Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Court rejects Nick Sandmann’s bid to revive defamation claims against news outlets
A federal appeals court refused to resurrect former Covington Catholic student Nicholas Sandmann's defamation lawsuits against five news outlets, ruling that their lopsided coverage of his encounter with an American Indian activist conveyed opinion and was therefore protected speech. Published August 17, 2023
N.C. bans biological men in female sports, medical transitions for minors in veto overrides
North Carolina became the latest state to ban male-born athletes from female sports and gender-transition procedures for minors as the Republican supermajority overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's vetoes. Published August 16, 2023
Youngkin administration tells Fairfax to ‘follow the law’ after district defies transgender policy
The Fairfax County superintendent's decision to defy Virginia's newly released policy on transgender students isn't sitting well with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Published August 16, 2023
Pride Month backlash leads to first quarterly sales drop for Target in six years
Target slashed its annual earnings forecast after its quarterly sales dropped for the first time in six years, a decline attributed to inflation, retail theft, and the consumer boycott over the retail giant's transgender-themed Pride Month collection. Published August 16, 2023
Pro-life leaders press GOP candidates to defend abortion limits as state ballot fights loom
Last week's constitutional amendment vote in Ohio is just the start of a wide-ranging plan to obliterate abortion limits in red states, say pro-life advocates, who are urging Republican leaders, starting with the presidential primary candidates, to fight back. Published August 15, 2023
Court rules in favor of pro-life activists arrested for D.C. sidewalk chalking
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that pro-life activists arrested for sidewalk chalking outside a Planned Parenthood during the Black Lives Matter heyday were likely victims of viewpoint discrimination, reviving a case that a lower court had dismissed. Published August 15, 2023
Campaign walks back RFK’s support for three-month federal abortion limit
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has broken with the Democratic Party on any number of issues, but he apparently went too far by coming out in favor of federal gestational limits on abortion. Published August 14, 2023
Stanford diversity dean resigns after confronting Trump-backed judge at student protest
The Stanford Law School diversity dean will step down after her much-criticized scolding of a conservative federal judge who was shouted down by student protesters at a campus appearance. Published July 21, 2023
Protesters in racial riots cash in from settlements on claims of police abuse
The 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and riots resulted in as much as $2 billion in property damage, but some of the hardest-hit cities are now paying the demonstrators. Published July 20, 2023
Snowboarding coach sues school after being fired for views on transgender athletes
A Vermont snowboarding coach fired for violating the school's policy against "hazing, harassment, and bullying" over his views about transgender athletes has sued to get his job back, accusing school officials of breaching his free-speech rights. Published July 19, 2023
Transgender Biden official says hormones can help children avoid ‘the wrong puberty’
Those state bans on gender-transition treatment for minors are a problem because it means children risk going through "the wrong puberty," according to a top Biden administration health official. Published July 18, 2023
Supporters fight to resurrect Albany Hill cross after city pulls down California landmark
Dorena Osborn knew the city planned to remove her beloved Albany Hill cross from its perch overlooking California's East Bay, but it was still a shock when she arrived at the hillside last month to find the giant landmark missing. Published July 18, 2023
Goodbye ‘wife,’ hello ‘spouse’: House Democrat’s bill seeks to abolish ‘gendered’ terms
First it was "mothers" and "pregnant women," and now Democrats are targeting another two sex-based words: "husband" and "wife." Published July 17, 2023
Transgender cyclists infuriated by ban on male-born athletes in women’s racing
Male-born cyclists racking up wins on the women's circuit were steamed over the international sports body's newly unveiled restrictions on transgender participation. Published July 17, 2023
Eventbrite blasted for removing ‘Let Women Speak’ event over ‘hateful’ content
Eventbrite is facing blowback for taking down an event page for women advocating on behalf of single-sex spaces on the grounds that it violates the platform's policy against "hateful" content. Published July 15, 2023
Kamala Harris roasted over call to ‘reduce population’ as White House does clean-up
The White House broke out the blue pencil after Vice President Kamala Harris issued a call to "reduce population," editing the official transcript to say "pollution," although some conservatives saw it as a Freudian slip. Published July 15, 2023
Hunter Biden attorney fires off cease-and-desist letter over Trump’s ‘defamatory’ comments
An attorney for Hunter Biden sent a cease-and-desist letter to former President Donald Trump demanding that he stop making "defamatory" statements, saying they could spur violence against the Biden family. Published July 15, 2023
Vivek Ramaswamy blames Jan. 6 on frustration over ‘pervasive censorship’
Former President Donald Trump has taken most of the heat for Jan. 6, but Vivek Ramaswamy says the real cause was the "cycle of censorship" leading up to the 2021 Capitol riot. Published July 15, 2023
‘No way in hell’: Far-left ‘squad’ Democrats to boycott Israeli President Herzog’s address
Members of the far-left "Squad" of House Democrats are vowing to snub Israeli President Isaac Herzog's joint address to Congress next week, and they're not mincing words. Published July 14, 2023
International cycling bans biological males from elite women’s events after uproar
The international cycling body has banned biological males who have undergone puberty from racing in female events, reversing the authority's previous stance allowing athletes to compete based on gender identity after testosterone suppression. Published July 14, 2023