Cheryl K. Chumley

Black Friday dawns with gunshots, injuries, mayhem

A Chicago-area police officer and a suspect he shot in a shoplifting incident outside a Kohl’s department store were in the hospital on Friday — a worst-case example of how Black Friday opened with madness, mayhem and violence.

November 29, 2013

U.N. says North Korea seems to have jumpstarted reactor at nuclear plant

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Thursday that North Korea seems to have jumpstarted operations at a key nuclear plant, Yongbyon, to possibly produce weapons-grade plutonium.

November 28, 2013

Gun-firing homeowner, female boxer thwart Florida burglary

A homeowner in Florida met five burglary suspects with a gun, chasing them from his home – and into the surprising path of a female, former boxing professional neighbor who was only too glad to help.

November 28, 2013

Fit mom booted from Facebook for anti-fat post deemed ‘hate speech’

A fitness guru who sparked a media firestorm weeks ago for posing with her toned abs and three young kids in a pro-exercise photo with the caption, “what’s your excuse?” has now been booted from Facebook for making comments about the growing acceptance of fat — comments deemed “hate speech” by the social media site.

November 28, 2013

Sriracha hot sauce factory in Calif. ordered to close over odor

A Southern California company that produces Sriracha hot sauce was ordered to shut its doors, after a Los Angeles County judge ruled in favor of residents who said the smell drove them to distraction.

November 28, 2013

NYC alarms with notice: ‘Immediately surrender your rifle’

New York City authorities have been sending out notices to residents who own guns that now violate new ammunition capability laws, demanding they relinquish their weapons — and even though the notifications may just be standard police procedure, the text is a shocker.

November 28, 2013

Biofuel rule puts turkey farmers in fret over corn costs

Turkey farmers say a federal mandate to produce a certain amount of biofuel has left them scrambling to turn a profit, because corn costs over the years have skyrocketed and feed prices soared.

November 28, 2013

‘God diet’ splashes into holiday season

Toss the grapefruits and shred the Atkins book. Those watching their weight have a new source for inspiration to lose fat and trim down — the so-called "God diet."

November 28, 2013

Kim Jong-un doppelganger makes waves as burger salesman in Tel Aviv

A 34-year-old Australian musician who happens to be a spit-fire doppelganger of North Korea’s Kim-jong Un has unwittingly launched a new career — as an advertisement actor who plays the dictator and sells the likes of hamburgers in Tel Aviv.

November 28, 2013

Pope Francis sends right-hand man to oversee Vatican bank inquiry

In an apparent sign that Pope Francis means business, the leading Catholic Church figure appointed his personal, top-ranking assistant to step into an inquiry of Vatican banking and Holy See financial transactions that he set up earlier this year.

November 28, 2013

U.S. spied on G-8, G-20 in Toronto, with Canada’s blessing: report

Once again, Edward Snowden documents have struck, revealing this time that the United States — with Canada's permission — sent National Security Agency spies to the G-8 and G-20 summits in Ontario in 2010.

November 28, 2013

Michelle Obama’s idea of Thanksgiving table talk: Push the Obamacare

So this is how first lady Michelle Obama imagines Americans should spend their Thanksgiving dinner: Talking about Obamacare.

November 28, 2013

South Korea, Japan join U.S. in defying China’s air defense zone

First China declared a new air defense zone over island territories that are the subject of an ownership dispute with Japan. Then, the United States flew two B-52 bombers into the newly declared defense zone, in apparent defiance of China’s claim to air space. And now, on Thursday, South Korea and Japan did the same.

November 28, 2013

Al Gore goes animal-free with new vegan diet

Just in time for the holidays: Former Vice President Al Gore has sworn off meat, eggs and dairy and gone vegan, said one person familiar with the decision.

November 27, 2013

Beijing busts up barbeques to tackle air pollution

China authorities trying to take a bite out of air pollution are busting up barbeques – the line of logic being that the outdoor grilling machines release too many “PM2.5” particles into the air.

November 27, 2013

Pope picks powerful Putin for summit as Obama hobnobs with celebs in Hollywood

The rising power of Russia's Vladimir Putin was in stark display this week as he commanded an audience with Pope Francis — and then forced the pontiff to wait for almost an hour for the face-to-face meeting.

November 27, 2013

California bar owners fight city to keep pro-veteran sign

A couple of bar owners in California who brought their pro-veteran message to a rooftop billboard said they're engaged in a public dispute over zoning laws and whether the mounted message meets code.

November 27, 2013

Former Pa. GOP head charged with drugging, raping female colleague

A former Pennsylvania county Republican Party head faces 19 criminal charges tied to allegations he raped and assaulted a 51-year-old female colleague, then tampered with evidence and lied to police during questioning.

November 27, 2013

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie: Obamacare a ‘train wreck’ a newbie could’ve seen coming

Not only is Obamacare a "train wreck," N.J. Gov. Chris Christie says, but it's a train wreck that even a newbie politico could have predicted.

November 27, 2013

Michelle Obama sends tweet-out to amnesty activists on fast

Immigration reform activists who are engaging in a much-publicized food fast to bring attention to their relaxed border and amnesty wishes got some love from the first lady late Tuesday, via a tweet of solidarity she sent that told of White House support.

November 27, 2013