Cheryl K. Chumley

Western states swing Democrat

Go West, young man — a quote centered on America's expansion toward the Pacific Ocean — might as well apply to Democrats now.

January 30, 2013

Toyota recall targets more than 1 million cars

Toyota has recalled more than a million cars around the world because of defects with the air bags and windshield wipers, according to media reports.

January 30, 2013

N.J. Gov. Christie enjoys record support — from Democrats

New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie has found his niche and it is deep within the ranks of the Democratic Party, according to media reports that indicate high favor from liberals — to the tune of 62 percent — for the Republican governor.

January 30, 2013

AKC: Labrador retriever unseats Yorkshire terrier as top dog

The Yorkshire terrier is no longer top dog in New York City. According to an American Kennel Club survey, the favorite canine for city dwellers is now the Labrador retriever.

January 30, 2013

Research in Motion launches next-generation BlackBerry phones

Research in Motion unveiled its new lineup of smartphones, under the next-generation BlackBerry 10 operating system, during a Wednesday presentation to bolster excitement for its latest technology.

January 30, 2013

Liberal thought: Chicago’s murder rate due to climate change

Christie Hefner, with the liberal Center for American Progress, told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" listeners that climate change is the cause, in part, for Chicago's high murder rate.

January 30, 2013

No surrender! Republican Powell defends voting for Obama

Former Secretary of State and self-declared Republican Colin Powell said he voted for Democrat Barack Obama for president — twice — because of concerns over the economy, according to a Fox News broadcast of Bill O'Reilly's show, "The Factor."

January 30, 2013

Flake to Obama: Security first, citizenship second

Sen. Jeff Flake, in Wednesday morning comments on Fox News, said President Obama ought to look at border security first and pathways to citizenship second, given the security and fiscal issues facing this nation.

January 30, 2013

Hezbollah arms shipment destroyed in Israeli jet strike

Israel isn’t confirming, but Middle East news outlets report Israeli jets have struck a target near the Syria-Lebanon border in an effort to stop the transport of missiles into Hezbollah hands.

January 30, 2013

Alabama gunman still holds 6-year-old boy hostage

A hostage situation involving an armed Alabama man and a 6-year-old boy has entered its second day, as police report the man has now bunkered the child in some type of underground shelter.

January 30, 2013

Surprise: U.S. economy shrinks for first time in near four years

More bad financial news has hit the nation, as the Commerce Department reports the U.S. economy has shrunk for the first time in three-and-a-half years, by 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter.

January 30, 2013

NFL players union spends $100 million to learn why violent game shortens lives

Why do football players die early? That's the topic of research for a $100 million Harvard University study, to be funded by the National Football League Players Association.

January 30, 2013

Obama inaugural reveals FDR-like ‘Second Bill of Rights’

President Obama's drive for dramatic reforms in American politics and policy is a near copycat of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1944 push for a Second Bill of Rights, according to one legal scholar, Cass Sunstein.

January 30, 2013

Brace for more IRS paperwork: Obamacare costs in new W-2 tax forms

Internal Revenue Service W-2 forms are in the mail, and recipients this month will see something new: The total costs the employer pays for health care coverage.

January 30, 2013

EEOC launches probe of TSA ‘hostile work environment’

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is investigating the Transportation Security Administration for creating a "hostile work environment," according to Tuesday media reports.

January 30, 2013

Sen. Sessions calls for firing of ICE director

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, in Tuesday floor remarks, called for the firing of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement head for failing to uphold and enforce border laws.

January 30, 2013

Wild monkey mob rampages Indonesian village

A surprise attack by a mob of wild monkeys has panicked a village in eastern Indonesia, as residents report attacks, injuries and home damage.

January 30, 2013

Scalia scoffed for claiming Constitution is ‘dead’ document

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is drawing fire from legal colleagues for his characterization of the U.S. Constitution as a "dead" document — that is, judges should not take it upon themselves to interpret its clauses via modern meanings.

January 30, 2013

Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani schoolgirl shot by Taliban, set for more surgery

The Pakistani teen shot by the Taliban for her advocacy of education for girls is scheduled for more surgery, according to various media reports.

January 30, 2013

Costa Concordia captain: I’ll command again

The captain of the Costa Concordia challenged his firing Tuesday, claiming in a closed-door court hearing that he actually saved lives after his ship ran aground and capsized, killing 32, in a Jan. 13, 2012, disaster off the coast of Tuscany.

January 30, 2013