Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Indiana religious freedom act criticized by officials in states with similar laws
Elected officials in Connecticut and Illinois throwing stones at Indiana's religious freedom law are running up against those who say they live in glass houses. Published March 30, 2015
Rahm Emanuel tries to lure firms from Indiana over law that Illinois already has
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has engaged in some interstate payback by attempting to lure Indiana companies over the state's newly signed religious-freedom bill, but what he doesn't mention is that Illinois already has a similar law. Published March 30, 2015
Obama anti-Israel sentiment spreads to Virginia State Bar Association
The White House is coming under increasing fire for fueling anti-Israel sentiment in the United States, particularly among Democrats, stoked by President Obama's feud with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Published March 29, 2015
Martin O’Malley angers Hillary Clinton adviser with ‘dynasty’ remark
There was jostling Sunday on the Democratic presidential campaign trail between a top Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter and ex-Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley after he took a swipe at the former secretary of state, saying the presidency isn't a "crown to be passed between two families." Published March 29, 2015
White House hits Indiana’s religious freedom law amid criticism of Obama hypocrisy
White House spokesman Josh Earnest took aim Sunday at Indiana's religious-freedom law, saying it appears to "legitimize discrimination," as critics said President Obama voted for a similar law as an Illinois state senator. Published March 29, 2015
Court allows Wisconsin Amish family to remain in home for now
The Amish don't have telephones, so Erick Woods drove 45 minutes to give the Borntregers the news: They won a reprieve Friday from an order to vacate their Wisconsin home after refusing to comply with updated building-code rules for religious reasons. Published March 28, 2015
Indiana singled out for boycott over religious-liberty law in 19 other states
Indiana is being threatened with an economic boycott after Gov. Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act Thursday, even though 19 other states and the federal government have already passed similar laws. Published March 27, 2015
Amish Wisconsin home gets police yellow tape
Law-enforcement officers strung yellow police tape across the door of a Wisconsin Amish home and declared it unfit for habitation Thursday in a dispute over the family's refusal to comply with county rules on modern appliances such as smoke alarms. Published March 26, 2015
Germanwings France plane crash sparks rush to embrace 2 pilots in cockpit rule
Had German carrier Lufthansa followed U.S. protocols on pilots in the cockpit, the deadly crash that claimed 150 lives this week might have been avoided. Published March 26, 2015
Religious exemption sought for Amish after Wisconsin family forced out of home
The outcry over a Wisconsin Amish family ordered by a court to leave their home is fueling a legislative push for a religious exemption from building codes requiring smoke alarms and other modern devices. Published March 25, 2015
Pilot left cockpit before France plane crash, couldn’t get back in: report
Evidence from the cockpit voice recorder indicates that one of the pilots of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps left the cockpit before the plane's descent and was unable to get back in, the New York Times reported. Published March 25, 2015
Marco Rubio rips Obama ‘political machine’ for trying to oust Benjamin Netanyahu
Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday accused President Obama's "political machine" of waging an "unprecedented" campaign to defeat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the recent Knesset election. Published March 25, 2015
Amish family Borntregers facing eviction from Wisconsin home
An Amish family faces eviction from their home after being found in contempt of court for refusing to comply with building codes on the grounds that doing so would violate the religious community's ban on modern technology. Published March 24, 2015
Hillary Clinton attacked by green groups over fracking, Keystone
Environmentalists turned up the heat Monday on former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, urging her to "come clean" on issues like the Keystone XL pipeline and hydraulic fracturing in a protest outside her speech at a journalism awards ceremony. Published March 23, 2015
Conservative professors winning legal battles but losing campus culture war
Teresa Wagner recently notched a victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, but she can be forgiven if she doesn't exactly feel like a winner. Published March 23, 2015
Obama fracking rules anger environmentalists who want ban on federal land drilling
Anyone in the Obama administration who thought tougher hydraulic fracturing regulations would score points with the green movement was in for a rude awakening. Published March 22, 2015
Republicans blast new Interior fracking safety rules as unnecessary job-killers
The Obama administration's unveiling Friday of federal regulations aimed at ensuring the safety of hydraulic fracturing ignited a furious eruption from the industry and Republicans, who blasted the rules an attack on jobs and energy independence. Published March 20, 2015
Western states coalition opposes listing sage-grouse as endangered
A coalition of rural Western counties and business interests is contesting the science being used to decide whether to list the Greater sage-grouse as endangered or threatened, accusing the Obama administration of relying on "selective, false and biased" research. Published March 18, 2015
Raul Grijalva’s probe into David Legates, climate scientist, spurned by University of Deleware
University of Delaware officials have refused to provide information on a climate professor in response to an investigation by House Democrats, stating that to do so would violate the university's policies on academic freedom. Published March 18, 2015
Jewish students say Israel divestment movement leads to campus anti-Semitism
As the Israel divestment movement heats up on campuses nationwide, scoring victories with a series of student government votes to divest, Jewish activists fear the side effect has been a wave of anti-Semitism. Published March 17, 2015
