Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Texas running short on drugs used for executions
The drug used by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to put death-row inmates to death is in short supply, and few alternatives are available, an agency spokesman said Thursday. Published August 2, 2013
Gay couples in Rhode Island can use new right-to-marry law to get divorces
Gay couples in Rhode Island turned out in force to take advantage of the state's new right-to-marry laws, which went into effect this week. But not all sought unions. Published August 2, 2013
Nidal Hasan touts self as ‘Soldier of Allah,’ as feds call shootings ‘workplace violence’
With just days before he heads to trial, the accused Fort Hood shooting suspect, Maj. Nidal Hasan, renounced his citizenship with the United States, repudiated his Army oath and publicly embraced — once again — his affiliation as a "Soldier of Allah." Published August 2, 2013
Anthony Weiner gets endorsement — from ‘The Rent is Too Damn High Party’ candidate
Embattled, sexting scandal-ridden New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has at long last secured an endorsement — but it may not be the stamp of approval he needs. Published August 2, 2013
San Francisco unions warn 400,000 commuters: Strikes are coming
More than 400,000 San Francisco area commuters are heading into the weekend with this bleak outlook: They may not have rides to work on Monday. Published August 2, 2013
John Kerry, in Pakistan, vows end near for drone strikes
Secretary of State John Kerry said in Pakistan on Thursday that the country wouldn't have much longer to wait before U.S. drone strikes come to a halt. Published August 2, 2013
CIA accused of ‘pure intimidation’ to silence agents on Benghazi: reports
Central Intelligence Agency operatives on the ground during the Sept. 11, 2011, fatal attack on America's embassy in Benghazi have since been subjected to so many lie detector tests that several sources say they're being bullied and threatened into silence. Published August 2, 2013
Muslim cleric defends Pakistani TV show that gives away babies: It’s ‘real Islam’ charity
A Muslim preacher-turned-television star who uses his broadcast platform to give out babies to surprised couples who can't conceive has rushed into defense mode, under fire from international critics who say he's a media hound who only wants to bolster his show ratings. Published August 2, 2013
Silvio Berlusconi rages on Italian courts after tax fraud charges stick
Silvio Berlusconi, former prime minister of Italy, raged against the nation's court system on Thursday, after supreme court judges ruled he was guilty of tax fraud and sentenced him to four years in jail. Published August 2, 2013
John Kerry: Egypt’s army was only ‘restoring democracy’
It wasn't a coup — it was a restoration of democracy, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in recent remarks on GEO TV about the Egyptian military's ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. Published August 2, 2013
U.S. embassies in Muslim countries to close amid ‘specific threat’
The United States is closing down several embassies in Muslim nations this Sunday due to "a specific threat," a senior government head said. Published August 2, 2013
Ariel Castro says sorry: I’m ‘not a monster’ — ‘I’m just sick’
Ariel Castro, the Ohio man who admitted to kidnapping and holding captive for nearly a decade three Cleveland-area women, said on Thursday during his sentencing hearing: I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Published August 1, 2013
Chicago Teamsters ordered to quit picketing funerals
Teamsters picketing at 16 funeral homes in the Chicago area were ordered to quit by a judge who ruled their activities unduly disruptive, particularly in the case of a family grieving a dead child. Published August 1, 2013
Obama heads to Jay Leno for record-setting late-night TV appearance
President Obama is heading to late-night talk show — again — and is set for an Aug. 6 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to make a case for his economic plans. Published August 1, 2013
Mayor Bloomberg blames Virginia for many of New York’s gun crimes
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg blames several southern state's for the Big Apple’s gun crimes — so now he's set his Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ sights on Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas for a Second Amendment crackdown. Published August 1, 2013
Muslim’s book on Jesus sparks outrage — all the way to bestseller list
A Christian-turned-Muslim who penned a book about the life of Jesus and included such controversial findings as the son of God never considered himself a deity has catapulted into bestseller status, hitting No. 1 on Amazon sales lists for the United States. Published August 1, 2013
Syrian President Assad ‘confident of victory’
Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Thursday that his military would prevail despite the tries of rebels and pressure from the international community. Published August 1, 2013
Oprah Winfrey: Americans know ‘diddly-squat’ about civil rights era
Oprah Winfrey said Americans by and large know "diddly-squat" about the history of the civil rights movement. The talk show queen and media mogul made her comments during the promotion of her new film, "The Butler," about a black man who serves in that capacity through seven administrations at the White House. Published August 1, 2013
The joke’s on us: Rolling Stone sales double with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on magazine cover
Bolstering the age-old mantra that even bad publicity is good, Rolling Stones magazine has seen sales of its latest edition double — the one that pictures Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in rockstar mode on its cover. Published August 1, 2013
Bill to cut Iran’s oil exports by 1 million barrels a day sails through House
The Republican-led House on Wednesday passed a bill with near unanimity, 400-20, to crack down further on Iran for its nuclear program and cut the country's oil exports by 1 million barrels per day over the next year. Published August 1, 2013
