, and Marie Newman, Illinois Democrat, may be neighbors -- their House offices are across the hall from each other--but their neighborhood is unlikely to be confused with that of Mr. Rogers. Published February 25, 2021
Deb Haaland, Biden’s Interior pick, tells Senate panel she supports Keystone XL pipeline shutdown
It took four tries, but Rep. Deb Haaland finally acknowledged Wednesday that she supports President Biden's hotly criticized decision to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline. Published February 24, 2021
Five Oregon counties to vote on leaving state, escaping to ‘Greater Idaho’
Five Oregon counties will ask voters in the next election whether they want to detach from the deep-blue state and join neighboring red-state Idaho. Published February 24, 2021
Biden administration accused of deserting female athletes by exiting transgender case
Attorneys accused the Biden administration Tuesday of deserting female athletes by withdrawing its support for a federal lawsuit in Connecticut seeking to bar transgender participation in girls' high school sports. Published February 24, 2021
Deb Haaland, Interior pick, backs down on ‘Republicans don’t believe in science’ tweet at hearing
Interior nominee Rep. Deb Haaland's past came back to haunt her Tuesday as Senate Republicans grilled the New Mexico Democrat over her well-documented hostility to fracking, pipelines and oil-and-gas production on federal lands. Published February 23, 2021
Joe Biden accused of ignoring science on coronavirus, climate change, women’s sports, abortion
President Biden is all about following the science -- unless it conflicts with his policy positions on hot-button issues, as far as his critics are concerned. Published February 22, 2021
Newt Gingrich calls on Andrew Cuomo to resign after ex-Trump official says state ‘stonewalled’ probe
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called Monday on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign after an ex-Trump official said that the state "stonewalled" Justice Department investigators seeking information on nursing home deaths. Published February 22, 2021
‘Antisemitic trope’: NBC under fire over ‘SNL’ sketch on Israeli vaccine rollout
NBC officials are facing calls to apologize over a "Saturday Night Live" sketch that accused Israel of vaccinating only its Jewish citizens against the novel coronavirus, a claim that critics lambasted as untrue and anti-Semitic. Published February 22, 2021
Jen Psaki punts on Joe Biden support for Andrew Cuomo
White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to say Sunday whether the president still views New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the "gold standard" on pandemic leadership as the Biden administration comes under pressure to address the nursing-home scandal. Published February 21, 2021
Greg Abbott: Grid operator insisted ‘we are ready’ for storm that knocked out power to millions
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took aim Friday at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, saying the grid operator assured him beforehand that "we are ready" for the deadly Arctic blast that paralyzed the state, leaving millions without power. Published February 19, 2021
