Cheryl K. Chumley

Surge in shark attacks sets Hawaii tourists, residents on edge

An increase in shark attacks in Hawaiian waters have set both business owners and tourists on edge, while everyone from fishermen to marine biologists try to determine the cause of the uptick.

January 15, 2014

U.S. pledges $380M for Syria, in hopes Assad won’t take it

Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that American taxpayers will be sending along another $380 million to help Syrian civilians in crisis from the years of civil war that have plagued the country.

January 15, 2014

Obama picks California Hispanic banker to head SBA

President Obama’s pick for the head of the Small Business Administration is a Hispanic banker from California who’s hailed as having a proper mix of corporate and government work experience – as well as an ethnic and gender tag that will realize the White House’s pledge for diversity.

January 15, 2014

Charlize Theron’s love prompts Sean Penn to melt down his gun collection

Sean Penn, one of Hollywood’s most liberal voices who also happens to be an avid gun collector, has changed his Second Amendment mind and now vows to melt down all his firearms.

January 15, 2014

Plymouth Rock hit by vandals: ‘LIES’ spray-painted on monument

Spray-paint wielding vandals hit Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, defacing the well-known monument with a blaring message: “LIES.”

January 15, 2014

Virginia city mulls end to pro-Confederacy street-naming law

A Northern Virginia city known for its Civil War history is now mulling a repeal to a law that mandates certain streets be named after Confederate generals.

January 15, 2014

British zoo bans bananas for monkeys: It’s like ‘giving them cake’

British zoo workers banned monkeys from eating bananas, calling the fruit too sweet, too sugary and a poor diet addition.

January 15, 2014

John Kerry appeals to Vatican to help free Alan Gross from Cuba

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he spent part of his visit at the Vatican asking for help in freeing an American contractor who has been held captive in Cuba for almost five years.

January 15, 2014

Baghdad bombings leave dozens dead, wounded

Dozens were killed in early Wednesday morning bombings in Iraq’s capital city of Baghdad, the latest in a surge of violence that’s resulted from a recent al Qaeda take-over of two major government holdings in Anbar province.

January 15, 2014

Navy recovers body of missing pilot from Virginia coastal helicopter crash

Search and rescue authorities have recovered the body of a Navy pilot who went missing a week ago, after the helicopter he rode crashed off the coast of Virginia.

January 15, 2014

Atheists demand Ark. police chief tear out Christian cross

An atheists’ organization has demanded that a police chief in the small town of Searcy, Ark., tear up a Christian cross an anonymous giver planted in the ground outside his office.

January 14, 2014

Casey Anthony clothing, items for sale on ‘murderabilia’ website

Casey Anthony's clothing and items have hit an auction block of sorts, making an appearance on a "murderabilia" website that offers for sale a slew of things that have belonged to accused or convicted killers.

January 14, 2014

Montana pastor rushes 1-minute sermon to get home for big NFC game

A Lutheran pastor in Montana made national headlines for a one-minute sermon he delivered to speed up services and get his congregation home to watch the NFC Divisional Playoff pitting the San Francisco 49ers against the Carolina Panthers.

January 14, 2014

Leopard kills leopard in mating try gone awry in Pa. zoo

Animal handlers in Pennsylvania are devastated after a male leopard killed the female he was supposed to be mated with, Erie Zoo authorities said on Tuesday.

January 14, 2014

Michael Grimm fundraiser arrested for campaign finance scheme

A fundraiser tied to Republican Rep. Michael Grimm in New York was arrested by federal agents on charges tied to campaign finance violation allegations.

January 14, 2014

Israeli defense minister to John Kerry: ‘Leave us alone’

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had harsh words for John Kerry, just days before the secretary of state is due to sweep into the country for more talks on Palestinian peace: Your "messianic" visions aren't helping.

January 14, 2014

Texas State University evacuates over bomb scare

Texas State University authorities evacuated students after receiving a bomb scare at one of its dormitories Tuesday morning.

January 14, 2014

DirecTV boots Weather Channel in ‘unprecedented’ contract dispute

DirecTV satellite executives have given the boot to the Weather Channel, a dramatic decision that caps weeks of contentious contract disputes that included a meteorologist-driven push to paint the television provider as unconcerned with Americans’ welfare.

January 14, 2014

Wyoming lawmaker says to bring back the firing squad: It’s ‘cheapest’

A lawmaker in Wyoming says the state ought to take action now to avoid a constitutional crisis if lethal injection for convicts is ever outlawed and pass a bill to allow for the return of firing squads.

January 14, 2014

Don’t feed the whales: California biologist fined $12,500 for violating federal law

A well-known marine biologist in California was sentenced Monday to three years of probation and $12,500 in fines for violating a federal law that bans the feeding of killer whales in the wild.

January 14, 2014