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Articles by Valerie Richardson

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has been scrutinized for rechristening himself not once but twice — he was born Warren Wilhelm Jr. — but he has won a string of elections since settling on his current surname in 2001. (Associated Press/File)

Politicians who change names take gamble

Switching surnames can be a dicey proposition for politicians, who risk suspicions that they are more about style than substance, but recent high-profile examples show that losing an unwieldy name -- or gaining one with more ethnic flair -- may be a gamble worth taking.

June 17, 2018
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is one of 22 national parks that will benefit from Interior Department funding announced last week. (Associated Press/File)

Donald Trump dedicates national park funds to restoration

He may never get credit from environmentalists, but President Trump is building a unique conservation legacy by focusing on the restoration and rehabilitation of America's majestic yet long-neglected national parks.

June 10, 2018
David Hogg, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, poses for a photo at Pine Trails Park, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. Hogg, one of the leaders of the March For Our Lives movement, is spearheading the national effort to register young voters along with the New York-based organization HeadCount. They say students at more than 1,000 schools in 46 states are participating, with most starting their drives Tuesday. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

David Hogg still waiting for Publix $1 million donation

David Hogg might not want to hold his breath while waiting for that $1 million donation from Publix. Two weeks after the 18-year-old student activist called on Publix to atone for supporting a pro-National Rifle Association candidate by sending $1 million to the Parkland victims' fund, the grocery chain has shown no indication that it plans to do so.

June 6, 2018
Dvora Meitiv, 6, runs home with her brother Rafi 10,  after their mother Danielle Meitiv,pick them up at the school bus stop in Silver Spring Md., on Friday, June 12, 2015. After outcry over one family’s “free-range” parenting case, Maryland officials on Friday clarified the state’s policy on how authorities handle cases of children walking or playing alone outdoors, saying the state shouldn’t investigate unless kids are harmed or face substantial risk of harm. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Free-range parents want more freedom for kids

The growing free-range parenting movement has run up against the long arm of the Child Protective Services system, which has sanctioned parents for offenses less heinous than giving kids access to mass transit.

June 5, 2018
FBI Director Robert Mueller testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 9, 2012, before the House Judiciary Committee.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Robert Mueller probe ‘witch hunt,’ plurality of voters say in CBS News/YouGov poll

President Trump has long blasted the special counsel's investigation as a "witch hunt," and it turns out a plurality of voters agree with him. The CBS News/YouGov Battleground Tracker released Sunday found that 44 percent of those surveyed view special counsel Robert Mueller's year-long probe into possible ties between Russian and the Trump campaign as "just a political witch hunt and distraction."

June 3, 2018