Valerie Richardson

Climate protests cost $91 billion in lost economic activity, chamber study finds

Climate activists fighting to derail pipelines and other energy projects have blocked $91.9 billion in U.S. economic activity and hundreds of thousands of jobs, according to a new report.

December 19, 2018

Jack Phillips, Christian baker, hit with new complaint over transgender birthday cake

He won his six-year legal battle over his refusal to create a gay wedding cake, but Christian baker Jack Phillips is now facing what could be a lengthy courtroom sequel on the issue of transgender birthday cakes.

December 18, 2018

Trump panel proposes erasing Obama-era discipline rules for minority students, arming more adults

The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed a plan to prevent school shootings that includes arming more school personnel, taking guns away from highly dangerous people and revoking Obama-administration rules that were criticized for easing discipline of minority students.

December 18, 2018

Parkland shooting report fuels call to arm teachers

The same Florida school shooting that ignited a national gun control movement has since fueled a rallying cry for arming teachers, thanks to a devastating state report detailing the bungled response of Broward County law enforcement.

December 17, 2018

Ilhan Omar spurs uproar over Mike Pence ‘Jesus take the wheel’ tweet

Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar has ignited a social media pile-up over a tweet decried for mocking Vice President Mike Pence's Christian faith.

December 17, 2018

University of Washington climate scientist hit with ‘inquisition’ over post opposing carbon tax

University of Washington atmospheric scientist Cliff Mass has been called plenty of names, including climate "denier," but it wasn't until he came out against the state's proposed carbon tax last month that he was accused of being a racist.

December 13, 2018

Parkland deaths faulted on Broward’s active-shooter policy

Broward County Sheriff Scot Israel refused again Thursday to resign even as a state commission concluded that his office's active-shooter policy contributed to the carnage in Parkland, Florida.

December 13, 2018

Women’s March leaders blame bigotry for group’s issues

Facing mounting criticism amid another anti-Semitism flap, leaders of the Women's March fired back Wednesday by placing the blame in part on racism and sexism, arguing that they have been held to a higher standard than white women and men.

December 12, 2018

Marc Lamont Hill condemned by Temple University board for anti-Israel speech

Embattled Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill was condemned Tuesday by the school's board of trustees for an anti-Israel speech last month that got him fired from CNN, and more action may be coming.

December 12, 2018

Pope Francis to redo Lord’s Prayer translation

Pope Francis, showing once again his willingness to rock sacred cows, is expected to approve a change in the translation of the Lord's Prayer, the famous biblical petition recited daily by billions of worshipers.

December 11, 2018

EPA seeks to douse Obama-era Waters of the United States rule

The Environmental Protection Agency moved Tuesday to scale back the Obama-era Waters of the United States rule, a policy embraced by environmentalists but denounced by critics as a power grab that placed even potholes and puddles under federal control.

December 11, 2018

Denver, San Francisco stations bring back ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ after #MeToo flap

The song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" may be coming back in from the cold.

December 10, 2018

Donald Trump suggests axing ‘ridiculous’ Paris climate accord after more rioting in France

President Trump suggested Saturday dissolving the "ridiculous" Paris climate agreement after another weekend of rioting in France, chaos sparked by the Macron government's attempt to reduce emissions by hiking fuel taxes.

December 8, 2018

EPA seeks to fire up coal industry by rolling back Obama-era standards

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed rolling back the Obama-era rules on coal-fired power plants, a key element of the previous administration's so-called "war on coal" that President Trump has vowed to end.

December 6, 2018

Greater sage grouse: Trump admin. moves to loosen Obama-era regulations on imperiled birds

The Trump administration released Thursday its revised plans for the greater sage-grouse, moving to give states more flexibility by easing Obama-era regulations on an imperiled bird whose vast territory includes public lands used for drilling and grazing.

December 6, 2018

Atheists target Christmas, Hanukkah displays

For atheist and secular rights groups, the holiday season has become the busiest time of the year as they ring in the winter solstice by taking on public Christmas and Hanukkah displays seen as violating church-state separation.

December 5, 2018

Lindsey Graham: 2020 Democrats range from ‘sort of crazy’ to Trump haters

Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, agreed Tuesday that former Vice President Joseph R. Biden may be the most formidable 2020 Democratic presidential prospect, but only because the bar is so low.

December 4, 2018

Marc Lamont Hill CNN firing meets backlash on left

CNN's decision to drop Marc Lamont Hill has met with resistance on the left, with some prominent progressives calling for the network to rehire him and challenging the widely held view that his comments before a United Nations panel were anti-Semitic.

December 4, 2018

The Associated Press deletes Bush tweet after backlash over bias

The Associated Press deleted Sunday an earlier tweet about the death of President George H.W. Bush after critics ripped the post as unfairly negative and biased.

December 3, 2018

California wildfires emitted as much carbon dioxide as a year’s worth of electricity

The calamitous 2018 California wildfire season have already unleashed greenhouse gases equivalent to the amount generated by providing the state with electricity for an entire year, according to newly released federal data.

November 30, 2018