Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Appeals court rules White House visitor logs can stay private
A federal appeals court has ruled that the Secret Service does not have to release visitor logs for President Obama and top White House advisers and that the Freedom of Information Act does not cover these documents. Published September 2, 2013
Pope Francis to flock: Gossiping is as bad as murder
Pope Francis told his Catholic Church faithful in a Monday mass that they ought to control their tongues and stop gossiping – it’s very nearly akin to murder. Published September 2, 2013
Chinese student gypped $4,420 for $300 Chicago taxi ride
Police in Chicago are trying to identify and bring to justice the cab driver who allegedly ripped off thousands of dollars from a student from China who was trying to travel from O’Hare International Airport to his University of Illinois campus. Published September 2, 2013
Mass. atheists get day in court for Pledge of Allegiance as nation holds breath
This week, the highest court in Massachusetts will hear the argument of an atheist couple who think the Pledge of Allegiance — especially with its mention of "under God" — violates students' rights, and court experts say the outcome will reverberate around the nation. Published September 2, 2013
NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-gun group rally falls flat, as NRA takes over
A recent rally staged by members of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun-control group fell flat, as nearly 10 times the number of Second Amendment supporters showed up, took over the scene and countered with such a voice that bystanders thought it was actually an NRA-sponsored event. Published September 2, 2013
CIA finds 1 in 5 flagged job applicants come from Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda
An estimated one-fifth of a subset of all applicants for Central Intelligence Agency positions had significant ties to the terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah and al Qaeda, a newly released document from NSA leaker Edward Snowden's collection revealed Monday. Published September 2, 2013
Dick Cheney’s daughters dispute over gay marriage
Mary Cheney, the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, isn't pulling any punches when it comes to weighing in on her Senate-hopeful sister Liz's objection to gay marriage, calling her view 100 percent wrong in a blunt Facebook posting picked up by various media. Published September 2, 2013
Syrian minister calls for preemptive strike on America
As the White House dithers on how to respond to the chemical weapons attack unleashed by President Bashar Assad on rebel forces outside Damascus, and delays decision on U.S. military force, some in Syria have struck a more decisive tone: Let’s take preemptive action. Published September 2, 2013
Justice Anthony Kennedy’s legacy: Friend of the gay cause
Justice Anthony Kennedy will likely go down in history as the biggest judicial friend the gay-rights movement has ever known, court watchers say. Published September 2, 2013
Nelson Mandela not dead: Aide for elder Bush apologizes for saying so
Contrary to what one aide for former President George H.W. Bush put out in a statement on Sunday, the South African leader Nelson Mandela is not dead. He's gone home from the hospital, recovering from a lengthy stay. Published September 2, 2013
Egypt’s Mohammed Morsi to face trial for inciting violence
A top prosecutor referred ousted President Mohammed Morsi to face a court trial for inciting violence and standing idly by as his government forces killed protesters outside his office while he sat as Egypt's president. Published September 2, 2013
China to U.S.: Don’t go into Syria with force
China weighed in Monday on the possibility of the United States taking military action in Syria with this quick message: Don’t. Published September 2, 2013
U.S. drug agents grab more data than NSA; ‘profound privacy concerns,’ ACLU says
When it comes to subpoenaing telephone records, U.S. drug agents may take the trophy from the National Security Agency. Published September 2, 2013
Taliban militants attack U.S. base in Afghanistan; 3 dead
Taliban militants on Monday attacked a U.S. military base in Afghanistan that’s located near the Pakistan border, setting off bombs and torching vehicles. Published September 2, 2013
Tooth Fairy pay-outs on the rise, as inflation meets poor parenting
So much for the days of a dollar a tooth — or a quarter. Inflation has driven the costs of a Tooth Fairy visit sky-high, and kids nowadays are bragging on the playground about night-time exchanges that leaves them $5 richer. Published August 30, 2013
Bashar Assad’s son, 11, taunts U.S. on Facebook: report
A Facebook posting purportedly from Syrian President Bashar Assad’s son, age 11, takes pot-shots at America, taunting the White House to strike. Published August 30, 2013
Conjoined twins, 6 weeks old, separated with success
Six-week-old twin boys who were conjoined at birth were successfully separated, and doctors said both are doing well, making full progress toward recovery. Published August 30, 2013
North Korea withdraws invite for U.S. envoy
North Korea changed its mind Friday and pulled back an invitation for a U.S. diplomat to visit and discuss the plight and possible release of a Washington man imprisoned, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Published August 30, 2013
Hispanic trends: California, Texas and Florida still home of choice
Hispanics in America are confining themselves to three states — California, Texas and Florida — for the most part, Pew Research Center reported on Thursday. Published August 30, 2013
Christian church billboard touts pro-gay message: ‘Jesus had two dads’
A sign outside St. John's Anglican Church in Canada seems to suggest homosexuality is okay because Jesus had two fathers. Published August 30, 2013
