Valerie Richardson

Taking race out of hiring and more

Arizona voters will soon have an opportunity to decide their stance on government-sponsored racial and gender preferences. The Arizona Legislature recently voted to place an anti-affirmative-action measure on the November 2010 ballot.

June 30, 2009

Sanford used public funds to visit mistress

Embattled South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Thursday to meeting with his Argentine mistress last year during a taxpayer-funded trip to South America as he faced calls for his resignation and an investigation into his activities.

June 26, 2009

Easter on her door leads to eviction

DENVER | A Colorado woman is going to court Wednesday after she was evicted for refusing to remove an array of Easter bunnies, chicks and other holiday decorations from her apartment door.

June 23, 2009

Utah relaxing liquor laws to entice tourists

Utah's liquor laws are set to relax July 1, bringing them more in line with those of the rest of the nation, but don't expect Salt Lake City to morph into Sin City any time soon.

June 22, 2009

N.Y. gay marriage bill may get new life

A New York bill legalizing same-sex marriage appeared dead in the water last week after Republicans overthrew the Democrat-controlled Senate, but reports of the legislation's demise may be greatly exaggerated.

June 17, 2009

Mont. gun law challenges federal powers

A new Montana gun law puts the state at the forefront of a national bid to restore states' rights by attacking up to a century of federal court decisions on Washington's power.

June 15, 2009

N.Y. takes center stage on gay marriage

Those who assumed that New Hampshire would have the last word on approving same-sex marriage this year haven't been paying attention to New York.

June 5, 2009

N.H. legalizes same-sex marriage

New Hampshire became the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage Wednesday after the state legislature agreed to include changes protecting religious institutions from being forced to marry gay couples.

June 4, 2009

Calif. court upholds gay marriage ban

Both sides of the debate over same-sex marriage said Tuesday's California Supreme Court decision upholding Proposition 8, the second defeat in a row for gay-marriage supporters, may have ended the legal battle on the ballot initiative but not the fight over the issue.

May 27, 2009

Calif. high court upholds ban on gay marriages

The California Supreme Court upheld on Tuesday a ban on gay marriage approved by the state's voters in November, but it allowed same-sex marriages performed before the initiative's passage to stand.

May 26, 2009

In defeat, Colo. GOP gets set for victory

Back in November, Colorado Republicans took an important first step toward regaining their former status as the state's dominant political party: They lost.

May 26, 2009

Gay marriage bill hits snag in N.H.

After a yearlong string of victories nationwide, the campaign for gay marriage hit an unexpected snag Wednesday when the New Hampshire House rejected a bill that also included legal protections for religious institutions.

May 21, 2009

Once again, everybody loves a Memorial parade

Memorial Day parades are staging a comeback.

May 21, 2009

Bush polar bear rule retained

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday that he will stick with the Bush administration's rule on polar bear protection, dealing a defeat to environmentalists by refusing to use the Endangered Species Act to enact sweeping policies on climate change.

May 9, 2009

Maine recognizes same-sex marriage

Maine became the fifth state to recognize same-sex marriage on Wednesday as Gov. John Baldacci signed a newly passed bill making such unions legal.

May 7, 2009

U.S. talk radio host banned

A British blacklist that includes four Americans among 16 named foreigners barred from the country is prompting outrage from free-speech activists and the best-known of the targets, popular talk-radio host Michael Savage.

May 6, 2009

Gay-marriage bills corner 2 governors

Two New England governors are facing a choice between their principles and their party as same-sex-marriage bills move nearer to landing on their desks.

May 4, 2009

Miss California finds her new cause

Miss California may have lost a pageant, but she's not sorry. She has won a cause.

April 29, 2009

Maine, N.H. new gay marriage front

Gay marriage advocates are looking to New Hampshire and Maine as the next states likely to approve same-sex marriage laws after this month's string of legislative and court victories in New England and the nation's heartland.

April 28, 2009

Internet-only news site falters

A coterie of former Rocky Mountain News reporters has gone back to the drawing board after breaking with its financial backers in an effort to launch an online newspaper.

April 24, 2009