Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Obama’s ‘under God’ omission in Gettysburg Address sparks fire
President Obama's recitation of the Gettysburg Address for a Ken Burns documentary about the famous speech sparked a round of backlash after a local news radio host first noticed and reported a curious omission: He left out the phrase, "under God." Published November 20, 2013
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon: New climate treaty needed to escape ‘wrath of a warming planet’
Ban Ki-moon, the secretary-general of the United Nations, says the international community needs to ramp up its fight against climate change or else prepare to face the "wrath" of the planet. Published November 20, 2013
Iran’s ayatollah: Israel’s ‘doomed to extinction’
Right around the time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was heading to Russia for an 11th hour attempt to influence a global deal with Tehran over nuclear development, Iran's top religious leader was emphasizing the fated fall of the Jewish nation. Published November 20, 2013
Michelle Obama on President Obama: ‘He’s in the bathroom all the time just singing’
So, aside from golfing and playing basketball, this is how President Obama spends his free time: singing. In the bathroom. Published November 20, 2013
Army says GI Janes shouldn’t look too pretty in pictures
Don't use the pretty women — that's the gist of an Army message to public relations people who are in charge of selecting photographs to go with military stories and publications. Published November 20, 2013
Massachusetts school cancels football season over racist graffiti
So much for the traditional Thanksgiving football game — or the remainder of the football season, for that matter. Lunenburg Public Schools Superintendent Loxi Jo Calmes said the Massachusetts high school has stopped its football program, effective immediately, over a racial slur. Published November 20, 2013
Suicide bomber in Egypt rams bus carting soldiers, kills 10
At least 10 government soldiers were killed and 35 injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-filled car into a bus that was carting the troops on a roadway in northern Sinai on Wednesday. Published November 20, 2013
Rep. Trey Radel pleads guilty to cocaine possession
Rep. Trey Radel pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday after he was caught buying the drug at a restaurant in the nation's capital in late October. Published November 20, 2013
Rescue dogs sniff for survivors in South African mall collapse
Rescue workers and their dogs on Wednesday were sifting through the rubble of a South African mall that collapsed, killing at least one and leaving an unknown number missing and injured. Published November 20, 2013
Clergy panel suspends Pa. Methodist pastor 30 days for performing gay son’s marriage ceremony
A panel of clergy members voted Tuesday evening to suspend a Pennsylvania Methodist pastor for 30 days after he went against church doctrine and performed a same-sex marriage ceremony for his gay son. Published November 20, 2013
Four dead in jet crash off Florida coast
A Learjet crashed off the coast of Florida late Tuesday night, killing all four aboard, authorities confirmed. Published November 20, 2013
Colorado poised to pass nation’s first methane emission limits
Colorado politicos are mulling methane emission regulations, seeking to become the first state in the nation to limit levels tied to oil and gas drilling. Published November 19, 2013
Illinois union strikes over ‘paltry’ 14.5 percent pay raise
Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1028 in Will County, Ill., have turned up their noses at a taxpayer-funded pay-increase offer they view as too small — 14.5 percent. Published November 19, 2013
GOP moves afoot to rein in Obama’s executive powers
Republicans in Congress are mulling moves to rein in President Obama's ability to bypass legislative intent by issuing executive orders — though what action members want to take is still up in the air. Published November 19, 2013
John Edwards to open ‘social equality’ law firm in N.C., D.C.
John Edwards — the former Democratic Party rising star and famed trial lawyer whose celebrity political status came crashing down in the wake of an adulterous affair and a campaign finance scandal — is now getting back on the career track, opening a law firm with his daughter Cate. Published November 19, 2013
History in the making: Palestinians cast first ballots at United Nations
This week dawned routine on a U.N. General Assembly gathering — except for members of one delegation, who heralded in a new international political era by casting the first U.N. votes by Palestinians. Published November 19, 2013
Census Bureau faked jobs report ahead of 2012 election: report
U.S. government job numbers were intentionally skewed to paint a brighter economic picture in the lead-up to the 2012 presidential election, a source told the New York Post. Published November 19, 2013
Feds and pediatricians, decrying overuse, crack down on children’s antibiotics
Federal health authorities have issued new guidelines for the prescription and use of antibiotics in children, saying they've been misused and prescribed in error for years — leading to a scenario that could soon see the medication rendered useless. Published November 19, 2013
Teens tout new ‘Knockout’ game as ‘fun’ attacks on strangers
Teenagers have a new 'fun' game they're playing on city streets nationwide — targeting and taking out randomly selected passersby, where a win means the victim is knocked out by a single punch. Published November 19, 2013
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s top one-liners: ‘I smoked some crack sometime. What can I say?’
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford may have made some mistakes in his life, admittedly smoking crack and, the latest, charging at a female City Council member who ultimately voted to strip his powers. But he's not guilty of being boring. Published November 19, 2013
