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Kelly Riddell

Kelly Riddell

kriddell@washingtontimes.com

Kelly Riddell is a former columnist and commentary writer for The Washington Times.

Articles by Kelly Riddell

** FILE ** Rep. Darrell Issa, California Republican. (Associated Press)

Gun retailers, payday lenders out of Choke Point’s crosshairs

Gun retailers are no longer on a hit list deemed "high risk" by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. after the banking regulator formally withdrew Monday the list it put together that outlined what merchants may be considered risky for banks to do business with as part of the Obama administration's "Operation Choke Point."

July 28, 2014
Law enforcement and other emergency personnel gather outside a post office Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, in Rutherford, N.J. White powder was mailed to businesses near the site of Sunday's Super Bowl, prompting an investigation by the FBI and other law enforcement. A federal law enforcement official said one of the envelopes contained baking soda. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Texas man arrested for powder-letter hoax

A Texas man was arrested Monday for a mail hoax in which he sent more than 500 letters containing white powder, prompting hazardous-material crews to be called into schools, public offices and, most recently, hotels in the vicinity of Super Bowl XLVIII.

July 28, 2014
Chicago police display some of the nearly 3,400 illegal firearms confiscated so far this year in their battle against gun violence in the Windy City. (Associated Press photographs)

Crime-ridden U.S. cities differ on ways to fight gun violence

The most horrifying experience a citizen can have is to stare down the barrel of a gun held by a violent criminal. But under President Obama, federal prosecutors in two of the nation's most crime-ridden cities have taken vastly different paths to address the threat.

July 24, 2014
**FILE** Attorney General Eric Holder speaks July 14, 2014, at the Justice Department building in Washington. (Associated Press)

Eric Holder has viewed gun prosecutions as a local, not federal matter

When U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was serving as deputy attorney general at the Justice Department under then-president Bill Clinton, he refused to endorse a local initiative in Richmond, Virginia, credited by locals for dramatically reducing gun violence in their city.

July 23, 2014
Tom Steyer, a former hedge fund manager who helped wealthy clients dodge taxes. (Associated Press)

Superdonor Tom Steyer used tax shelters, draws comparisons to attacks on Mitt Romney

Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmental activist who is spending $100 million to help elect Democrats this fall, is rallying support for energy taxes that could impact everyday Americans. But when he ran his own hedge fund, Mr. Steyer sought to help wealthy clients legally avoid paying taxes, confidential investor memos show.

July 15, 2014
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, has been chipping away at Obamacare, but if his party takes control of the Senate in November elections, he hopes to overhaul President Obama's signature health care law. (The Washington Times)

GOP: Hatch’s healthier health care option

There is no Obamacare retreat in Sen. Orrin G. Hatch's office. The Utah Republican promises that President Obama's signature health care law will cease to exist in its current form if Republicans win control of the Senate this fall.

June 29, 2014
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) during an interview on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., Monday, May 5, 2014. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

GOP: Fueling the world

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is looking to help drive the natural gas export rush and maybe even turn some heads into considering shipping oil, despite pricing and environmental concerns.

June 29, 2014
Sen. James M. Inhofe, Oklahoma Republican, said President Obama's liberal spending on green initiatives is at the expense of a robust and ready U.S. military. He is looking for ways to change that. (Associated Press)

GOP: Cost of ‘green’ initiatives is U.S. security

President Obama has spent about $120 billion on climate change initiatives since taking office. That is the equivalent of 1,400 F-35s — the Pentagon’s most expensive fighter jets, according to estimates by Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

June 29, 2014
Sen. Mike Crapo (right), Idaho Republican, confers with Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican. He aims to revamp a $10 trillion mortgage market, the largest piece of unfinished business from the 2008 credit crisis. (Associated press)

GOP: Finding the middle ground

Sen. Mike Crapo, Idaho Republican, has been in a yearlong tug of war to revamp the nation’s $10 trillion mortgage market.

June 29, 2014
**FILE** President Obama (left) speaks Feb. 9, 2012, in Washington about a settlement with the nation's five largest banks over foreclosures. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is in the background. (Associated Press)

Revived DOJ domestic terror unit sparks concern

House Republicans are raising concerns about the revival of a Clinton-era domestic terrorism task force, warning it has the potential to become a tool for the Obama administration to silence political opponents — including those who favor limited government and support Second Amendment rights — by branding them terrorists.

June 11, 2014