Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
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
Andrew Cuomo’s nursing home directive may have led to 1,000 more coronavirus deaths: Study
A newly released study found that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nursing home directive may have resulted in as many as 1,000 additional deaths from the novel coronavirus, making "a bad situation worse." Published February 19, 2021
Biden reenters Paris climate agreement, reversing Trump without Senate ratification
President Biden announced Friday that the U.S. has officially rejoined the Paris climate agreement, reentering the international accord without Senate ratification a month after signing a directive to reverse the Trump administration's exit. Published February 19, 2021
Andrew Cuomo impeachment talks sparked by nursing home scandal
Another impeachment may be looming, only this time the target isn't former President Donald Trump. The nursing home scandal engulfing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has lawmakers on both sides of the aisle raising the specter of impeachment as federal investigators examine his administration's handling of data on novel coronavirus deaths. Published February 18, 2021
SC governor signs abortion ban; Planned Parenthood sues
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed Thursday legislation banning most abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, prompting an immediate legal challenge from Planned Parenthood. Published February 18, 2021
Kamala Harris dodges questions on requiring teacher vaccines for school reopenings
Vice President Kamala Harris made it clear Wednesday that nobody's going to make her take a public position on whether teachers need to be vaccinated before returning to K-12 classrooms. Published February 17, 2021
Tim Boyd, Texas mayor who told residents to ‘quit crying’ over blackouts, resigns
A Texas mayor who scolded residents struggling without heat or water in freezing conditions, telling them to "quit crying and looking for a handout," has left office. Published February 17, 2021
Mark Zuckerberg violating own policy with early vaccine concerns: Project Veritas
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has banned from his social media platforms any claims that the novel coronavirus vaccine alters DNA, although he himself expressed similar concerns last year. Published February 17, 2021
Texas blackouts, frozen windmills spark green-energy future fears
The Arctic blast that left millions of Texans in the cold as wind turbines froze also sent shivers down the spines of those convinced that the rolling blackouts offer a chilling glimpse of the future under President Biden's green-energy agenda. Published February 16, 2021
Texas Gov. Abbott orders investigation into state’s grid operator after rolling blackouts
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Tuesday for an investigation into the operator of the state's electricity grid after devastating outages that left millions of residents during this week's historic deep freeze, calling the utility's performance "anything but reliable." Published February 16, 2021
Dade Phelan, Texas House speaker, calls for legislature to review statewide winter blackouts
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan called Tuesday for a joint legislative hearing into the statewide blackouts that have left millions without power in the middle of a generational Arctic freeze. Published February 16, 2021
Andrew Cuomo denies hiding nursing-home deaths in New York, cites ‘toxic political environment’
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he did not hide COVID-19 nursing home deaths as Democrats joined Republicans in demanding answers, putting pressure on the Biden administration to investigate the spiraling scandal. Published February 15, 2021
Biden administration under pressure to investigate Cuomo nursing home scandal
The Biden administration is under mounting pressure to investigate the spiraling New York nursing home scandal as Democrats join Republicans in demanding answers on the Cuomo administration's decision to withhold information on the novel coronavirus death toll. Published February 15, 2021
CDC guidance calls on schools to reopen ‘as soon as possible’
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Sunday the Biden administration's new guidance for school reopening recognizes the urgent need to end the "collateral damage" of school closures. Published February 12, 2021
Washington state workers union fees case challenges post-Janus restrictions
Attorneys for the employees on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to take up their case against Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and the Washington Federation of State Employees, arguing that state and union officials violated Janus by erecting barriers to leave the union. Published February 11, 2021
Oil rigs relocate from New Mexico to Texas over Biden’s permitting freeze
New Mexico is already paying the price for the Biden administration's freeze on agency-level approvals for permits on federal lands as oil rigs relocate to private property in Texas. Published February 11, 2021
14 Republican AGs blast Joe Biden’s order killing Keystone XL pipeline, call it ‘virtue signaling’
Fourteen Republican attorneys general have urged President Biden to reconsider his decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, saying that the "symbolic act of virtue signaling" will do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Published February 10, 2021
Joe Biden accused of backtracking on school reopenings with one-day-a-week plan
President Biden was accused Tuesday of backtracking on his school-reopening pledge after the White House said the plan was to have as few as 50% of schools open for in-person learning for as little as one day per week. Published February 9, 2021
Joe Biden climate policies raise alarm about environmental damage
President Biden's climate blitz already has proven costly to U.S. energy jobs, but concerns are mounting that his executive actions will do nothing to reduce emissions while threatening to wreak enormous environmental damage. Published February 9, 2021
Ka’Mauri Harrison, student suspended for BB gun in virtual class, backed by Louisiana AG Jeff Landry
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed Monday a motion in support of Ka'Mauri Harrison, the fourth-grader who was recommended for expulsion after moving a BB gun that his brother had tripped over during a virtual class. Published February 8, 2021
