Valerie Richardson

Bolivian government angry over plane rerouting due to Snowden suspicions

While still apparently holed up in a Moscow airport, National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden precipitated another international incident, this time over the Bolivian president's plane being rerouted to Austria over concerns that Mr. Snowden might be onboard.

July 3, 2013

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro defends Edward Snowden: ‘He did not kill anyone’

NSA leaker Edward Snowden remained stuck in legal limbo Tuesday as he frantically seeks asylum, but his case prompted an unprecedented apology from the nation's top intelligence officer.

July 2, 2013

Deadly Arizona wildfire again stirs debate on cause of huge forest blazes

The wildfires charring the West again this summer have reignited the debate over what is fueling the horrific infernos: man-made climate change or the proliferation of overgrown, diseased forests.

July 1, 2013

Critics say Supreme Court’s Prop 8 ruling takes power from voters, gives it to state officials

The Supreme Court's decision Wednesday on Proposition 8 unlocked the door for same-sex marriage in California but also may have stifled the voices of the state's voters.

June 30, 2013

Magpul floods Colorado with ammo magazines 2 days before gun laws kick in

An estimated 5,000 gun-rights advocates lined up hours in advance Saturday to score 20,000 free and discounted 30-round ammunition magazines at "A Farewell to Arms," billed as a "freedom festival" for those disenchanted with the Colorado Legislature's aggressive gun-control push.

June 30, 2013

Is one-party rule dividing America? Concentration of power can lead to overreach, backlash

While one-party dominance is an almost surefire cure for gridlock, it also points to the increasing balkanization of state governments as Democrats and Republicans move away from the political center.

June 27, 2013

Traditional-marriage supporters vow to fight on for DOMA, California Prop 8

Conservative and Republican lawmakers expressed outrage Wednesday at the failure of the Obama administration and California state officials to defend duly passed laws on gay marriage, which contributed to their defeat earlier in the day at the Supreme Court.

June 26, 2013

Party-switching state senator says Dems have moved too far to the left for Louisiana

Elbert Guillory knows a thing or two about taking risks. Shortly before he switched his party allegiance from Democrat to Republican, he rappelled down the side of a 20-story building in Baton Rouge, La., to help raise money for adoption services.

June 23, 2013

Colorado University weighs anti-discrimination protection for conservatives

Few would disagree that conservative professors are an endangered species on campus, which is why the University of Colorado Board of Regents is scheduled to consider Thursday a resolution that would prohibit discrimination based on "political affiliation or political philosophy."

June 19, 2013

Colorado Senate president will face recall election forced by gun-rights activists

The first-ever recall election of a Colorado state legislator moved closer to fruition Tuesday after it was announced that there are sufficient valid signatures to proceed with the recall of Senate President John Morse.

June 18, 2013

Magpul offers soon-to-be illegal weaponry to Colo. gun buyers

Colorado gun owners stocking up on magazines before the state's ammunition restrictions hit July 1 received an assist Monday from Magpul Industries.

June 18, 2013

Poll: Colorado voters souring on Democrats

A Quinnipiac University poll released last week shows Colorado voters registering greater disapproval for Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Democrat-controlled legislature, following a legislative session described as the most liberal in state history.

June 16, 2013

Medical students’ prognosis unclear with ‘Obamacare’; many don’t understand law

Being accepted to medical school was once seen as a ticket to a prosperous and fulfilling career, but today's students face far less certain futures under Obamacare.

June 11, 2013

Second Colorado Democrat facing recall over gun vote

Gun-rights advocates in Colorado submitted signatures Monday against a second Democratic state lawmaker in the escalating backlash against the Colorado legislature's recently approved gun control bills.

June 10, 2013

Flour power isn’t sweet on gay marriage; bakeries snub same-sex couples’ weddings

Supporters of same-sex marriage are taking their fight to new venues daily — first to the courts, then to state legislatures, and now to bakeries.

June 6, 2013

Red-blue divisions start with newborns’ names; parents show partisan tendencies

A research paper by a team of University of Chicago political scientists found that liberals and conservatives, in addition to all of their other differences, have distinct tendencies when it comes to choosing names for their newborns.

June 5, 2013

Holmes can plead insanity in Colo. theater shooting

Mass shooting suspect James Eagan Holmes was allowed Tuesday to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity, setting the stage for an extensive mental-health evaluation that could stretch into 2014.

June 4, 2013

Pro-gun camp submits petitions to recall Colorado legislator

A recall campaign submitted stacks of petitions Monday to oust Colorado Senate President John Morse in what could become a national referendum on gun rights.

June 3, 2013

IRS audits moderate group with GOP ties; Issa says scrutiny known in D.C.

Two weeks before news broke that the IRS had targeted conservative groups for special scrutiny of their tax-exempt applications, a moderate GOP organization received word it was being audited — a move its organizers said suggests the tax agency's scrutiny included non-tea party political groups.

June 2, 2013

Coloradans want to oust Senate leader for gun stand

Located next to a tattoo parlor, Paul Paradis' small gun shop doesn't look like anyone's idea of a sophisticated political machine.

June 2, 2013