Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Al Jazeera America’s ratings woes lead to layoffs
Al Jazeera America hasn't even been in operation a year, but financial struggles and less-than-stellar ratings figures are already forcing layoffs. Published April 15, 2014
Obama picks gay bishop to wrap Easter Prayer Breakfast with invocation
When President Obama needed a preacher to fulfill the closing prayer duties at the annual White House Easter Prayer Breakfast, he turned to none other than the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop — who said he was as shocked as anyone at the appointment. Published April 15, 2014
Chelsea Clinton says she may run for political office
Chelsea Clinton has opened the doors to a career in political service, saying she's not able any longer to completely rule out a run for some sort of public office. Published April 15, 2014
Gay-themed erotica stamps to make debut in Finland
The postal service in Finland is poised to release a batch of new stamps with a rather risqué theme — that of homosexual men sketched into erotic poses. Published April 15, 2014
‘God’s eye’ spy system hits test market streets with real-time recording
A new surveillance system that collects and records information in real-time — and then lets trackers rewind, zoom in and follow certain targets — has hit the test market streets of Baltimore, Md., and Dayton, Ohio, and in at least one crime-fighting unit in California. Published April 15, 2014
Obama’s wish list from 2009 to now: 442 new taxes and fees
President Obama has introduced a total of 442 new tax increase proposals since he took office in 2009, a watchdog group reported. Published April 15, 2014
US Airways red-faced over pornographic tweet to complaining customer
US Airways has apologized several times for sending out a tweet that included a pornographic picture of a woman engaged in a sexual act with a Boeing 777 model — a very embarrassing response to a female customer who complained about a delayed flight. Published April 15, 2014
French cops demand DNA from 527 male high school students, staffers
French authorities investigating a campus rape started collecting DNA from 527 male students and staffers at the Fenelon-Notre Dame high school in the western region, telling them they could either provide the samples or face arrest. Published April 15, 2014
Ron Paul warns of Waco-like end to Nevada ranch fiasco
Former Rep. Ron Paul is warning Americans of a Waco-like end to the standoff between rancher Cliven Bundy and the federal government, saying that even though the armed agents have left the land, the atmosphere is still heated. Published April 15, 2014
Hezbollah-backed Bashar Assad says Syrian war turning in his favor
Syrian President Bashar Assad said Hezbollah has made a huge difference in fighting off the rebel forces battling his government, and the tide of the civil war that's raged nearly three years in the country seems to be turning in his favor. Published April 14, 2014
Iran turns tail and pulls back on placing warships in Atlantic
Iran has decided not to send warships to the Atlantic Ocean after all, a dramatic change of heart from a much-ballyhooed announcement weeks ago to send several fighting vessels to the region — the nation's historical first. Published April 14, 2014
Hero cop who saved Jaycee Dugard fighting for right to carry concealed gun
The same police officer who heroically helped save kidnapping victim Jaycee Lee Dugard from her 18-year captivity is now fighting in court for the right to carry a concealed weapon, accusing her former University of California-Berkeley employer of disregarding state law and denying the permit. Published April 14, 2014
Marijuana vending machine makes debut in Colorado
In what seems the natural next step to legalized pot, a Colorado company has brought forward a new vending machine that cuts out the middle man for marijuana sales and gives buyers a speedier, after-hours means of purchasing the drug. Published April 14, 2014
Sharyl Attkisson: Team Obama is having ‘chilling effect’ on media
The Obama White House, for all its talk about openness and transparency, is hardly in the business of promoting openness and transparency in government — and is way worse when it comes to clamping down on the media than previous administrations, Sharyl Attkisson said. Published April 14, 2014
Muslim Brotherhood flees London in face of British investigation
The Muslim Brotherhood — faced with a investigation into their British-based activities — has chosen to flee its recently established London headquarters' address for less scrutinized surroundings in Graz, Austria. Published April 14, 2014
USDA bans all junk food sales at schools around the nation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued new rules that pretty much ban schools from offering students the chance to buy any type of junk food at all — even in the vending machines that are on campus but operated by independent companies. Published April 14, 2014
DCCC’s Steve Israel says majority of Republicans are racist
Rep. Steve Israel, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said on a recent CNN appearance that the majority of Republican lawmakers and party members are racist — but then threw a bone and clarified that maybe "not all" were. Published April 14, 2014
Gisele Bundchen complains Forbes rich list puts her in IRS crosshairs
Gisele Bundchen is accusing the IRS of auditing her just because Forbes said she earned $42 million between June 2012 and June 2013 — a figure which puts her at the top of the publication's wealthy list for models for the seventh year in a row. Published April 14, 2014
Don King: I forgive Al Sharpton — ‘give him five stars for service’ to the U.S.
Boxing promoter Don King said he's not keeping any ill will toward the Rev. Al Sharpton for snitching on him to the FBI — that the minister was in fact a hero who is being maligned in a media frenzy that is simply harping on stale news. Published April 14, 2014
Los Angeles police kill homeless man over shopping cart dispute
A Hollywood-area homeless man who was reportedly trying to take a shopping cart from a Sunset Boulevard store was shot and killed by police, who said he came at them with a knife. Published April 14, 2014
