Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Army soldier serves Chick-fil-A at pro-DOMA party, is punished
An Army enlistee who supports the federal Defense of Marriage Act received a promotion amid Chick-fil-A's cultural battle over same-sex marriage, so he served food from the restaurant at his celebration party as sign of support — and was promptly punished by his military superiors. Published June 6, 2013
Maryland sheriff: New gun laws unconstitutional
One sheriff in Maryland is bucking his state's new gun laws, calling them unconstitutional and requesting that local governing authorities agree to selective enforcement. Published June 6, 2013
House votes to limit Homeland Security’s gun ammunition buys
Lawmakers voted late Wednesday for limits on the amount of ammunition that can be purchased by the Department of Homeland Security. Published June 6, 2013
Southern Baptist ranks decline, once again
Once again, the membership rolls of Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, have dipped. Published June 6, 2013
German high court rules that gay unions must get equal tax benefits
A top court in Germany ruled Thursday that same-sex unions must be granted the same tax benefits as heterosexual marriages, a significant win for gay rights activists who have been pushing for the right for years. Published June 6, 2013
Church of England: Bishops won’t oppose same-sex marriage
The Church of England will no longer stand in the way of same-sex marriage legislation, but will rather put its efforts toward improving it, a top bishop said on Wednesday. Published June 6, 2013
Kind gesture gives widow, 84, her $590M Powerball win
Talk about being nice. When 84-year-old widow Gloria MacKenzie lined up to play her Quick Pick in last month's mega-million Powerball lottery, the person in front of her let her cut. That decision turned out to be life-changing. Ms. MacKenzie turned out to be the winner of the $590 million pot. Published June 6, 2013
Democrats’ push to create military chaplains for atheists falls flat
Lawmakers on Wednesday defeated a Democratic-sponsored amendment that would have created chaplains for atheists who are serving in the nation's military. Published June 6, 2013
Eric Holder: I have ‘no intention’ of resigning now
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder made clear in a Wednesday evening television interview that he's not resigning from office any time soon. Published June 6, 2013
Judge orders Kathleen Sebelius to add 10-year-old to adult lung transplant list
A federal judge told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to reverse course — a 10-year-old girl dying from cystic fibrosis should be added to the adult lung transplant list. Published June 6, 2013
U.S. Army sergeant charged in 16 Afghan killings pleads guilty
The U.S. soldier who was charged with going on a shooting spree and killing 16 Afghan civilians pleaded guilty Wednesday. Published June 5, 2013
DNA share: 60 clinics worldwide align to trade patient info
Medical facilities around the world have partnered for a massive research project that starts by sharing thousands of patients' genetic and health information. Published June 5, 2013
IRS can’t find $4M in conference receipts: Report
The Internal Revenue Service can't find the receipts from a $4 million agency conference in 2010 — meaning, it can't provide the same documentation for business-related travel it requires Americans to include on tax filings. Published June 5, 2013
Upscale N.Y. mother of 2 busted for $3M pot business with 3,000 plants
A suburban New York City mother of two who's active in the equestrian community was arrested and charged with cultivating an estimated 3,000 marijuana plants valued at about $3 million — a near-real-life tale of Showtime's dark comedy-drama "Weeds." Published June 5, 2013
Truck carting 6,000 gallons of Scotch overturns, catches fire
A truck carrying 6,000 gallons of Scotch flipped over and caught on fire while navigating a New Jersey roadway on Tuesday. Published June 5, 2013
Jay Leno scores big with joke: Forget Gitmo — close the IRS
The audience at a taping of NBC's "The Tonight Show" erupted in cheers and applause earlier this week when host Jay Leno joked about the need to close the Internal Revenue Service. Published June 5, 2013
Jordan: U.S. to deploy F-16s, anti-missile batteries to protect against Syria
Jordan security heads said on Wednesday that the United States is going to deploy anti-missile batteries and F-16 fighter jets to the nation as a precautionary measure against a Syrian attack. Published June 5, 2013
Emerson Knives designs memorial blade to auction for family of slain SEAL
Just days before famed Navy SEAL Team 3 sniper Chris Kyle was killed at an attack on a shooting range, he had met with Ernest Emerson, of nationally known Emerson Knives Inc., to discuss the creation of a specially designed blade. Published June 5, 2013
Israel takes international security force off peace-talks table
Israel shot down any notion of putting an international security force in the region as a condition of forging and maintaining peace with the Palestinians, saying history proves such security measures don't work. Published June 5, 2013
National parks’ new menu: Less ice cream, more lentil soup
The National Park Service is trading ice cream for lentil soup as well as hot dogs for local farm produce as it pushes a new Healthy and Sustainable Food Program at all its properties this summer. Published June 5, 2013
