Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Biden doesn’t believe in hardening schools, White House says
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that President Biden is uninterested in pursuing tighter security at schools in the aftermath of the Uvalde massacre, an option favored by former President Donald Trump. Published May 31, 2022
‘Top Gun’ saluted for bucking China by restoring Taiwanese flag on Tom Cruise’s jacket
The movie "Top Gun: Maverick" was accused three years ago of kowtowing to China after a preview clip showed the Taiwanese flag missing from Tom Cruise's jacket, but now the flag is back. Published May 31, 2022
Lia Thomas: Losing out to a transgender athlete is ‘no different’ than losing to a female
Swimmer Lia Thomas insisted Tuesday that male-to-female transgender athletes pose no threat to women's sports, arguing that losing races, team slots and scholarships is "part of athletics." Published May 31, 2022
Uvalde school shooting response defined by agonizing mistakes, bad breaks
A series of critical mistakes and unlucky breaks have drawn scrutiny in the week since the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, offering a grim reminder of the fine line that can separate a close call from an unspeakable tragedy. Published May 30, 2022
Conservatives seek to hold woke companies accountable with free-speech, religion rankings
Corporate scorecards on issues such as sustainability, racial justice and LGBTQ rights abound on the left, but now conservatives have launched their own index ranking businesses based on their commitment to free speech. Published May 29, 2022
Texas Gov. Abbott ‘livid’ over being ‘misled’ about delayed response Uvalde school massacre
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday he was "livid" after learning he received partially inaccurate information about the Uvalde school shooting response, fuming that he was initially "misled" by law enforcement. Published May 27, 2022
Police made ‘wrong decision’ by waiting instead of charging Uvalde shooter: Texas official
The police commander at the scene of the Uvalde elementary school massacre decided to wait for help before confronting the gunman because he believed the situation had shifted from an active shooter to a barricaded hostage situation, a decision that a Texas official condemned as "wrong" on Friday. Published May 27, 2022
Arlington bishop says he will also deny Pelosi communion over abortion advocacy
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the diocese of Arlington said he will withhold holy communion to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, making his the fourth diocese to take action over her abortion advocacy. Published May 26, 2022
Texas shooter walked into school unimpeded, was in classroom over an hour before cops took him down
The teen gunman who carried out the Texas school massacre walked in unchallenged through an apparently unlocked back door and barricaded himself in a classroom for over an hour before he was taken out by a tactical team. Published May 26, 2022
Obama ripped for tying George Floyd’s death to Texas school massacre
President Barack Obama isn't often accused of striking the wrong political chord, but it happened Wednesday when he linked George Floyd's murder to the Texas school massacre. Published May 25, 2022
Gunman, the ‘face of evil,’ kept intentions under wraps until moments before massacre, governor says
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the Uvalde gunman "was the sheer face of evil itself," yet managed to keep his twisted intentions under wraps until moments before the monstrous massacre of innocent schoolchildren. Published May 25, 2022
Beto O’Rourke crashes governor’s press conference on Texas school shooting
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's briefing Wednesday on the Uvalde school massacre was interrupted by Beto O'Rourke, his Democratic gubernatorial foe, who shook his finger at the governor and accused him of doing nothing. Published May 25, 2022
Uvalde mayor: Shooting suspect left school, ‘pulled back to himself’ during pandemic
The suspect in Tuesday's horrific Texas shooting stopped attending high school and "pulled back to himself" during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to accounts relayed by the mayor. Published May 25, 2022
Disney brand takes hit in corporate survey after feud with Florida Gov. DeSantis
The Walt Disney Co.'s brand didn't quite go from hero to zero last year, but consumers evidently became less enchanted with the entertainment giant as it tangled over politics with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Published May 25, 2022
Legislature overrides Indiana governor’s veto to bar male-born athletes from girls’ sports
The Indiana Legislature overrode Tuesday the Republican governor's veto of a bill barring male-born athletes from participating in girls' sports, drawing an immediate legal challenge on the hot-button issue. Published May 24, 2022
State Farm drops plan to donate LGBTQ books for kids to libraries, teachers after backlash
State Farm has cut off its partnership with the GenderCool Project to donate LGBTQ-themed books aimed at children as young as five after a backlash over the program. Published May 24, 2022
Colorado legislators wrestle with drug penalties as fentanyl deaths surge
Colorado's landmark 2019 law reducing penalties for most drugs was hailed by supporters as a triumph of treatment over punishment. Then more people started dying. Published May 24, 2022
Greater Idaho trims plan for Oregon annexation with focus on eastern areas
The Greater Idaho movement announced Monday that it has scaled back its plan for a mass Oregon exodus to Idaho, opting to concentrate for now on the eastern counties after a pair of electoral defeats last week in the southwest. Published May 23, 2022
Male-born Australian surfer wins women’s title three years after taking men’s crown
The gender-identity debate has surfaced in competitive surfing after an Australian surfer made history last week by winning a women's championship, just a few years after taking the men's crown in the same event. Published May 20, 2022
Frustration builds as Biden administration blows deadline on offshore drilling program
The Interior Department said Thursday that it will propose an offshore drilling program too late to replace the previous version before it expires, frustrating energy advocates who accused the administration of dragging its feet on domestic fossil fuel production. Published May 19, 2022
