Cheryl K. Chumley

Medical transport plane crash kills 4 in New Mexico

A medical transport plane en route to Phoenix went down in a fiery crash just minutes after taking off from an airport in southern New Mexico, killing four aboard.

August 29, 2014

Feds fired up over fate of manatee: Endangered versus threatened?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking comments from the public to help decide: Is the manatee endangered or threatened?

August 29, 2014

Italy ramps up security over Islamic State’s threat to Pope Francis

Italy has ramped up its security in the wake of some Rome media reports that Islamic State terrorists have set their sights on Pope Francis and threatened to do him harm because of his rally call for the world to subdue the group.

August 29, 2014

Missouri residents file lawsuit accusing police of brutality in Ferguson

Six Missouri residents filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging police in Ferguson used excessive force and made false arrests.

August 29, 2014

Obama’s tan suit shocks: Looks as if he’s about to be ‘bar mitzvahed in Miami’: social media

President Obama sent shockwaves over social media for his choice of dress to give long-awaited remarks on White House strategy on the Islamic State and on Russia's invasion of Ukraine — a tan suit, seen as inappropriately informal.

August 29, 2014

Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan petitions to be ‘citizen’ of Islamic State

Nidal Hasan, the convicted shooter in the Fort Hood attack that left 13 dead and more than 30 injured, has written a letter to the head of the Islamic State, requesting to become a "citizen" of the terrorist organization.

August 29, 2014

‘Duck Dynasty’ star’s daughter slated to appear on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Sadie Robertson, the daughter of Willie and Korie Robertson — one of the star families on "Duck Dynasty" — is reportedly in talks to appear on "Dancing With the Stars" this fall.

August 28, 2014

California poised to triple tax credits for moviemakers to $330M

California's Gov. Jerry Brown is about to sign an agreement passed by lawmakers that more than triples the amount of tax credits moviemakers receive — from $100 million a year to $330 million.

August 28, 2014

Law enforcement lobbies Congress to keep military gear

The nation's largest police group in the nation is heading a push on Capitol Hill to maintain law enforcement organizations' access to and ownership of military castoffs.

August 28, 2014

Jack Daniel’s offers whiskey by the barrel, for $23K

Forget the shot glass. Jack Daniel's, world-famous whiskey maker, is now offering fans of its fare the ability to purchase it by the barrel.

August 28, 2014

Gay California man sues Little Caesars for denying benefits to husband

A gay California man has sued Little Caesars pizza chain for allegedly failing to provide his husband — and other legally married gay couples — with health care benefits.

August 28, 2014

Florida school district boots chaplains from football teams, bans Bible verses

An atheist group has successfully pressured a school district in Florida to quit allowing local ministers to provide pregame and post-game prayers for football players, threatening a suit over claimed constitutional infractions.

August 28, 2014

Imam denies Christians told ‘convert or die’ in epic Sean Hannity showdown

A London-based imam making an appearance on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News denied that Christians in Iraq had been told to "convert or die" — a claim that opened the doors for an epic shouting match between the two.

August 28, 2014

Filipino Catholics vow to counter Islamic State terrorists message

Catholics in the Philippines say they have a religious calling to serve as a counter to the message spewed by Islamic State terrorists, and as part of that mission, they're collecting donations for Iraq and Syria Christian's who've been displaced.

August 28, 2014

Obama’s elite New York fundraiser to wreak havoc on vacation fliers

President Obama's fundraising plans for Friday — right before the Labor Day weekend — is wreaking havoc on wealthy travelers' plans to fly to elite locations like the Hamptons or Nantucket for the three-day holiday.

August 28, 2014

Alec Baldwin nabs stray tennis ball at U.S. Open

Alec Baldwin showed his smoother side this week, effortlessly reaching out and grabbing a tennis ball that sailed into his stadium seat 12 feet or so above ground level during a U.S. Open match this week.

August 28, 2014

Chicago police commander charged with putting gun in suspect’s mouth

A Chicago police commander with a reputation for tough, no-nonsense law enforcement was charged with putting the barrel of his gun into a suspect's mouth.

August 28, 2014

Federal court rules SWAT teams aren’t exempt from lawsuits

SWAT teams beware: Innocent victims can sue. That's the ruling of the U.S. Second Court of Appeals in New York, issued in a case of a homeowner whose constitutional rights were infringed by a police raid that resulted in the killing of a man.

August 28, 2014

California lawmakers vote to require warrants for spy drones

California legislators voted to mandate law enforcement to obtain warrants before sending drones out on surveillance missions, a move aimed at reining in what one lawmaker described as a true threat to individual privacy.

August 28, 2014

Ailina Tsarnaeva, Boston bombing suspect’s sister, arrested for making bomb threat

Ailina Tsarnaeva, 24, the sister of the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects, was herself arrested — for making a bomb threat, police said.

August 28, 2014