Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Train eavesdropper turns tables and spies on ex-NSA chief’s off-record chat
A former political reporter who happened to overhear an off-record telephone conservation between the ex-director of the NSA while they traveled on a train out of Washington, D.C., did what any reputable spy would: He listened closer and tweeted the talk. Published October 25, 2013
Burned out: Obama’s first land auction for solar goes bust
So much for the White House dream of solar selling like hotcakes. The first federal auction run by the Bureau of Land Management to sell chances to build solar power projects on public land went completely bust on Thursday. Nobody showed to bid. Published October 25, 2013
Pennsylvania mulls ‘In God We Trust’ plaques at all schools
A lawmaker in Pennsylvania is pushing for the same motto on the nation's currency to be placed on prominent display at all of the schools in the state: "In God We Trust." Published October 25, 2013
Americans seized by pirates ‘not at risk,’ oil exec says
The president of an oil transportation company said Friday morning that the two Americans who were seized by pirates off the coast of Nigeria are probably safe and not likely facing much danger. Published October 25, 2013
Ted Cruz’s daughter, 2: ‘I want to work with daddy’
Much of the political world may be standing against Sen. Ted Cruz, but he’s got at least one staunch supporter in his camp: His daughter, 5, who already plans on following in his footsteps. Published October 25, 2013
Palestinian security thwarts terror plot on Israel
Palestinian security officers said on Friday they uncovered a plot from a terrorist cell in the West Bank to fire off bomb-carrying drones at sites in Israel. Published October 25, 2013
N.C. fair ride ‘Vortex’ malfunctions, sending several to the hospital
Five people were rushed to a North Carolina hospital on Thursday evening after an accident involving an amusement ride, the Vortex, at the state fair. Published October 25, 2013
Dr. Kim Jong-un? North Korean dictator awarded honorary degree in economics
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was awarded an honorary doctorate in economics this month from a university in Malaysia, touching off a round of criticism from those who point with wonder at his nation's poverty and starvation rates. Published October 24, 2013
Scientists say they’ve found new ‘hungry gene’ that causes obesity
It's almost too good to be true — a free pass on obesity, based on a scientific finding. But those who've tried to lose weight and trim down, only to find their efforts thwarted time and again, may have a new excuse: It's due to the "hungry gene," new science suggests. Published October 24, 2013
Chicago lawmaker says bicyclists should buy $25 license
A Chicago alderwoman said bicycle owners should start paying $25 for the privilege of riding their bikes through the city, and to help cover the costs of construction and upkeep for protected bike lanes. Published October 24, 2013
Fort Hood soldiers say Army warned them off tea party, Christian groups
Don't donate to the tea party or to evangelical Christian groups — that was the message soldiers at a pre-deployment briefing at Fort Hood said they received from a counter-intelligence agent who headed up the meeting. If you do, you could face punishment — that was the other half of the message, as reported by Fox News. Published October 24, 2013
Air Force Academy mulls removal of ‘God’ from oath
The Air Force Academy may overturn years-old tradition to abide by the wishes of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and take out "God" from its honor oath. Published October 24, 2013
Pirates kidnap 2 Americans on craft off Nigeria coast
Pirates have kidnapped the captain and chief engineer — both Americans — from an oil supply ship as it passed through a point off Nigeria's coastline, a defense spokesman said on Thursday. Published October 24, 2013
California kids hurt after cop’s AR-15 fires during school safety demo
Three elementary students in California were taken for medical treatment after one of their classmates got a hold of a police officer's AR-15 as he was giving a safety demonstration and fired a round. Published October 24, 2013
Bill Daley on anti-White House tweeter: ‘He needs a psychiatrist’
Bill Daley, a former White House chief of staff, said Thursday that the National Security Council worker who lost his job over negative tweets about the Obama administration should seek psychological counseling. Published October 24, 2013
Libyan colonel gunned down outside Benghazi home
An unknown gunmen shot and killed a Libyan air force colonel just outside his house in Benghazi on Thursday, Libyan security officials said. Published October 24, 2013
USS Forrestal, Navy’s first ‘supercarrier,’ heads to scrap heap
The U.S. Navy has put the finishing touches on a penny contract that sends its first "supercarrier," the USS Forrestal, on its way to a scrap company in Brownsville, Texas. Published October 24, 2013
CIA memo: Pakistan endorsed U.S. drone strikes
Secret documents from the CIA show that senior government authorities in Pakistan not only knew about the U.S. military’s drone strike missions in the nation – but actually endorsed them. Published October 24, 2013
HIV-infected girl in remission sends whisper of AIDS cure
Doctors are touting a medical breakthrough after a girl born with HIV has gone into extended remission, saying that they’ve never seen such a recovery and opening the doors to the question: Have scientists and researchers finally discovered a cure for AIDS? Published October 24, 2013
George Zimmerman beats criminal charges in row with wife
Florida police said Wednesday that George Zimmerman won't be brought up on criminal charges after all, stemming from a public row he had with his wife in the wake of her filing for divorce. Published October 24, 2013
