Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
‘Star-Spangled Banner’ handwritten text heads to Smithsonian for Flag Day
It's history in the making, as the original, handwritten text of "The Star-Spangled Banner," penned by Francis Scott Key, and the flag that inspired the lyrics are both set for simultaneous display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. — a first for the joint showing. Published January 8, 2014
Afghan girl, 10, says Taliban brother forced her into suicide bomb plot
An Afghan girl, 10, said she was forced to carry out a suicide attack, which failed, on a local police station in Helmand province, sparking an outrage from President Hamid Karzai and the international community. Published January 8, 2014
Miss Venezuela 2004 and her husband gunned down on country road
Venezuela beauty queen Monica Spear, 29, was gunned down on the side of a country road while traveling by car with her ex-husband, who was also killed. Published January 8, 2014
Kenneth Bae’s family ‘appalled’ by Dennis Rodman in North Korea: ‘This isn’t some game’
The family of the Kenneth Bae, the American who’s been imprisoned by North Korea authorities for unclear causes, say they’re in shock and awe over comments made by former basketball great Dennis Rodman, who told a nationally televised audience that the man must have done something wrong to justify his capture. Published January 8, 2014
Maryland homeowner busted with 100 pounds of bomb-making materials
Maryland law enforcement officers working with federal agents busted a 28-year-old man with a massive supply of bomb-making materials in his home, saying extensive damage would have resulted if he had detonated the material. Published January 8, 2014
Russian research ship, Chinese rescue vessel finally freed from Antarctica ice
Free at last, free at last. All ships trapped in the ice of Antarctica have finally broken free their icy bounds and moved from the danger zone. Published January 8, 2014
Canada-Maine border town evacuated as freight train derailment sparks fire
Dozens of homeowners near the Canada-Maine border have been evacuated after a train carting crude oil and propane derailed and caught fire. Published January 8, 2014
NYC’s new mayoral team member gets kudos from communists
One of New York City’s mayoral transition team has received a thumbs-up award from a communist group, citing her “extraordinary story” as a significant inspiration. Published January 7, 2014
Porn star Coco Brown preps for 2015 space travel
Coco Brown, one of the most downloaded porn stars in history, has a new role: Come 2015, she may very well be the next Space Expedition Corp. trainee, with a $100,000 check that will send her to space. Published January 7, 2014
Sen. Lisa Murkowski calls for Obama to end ban on crude oil exports
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the leading Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, used a Brookings Institution platform on Tuesday to call for the president to reverse course on crude oil import bans. Published January 7, 2014
Sen. Coburn: Obama’s ‘abandoned truth’ in politics
Sen. Tom Coburn said President Obama has "abandoned truth" during a Tuesday morning appearance on "Fox and Friends." Published January 7, 2014
Drug dealer on house arrest begs for jail to escape nagging wife
A 32-year-old man placed under house arrest for drug related charges fled his Livorno home and begged police to keep him behind bars. The reason? His nagging wife was driving him crazy. Published January 7, 2014
Soldiers plagued by PTSD turn to Georgia exorcists for relief
Soldiers haunted by the faces of fellow fighters who lost their lives in battle and plagued by nightmare-filled visions of battle scenes are turning to a somewhat unconventional source to end the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Bible-based exorcists. Published January 7, 2014
Tea partyers wage war on IRS nonprofit rules
Tea partyers apparently have a New Year’s resolution: Fight the Internal Revenue Service and halt the agency’s new regulatory clamp-down on tax-exempt groups. Published January 7, 2014
Voices made me do it, says Chinese arson suspect in California
A Chinese national who admitted to police he set fire to his country’s consulate building in San Francisco reportedly told police that the voices in his head made him do it. Published January 7, 2014
Satanists’ statue design for Oklahoma Capitol: ‘Sit on the lap of Satan’
Members of the Satanic Temple have unveiled their design for a 7-foot-tall statue of the devil they want to locate at the Capitol building in Oklahoma, right next to a monument of the Ten Commandments that has stood since 2012. Published January 7, 2014
Goodyear tire bosses held captive by angry France plant workers
Employees angry with a Goodyear tire company plan to close a plant in northern France have taken two of their bosses captive, holding them overnight inside the factory and demanding a change of plans. Published January 7, 2014
Marijuana should be legal, 55 percent of Americans say
In a dramatic switch from recent decades, a clear majority of Americans say smoking marijuana on a recreational basis should be legal. Published January 7, 2014
Spain’s Princess Cristina charged with tax fraud, money laundering
Princess Cristina, the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos, was charged with tax fraud and money laundering in a dramatic court ruling that could lead to an unprecedented trial against a royal family member. Published January 7, 2014
Gun ban in Chicago ruled unconstitutional — by Obama-appointed judge
A federal judge appointed by President Obama said Chicago’s ban on the sale and transfer of guns was unconstitutional, overturning the city’s ordinance and handing a very big win to Second Amendment activists. Published January 7, 2014
