Cheryl K. Chumley

Oscar nominations: ‘American Hustle,’ ‘Gravity’ lead with 10 nods each

The con-artist comedy "American Hustle and the 3-D space odyssey "Gravity" lead the Academy Awards with 10 nominations each, including nods for best picture.

January 16, 2014

Obama tells Senate Democrats: Don’t slap new sanctions on Iran

President Obama told key Senate Democrats at a private White House meeting to refrain from slapping new sanctions on Iran.

January 16, 2014

Israel returns Gaza Strip fire, injuring 5 Palestinians

Israeli forces unleashed the nation's Iron Dome defense system to shoot down five rockets fired from the Gaza Strip — and then followed with a "precise, swift" attack of their own against suspected Palestinian aggressors, wounding at least five.

January 16, 2014

Light saver: Spending bill throws lifeline to incandescent bulbs

Thrown in the mix of the $1.1 trillion spending bill that passed the House on Wednesday is a nod to incandescent bulb lovers – language that prohibits funding for the burdensome light bulb standard that, in effect, banned a couple of the more popular wattage products from store shelves.

January 16, 2014

Pedophile ring busted in the Philippines: 15 children saved, ages 6-15

Child abuse investigators have busted an organized crime ring that live-streamed video out of the Philippines of minors forced to engage in sexual acts.

January 16, 2014

Hillary Clinton vs. Chris Christie? Former first lady now leads in race for White House: poll

In a hypothetical match-up between New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mrs. Clinton has pulled ahead, recent polls show.

January 16, 2014

Rep. Buck McKeon retirement sparks race for coveted Armed Services seat

House Armed Service Committee Chairman Buck McKeon is set to announce his retirement on Thursday, sparking a mad dash among a handful of GOP hopefuls who want to take over his coveted leadership spot.

January 16, 2014

Indiana grocery shooting leaves gunman, 2 women dead

Elkhart, Ind., police responding to a late-night shooting at a local grocery store said three have been killed: A woman who was shopping, a woman who was working and the gunman.

January 16, 2014

Vatican poised for fiery U.N. grilling on child sex abuse

For the first time in Vatican history, leading religious heads will stand before a committee of the United Nations and face a grilling about child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

January 15, 2014

Rush Limbaugh on Obama’s executive order vow: He sounds like a ‘dictator’

In response to President Obama’s warning that he would use more executive orders in the coming months to achieve his policy agenda, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh scoffed, “This is just absurd."

January 15, 2014

Al Qaeda’s Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Gitmo: ‘I am very happy in my cell’

The accused mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks reportedly penned a 36-page manifesto from behind Guantanamo Bay walls called "Invitation to Happiness" that details how he keeps sane and spiritually buoyant in captivity.

January 15, 2014

Media wars: Politico, Washington Post in biased coverage dispute

A media war waged largely behind the scenes for months has now flared, leading top dogs at Politico and The Washington Post to stage a sit-down to discuss some perceived biased coverage.

January 15, 2014

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