Valerie Richardson

Romney: ‘Our esteem … has fallen’ under Obama

Mitt Romney said Sunday that the United States’ international esteem has declined during President Obama’s five years in the White House.

March 23, 2014

Gingrich: Obamacare will cost Democrats the Senate this fall

Lawmakers and pundits marked the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act on Sunday, with Republicans predicting the troubled centerpiece of the Obama presidency will hurt the entire Democratic Party this fall.

March 23, 2014

Students fill out ‘March Madness’ brackets ranking Obama scandals

President Obama famously fills out an NCAA March Madness basketball bracket ever year, but it's nothing like the one recently circulated by campus conservative activist Caleb Bonham.

March 23, 2014

Climate change talk brings chills to Alaska Democrat; GOP exploits issue in oil-rich states

The Senate Democrats' decision to issue a national wake-up call on climate change didn't exactly come at a great time for Democrats like Sen. Mark Begich.

March 17, 2014

Report: EPA accused of overkill in ‘raid’ on Alaska gold-mine

Last year's Environmental Protection Agency raid on the small gold-mining town of Chicken, Alaska, constituted a clear case of overkill by federal authorities seeking violations of environmental regulations, according to an official review of the controversial incident released Thursday.

March 13, 2014

Christ in the City puts Pope Francis’ vision at work on Denver streets

Four months into his papacy, Pope Francis made an unscheduled stop during his trip to Brazil for World Youth Day. At the Cathedral of Rio, a large audience of young people waited expectantly in the July rain.

March 13, 2014

Six Senate seats could hinge on Keystone pipeline

After five years of stalling on the Keystone XL pipeline, President Obama suddenly has a half-dozen compelling reasons to make up his mind, and all of them are running to retain their Senate seats.

March 9, 2014

Stars not aligned with polls on Keystone

It looks like actor and new Oscar laureate Jared Leto isn't quite on the same page with the bulk of his audience when it comes to the Keystone XL pipeline.

March 7, 2014

Former Greenpeace insider Patrick Moore who questions climate change says he can stand the heat

As a former Greenpeace insider, Patrick Moore wasn't surprised by the heated reaction from the left on his explosive testimony about climate change last week before a Senate committee.

March 4, 2014

Pot shot: GOP candidates see hit to Colorado’s image from legal weed

Colorado may be the first state with a retail marijuana market, but that doesn't mean the next governor has to like it.

March 3, 2014

Arizona veto likely to chill other religious freedom bills

The uproar over the religious freedom bill vetoed Wednesday by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is expected to have a chilling effect on the handful of similar bills making their way through other state legislatures.

February 27, 2014

Alaska marijuana-legalization initiative clears signature hurdle to qualify for ballot

An Alaska initiative to legalize recreational marijuana qualified Wednesday for the August primary ballot after gathering more than 36,000 valid signatures.

February 27, 2014

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes controversial religious freedom bill

The Republican governor's decision came amid a national outcry against Senate Bill 1062, led by gay-rights leaders who said the bill essentially legalized discrimination against homosexuals.

February 26, 2014

Colorado GOP switches candidates in effort to oust Sen. Udall

Rep. Cory Gardner will run for the Republican Senate nomination instead of seeking reelection, according to Republicans. At the same time, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck said he will drop out of the Senate race and instead pursue the GOP nod for Mr. Gardner's House seat.

February 26, 2014

Health links hyped to drive fear of fracking despite studies that fail to back up claims

Environmentalists are still waiting for proof that hydraulic fracturing makes people sick, but that's not stopping them from whipping up anxiety over public health.

February 25, 2014

Gov. Jan Brewer feeling heat over Arizona religious freedom bill

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is feeling the heat after returning Tuesday to Phoenix from the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C., and it's not just the change in the climate.

February 25, 2014

Proposal to split California into 6 states launches signature drive

The Silicon Valley venture capitalist behind the "six Californias" proposal announced Monday that his campaign has launched its petition drive to place the measure on the November ballot.

February 24, 2014

U.S. warns Russia to keep its military out of Ukraine

The Obama administration warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday not to react too aggressively to the fast-moving developments in Ukraine, where pro-Western demonstrators forced the nation's Moscow-backed president from power over the weekend.

February 23, 2014

GOP rivals agree states need freedom to craft policy

Three potential rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination said Sunday the nation could learn from its GOP governors.

February 23, 2014

Walker says newly released emails show nothing new or incriminating

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin dismissed Sunday as “old news” questions about whether he knew public employees were doing campaign work during his tenure as Milwaukee County executive.

February 23, 2014