Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Rand Paul showcases his b-day gift — a new drone
Sen. Rand Paul, who famously filibustered against the White House's stance that strikes against U.S. citizens using unmanned aircraft were justifiable under certain circumstances, showed off a fitting birthday gift Wednesday night: his own personal drone. Published January 9, 2014
Russia on alert after finding 6 bodies in bomb-laden cars
Russian authorities are on high alert Thursday after finding six dead men in four abandoned cars, three of which had been rigged with explosives. Published January 9, 2014
Leonardo DiCaprio, shark bait? Actor details ‘terrifying’ ocean encounter
Hollywood's Leonardo DiCaprio recounted this week how he was nearly eaten by a great white shark while filming the 2006 film, "Blue Diamond." Published January 9, 2014
Arizona council bans members from texting during meetings
Peoria City Council members in Arizona are now banned from texting and emailing during meetings, effective immediately. Published January 9, 2014
N.J. Democrats float criminal charges for Chris Christie in road scandal
It's been barely a day since the news broke that Gov. Chris Christie's administration may not be as innocent as claimed about an alleged politically motivated road closing that jammed traffic through the New Jersey city of Fort Lee. But one local Democrat is already floating the idea of criminal charges. Published January 9, 2014
New York assistant principal accused of stealing $800K from teachers union
An assistant principal who works at a New York high school in ritzy Westchester County was charged Wednesday with grand larceny after being accused of stealing almost $800,000 from the teachers union that he served as treasurer. Published January 9, 2014
Olympics alert: No liquids to major Moscow airports, Russia rules
Two of Moscow's major airports are banning all airline passengers from carting liquids, gels and aerosol containers in carry-on baggage, a security measure aimed at protecting Russia from a terrorist attack during the Sochi Olympics. Published January 9, 2014
Cinnamon regulations from EU rankle Danish pastry chefs
Too much cinnamon — that was the finding of European Union-based regulators to Danish bakers about their pastry rolls. And now Danish bakers are fuming, saying that the spice crackdown is too strict, too burdensome and too ridiculous to abide. Published January 9, 2014
Nebraska cops take toddler from home over video of him cursing
Authorities in Nebraska took a toddler into custody after a video surfaced of the child repeating a slew of swear words — even though they admitted no crime had been committed. Published January 9, 2014
Alaska steps closer to legalizing marijuana for recreational use
Alaska pro-pot activists are pushing hard for lawmakers to make the state the third in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana use. Published January 9, 2014
Search on for missing crewman from Navy helicopter crash off Virginia coast
Search-and-rescue operations were under way off the coast of Virginia on Thursday for a crew member who went missing when the U.S. Navy helicopter he rode on with four others crashed in the ocean. Published January 9, 2014
Dennis Rodman says sorry for Kenneth Bae comments: ‘I had been drinking’
Dennis Rodman apologized Thursday for implying on national television that dictator Kim Jong-un had good reasons for imprisoning American Kenneth Bae for 15 years, saying that he had been drinking and was stressed. Published January 9, 2014
Pope effect: Pontiff inspires top Mass. paper to bolster Catholic coverage
Call it the pope effect. But interest in the Catholic Church has surged to such level in the months since Pope Francis took office that the leading newspaper in Massachusetts in terms of circulation has hired a top Vatican reporter and mulled the sense of launching an entirely new publication, dedicated solely to the religion. Published January 8, 2014
John McCain: Dennis Rodman, a ‘dangerous idiot’
Sen. John McCain didn’t pull punches when characterizing former NBA star Dennis Rodman’s cozy relations with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un: He’s an “idiot,” the Arizonan said. Published January 8, 2014
Velveeta alert: Cheesy dip reserves run low in lead-up to Super Bowl
Football fans, beware. Velveeta cheesy product supplies are running low, leaving in doubt the ability of Kraft Foods to provide enough to meet Super Bowl appetites. Published January 8, 2014
Chris Christie aide linked by email to road closure revenge plot
Emails have surfaced showing that some of N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s top administrative staffers and appointees may have purposely tried to create a traffic jam on a specific section of roadway as a revenge plot against the Fort Lee mayor. Published January 8, 2014
Jerry Sandusky fights to get back $4,900 monthly pension pay
Imprisoned child molester Jerry Sandusky told a court Tuesday that he deserves his pension from Penn State and that his convictions should not keep his wife from benefiting from his $,4900-a-month earnings. Published January 8, 2014
Dennis Rodman croons to Kim Jong-un: ‘Happy birthday to you’
The latest in the Dennis Rodman-North Korea debacle is that the former NBA great kicked off Wednesday’s exhibition game in Pyongyang with a solo song to despot Kim Jong-un: Happy birthday, dear leader. Published January 8, 2014
U.S. Navy mistakenly sends how-to memo on dodging FOIA requests
Talk about a misstep. The U.S. Navy accidentally sent out a memo that spells out various ways to duck and dodge Freedom of Information Act requests to a local NBC News reporter. Published January 8, 2014
Lily Tomlin marries lesbian girlfriend in New Year’s Eve ceremony
Actress Lily Tomlin married her long-time lesbian partner, Jane Wagner, in a New Year’s Eve ceremony. Published January 8, 2014
