Valerie Richardson

Arizona teacher walkout ends with 20 percent pay increase

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill Thursday to give teachers a 20 percent salary increase over three years, ending a six-day walkout that closed most public schools as instructors in red T-shirts converged on the state Legislature.

May 3, 2018

Second Amendment school walkout delivers message with less media, no stars

They didn't get the same wall-to-wall media coverage or celebrity plugs, but the thousands of students who walked out Wednesday for the Second Amendment demonstrated that not every teen agrees with David Hogg.

May 3, 2018

Facebook brings in Jon Kyl to probe political bias, launches civil rights audit

The arrival of former Republican Sen. Jon Kyl to advise Facebook on political bias comes not a moment too soon for conservatives struggling to maintain a foothold on social media amid charges of politically motivated purges.

May 2, 2018

Teacher walkouts come with stagnant test scores, students below proficiency

Arizona teachers demanding another $1 billion in school funding have argued that their ongoing four-day walkout is "for the kids," but don't expect the pay hike to stoke student achievement.

May 1, 2018

Father of Parkland shooting victim files lawsuit against ‘coward’ deputy

A father whose daughter was killed in the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the armed deputy who stayed outside the school building during the attack.

May 1, 2018

Environmentalists unleash sage grouse in lawsuits fighting Interior oil-and-gas leases

Environmentalists played the sage-grouse card Monday with two lawsuits aimed at stopping the Trump administration from expanding oil-and-gas development onto public lands identified as species habitat.

April 30, 2018

California gas tax repeal campaign defies Jerry Brown with nearly 1 million signatures

California conservatives fired up the state's latest tax revolt Monday by submitting nearly one million signatures Monday to repeal the recent tax increase on gasoline and diesel.

April 30, 2018

Hollywood celebrities defend Michelle Wolf’s WHCA comedy routine ripping Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Plenty of people were offended by Michelle Wolf's comedy routine ridiculing Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, but Jimmy Kimmel wasn't one of them.

April 30, 2018

No apology after Michelle Wolf attacks Sarah Huckabee Sanders

The journalism biz had ink on its face after comedian Michelle Wolf's hard-to-watch attack on Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, but there was no apology forthcoming from the organizer.

April 29, 2018

The New York Times to Justice Anthony Kennedy: “Please Stay”

The New York Times never discouraged U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy from retiring during the Obama administration, but the newspaper's editorial board is now literally begging him to stick around.

April 29, 2018

John Bolton says North Korea must eliminate nuclear program before sanctions lifted

With a historic summit looming, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Sunday that North Korea must abandon its entire nuclear program before U.S. economic sanctions are lifted.

April 29, 2018

James Comey dismisses House Intelligence Committee report that found no Trump-Russia collusion

Former FBI Director James B. Comey juiced his book tour Sunday with more blasts at President Trump and House Republicans, calling their extensive Russia investigation a "wreck."

April 29, 2018

John Kasich hints at 2020 run against Donald Trump, rips GOP

The Republican governor accused the GOP of being "anti-immigrant, anti-trade, in favor of debt," and implored party members to "come home." "I didn't leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me," Mr. Kasich said.

April 29, 2018

Adam Schiff admits Donald Trump’s ‘unpredictability’ helped open North Korea nuclear talks

It couldn't have been easy, but Rep. Adam Schiff, California Democrat, offered praise Sunday to President Trump for convincing North Korea to enter into negotiations on its nuclear weapons program.

April 29, 2018

Michelle Wolf mocks Sarah Huckabee Sanders at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, sparks outrage

Comedian Michelle Wolf's routine ridiculing Sarah Huckabee Sanders at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner has come under fire from conservatives and even some journalists.

April 29, 2018

Will Riley launches Stand for the Second, student walkout to support Second Amendment, gun rights

As Will Riley watched students stage this year's walkouts for gun control, he grew frustrated with the message that his generation was somehow united against the Second Amendment.

April 29, 2018

California gas tax repeal campaign ahead of schedule

The California gas tax repeal effort has gathered nearly 900,000 signatures, far more than the 585,407 valid signatures required to qualify for the November 2018 ballot -- and the deadline isn't until May 21.

April 29, 2018

Justin Reid’s NFL draft drop stirs speculation about Kaepernick effect

Every year a few top college football prospects are picked later than expected in the NFL draft, but Justin Reid's tumble has raised questions about the Kaepernick effect.

April 28, 2018

Ric Grenell, gay conservative, confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Germany

Senate Republicans flipped the script on gay rights Thursday by confirming Richard Grenell as U.S. ambassador to Germany after months of Democratic opposition and with virtually no support from liberal LGBT groups.

April 27, 2018

Bill Cosby guilty in first #MeToo era celebrity conviction

The 80-year-old star was found guilty Thursday on three counts of aggravated indecent assault, marking a seminal victory for the #MeToo movement and the resounding fall from grace of an iconic family-friendly celebrity.

April 26, 2018