Valerie Richardson

Three states kick-start primary season

Three battleground states that swung for candidate Barack Obama in 2008 are holding closely watched Senate primaries Tuesday that could solidify the Democratic Party's gains or contribute to a Republican rebound in 2010.

May 3, 2010

Mojave Cross can stay on display in Calif.

An 8-foot cross honoring fallen soldiers in the remote Mojave National Preserve in California can stay where it is, because the Supreme Court said Wednesday that the Constitution nowhere requires the "eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm."

April 29, 2010

Utah’s Sen. Bennett up against 7 challengers

Utah Sen. Robert F. Bennett is running hard for re-election, but the three-term Republican may also be running out of time.

April 23, 2010

Abortion issue looms over high court fight

President Obama managed to avoid a full-scale eruption over abortion politics with his first Supreme Court nominee, but he probably won't get that lucky twice.

April 22, 2010

Ariz. bill cracks down on suspected aliens

Arizona lawmakers are on the cusp of approving one of the toughest measures against illegal immigration in the nation by expanding the authority of local police to check the status of individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully.

April 15, 2010

Backers fight for Sioux logo

Hours after the state Board of Higher Education decided to retire the Fighting Sioux name last Thursday, fans of the nickname emerged in full backlash mode.

April 15, 2010

Judge rules academic writings not protected

Mike Adams isn't exactly the most popular guy on campus. He's an outspoken conservative Christian who cried discrimination when his department refused to promote him to full professor and slapped the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a lawsuit.

April 15, 2010

Governor’s race could be about illegals

Thirteen years after a federal judge struck down California's Proposition 187, the 1994 initiative banning social services for illegal immigrants, the measure has resurfaced as a top issue in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary.

April 12, 2010

Vermont awards $150,000 for critter crossing

Why did the salamander cross the road? Because he wanted to check out the $150,000 tunnel built just for him.

April 6, 2010

Arizona rancher’s slaying spurs calls for more border aid

The apparent slaying of a prominent Arizona rancher on his property near the Mexican border has inflamed tensions over illegal immigration.

March 30, 2010

Amazon flexes muscle in sales-tax fight

Amazon.com, the nation's largest online retailer, is waging a bare-knuckles campaign over sales-tax proposals pushed by cash-strapped state legislatures eager to tap into the lucrative online market.

March 23, 2010

Colo. Catholic school rejects gay parents’ children

Tensions between the Catholic Church and the gay community have erupted in Colorado after a Catholic school's decision to deny enrollment next year to the children of a lesbian couple.

March 10, 2010

Compromise on greater sage grouse

Back in Colorado, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was known as a master of the artful compromise, and his recent ruling on the greater sage grouse showed he hasn't lost his touch.

March 8, 2010

Jerry Brown running for Calif. governor

Get ready for "Governor Moonbeam: The Sequel."

March 3, 2010

New party brings its own ‘tea’ to election

Is the Nevada Tea Party and its newly minted third-party status for real?

February 22, 2010

End near for Fighting Sioux mascot?

The end of the Fighting Sioux could be near as the University of North Dakota appears ready to abandon its mascot over calls of racism despite a petition drive by local tribe members to preserve the school's nickname and logo.

February 17, 2010

Hayworth to battle ‘moderate’ McCain

After coming within a few million votes of the presidency, John McCain is suddenly facing the toughest re-election fight of his nearly 24-year Senate career.

February 15, 2010

Moderate Republicans crash tea party

"Tea party" Republicans aren't the only candidates poised to make inroads this year - moderate Republicans are surging from Illinois to California, and in several instances proving they can best tea-party-powered conservatives at the polls.

February 11, 2010

Prop. 8 trial stirs questions, emotions

The trial on the federal constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban, has been in many respects a tale of two trials. The question is, which trial was U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker watching?

February 8, 2010

Cash-strapped states avoid word ‘taxes’

Faced with severe budget shortfalls after a steep economic recession, state legislatures and governors are trying to raise money without raising taxes — at least not technically.

February 3, 2010