Cheryl K. Chumley

John Podesta jumps aboard Obama ship to sell second-term agenda

President Obama is hearkening to Bill Clinton days, calling on the former president's chief of staff, John Podesta, to help sell some of his more controversial second-term agenda items and pave the way for better poll numbers.

December 10, 2013

‘TipsforJesus’ strikes in New York, with three massive tips

The mystery diner who has been leaving generous tips at restaurants around the nation with receipts signed “Tips for Jesus” hit hard at New York City in recent days.

December 10, 2013

NOT AGAIN! D.C. to get up to half a foot of snow

The post office, it's not. Threat of rain, sleet, snow and ice have shut down all the federal government offices in the Washington, D.C., area on Tuesday.

December 10, 2013

Pope Francis: A nun saved my life

Pope Francis suggested if it hadn't been for a rogue nun going behind a doctor's back and dramatically increasing his antibiotic dosage, he may have died at a young age.

December 9, 2013

Air Force Band puts on flash-mob show at Smithsonian

The U.S. Air Force Band surprised visitors at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum by staging a flash-mob show that ultimately included about 120 musicians and singers.

December 9, 2013

U.S., British intelligence agents enter online sci-fi world to spy on gamers

American and British intelligence agents have been spying on online gamers, new documents released by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed.

December 9, 2013

CIA admits $3 billion intelligence operation was a flop

The Central Intelligence Agency admitted Monday in published comments that a $3 billion intelligence program that was implemented after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States was a big flop.

December 9, 2013

Berkshire County eschews dollars for own currency — BerkShares

It started at five community banks, and has now spread to more than 400 local businesses. One small county in Massachusetts has created its own system of money, currency called BerkShares that's accepted by a large portion of the establishments in the community.

December 9, 2013

Florida authorities ban autistic boy from owning therapeutic chickens

Chickens seem to have helped an autistic boy in Florida come out of his shell, but local zoning authorities say they have to go — the residence isn't zoned for agriculture.

December 9, 2013

Defendant in Lee Rigby machete murder trial: ‘I love al Qaeda’

A Muslim man on trial for the brutal machete street killing of British soldier Lee Rigby said during testimony in London's Central Criminal Court on Monday that he not only loved al Qaeda, but he also considered the terrorist group as close as family.

December 9, 2013

MSNBC host: Obamacare a ‘wealthy white men’ racist word

MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry went off on a tangent in a recent broadcast, ranting about the racist overtones of a word that's been used for years by both sides of the political aisle -- Obamacare.

December 9, 2013

Democrat thwarts Nevada activist’s try to name peak after Reagan

A Nevada conservative activist is incensed after his attempt to name a peak after former President Ronald Reagan was thwarted by a Democratic lawmaker who instead filed a bill to name the property after a former state politico — another Democrat.

December 9, 2013

Rogue reindeer runs from Santa, eludes police for hours

A rogue reindeer who was supposed to hang with Santa for a Christmas lighting event in Dillon, Colo., had different ideas, jumping his enclosure and leading police on a chase that lasted for hours.

December 9, 2013

Iran touts new laser that bolsters missile accuracy

The defense minister of Iran said the military has a new laser system, and it's significantly bolstered the accuracy of ballistic missiles — to the point that they can hit within a couple feet of their targets.

December 9, 2013

Satanists petition for statue at Oklahoma Statehouse

Self-declared satanists in Oklahoma are seeking to erect a statue at the Statehouse, right next to a monument of the Ten Commandments.

December 9, 2013

Deadly N.Y. train derailment leads to Senate call for cameras at tracks

At least two senators are pushing for cameras at the train tracks — their political response to a deadly derailment outside the Bronx borough of New York that was attributed to a sleepy engineer who entered a curve at three times the posted speed.

December 9, 2013

WWII vet, 90, en route to Pearl Harbor event booted from flight

A World War II veteran, 90, en route from Los Angeles to a Pearl Harbor ceremony in Hawaii, was booted from his flight so the airline could add some more fuel without violating weight limits.

December 9, 2013

SWAT team at Phoenix hospital as armed man clears emergency room

Police officers and a SWAT team surrounded a Phoenix hospital on Monday morning and are trying to coax an armed man who is holed up inside the emergency room into giving up peacefully.

December 9, 2013

Kim Jong-un’s uncle dragged from political meeting, booted from party

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's uncle — once considered the second-in-charge in the closed country and a key figure in his nephew's rise to power — was dragged by police from a political meeting, the state-run media reported Monday.

December 9, 2013

Wendy’s worker mistakenly serves burger with marijuana joint

A Wendy's fast-food worker in Lovejoy, Ga., accidentally dropped her half-smoked marijuana blunt in a cheeseburger she served to an unwitting customer.

December 6, 2013