Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
George Clooney moves onto political stage with potential run for office
Hollywood star George Clooney, 53, fresh off an announced plan to wed his British human rights attorney-girlfriend Amal Alamuddin, 36, now says he's going to turn his attention away from acting and on to something with a more service oriented slant: Politics and political office. Published June 2, 2014
Donald Sterling takes Sunday sidestep into black church service
Donald Sterling, the embattled owner of the Los Angeles Clippers who shocked national headlines for racial comments he was overheard making to his female friend on audio, took a time-out from the basketball scene to to go to church services in his home city — at a facility that's attended primarily by black people. Published June 2, 2014
‘SlutWalk’ march against sexual abuse goes forth in Jerusalem, Toronto
The third annual "SlutWalk" went forth in Jerusalem and in Toronto this weekend with hundreds of attendees dressed in various shades of shocking attire striding through the city streets, protesting a culture they see as fostering sexual assaults against women. Published June 2, 2014
Taliban leader touts Gitmo prisoner swap as ‘great victory’
Taliban chief Mullah Mohammad Omar said the group's negotiated release of five prisoners at Guantanamo Bay for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was a huge win and that fellow Afghan Muslims ought to pat themselves on the back. Published June 2, 2014
Violinist who refused to check $250K instrument tossed from plane
A violinist carting an instrument valued at more than $250,000 said he was given an option by the crew of his US Airways plane that was traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas: Put your precious cargo in the checked baggage pile or leave. Published June 2, 2014
Wisconsin air show ends in tragic crash that kills pilot, 47
A 47-year-old pilot in a Wisconsin air show was killed after his plane spun out of control and crashed in a wooded site located next to Stevens Point Municipal Airport. Published June 2, 2014
Justin Bieber says he’s sorry after teen joke with racial slur punchline surfaces
Pop-star sensation Justin Bieber said he's sorry — a joke he made about black people years ago that just surfaced via video online was hurtful and inappropriate, and he wishes he never said it. Published June 2, 2014
V. Stiviano, who captured Donald Sterling on audio, claims 2 men assaulted her
V. Stiviano, the woman at the heart of the Donald Sterling racial-based controversy, said through her attorney that she was assaulted by two men in New York City. Published June 2, 2014
NSA grabs millions of images for facial recognition data daily, Snowden documents show
Top secret documents released by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden reveal that the federal government has been capturing millions of images each day to feed into its facial recognition database program. Published June 2, 2014
Russian war games to include high-precision missile launches
Russia's Defense Ministry announced its days-long military exercises will include the launch of high-precision missiles. Published June 2, 2014
Most chivalrous cities: Dallas, followed by Washington, D.C.
When it comes to chivalry, men in Washington, D.C., are tops — well, nearly. Published May 30, 2014
Michael Bloomberg bashes liberal bias at Harvard commencement address
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who now presses for nationwide gun control via his Mayors Against Illegal Guns group, took to the commencement podium at Harvard University's graduation ceremonies to issue some scathing criticism about the politics of academia, circa 2014: The atmosphere is way too liberally charged, he said. Published May 30, 2014
Patricia Heaton cites root of Hollywood success: ‘God had a hand’
Emmy-award winning actress Patricia Heaton — who plays the beloved but beleaguered wife on both hit series' "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle" — said without God, she wouldn't have seen so much career success. Published May 30, 2014
Gun background checks get $19.5M boost as House reacts to Calif. shooting
The House took quick action on last week's mass shooting and stabbing that left seven — including the suspect — dead in Santa Barbara, Calif., and passed a provision to pay the FBI another $19.5 million to bolster its National Instance Criminal Background Check System, with the hope this will prevent the mentally ill from obtaining guns. Published May 30, 2014
Ex-Bush intel man: President, Cheney, Rumsfeld guilty of war crimes
One of President George W. Bush's former top counterterrorism chiefs said in an interview this week that Mr. Bush — as well as his vice president, Dick Cheney, and defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld — committed war crimes during the conflict with Iraq. Published May 30, 2014
White New York police officer wins $1.35M reverse racism case
A white police officer in New York who accused his then-mayoral boss, Freeport's Andrew Hardwick, of passing him up for promotion to chief in favor of a Hispanic has won a reverse-discrimination case in court. Published May 30, 2014
‘Allah’ handle gets Turkish Twitterer sentenced to 15 months in prison
A Turkish Twitter user learned the hard way that Muslim hardliners mean business when they preach against disrespecting their god's name: He was sentenced to prison for using a social media handle that included the word "Allah." Published May 30, 2014
Obama ‘doesn’t give himself enough credit’ on foreign policy: State Dept.
The State Department's spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, provided a bit of comic relief from reporters at a recent press conference after she quipped that the president ought really to give himself more back-pats for his successes with foreign policy. Published May 30, 2014
Obama’s ‘pretty secular orientation’ has dinged U.S.-Vatican relations, ex-ambassador says
The distance between the Vatican and the United States has grown wider in recent years, due primarily to President Obama's insistence on maintaining a secular White House, absent an atmosphere of "absolute truths," said the former ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Rooney, who served under President George W. Bush Published May 30, 2014
Chris Matthews slams Obama on VA as too focused on the ‘P.R. of himself’
MSNBC's Chris Matthews — who famously picked up the mocking nickname of "Tingles" for his adoring references to then-campaigner Barack Obama's speaking skills — took the unusual step of criticizing the president this week, calling out his handing of the VA scandal and suggesting stronger action was warranted. Published May 30, 2014
