Jessica Chasmar

Obama finally talks of Tiger Woods: ‘He’s on another planet’

President Obama finally spoke publicly Wednesday about his secretive golf game with Tiger Woods during the Presidents Day weekend.

February 24, 2013

Missouri Dems propose felonies for restricting union power

Missouri Democrats signed a bill making it a Class D felony for any legislator to even propose limiting the collective bargaining rights of unions.

February 24, 2013

Democratic strategist blames Republicans for Chicago gun, gang violence

Chicago hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1927, but Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman made the argument Friday that the GOP in Washington is to blame for the city's gang and gun violence.

February 24, 2013

Mass. moves on ‘unisex’ restrooms for transgender students

he Massachusetts Department of Education has issued a new directive for schools in the handling of transgendered students, including allowing them to use whichever restroom they choose.

February 21, 2013

Drew Peterson sentenced to 38 years in prison for killing wife

Drew Peterson was sentenced Thursday to 38 years in prison for murdering his third wife, USA Today reports.

February 21, 2013

Facebook, Google create new science prize worth $3 million

Facebook's and Google's founders set aside their rivalries to create the "Breakthrough Prize" for science that's worth more than double the value of the Nobel prize.

February 21, 2013

China defines unmarried women older than 27 as ‘leftover,’ ‘undesirable’

The Chinese have ordered its All-China Women's Federation to define unmarried women older than 27 as "left over."

February 21, 2013

N. Koreans encouraged to choose from officially sanctioned hairstyles

North Korean women are being encouraged to do their part in representing the state by choosing from one of the eighteen hairdos the Communist government has officially sanctioned.

February 21, 2013

47 percent of Detroit’s property owners didn’t pay taxes last year

Nearly half of Detroit's property owners didn't pay their taxes last year, indicating the financial troubles of the debt-stricken city's residents and the ongoing cycle of declining revenues and diminished services for those residents.

February 21, 2013

Feds say employee background checks are racist

A federal agency has issued a directive claiming that federal contractors who perform criminal background checks may violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, because "racial and ethnic minorities are arrested and convicted at a higher rate than whites."

February 21, 2013

Rand Paul writes $600K check to U.S. Treasury

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is returning $600,000 to the U.S. Treasury that he saved by scrimping in the past year at his Senate office. "It's the only budget I control. ... It's not enough, but it's a start," the senator told reporters at a conference in downtown Louisville.

February 21, 2013

Kansas bill would prompt teachers to objectively cover global warming

The Kansas State Board of Education is preparing to vote on legislation proposing district school teachers present both sides of the global warming debate.

February 21, 2013

Texas teacher refuses to grade papers on hunting, gun show

A Denton, Texas, teacher reportedly refused to grade two students' reports that answered the question "What are you interested in?"

February 21, 2013

Joe Biden’s shotgun advice would land his wife in jail, police sergeant said

Vice President Joseph R. Biden's advice to his wife during a public Facebook video chat Tuesday would likely land her in jail.

February 21, 2013

MSNBC’s Axelrod, Gibbs deny they have pro-Obama bias

The allegations are already flying after MSNBC and NBC News hired President Obama's former White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, and the president's top campaign adviser, David Axelrod.

February 21, 2013

Sen. Harry Reid on 6th term: ‘Sure, why not?’

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Wednesday night that he will be seeking a sixth term in 2016.

February 21, 2013

University removes ten tips for thwarting rapist after media coverage

After being lambasted in the media, The University of Colorado has retracted it ten tips for thwarting an attacker.

February 20, 2013

Chicago schools get $50k from feds to ‘recover from multiple shootings’

The U.S. Department of Education announced last week that it is awarding $50,000 to Chicago-area schools to help "recover from multiple shootings."

February 20, 2013

Study: Reality TV junkies more likely to tan

A new study concluded that reality TV junkies are three times more likely to use tanning lamps or tan outdoors.

February 20, 2013

Virgin founder Richard Branson to donate half of his fortune to charity

Sir Richard Branson is the latest in high-profile billionaires to pledge half of his Virgin Group fortune to charity. Mr. Branson has added his name to the Giving Pledge campaign set up by U.S. investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, The Daily Mail reports.

February 20, 2013