Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Michael Bennet, Ben Cardin split on Iran deal; number of undecided Senate Democrats drops
Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin announced Friday that he would become the third Senate Democrat to oppose the Iran nuclear deal, while Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet signaled his support. Published September 4, 2015
Dems slam ‘one-sided’ Planned Parenthood probes, demand equal treatment for pro-life group
Two top House Democrats urged Republican committee chairs Thursday to halt their probes into Planned Parenthood's alleged fetal tissue abuses -- or at least conduct a co-investigation into the pro-life Center for Medical Progress. Published September 3, 2015
Gina McCarthy, EPA head, won’t appear at House hearing on Animas River spill
A House committee will hold next week the first congressional hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's Animas River spill, but administrator Gina McCarthy won't be there. Published September 3, 2015
Iran deal losing support with public even as White House gains Senate votes
President Obama's Iran nuclear deal may have won a veto-proof majority in the Senate, but it's still losing the public-opinion battle, according to a poll released Thursday. Published September 3, 2015
Pro-pot group drops ballot campaign to allow marijuana in Denver bars
A pro-marijuana group is withdrawing its ballot measure to allow pot in Denver bars and plans to work instead with the city council and the business community on devising a law on social use in commercial establishments. Published September 3, 2015
House Judiciary to hold first hearing on Planned Parenthood in wake of videos
The first congressional hearing on Planned Parenthood since the release of explosive undercover videos is scheduled for next week as part of a House Judiciary Committee investigation into the publicly funded organization's abortion practices. Published September 2, 2015
Lamar Smith blasts Obama’s ‘extreme climate-change agenda’
Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, threw cold water Wednesday on President Obama's Alaska climate-change tour, saying the president's proposed regulatory fixes have put him on "thin ice." Published September 2, 2015
Ninth Planned Parenthood video fuels accusations of extensive lawbreaking
The takeaway moment from the latest fetal tissue video comes when a woman identified as Advanced BioScience Resources's Perrin Larton recounts cases in which the fetus "just fell out" during an abortion procedure. Published September 1, 2015
Obama Justice Department sides with Planned Parenthood against Bobby Jindal
The Obama administration has sided with Planned Parenthood in its effort to keep its contract with Louisiana, arguing in a court filing that the state's decision to defund the organization may be in violation of the federal Medicaid Act. Published September 1, 2015
Planned Parenthood defenders demand full video footage release
Defenders of Planned Parenthood called Monday for the release of the full footage from explosive undercover videos on its role in procuring aborted fetal tissue, while investigators countered that the missing video is from bathroom breaks and waiting periods. Published August 31, 2015
Texas emerges as top destination for Californians fleeing state
Californians fled the state in unprecedented numbers over the last decade, and their primary destination was Texas, according to an analysis issued Monday. Published August 31, 2015
Black Lives Matter causes more headaches for Dems by rejecting DNC resolution
The Democratic National Committee's attempt to cozy up to the Black Lives Matter movement was rejected Sunday as the network pushed back against aligning itself with either major party. Published August 31, 2015
Andy Johnson, Wyoming farmer, sues EPA over $16M fines over stock pond
Farmer Andy Johnson hasn't sent millions of gallons of gold-mine wastewater down any rivers, but he's facing more than $16 million in fines from the Environmental Protection Agency for running afoul the Clean Water Act. Published August 30, 2015
Planned Parenthood admits it manipulates rules on fetal organ sales to maximize profit
In a letter to Congress intended to defend its practices and attack its hidden-video critics, Planned Parenthood wound up lending credence to accusations that it manipulates rules on selling fetal organs to maximize profit. Published August 27, 2015
Nebraskans get more than enough signatures for vote to bring back death penalty
Nebraskans for the Death Penalty announced Wednesday that they have gathered enough signatures to force a repeal vote on the newly enacted state law eliminating capital punishment. Published August 26, 2015
EPA: Gauging mine’s water level before spill would have been ‘difficult,’ ‘expensive’
An EPA internal review released Wednesday concluded that its crew underestimated the water pressure building up behind the debris at the Gold King Mine, but that it would have been "very difficult and expensive" to figure that out. Published August 26, 2015
Planned Parenthood video shows StemExpress eager to do bulk business on fetal parts
StemExpress CEO Cate Dyer says that it isn't easy keeping up with the demand for fetal organs procured from abortions -- she could use "another 50 livers a week" -- which is one reason she relies on Planned Parenthood. Published August 25, 2015
EPA rebuked for failing to comply with House mine spill investigation
The Environmental Protection Agency came under fire Tuesday for neglecting to turn over most of the documents requested by a House committee related to the Gold King Mine spill. Published August 25, 2015
Planned Parenthood asks court to block Louisiana’s defunding effort
Planned Parenthood moved Tuesday to counter state efforts aimed at cutting off its funding by asking a federal judge Tuesday to stop Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal from cancelling its Medicaid contract. Published August 25, 2015
Lamar Smith wants Colorado mine EPA contractor to testify
The chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee wants to hear from the EPA contractor on the Gold King Mine spill after learning that the agency knew about the risk of a blowout in advance. Published August 24, 2015
