Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Kim Jong-un’s uncle goes missing in North Korea as reports surface of his firing
Lawmakers in South Korea say recent intelligence shows that not only were two colleagues of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's uncle recently executed, but around the same time, the powerful family figure — considered a key influence on the freshman dictator — disappeared from public view. Published December 3, 2013
Portland law logic: Girl, 11, told to beg instead of selling mistletoe
A Portland, Ore., girl, 11, who was trying to sell mistletoe to raise money to buy braces was told by a security guard she couldn't legally hawk — and that she should instead beg for handouts. Published December 3, 2013
ACLU files suit against Catholics for no-abortion hospital policy
Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit in federal court against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, arguing that the group’s aversion to abortion caused medical staff at one Roman Catholic hospital to provide a pregnant woman who went into early labor subpar care. Published December 3, 2013
Pope Francis’s colorful past: God’s nightclub bouncer
Pope Francis is generally known as the religious head of the Catholic Church, keeper of the Vatican key. But even he has a past. He was a bar bouncer. Published December 3, 2013
Iran to Afghanistan: Don’t sign the security deal with the U.S.
Iran's foreign ministry told Afghanistan on Tuesday to refrain from signing any security pact with the United States that would allow for American forces to stay in the country for the next 10 years. Published December 3, 2013
Seattle football fans spark earthquake with stadium cheers
Seattle football fans cheered so loud at CenturyLink Field during Monday Night Football they sparked a shake that registered as an earthquake at a recording station just down the road. Published December 3, 2013
Rush Limbaugh decries Pope Francis’ ‘pure Marxism’ teachings
Conservative radio talk show icon Rush Limbaugh said Pope Francis has issued a 50,000-word statement, "The Joy of the Gospel," that contains notable suggestions for Catholic Church reform — but of dismay is the pontiff's economic principles and denouncement of capitalism. Published December 3, 2013
Rights for Tommy the chimp: Group petitions court for legal person label for ape
The Nonhuman Rights Project has filed a petition with a New York court, asking that a chimp named Tommy — currently caged — be declared a legal person and given his accompanying rights, including freedom. Published December 3, 2013
‘12 Days of Christmas’ gifts rise to $114K
Those seeking to buy all of the gifts popularized by the holiday carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" should take note: This year's purchase price has risen by almost 7 percent, from $107,300 in 2012 to $114,651. Published December 2, 2013
Minnesota man cited for raining down cash at Mall of America
A Minnesota man desiring simply to “spread the love” and give some needy holiday shoppers some extra bucks now finds himself facing the ire of police who say his dump of $1,000 in bills over the second-floor railing at the Mall of America was foolish, short-sighted and downright dangerous. Published December 2, 2013
Pope Francis rattles Catholic Church with ‘feistier’ political side
Pope Francis had a closed-door meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the latest example of the pontiff’s deeper wade into politics than his Catholic Church predecessors. Published December 2, 2013
Supreme Court rejects LIberty University’s Obamacare appeal
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an Obamacare-related appeal from Liberty University, effectively ending a case that many saw as a last-ditch attempt to overturn the 2010 law. Published December 2, 2013
U.S. sends submarine-hunting jets to E. China Sea post
U.S. military authorities dispatched the first of six top-tech submarine-hunting jets to its Okinawa post near the disputed East China Sea, a move sure to ratchet up tensions among China and the United States. Published December 2, 2013
Rob Ford, embattled Toronto mayor, finds time for football
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford may be readying for the fight of his political life in next year's re-election bid after an admission of crack cocaine use, but he found time for football Sunday. Published December 2, 2013
Allen West warns Obama’s ‘backdoor gun control is moving forward’
Come 2014, all ammunition sold to civilian gun-owners in America will have to be imported, a result of President Obama’s crackdown on sulfur dioxide and lead emissions and accompanying harsh Environmental Protection Agency regulations, said former Florida congressman, Lt. Col. Allen West. Published December 2, 2013
Pilot decries autopilot: ‘We’re a piece of luggage’
The National Transportation Safety Board is poised to hold an investigative hearing on pilots’ use of autopilot – a commonplace occurrence that now leave the drivers of craft feeling more like baggage than highly trained operators. Published December 2, 2013
GOP strategist: ‘Reagan is dead. Accept it.’
Lovers of Ronald Reagan: Avert your eyes. A leading Republican strategist said the beloved leader is dead and that the GOP of the future needs to move on and quit looking to the past. Published December 2, 2013
David Plouffe on Obama: People ‘trust this president’
Forget the polls, said former White House senior adviser David Plouffe said. Americans really do have confidence in President Obama. In fact, most people “trust this president,” he said, on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Published December 2, 2013
NASA sends seeds to moon to test vegetable garden
NASA is sending seeds to the moon in 2015 to see if it’s possible to grow a vegetable garden and, ultimately, if humans can ever live there. Published December 2, 2013
Cardinal Tim Dolan warns Obama to back off birth control
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said the Catholic Church will not stand down its opposition to Obamacare’s birth control mandate and warned that the president will lose substantial support if he doesn’t compromise. Published December 2, 2013
