Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
France’s Francois Hollande snubs EU meeting over budget dispute
France's President Francois Hollande boycotted a Thursday meeting with the prime ministers of Germany and Britain, avoiding what could have been a contentious discussion on the European Union's budget. Published February 8, 2013
Seattle mayor orders police to back off drone use
Seattle's mayor, reacting to widespread complaints and concerns from residents, has ordered the city's police department to drop plans to use two drones it purchased via a federal grant. Published February 8, 2013
Rupert Murdoch’s News International settles 144 phone hacking suits
Rupert Murdoch's News International settled on Friday the bulk of lawsuits brought against it for phone hacking charges, according to CNN. Published February 8, 2013
Newark Mayor Cory Booker joins list of nanny politicos pushing weight loss
First, Michelle Obama launches a nationwide campaign to fire up youth to exercise and compel American adults to eat better. Then, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a crackdown on super-sized sodas, cigarettes and bottle-fed babies — going so far toward that latter as to ask hospitals to hide bottles from new mothers and instead pressure breast feeding. Now comes Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, N.J. Published February 8, 2013
Florida judge rules birth certificate will list all 3 gay parents
A Florida judge has made history by allowing a birth certificate to list as parents a married lesbian couple and a gay man. Published February 8, 2013
Conservative Dr. Ben Carson speech upstages Obama at prayer breakfast
Move over President Obama. Conservatives are not talking so much about the president's address at Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast, but rather remarks from Dr. Benjamin Carson, a black pediatric neurosurgeon with Johns Hopkins Hospital who took over the stage for 25 riveting minutes. Published February 8, 2013
Blizzard bearing down on Boston and New York, entire Northeast bracing for massive snowfall
A monster blizzard — called "one for the record books" by weather experts — is bearing down on New England, with latest projections warning of three feet of snow to be dumped beginning Friday between New York City and Boston. Published February 8, 2013
Assisted suicide bills gain traction in 6 states
At least six states are considering bills to legalize physician-assisted suicide, a reflection of a growing national shift in attitude toward a procedure that was once regarded more in terms of killing, than compassion. Published February 8, 2013
Colorado Democrats bring on the anti-gun bills
House Democrats in Colorado made good on vows to tighten gun laws in the state, and on Thursday introduced a package of bills that would do everything from banning high-capacity ammunition magazines to mandating background checks on all gun sales. Published February 8, 2013
Dozens of Iraqis killed, wounded in car bombs in Shiite markets
More than 30 were killed and dozens injured in four separate car bombs that rocked two Shiite-dominated markets in Iraq on Friday. Published February 8, 2013
Suspected witch bound, tortured, burned alive in Papua New Guinea
A mob stripped, bound, tortured then burned to death a woman accused of witchcraft in Papua New Guinea, as hundreds of witnesses — including children — watched and took photographs. Published February 8, 2013
Rep. Steve King fends off Karl Rove attack with plea to the people
Rep. Steve King, a Tea Party favorite from Iowa, is taking a political challenge from Karl Rove's American Crossroads directly to the people: Donate directly to me, he said. Published February 7, 2013
U.N. mulls peacekeeping mission to Mali
The United Nations is seriously considering sending peacekeepers to Mail, according to one official with the global body. Published February 7, 2013
Jon Stewart: Comedian mocks drone hypocrisy of Dems, Obama
Comedy commentator and Daily Show host Jon Stewart has come down hard on the White House's recent refusal to deal with questions from media and Congress regarding the administration's policy on killing Americans with drones. Published February 7, 2013
Afghans spend $3.9 billion on bribes in 2012
The cost of doing business in Afghanistan soared in 2012, as fully half of all the nation's adult-aged residents were forced to bribe public officials in order to obtain services, according to the United Nations. Published February 7, 2013
Qatar budget surplus soars under gas, oil sales
Gas and oil have been good to Qatar. In one year's time, the nation's budget surplus doubled to $26 billion from oil and gas imports, according to figures released Thursday by the Qatar Central Bank. Published February 7, 2013
Christie dismisses doctor as ‘hack’ who lusts for media
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie responded angrily to a former White House physician who claimed on national television earlier this week that his health could not handle the rigors of being president. Published February 7, 2013
Calif. police accidentally shoot 2 in manhunt for suspected cop killer
Police in Los Angeles have made a huge mistake: While scouring for a former police officer who went into hiding after allegedly killing three, police have themselves shot two women completely by accident. Published February 7, 2013
Carney clarifies: Obama won’t broker peace deal in Israel
The White House took care on Wednesday to clarify that President Obama's upcoming trip to Israel — a first for the second-term president — is not intended as a stepping stone to broker peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. Published February 7, 2013
Fashion police rip into Netanyahu’s wife
Who would have thought? Fashion police live in Israel, too, it seems. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara, has taken some serious hits from the political gossip crowd who hated her choice of dress for the 19th Knesset's swearing-in ceremony earlier this week. Published February 7, 2013
