Valerie Richardson

Joe Biden accused of backtracking on school reopenings with one-day-a-week plan

President Biden was accused Tuesday of backtracking on his school-reopening pledge after the White House said the plan was to have as few as 50% of schools open for in-person learning for as little as one day per week.

February 9, 2021

Joe Biden climate policies raise alarm about environmental damage

President Biden's climate blitz already has proven costly to U.S. energy jobs, but concerns are mounting that his executive actions will do nothing to reduce emissions while threatening to wreak enormous environmental damage.

February 9, 2021

Ka’Mauri Harrison, student suspended for BB gun in virtual class, backed by Louisiana AG Jeff Landry

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed Monday a motion in support of Ka'Mauri Harrison, the fourth-grader who was recommended for expulsion after moving a BB gun that his brother had tripped over during a virtual class.

February 8, 2021

Democrats torn between teachers’ unions, parents

Democrats are caught in a political bind between frustrated parents who want to send their children back to school and teachers' unions resisting appeals for in-person learning over safety concerns, a tug-of-war that threatens to ensnare President Biden.

February 8, 2021

Rep. Maxine Waters defends speech urging crowd to ‘push back’ on Trump figures

Rep. Maxine Waters, California Democrat, insists that she never exhorted violence even as the Trump legal team prepares to use a clip of her at the impeachment trial whipping up an anti-Trump crowd.

February 8, 2021

Chris Murphy dismisses Rand Paul criticism, says Trump impeachment has ‘no comparison’

Expect to hear plenty about inflammatory statements during the Senate impeachment trial beginning Tuesday, and not just those from former President Donald Trump.

February 7, 2021

Bernie Sanders vows to pass $15 minimum wage in relief package despite Biden’s pessimism

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernard Sanders said he hasn't given up on raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

February 7, 2021

Ron Johnson: Capitol fencing sends signal that Trump voters are ‘all insurrectionists’

Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, said Sunday he worries that keeping the fencing around the U.S. Capitol is meant to send a message that Trump supporters "are all insurrectionists."

February 7, 2021

Rand Paul: Impeach Schumer

If the new impeachment standard is inflammatory speech, then Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer should be the next in line after former President Trump, as far as Sen. Rand Paul is concerned.

February 7, 2021

Liz Cheney says she won’t resign after Wyoming GOP calls for her to step down

House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney said Sunday she will remain in office despite the Wyoming Republican Party's call for her to resign over her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.

February 7, 2021

Bernie Sanders blasts lowering income threshold to $50K for stimulus checks

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernard Sanders blasted Sunday lowering the annual income threshold for coronavirus stimulus checks, calling it "absurd."

February 7, 2021

President Biden commends son Hunter’s ‘honesty’ about substance abuse in memoir

An emotional President Biden praised the "honesty" shown by son Hunter Biden in discussing his struggles with drug addiction as detailed in an upcoming memoir.

February 7, 2021

Kaepernick taunts NFL with Ben & Jerry’s signs near Super Bowl

Colin Kaepernick won't be playing in Super Bowl LV, but the quarterback-turned-activist found another way to draw attention ahead of the big game.

February 7, 2021

Joe Manchin, Jon Tester vote to kill pro-Keystone amendment after voting for it: ‘Swampy’

Senate Republicans were buoyant when two Democrats joined them in passing a pro-Keystone XL amendment as part of the overnight marathon budget debate, but the GOP elation was short-lived.

February 5, 2021

House Republicans introduce OMAR Act to ban campaigns from paying candidates’ spouses

House Republicans introduced Friday a bill to stop federal candidates from adding their spouses to the campaign payroll, dubbing it the OMAR Act, which probably isn't a coincidence.

February 5, 2021

Senate Republicans seek to block Biden’s order allowing taxpayer funds for abortions overseas

Senate Republicans introduced Thursday legislation to ban taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions overseas, seeking to reverse President Biden's order reopening foreign-aid funding to organizations abroad that promote or perform abortions. Introduced by Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the bill is also sponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Todd Young.

February 4, 2021

Stupor Bowl: Fauci, CDC urge NFL fans to ‘lay low and cool it’ during big game

A dull, low-scoring Super Bowl might not be the worst thing for fans seeking to follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

February 4, 2021

Sen. Jon Tester urges Biden to reconsider decision to kill Keystone XL Pipeline

Sen. Jon Tester, Montana Democrat, has urged President Biden to reconsider his decision to rescind the Keystone XL cross-border pipeline permit, citing the project's economic benefits in a break with the Democratic White House.

February 3, 2021

John Kerry flew on private jet to accept climate award: ‘Only choice for somebody like me’

Biden global climate czar John Kerry flew by private plane in 2019 to accept an award for his climate work in Iceland, a decision he defended at the time as "the only choice for somebody like me."

February 3, 2021

Gavin Newsom recall ‘coalition’ seeks to remove California governor

The coronavirus pandemic that blew up former President Donald Trump's reelection bid is threatening to wreck more political havoc, this time on once-untouchable Democratic governors in solidly blue states: New York's Andrew Cuomo and California's Gavin Newsom.

February 2, 2021