Jessica Chasmar
Articles by Jessica Chasmar
America’s only black senator, a Republican, not invited to MLK event
The Let Freedom Ring event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington today was missing the country's only black senator. Published August 28, 2013
Bald eagle crashes into window at Okla. college chapel
Students at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., were horrified to see a bald eagle released into the school's chapel by a professional handler crash into a window and tumble to the floor just as students began chanting "USA! USA!" Published August 28, 2013
MLK’s daughter: ‘Freedom is going to ring in Libya, in Syria, in Egypt, in Florida’
The daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Bernice King, implied at the 50th anniversary of her father's "I Have a Dream" speech that Florida is no more free than war-torn Syria. Published August 28, 2013
Transgender student dies after attack in front of Harlem police station
A 21-year-old transgender student died Thursday after being savagely beaten by a group of young men in front of a police precinct in the Harlem neighborhood in the Manhattan borough of New York. Published August 28, 2013
March on Washington speaker compares Supreme Court justices to KKK members
The president of a black civic participation advocacy group on Wednesday compared conservative Supreme Court justices to Ku Klux Klan members while speaking in Washington on the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Published August 28, 2013
Ex-Montana teacher gets 30 days for rape of student who later killed herself
A former teacher who pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old student who later killed herself has been sentenced to 30 days in jail by a Billings, Mont., judge. Published August 28, 2013
Al-Jazeera America off to a weak start: Nielsen
Al-Jazeera America launched last week, and the Nielsen ratings for its first few days have been less than stellar. Published August 28, 2013
Russia: West is acting in Muslim world like a ‘monkey with a grenade’
Western countries are behaving in the Islamic world like a "monkey with a grenade," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin tweeted on Tuesday, as the United States and its allies mull military action against Syria. Published August 28, 2013
‘Rock Him, Stone Him’: Children’s coloring book tackles domestic terror
A Missouri-based publishing company is defending its newly released coloring book that aims to teach children about domestic terrorism, saying it's important for youngsters to understand the dangers in today's world. Published August 28, 2013
George Zimmerman’s wife pleads guilty to perjury
George Zimmerman's wife Shellie pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor perjury charge for lying during a bail hearing after her husband's arrest. Published August 28, 2013
Anthony Weiner campaign paying actors $15 per hour to support him: report
New York City mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner has hired a California firm, called Crowds on Demand, that is paying actors $15 an hour to show support for him at campaign events. Published August 28, 2013
Vancouver woman ‘steals’ her stolen bike back after seeing Craigslist ad
A Vancouver woman answered an advertisement for her stolen bike on Craigslist and ended up pedaling off with it after asking its "owner" for a test spin. Published August 27, 2013
Stop twerking on our bears! Teddy Bear Fund calls out Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus twerked her way to the top of national news Monday, and now a manufacturing company for stuffed animals has had enough. Published August 27, 2013
Fla. high school football coach suspended for slapping player’s helmet
A high school football coach in Weston, Fla., has been suspended for two weeks after a nationally televised ESPN broadcast showed him giving his quarterback an earful before slapping the player's helmet. Published August 27, 2013
‘Girls Gone Wild’ founder Joe Francis sentenced to 270 days in jail
"Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis has been sentenced to serve at least 270 days behind bars for attacking a woman at his Hollywood mansion back in 2011. Published August 27, 2013
Collapse reported on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount
Turkish media reported earlier this week that a portion of the Temple Mount platform near the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City has collapsed, "creating a serious safety hazard and a possible threat to the stability of the Islamic structure," Israel Today reported Tuesday. Published August 27, 2013
Oops: Milwaukee Bucks player Larry Sanders misspells tattoo
Soon after Larry Sanders signed a four-year extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, worth about $44 million, the NBA star decided to celebrate with a fresh tattoo. Only problem? Tattoos don't have spellcheck. Published August 27, 2013
Felon attacks elderly man for being in park where ‘black kids are playing’: report
Police arrested a 35-year-old felon on several charges, including assault of an elderly person, after he attacked a 71-year-old white man at a campaign event in New Haven, Conn., for being "in his park where young, black kids are playing." Published August 27, 2013
4 teen girls charged with ‘ethnic intimidation’ after brutally beating Pa. white woman
Four teenage girls are facing several charges, including ethnic intimidation, after police said they brutally beat a 32-year-old white woman Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pa. Published August 27, 2013
Muslims to join March on Washington 50th-anniversary event
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and other Muslims groups will be joining the March on Washington 50th-anniversary event on Wednesday morning. Published August 27, 2013
