Cheryl K. Chumley

Obama vows that John Boehner will indeed push through immigration reform

Perhaps the president knows something legislative watchers don’t, because Mr. Obama vows – in sharp contrast to political pundits Capitol Hill insiders – the House Speaker John Boehner will indeed pass immigration reform before the end of the year.

January 17, 2014

ATF agents shot, wounded by Oklahoma teen, 19

Two ATF agents on federal business in an Oklahoma neighborhood who offered to help with a local police search for a teenage shooting suspect were rewarded for their outreach with gunfire: They happened on the 19-year-old and he shot and wounded them.

January 17, 2014

Texas man busted for warning motorists of police speed trap fights city hall

Apparently, residents in one North Texas town aren’t legally allowed to hold up homemade signs. Ron Martin, 33, tried it – he held a sign he penned to warn drivers about speed traps – and got cited by police.

January 17, 2014

Bible ban: Wis. university system removes book from campus center rooms

The Wisconsin public university system removed all its copies of the Gideon Bible from the campus conference center after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained of a constitutional violation.

January 16, 2014

Westminster dog show finally lays out welcome mat for mixed breeds

It’s been 138 years in the making, but authorities with the Westminster Kennel Club have finally said that yes, mixed breeds can enter the annual dog show and competition.

January 16, 2014

Kansas middle school how-to poster to express ‘sexual feelings’ sparks ire

Kansas parents are wondering why staff at their kids’ middle school would allow a poster on the walls that teaches how to express “sexual feeling,” and includes such graphic advisements as “touching each other’s” private body parts.

January 16, 2014

Little League coach sues player, 14, for $600K, claiming injury from celebratory helmet toss

A California coach is suing one of his Little League players, seeking $600,000 for what he says was a careless helmet toss that left him with a torn Achilles tendon.

January 16, 2014

Benjamin Netanyahu glides past John Kerry for private meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a quiet visit to Jordan's King Abdullah II to talk peace with the Palestinians on Thursday — a brief get-together that came as the exclamation point to an earlier Israeli order to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: Butt out of our pact process.

January 16, 2014

Oscar nominations: ‘American Hustle,’ ‘Gravity’ lead with 10 nods each

The con-artist comedy "American Hustle and the 3-D space odyssey "Gravity" lead the Academy Awards with 10 nominations each, including nods for best picture.

January 16, 2014

Obama tells Senate Democrats: Don’t slap new sanctions on Iran

President Obama told key Senate Democrats at a private White House meeting to refrain from slapping new sanctions on Iran.

January 16, 2014

Israel returns Gaza Strip fire, injuring 5 Palestinians

Israeli forces unleashed the nation's Iron Dome defense system to shoot down five rockets fired from the Gaza Strip — and then followed with a "precise, swift" attack of their own against suspected Palestinian aggressors, wounding at least five.

January 16, 2014

Light saver: Spending bill throws lifeline to incandescent bulbs

Thrown in the mix of the $1.1 trillion spending bill that passed the House on Wednesday is a nod to incandescent bulb lovers – language that prohibits funding for the burdensome light bulb standard that, in effect, banned a couple of the more popular wattage products from store shelves.

January 16, 2014

Pedophile ring busted in the Philippines: 15 children saved, ages 6-15

Child abuse investigators have busted an organized crime ring that live-streamed video out of the Philippines of minors forced to engage in sexual acts.

January 16, 2014

Hillary Clinton vs. Chris Christie? Former first lady now leads in race for White House: poll

In a hypothetical match-up between New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mrs. Clinton has pulled ahead, recent polls show.

January 16, 2014

Rep. Buck McKeon retirement sparks race for coveted Armed Services seat

House Armed Service Committee Chairman Buck McKeon is set to announce his retirement on Thursday, sparking a mad dash among a handful of GOP hopefuls who want to take over his coveted leadership spot.

January 16, 2014

Indiana grocery shooting leaves gunman, 2 women dead

Elkhart, Ind., police responding to a late-night shooting at a local grocery store said three have been killed: A woman who was shopping, a woman who was working and the gunman.

January 16, 2014

Vatican poised for fiery U.N. grilling on child sex abuse

For the first time in Vatican history, leading religious heads will stand before a committee of the United Nations and face a grilling about child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

January 15, 2014

Rush Limbaugh on Obama’s executive order vow: He sounds like a ‘dictator’

In response to President Obama’s warning that he would use more executive orders in the coming months to achieve his policy agenda, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh scoffed, “This is just absurd."

January 15, 2014

Al Qaeda’s Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Gitmo: ‘I am very happy in my cell’

The accused mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks reportedly penned a 36-page manifesto from behind Guantanamo Bay walls called "Invitation to Happiness" that details how he keeps sane and spiritually buoyant in captivity.

January 15, 2014

Media wars: Politico, Washington Post in biased coverage dispute

A media war waged largely behind the scenes for months has now flared, leading top dogs at Politico and The Washington Post to stage a sit-down to discuss some perceived biased coverage.

January 15, 2014