Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
All in a day’s work: Surfer rides record-breaking wave, saves drowning friend
Brazilian surfer Carlos Burle not only caught and rode what surf watchers are calling the biggest wave ever – he also saved the life of one of his fellow athletes. Published October 29, 2013
Ducks gone wild: 50 feathered friends storm New York CVS
A flock of 50 ducks decided to leave the pond life for the comparably big city Saratoga Springs streets of New York, bopping en masse into a CVS drug store and wandering around. Published October 29, 2013
Meghan McCain: Some say ‘I’m the second coming’ of Republicanism
Meghan McCain said she's already defied the odds by not disappearing from the public stage after her father's failed 2008 presidential campaign, and that part of the reason is some regard her as the new face of the Republican Party. Published October 29, 2013
John Kerry bucks Israel’s warning on Iran: We will give diplomacy a chance
Secretary of State John Kerry responded to Israel’s demand for tighter sanctions against Iran with a few blunt sentences that shaped to a simple message: No. Published October 29, 2013
Hollywood unleashes A-list guns on Mitch McConnell
Hollywood has set its sights on Mitch McConnell, sending out A-list actors and actresses to defeat the Republican Kentucky senator with big-money donations to his Democratic Party opponent in the 2014 race. Published October 29, 2013
Jason Aldean’s country music tour bus strikes, kills man
Country music star Jason Aldean said on Tuesday he's grieving and praying for the family of a man his tour bus hit and killed on an Indiana roadway. Published October 29, 2013
‘Star Wars’ blooper reel surfaces on YouTube 36 years later
Storm Troopers that get stuck in the doors. Rebel forces who lose their helmets. C-3PO's dramatic — and mistaken — desert sand fall. That's all part of a blooper reel that's surfaced on the iconic "Star Wars" blockbusters, making the rounds of YouTube fully 36 years after the movies' heydays. Published October 29, 2013
Dolphin population gets boost with discovery of new species
Researchers on Tuesday announced they discovered a new species of the humpback dolphin — a significant discovery that scientists say could help boost the animal's population. Published October 29, 2013
China flexes muscle and unveils mystery nuclear sub fleet
China unveiled this week a fleet of nuclear submarines that has been shrouded in mystery and hidden for 40-plus years — a move seen by security experts as a show of force and confidence from a nation that's aggressively pursuing the top spot on the world stage. Published October 29, 2013
New York doctors flee Obamacare: ‘I plan to retire’
Only 23 percent of 409 New York doctors queried by the State Medical Society said they’re accepting patients who have enrolled in an Obamacare health exchange. Published October 29, 2013
Israel: ‘It’s almost a given’ U.S. spies on everybody
One of Israel's top security experts said the world's reaction to America's spy scandal has been a bit over-the-top, reminiscent of one scene in the classic Hollywood blockbuster, "Casablanca," for its shocked — shocked! — undertones. Published October 29, 2013
David Cameron: Let’s say ‘no’ to more immigrant labor
British Prime Minister David Cameron took a turn to the politically incorrect, calling for his nation to stem the tide of immigrant workers from Eastern Europe and to reform welfare so that it doesn’t encourage recipients to stay unemployed. Published October 29, 2013
Maya Angelou, pro-Obama author, blasts president on education
Maya Angelou, a well-known author and poet who’s been a major supporter of President Obama, now says he’s faltering on education, unwittingly driving away children from reading due to onerous standardized testing. Published October 29, 2013
College student sparks 1st Amendment fight over Confederate flag
Administrators at the University of Rochester have backtracked on their demand that a sophomore remove his Confederate flag after he fought back and accused them of violating his First Amendment freedoms. Published October 28, 2013
Milk prices poised to soar as Congress bickers on farm bill
The farm bill fighting heating up in Congress could leave in its wake a major dent on the household economy — the price of milk. Published October 28, 2013
Obamacare ‘Glitch Girl’ face disappears from website in shroud of mystery
Where's the Obamacare cover girl? That's the big mystery heading into Monday, as the now nearly iconic smiling face of the happy Obamacare enrollee — who later earned the nickname "Glitch Girl" — has disappeared from the HealthCare.gov website. Published October 28, 2013
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz channels Bill Clinton to rally team: ‘I watch him’
It was the top of the sixth, Game 4 of the Red Sox versus the St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston was down by one. Top hitter David Ortiz stepped in front of his teammates in the dugout — and, he later recounted, thought of his political hero, former President Bill Clinton. Published October 28, 2013
Richard Dawkins to Bill Maher: ‘I’m sure that Obama is an atheist’
Richard Dawkins, noted scientist and avowed atheist, told talk show host and fellow atheist Bill Maher recently that they have a friend-in-faith in the White House. Published October 28, 2013
‘Aviation City’ opens in Dubai; project envisioned as world’s largest airport
Dubai announced the partial opening of a new airport Sunday — Al Maktoum International Airport, billed to become the world's largest when the project is finally finished. Published October 28, 2013
Israeli military claims direct hits with Gaza Strip strikes
Israel Defense Forces claimed direct hits Monday with two rocket strikes in the Gaza Strip, retaliatory moves that came just hours after suspected Hamas forces fired at Israel. Published October 28, 2013