Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Ex-Bush intel man: President, Cheney, Rumsfeld guilty of war crimes
One of President George W. Bush's former top counterterrorism chiefs said in an interview this week that Mr. Bush — as well as his vice president, Dick Cheney, and defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld — committed war crimes during the conflict with Iraq. Published May 30, 2014
White New York police officer wins $1.35M reverse racism case
A white police officer in New York who accused his then-mayoral boss, Freeport's Andrew Hardwick, of passing him up for promotion to chief in favor of a Hispanic has won a reverse-discrimination case in court. Published May 30, 2014
‘Allah’ handle gets Turkish Twitterer sentenced to 15 months in prison
A Turkish Twitter user learned the hard way that Muslim hardliners mean business when they preach against disrespecting their god's name: He was sentenced to prison for using a social media handle that included the word "Allah." Published May 30, 2014
Obama ‘doesn’t give himself enough credit’ on foreign policy: State Dept.
The State Department's spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, provided a bit of comic relief from reporters at a recent press conference after she quipped that the president ought really to give himself more back-pats for his successes with foreign policy. Published May 30, 2014
Obama’s ‘pretty secular orientation’ has dinged U.S.-Vatican relations, ex-ambassador says
The distance between the Vatican and the United States has grown wider in recent years, due primarily to President Obama's insistence on maintaining a secular White House, absent an atmosphere of "absolute truths," said the former ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Rooney, who served under President George W. Bush Published May 30, 2014
Chris Matthews slams Obama on VA as too focused on the ‘P.R. of himself’
MSNBC's Chris Matthews — who famously picked up the mocking nickname of "Tingles" for his adoring references to then-campaigner Barack Obama's speaking skills — took the unusual step of criticizing the president this week, calling out his handing of the VA scandal and suggesting stronger action was warranted. Published May 30, 2014
GM claims record profits, $22.6B, but taxpayers still out $10.6B
General Motors may have bounced back from its 2009 bankruptcy to take a top spot on the list of most profitable companies in the world, claiming $22.6 billion in earnings in its most recent filings. But taxpayers who funded the company's bailout probably aren't as cheerful. Published May 30, 2014
Passenger security misstep locks down Detroit airport for hours
Thousands of travelers were left in delayed mode when a passenger walked into a secured area of Detroit Metropolitan Airport without first receiving a proper security check. Published May 30, 2014
School waivers see win, as panel moves in face of Michelle Obama pressure
In the battle between Michelle Obama's healthy eating program and lawmakers in Congress who want to grant opt-out waivers to schools that are losing money — the first lady just picked up a loss. Published May 30, 2014
Edward Snowden: Obama ‘gave me courage, he gave me hope’
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden — who now claims he actually worked as a spy for the NSA and CIA — said President Obama's election gave him hope that America's surveillance activities would stop. But now he's not so sure, he said. Published May 30, 2014
U.S. deploys advanced drones to Japan to watch China, North Korea
The U.S. Air Force sent two of its top-tech, long-distanced drones to a military base in Japan to keep better surveillance tabs on North Korea and China, particularly when those countries conduct sea-based operations. Published May 30, 2014
Susan Rice denies Edward Snowden was a government spy
National Security Adviser Susan Rice was unequivocal in her response to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, when he asked if Edward Snowden had been employed as a government spy for the CIA and NSA: No, she said. Published May 29, 2014
Utah school Photoshops over bare arms in girls’ yearbook photos
A Utah high school is under fire for using Photoshop to cover up the bare skin and bare arms of female students' yearbook photographs without their knowledge or permission. Published May 29, 2014
Mark Levin: Obama’s replacement faces ‘hell of a job’ of rebuilding
The one who steps into President Obama's shoes and takes over the executive role at the White House faces an uphill climb, to put it mildly, to bring the nation back to its economic and military glory, said conservative commentator Mark Levin. Published May 29, 2014
Massive tanker explosion spews fire off coast of Japan; captain missing
Emergency responders are fighting desperately to put out the flames that resulted from a massive explosion on an oil tanker off the southwest coast of Japan. Published May 29, 2014
Leaked WHO doc reveals global group to label e-cigs the same as regular
The World Health Organization is poised to label e-cigarettes as the same public health threat as regular cigarettes, a leaked document reported by The Times of India claimed. Published May 29, 2014
Seattle police sue Eric Holder over crackdown on powers
Police in Seattle say new rules stemming from a settlement with the Justice Department over their alleged excessive use of force have now tipped the scales in favor of criminals and that officers are now being unduly hampered in performing their jobs and carrying out arrests. Published May 29, 2014
Iranian hackers sucker punch U.S. defense officials with creative social-media scam
Scores of top U.S. defense, foreign policy and senior-level military authorities — including a four-star admiral — have been sucked into a tangled weave of a social-media scam that's been waged by creative Iranian hackers over the past few years, a new report from a cyber-security firm found. Published May 29, 2014
Boston police hunt down The Tickler: ‘This is no myth’
A male suspect dubbed by Massachusetts police as the Boston Tickler has been breaking into homes in the Brighton area, watching students who attend the local college as they sleep — sometimes tickling their feet. Published May 29, 2014
Feds called to investigate ‘near miss’ of two planes at Alaska airport
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board want to know how an Alaska Airline passenger jet was able to fly within a quarter-mile of a cargo plane that was traveling over Fire Island, just outside the main airport in Anchorage. Published May 29, 2014
