Jessica Chasmar

Seattle sees spike in shoplifting, food-borne illness after plastic bag ban

A Seattle grocery store has complained of losing thousands in revenue due to shoplifting since the city council unanimously passed a ban on plastic bags last summer.

February 28, 2013

Swiss Guards, pope protectors since 1506, say goodbye to Benedict XVI

Swiss Guards took a central role in the Pope's historic retirement Thursday as they flanked the 20-foot doorway leading into the papal palace at 8 p.m. in the Vatican.

February 28, 2013

Yale mulls paying for students’ sex change operations

Yale is reviewing the logistics of adopting similar policies to Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and Brown in paying for students' sex reassignment surgeries.

February 28, 2013

Chris Matthews: Gun ‘hoarders,’ ‘survivalists’ may assassinate president

Chris Matthews railed against Second Amendment supporters on Wednesday night's broadcast of "Hardball," where he explicitly stated that those who are against gun control are for the assassinations of political leaders.

February 28, 2013

Trayvon Martin protester would rather die than use gun in self-defense

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Atlanta Wednesday to protest "Stand Your Ground" laws, marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

February 28, 2013

Iranian toddlers to be taught chastity, wear hijab

A report Wednesday revealed that a statewide initiative in Iran will teach kindergartners the importance of chastity and wearing the hijab.

February 28, 2013

$50,000 in taxpayer funds for Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! trip

Michelle Obama's three-day tour to Chicago, Mississippi and Missouri to promote her "Let's Move!" campaign will hit taxpayers' wallets at a sum of $50,000 or more.

February 28, 2013

Egypt: ‘Harlem Shake’ protest planned for Muslim Brotherhood headquarters

A group of protesters have organized a Facebook event calling on activists to perform the provocative viral dance, the "Harlem Shake," in front of the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Moqattam, Egypt, next Thursday.

February 28, 2013

Unprecedented crowds confront N.Y. alderman over ‘tea-party psychotard’ remark

Hudson city alderman Dave Marston caused an uproar Wednesday night during a city council meeting, where he was questioned for his email to Johanna Johnson-Smith, calling gun rights advocates "tea-party psychotards."

February 28, 2013

Parents of transgender 6-year-old sue over restroom ban

Parents of a 6-year old transgender child are suing Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain, Colo., after officials prohibited the child from using the girls' bathroom.

February 27, 2013

Starting early: Chicago proposes sex ed for kindergartners

Chicago students begin sex education in the fifth grade, as do most of the nation's children, but the Chicago public school board has proposed teaching kids about sex beginning at age 5.

February 27, 2013

Johns Hopkins slapped with first lawsuit after gynecologist recorded exams

Johns Hopkins has been hit with its first lawsuit after an investigation found that a gynecologist had been secretly recording women during exams.

February 27, 2013

American student punished for refusing to recite Mexican pledge of allegiance?

A Texas high school has filed a federal lawsuit against her school after her Spanish teacher allegedly gave her a failing grade for refusing to recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance.

February 27, 2013

Liberal Fox News contributor: ‘Most Republicans are fat’

Liberal Fox News contributor Tamara N. Holder, appearing Tuesday night on "Hannity," called Republicans "fat asses."

February 27, 2013

Democrat invokes Trayvon Martin in anti-racial profiling bill

D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has proposed anti-racial profiling legislation to mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

February 27, 2013

Toure, John Legend share mockery for black Rush Limbaugh fans

Black Republicans often face harsh scrutiny from the left, and black Rush Limbaugh fans are no exception. MSNBC's Touré and music star John Legend shared some mockery for black "ditto-heads" this morning.

February 27, 2013

Weighty issue: Fat student report cards get failing grade in Mass.

Two Massachusetts lawmakers are fighting to reverse a 2009 legislative mandate ordering public schools to perform body mass index screenings and sending "fat letters" to parents of overweight children.

February 27, 2013

New York alderman: Gun advocates are ‘tea party psychotards’

Hudson city alderman Dave Marston has received some backlash since an email exchange where he called Second Amendment advocates "gun-toting Tea Party psychotards" and implied gun rights supporters are "unemployed."

February 27, 2013

Condo association orders soldier to take down American flag

An Alabama couple were shocked when they received a note from their Home Owners Association demanding they remove an American flag from outside their condo.

February 26, 2013

Alabama city ordinance would disarm residents in event of emergency

A proposed disaster emergency ordinance in Guntersville, Ala., would give police overreaching power to disarm individuals in the event of an emergency.

February 26, 2013