Cheryl K. Chumley

500 homes threatened as wildfires surge in Northern California

Wildfires are surging through the Northern California town of Weaverville, forcing about 150 homeowners to evacuate and threatening another 500 or so with destruction.

August 25, 2014

People celebrity magazine sued for racist work atmosphere

People magazine — the nation's top-selling celebrity magazine — is being sued for racism by an award-winning journalist, Tatsha Robertson.

August 25, 2014

France’s socialist government folds over economic dispute

The Socialist government in France was dissolved on Monday, the result of a dispute between Cabinet members about the best way to deal with the country's stagnant economy.

August 25, 2014

Obama slammed as ‘tone-deaf’ for golfing after comforting Foley’s parents

President Obama is facing an onslaught of criticisms — from even those on the left in his camp — for his back-to-back progression of comforting the parents of murdered U.S. journalist James Foley to teeing off at the golf course.

August 22, 2014

Westboro Baptist Church to picket Michael Brown funeral

Westboro Baptist Church members say they'll picket the funeral of killed Missouri teen Michael Brown because of openly gay NFL player Michael Sam, who plays for the St. Louis Rams.

August 22, 2014

Starbucks ‘pay it forward’ streak hits nearly 400 customers

Hundreds of customers at the drive-thru of a Tampa-area Starbucks participated in the random act of kindness trend made famous by the movie "Pay it Forward," grabbing the tab for the car behind them — for nearly 400 cars.

August 22, 2014

‘Obama Inc.’ catapults ex-advisers into lucrative careers

Numerous members of President Obama's close-knit brain trust have moved from White House to lucrative careers, using their presidential ties to successfully springboard into new job titles.

August 22, 2014

Restaurant vows atheist group won’t halt discount for church-goers

A restaurant owner in Arkansas has come under fire from atheists for offering a 10 percent discount to church-goers — but bluntly says: I'm not stopping my policy.

August 22, 2014

Kindergarten ‘sweat shop’ testing frenzy comes under fire

Kindergarten classes around the nation have been facing fire from parents and teachers who say the mandated test-taking trend is pushing out playtime, leaving behind a "sweat shop" atmosphere that stresses students, one educator said.

August 22, 2014

Copyright Office: Monkey selfie can’t be copyrighted

Apparently, the monkey has his rights. The U.S. Copyright Office has refused to register the copyright of a selfie snapped by a monkey, bringing an end to a legal battle between the Wikimedia Foundation and a British photographer.

August 22, 2014

New York City Council presses to ban McDonald’s meal toys

If McDonald's didn't hand out toys, kids would eat better — at least that's the theory of one New York City council member who wants to ban the restaurant from giving out the goodies in its Happy Meal boxes.

August 22, 2014

Robin Williams’ ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay

The body of actor and comedian Robin Williams was cremated, and his ashes were scattered over San Francisco Bay, his death certificate said.

August 22, 2014

Mudslides close roads, trap drivers in Washington state

Wildfires followed by heavy rain sparked flash flooding and mudslides in Washington state, sending homeowners packing but trapping motorists in their vehicles.

August 22, 2014

Hamas executes 11 suspected informants for Israel

Hamas terrorists on Friday said they've shot and killed — execution style — 11 suspected informants who were accused of helping Israel with its recent airstrikes on a house in Gaza.

August 22, 2014

Ron Paul: Local police ‘not supposed to be warriors’

Former Texas Rep. Ron Paul said the Department of Defense program that transfers military equipment to local police should be disbanded and that local law enforcement officials are not "warriors."

August 19, 2014

Pope Francis: I only have ‘two or three years’ to live

Pope Francis publicly addressed the specter of his own death for the first time, giving himself "two or three years" while seriously mulling the possibility of retirement.

August 19, 2014

New York Times editorial board defends Rick Perry

The editorial board members of the normally left-leaning New York Times say the indictment of Texas Gov. Rick Perry is bogus.

August 19, 2014

Ferguson fallout: Wearable camera petition tops on White House website

The violence raging through Ferguson, Missouri, in the wake of the police shooting of teenager Michael Brown has spurred a petition drive on the White House website for law enforcement to don wearable cameras.

August 19, 2014

Community Health hospitals hacked; 4.5M patient records stolen

Community Health Systems reported in its most recent federal filing that nearly 4.5 million patient records were stolen by hackers who are believed to hail from China.

August 19, 2014

Paul Ryan tip: When John Boehner smokes, the meeting’s gone bad

Once Speaker John Boehner puts flame to cigarette, Rep. Paul Ryan knows: The meeting is not going well, he said.

August 19, 2014