Valerie Richardson

Ammon Bundy-led Oregon standoff a mixed bag for Western federal lands crusade

The Bundy-led occupation unfolding in rural Oregon may have delivered a public relations blow to the lawful effort to loosen the federal government's grip on Western lands, but in one key respect, the protest may also be helping.

January 11, 2016

Muslim workers may reapply for jobs sooner after firings over prayer dispute

The dispute over on-the-job prayer that led to the firing of about 150 Muslim employees at a Colorado meat-packing plant moved closer to resolution Friday after the company said workers may reapply for their positions after 30 days, instead of 180.

January 8, 2016

Al Jazeera America sports doping report puts hard-won respect at risk

Despite paltry ratings and ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera America had gained a measure of respect among U.S. journalists for its in-depth investigations, a hard-won reputation now at risk over its explosive sports-doping report.

January 7, 2016

Colorado probes scam as demand for driver’s licenses by illegal immigrants outstrips predictions

The Colorado attorney general's office announced Thursday that it has launched an investigation into a suspected black market in which scammers sell appointment times to illegal immigrants seeking driver's licenses for up to $1,000.

January 7, 2016

Jane Norton won’t give up fight to defund Planned Parenthood in Colorado

If anyone knows how difficult it is to defund Planned Parenthood, it's former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane E. Norton, who has been working on it for more than 15 years.

January 5, 2016

Tom Steyer spending big in Colorado leading up to election

San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer, the left's answer to the free-market Koch brothers, is spending heavily in swing-state Colorado entering the pivotal 2016 election.

January 5, 2016

Oregon ranchers report to prison as sheriff calls for end to ‘armed occupation’

The father-and-son ranchers whose legal battle spurred the takeover of a federal wildlife building in eastern Oregon reported to prison Monday as the local sheriff called on armed militants to "end this peacefully."

January 4, 2016

Donald Trump says Bill Clinton sexual past is ‘fair game’ in campaign

Fair game or not, former President Bill Clinton's sexual dalliances, which include rape accusations, emerged as a hot topic Sunday as the ex-president prepared to campaign Monday in New Hampshire for his wife, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

January 3, 2016

Obama’s gun control executive orders on background checks draw Republicans’ ire

Gun control surged to the forefront of the 2016 campaign Sunday as Republicans unloaded on President Obama's anticipated executive orders on background checks, taking advantage of a potent wedge issue less than a month before the Iowa caucus.

January 3, 2016

Donald Trump refuses to back down after being used in terrorist recruitment video

Donald Trump on Sunday shrugged off the use of his image in a recently released terrorist recruitment video, saying, "I have to say what I have to say."

January 3, 2016

Cliven Bundy’s family joins militia members in seizing Oregon wildlife refuge

Armed anti-government militants who took over an unoccupied national wildlife refuge headquarters in rural Oregon said Sunday that they have no intention of engaging in violence unless the federal government comes after them.

January 3, 2016

Bernie Sanders slams Donald Trump for broaching Bill Clinton’s sex life as a campaign issue

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders slammed Donald Trump on Sunday for bringing up former President Bill Clinton's "sexual life" as a 2016 campaign issue.

January 3, 2016

Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator, defends Obama’s expected crackdown on gun access

Vermont Sen. Bernard Sanders on Sunday defended President Obama's anticipated use of executive orders to clamp down on firearms access.

January 3, 2016

Transgenders in Washington state to use restrooms based on identity, not anatomy: rule

A legislative battle over transgender restroom access is brewing in Washington after a state commission enacted rules requiring that bathroom, shower and locker room use in public accommodations be based on "gender identity," not sex.

December 31, 2015

Sweet Cakes by Melissa forks over $135,000 for not baking gay-wedding cake

The owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa have paid a hefty $135,000 in state-mandated damages for "emotional suffering" inflicted by their refusal to prepare a cake for a lesbian couple's wedding.

December 29, 2015

Planned Parenthood’s patients, services drop as its federal funding jumps: report

Nobody questions the clout of Planned Parenthood as a political player, feminist icon and Democratic fundraising machine, but as a health care provider, the organization is increasingly finding itself on the skids.

December 29, 2015

Peyton Manning threats to sue Al Jazeera over doping story

An Al Jazeera reporter defended Monday the network's explosive report linking Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning to illegal doping even though the source has since recanted.

December 28, 2015

Peyton Manning doping claim repudiated by Al Jazeera source

An Al Jazeera America investigation alleging that Peyton Manning used illegal performance-enhancing drugs came under attack Sunday after the report's source recanted his allegations.

December 27, 2015

British Muslim family denied Disneyland trip for good reason, border security reports say

The initial outrage over a British Muslim family being denied a trip to Disneyland is increasingly being challenged as reports emerge that U.S. authorities may have had good reason to turn away the party at the airline gate.

December 24, 2015

Air Force Academy rejects complaint against football players who pray before games

Score one for the Air Force Academy football players taking a Tim Tebow-style knee in a brief pregame prayer on the field.

December 23, 2015