Cheryl K. Chumley
Columns by Cheryl K. Chumley
Iran cracks down, sends dogs to jail
Iran authorities, fed up with dogs as pets, have began rounding them up and sending them to prison, where conditions are harsh and food is scarce. Published June 27, 2013
Busted: Teen witness in George Zimmerman trial can’t read own letter
A teenage girl who was called to testify in the prosecution of George Zimmerman for second-degree murder was caught in a curious predicament Thursday after it became evident she couldn't read from the very letter she claimed to have written to the mother of her friend Trayvon Martin. Published June 27, 2013
Chinese factory workers release U.S. boss held hostage for a week
Chinese factory workers let go their American employer on Thursday, after holding him hostage in a cramped office with windows on the bar for a week over a labor dispute. Published June 27, 2013
Queenly sum: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II gets raise, to $58 million
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is due for a 5 percent salary increase next year, due in part to soaring collections of real estate revenues. Her new estate earnings: a little more than $387 million. Published June 27, 2013
Tennessee man indicted for extorting money from Mitt Romney
A Tennessee man was indicted for extortion, accused of trying to get $1 million from former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as a condition of keeping his tax returns private. Published June 27, 2013
Jesse Jackson to help Paula Deen: She’s worthy of redemption
The Rev. Jesse Jackson said he will help celebrity chef Paula Deen work past the public relations disaster from her admitted past use of a racial slur. Published June 27, 2013
NYC moves to clamp down on cops, bolster citizen rights
New York City Council members voted early Thursday to create an independent watchdog group tasked with overseeing police activity and ensuring officers don't discriminate against minorities and Muslims. Published June 27, 2013
Orwellian iPhone app records audio that happened 5 minutes ago
It's the stuff of George Orwell's 1984. A new iPhone app – aptly named Heard — allows users to "capture audio after you've heard it," up to five minutes later, company executives say. Published June 27, 2013
Edward Snowden in 2009: Those who publish secrets ‘should be shot’
Edward Snowden, the Web-savvy National Security Agency information leaker who's now in hiding, didn't always believe in the right of the people to know their government's behind-the-scenes activities. Published June 27, 2013
6 Americans, 1 Brit lost at sea, as concerns turn ‘grave’
New Zealand Maritime heads expressed "grave concerns" Thursday over the suspected fate of six Americans who mysteriously vanished at sea more than three weeks ago. Published June 27, 2013
Angela Merkel warns against arms in Syria: ‘Incalculable’ risks
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that arming Syrian rebels is a bad idea, and parliamentary leaders ought to think long and hard before acting. Published June 27, 2013
Rep. Tammy Duckworth, double amputee, slams IRS worker on disability — ‘twisting your ankle’
Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a veteran of the Iraq conflict and a double amputee, blasted a corporate CEO who contracted with the IRS and claimed a veterans' disability from a minor injury he suffered during preparatory school. Published June 27, 2013
Grampa Bloomberg: NYC mayor’s daughter expecting first child
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's daughter Georgina, a competitive equestrian, is pregnant and due to give birth this winter. Published June 27, 2013
Nelson Mandela update: Critical, as South Africa’s President Zuma cancels trip
Nelson Mandela's medical condition is so poor that the president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, felt compelled to cancel his trip to Mozambique. Published June 27, 2013
Brits break electric car speed record, at 204 mph
A British racing team said it's broken world speed records for electric cars, test riding one at 204.2 miles per hour on Tuesday. Published June 26, 2013
Prosecutors file gag order against W.Va. boy suspended for NRA T-shirt
Prosecutors on the case of an eighth-grade student who was suspended and arrested a couple weeks ago for refusing to take off his T-shirt with the NRA logo petitioned the court for an emergency gag order this week. Published June 26, 2013
Marriage material: Study finds women with chiseled features favored to wed
When it comes to marriage, women with chiseled faces with more masculine undertones tend to fare better than those with soft, delicate feminine features, a new study finds. Published June 26, 2013
End obesity: Tax calories, researchers say
A new report from the nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that hiking prices on food could prove the nation's solution to fighting off obesity. Published June 26, 2013
Dribbling for Jesus: Girl, 8, taking YouTube by storm says it’s all for God
An 8-year-old girl whose insane dribbling skills have taken the basketball world by storm says she's doing it all for God. Published June 26, 2013
Texas set to carry out 500th execution
Texas will reach a dubious milestone Wednesday when convicted killer Kimberly McCarthy is put to death, as it will mark the state's 500th execution since 1982. Published June 26, 2013
