Valerie Richardson

Donald Trump cheers as holiday shoppers set spending records

There was plenty of good cheer at America's shopping malls this holiday season as consumers unleashed their wallets and set spending records, buoying retailers and raising confidence levels for more economic gains in 2018.

December 28, 2017

Anita Hill as Hollywood sex harassment commission choice controversial

Casting Anita Hill to lead a commission on sexual harassment in Hollywood may have seemed like an inspired choice, but it turns out the feminist icon hasn't always been a champion of women preyed upon by powerful men.

December 27, 2017

Jeff Sessions orders examination of Bundy case after mistrial over prosecution bungling

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has stepped into the Bundy prosecution after Wednesday's mistrial, ordering a third-party examination of the case in light of the latest government snafu.

December 21, 2017

Judge declares mistrial in Cliven Bundy case, faults federal prosecutors for withholding evidence

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy has long maintained that the federal government is persecuting him, and Wednesday's mistrial over prosecutorial misconduct did nothing to dispel that notion.

December 20, 2017

Record snow on Alaska mountain linked to climate change

A study released Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports found that snowfall on the highest peak in the Alaska Range has more than doubled since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century, which researchers attribute to climate change.

December 19, 2017

Watergate nostalgia in vogue as Trump foes seek to link him to Nixon

If you missed the Senate Watergate hearings in 1973, fear not: A massive wave of nostalgia for the scandal that brought down a Republican president has engulfed foes of President Trump as they seek to draw parallels to his administration.

December 18, 2017

Students stand, turn back on Betsy DeVos at University of Baltimore graduation speech

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was met Monday by several dozen students and at least one faculty member who stood and turned their back to her during her fall commencement speech at the University of Baltimore.

December 18, 2017

White House officials tamp down speculation about firing special counsel Robert Mueller

There was plenty of chatter Sunday outside the White House about whether President Trump will fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but apparently nothing of the sort on the inside.

December 17, 2017

Bernie Sanders: Corporate taxes would ‘absolutely’ go back up if Democrats win Senate in 2018

Sen. Bernard Sanders said Sunday that corporate taxes would "absolutely" go back up if Democrats retake the Senate in 2018.

December 17, 2017

John Cornyn, Texas Republican senator, hits Democrats griping about tax bill

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn pushed back Sunday against Democrats griping about the tax reform bill, saying they have refused to participate despite being invited to do so by Republicans.

December 17, 2017

Steve Mnuchin, Treasury secretary, has ‘no doubt’ tax reform will pass this week

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Sunday that he had "no doubt" the tax reform bill would arrive on President Trump's desk by Christmas.

December 17, 2017

Doug Jones, Alabama senator-elect, says he’ll consider voting on some issues with Senate Republicans

Sen.-elect Doug Jones insisted Sunday that he will break with Democrats and vote with Senate Republicans whenever he thinks it's in the best interest of the people of Alabama.

December 17, 2017

NFL posts highest unfavorable rating of any major sport for third straight month

The NFL registered the highest unfavorable rating of any major U.S. sport for the third straight month in a newly released survey, a hit attributed in part to the ongoing protests during the national anthem.

December 16, 2017

Democratic attorneys general vow to sue FCC over net-neutrality repeal

Democratic attorneys general wasted no time Thursday in vowing to sue the Federal Communications Commission over its decision to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality rule.

December 14, 2017

FCC votes down Obama-era ‘net neutrality’ rules

Not even a bomb threat and impromptu evacuation could stop the Federal Communications Commission from voting Thursday to repeal net neutrality, setting up another legal battle between the Trump administration and Democratic attorneys general.

December 14, 2017

House GOP deflates administrative state by moving to allow bikes in wilderness areas

House Republicans put the brakes on the federal bureaucracy Wednesday by advancing a bill to allow bicycles and wheelchairs in federal wilderness areas for the first time in 40 years.

December 14, 2017

Left launches late effort to derail FCC’s net neutrality repeal

Progressives mounted a last-ditch effort Wednesday to derail the Federal Communications Commission's anticipated repeal of net neutrality, a wonky policy issue that has spun up the left like nothing since conservatives at Berkeley.

December 13, 2017

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ adult-teen love film, raises hackles

Hollywood has been rocked for months by reports of sexual misconduct, but evidently there is no bad time to release a major motion picture about a gauzy romance between an adult man and a teenage boy.

December 12, 2017

Colin Kaepernick visits Rikers Island inmates; NYC union leader furious

A top New York union leader blasted city officials for allowing former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to meet with inmates Tuesday at Rikers Island, predicting the visit would only encourage violence against corrections officers.

December 12, 2017

Judge warns of possible mistrial in Cliven Bundy standoff case

A Nevada federal judge raised the possibility of a mistrial Monday in the 2014 standoff at the Bundy ranch, citing the failure of prosecutors to provide the defense in a timely fashion with a slew of documents.

December 11, 2017