Cheryl K. Chumley

N.D. town evacuated after train carting crude explodes in ‘giant fireball’

Residents in a small town in North Dakota were told to pack and leave late Monday night after a train carting a shipment of crude oil crashed into another train, exploding and sending toxic fumes into the atmosphere.

December 31, 2013

Coast Guard searches Texas coast for 2 lost at sea

Coast Guard rescuers are scouring the coastline of Texas for two men who had gone on a sailboat trip, but never returned.

December 31, 2013

Nazi-looted art found in German parliament

An art historian has discovered two priceless pieces that were suspected of being looted by Nazis — right inside Germany's parliament.

December 30, 2013

Democrats latch on to minimum wage as election hot point

Democrats think they've found the campaign issue that will bring them across the finish line, in first place for 2014 — the minimum wage.

December 30, 2013

Connecticut insurers ordered to provide sex-change coverage

Any health insurer providing coverage in Connecticut will now have to include sex-change surgery and hormone therapy in their plans, as ordered by the state insurance department.

December 30, 2013

Rose Parade, 2013: Live gay wedding set for float

A San Diego woman has launched a Facebook drive to ban a Rose Parade float that features an actual same-sex wedding, saying the practice is banned by dozens of states and the family-friendly event shouldn't promote illegal activity.

December 30, 2013

Pennsylvania rabbi sued for worst-case, botched circumcision

When it comes to circumcision errors, it really doesn't get any worse than this: A Pittsburgh-area rabbi mistakenly sliced a little too much, completely cutting off the infant's body part.

December 30, 2013

Sonia Sotomayor selected as New Year’s Eve ball-dropper

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was selected by New Year's Eve countdown event organizers to lead the New Year's Eve ball-drop in Times Square.

December 30, 2013

Black Monday firings in the NFL: Minnesota Vikings toss Leslie Frazier as head coach

Come the 2014 season, the Minnesota Vikings will have a new head coach. Leslie Frazier is not returning, the team's official Twitter site put out early Monday morning.

December 30, 2013

State Dept. whistle-blower has email account hacked

A whistle-blower who helped tell tales about the State Department has now found himself the target of a personal email hack and purge, his lawyer said.

December 30, 2013

Obama Christmas, minus church, deemed ‘unusual’

Noticeably absent from the first family's Christmas season celebrations, say White House watchers: A trip to church.

December 30, 2013

Moderate drinking boosts immune system, research finds

Well, this is certainly good news for New Year's revelers. Seems drinking alcohol — in moderation, of course — actually boosts the immune system.

December 30, 2013

Islamic terrorists target Christian wedding in Nigeria

A dozen civilians living in Christian villages in northeast Nigeria were killed in two attacks carried out by Islamic militants over the weekend.

December 30, 2013

Mayor Bloomberg blows $650M of own money on NYC in 12 years

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent about $650 million of his own money to various New York City causes over his 12-year reign — a shocking amount that nonetheless pales in comparison to his net worth, about $27 billion.

December 30, 2013

DNC tries to drum up dollars with Obama ‘impeachment’ fears

The Democratic National Committee is trying to jumpstart some fundraising flurry by using fear, suggesting that if party faithfuls don't give — and give big for the upcoming elections — President Obama could very well face impeachment.

December 30, 2013

America speaks: Get out of Afghanistan, most say

Only 17 percent of Americans now support the ongoing military operations in Afghanistan, with the vast majority saying the United States should get out and go home.

December 30, 2013

Sen. Ted Cruz hires lawyers to renounce his Canadian citizenship

Sen. Ted Cruz isn't leaving any room for doubt. He's reached out to his lawyers — and met with billionaire businessman Donald Trump — and is taking steps to renounce his citizenship with Canada.

December 30, 2013

Russia ship rescue thwarted again, as passengers prep for stranded New Year

This time, blame the weather. A new rescue attempt of a stranded Russian ship in Antarctic ice went awry on Monday, as rescuers aboard an Australian icebreaker said a swirling blizzard forced them to return to open waters.

December 30, 2013

Obama and Hillary Clinton most admired man and woman? Gallup says so

Among the sea of recent polls that show President Obama is falling big time with the American people — due in part to Obamacare blunders and in part to his dishonesty about the health care rollout — now comes Gallup with a ray of light: He's still the most admired.

December 30, 2013

Al-Jazeera journalists captured in chaos of Egypt’s crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood

Three journalists working for Al-Jazeera were arrested by Egyptian security forces on Monday as part of a crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood.

December 30, 2013