Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
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
Justice Department sues Maine over defiance on transgender athletes in female sports
Maine earned the distinction Wednesday of being the first state to be sued by the Justice Department over its transgender-athlete policy, but the Trump administration's battle against biological males in female sports isn't stopping there. Published April 16, 2025
Organizer cites bias after losing CME credit for class on harms of ‘gender-affirming care’
Health care professionals may earn Continuing Medical Education credit for any number of classes promoting "gender-affirming care," but courses on its drawbacks are apparently a different story. Published April 4, 2025
Trump administration launches special team to handle ‘staggering volume’ of Title IX complaints
The Trump administration announced the formation of a special investigative unit to review possible violations of Title IX, responding to the "staggering volume" of complaints about biological males in female facilities, activities and sports. Published April 4, 2025
Female fencer takes knee in protest rather than compete against transgender foe
A woman who refused to compete against a transgender opponent was expelled from the tournament by USA Fencing, the national governing body for the sport. Published April 2, 2025
California Democrats kill bills to bar transgender athletes in female sports
California Gov. Gavin Newsom may be uncomfortable with biological males competing against females, but that didn't stop his fellow Democrats from defeating state legislation to bar transgender athletes from girls' scholastic sports. Published April 2, 2025
Trump administration freezes dozens of research grants to Princeton
The Trump administration has suspended dozens of research grants to Princeton University, the latest elite institution to absorb a hit to its federal funding as the government mounts a full-court press against antisemitism in academia. Published April 2, 2025
