Jessica Chasmar

NAACP president: Black people worse off under Obama

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous said Sunday, perhaps unwittingly, that black Americans "are doing a full worse" than when President Obama first took office.

January 28, 2013

Secret Service dog falls to its death at Biden event

A Secret Service dog fell to its death Saturday night in New Orleans while doing a sweep of a multistory parking deck next a hotel where Vice President Joseph R. Biden was speaking.

January 27, 2013

N.C. bill would ban welfare recipients from lottery

North Carolina lawmakers are drafting legislation that would make it unlawful for vendors to sell lottery tickets to customers they know are bankrupt or on welfare.

January 27, 2013

Homeland Security seeking 7,000 assault weapons for ‘personal defense’

While the Obama administration calls for a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, the Department of Homeland Security is seeking to acquire 7,000 "personal defense weapons" — also known as "assault weapons" when owned by civilians.

January 27, 2013

Wis. sheriff says 911 not best option, urges citizens to arm themselves

Milwaukee County, Wis., Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. made waves last week after releasing a radio ad urging citizens to arm themselves, rather than relying solely on police in case of an emergency.

January 27, 2013

EPA rules kill Texas power plant, 3,900 jobs

Environmental Protection Agency regulations are snuffing out another power plant, Chase Power announced Wednesday, killing its $3 billion Corpus Christi, Texas, coal project and 3,900 prospective jobs.

January 27, 2013

Obama not sure he would allow a son to play football

President Obama took a swipe at football in a new interview, saying he would "have to think long and hard'' before letting his hypothetical son play the dangerous sport.

January 27, 2013

At least 232 dead in Brazilian nightclub fire

A fire early Sunday at a crowded Brazilian nightclub set off a stampede killing at least 232 people. It appears to be the world's deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade.

January 27, 2013

NRA boycott of outdoors show shuts it down

America's largest sports and outdoors show was postponed Thursday after the NRA issued a boycott, following the event's ban on "modern sporting rifles," or semi-automatic rifles.

January 24, 2013

N.Y. student with AR-15 scares off home intruder

A college student warded off an intruder with his AR-15 early Tuesday morning in central New York.

January 24, 2013

Former POW Jessica Lynch: Women in combat ‘good news’

Former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch said it's good news for the U.S. military to allow women to serve in combat roles.

January 24, 2013

Hamas to establish military academy for Gaza children

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh announced Thursday that Gaza will establish a new military academy, the first of its kind, to prepare children for the "phase of liberating Palestine."

January 24, 2013

Sheriff Arpaio’s armed posse patrols Phoenix schools

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who calls himself "America's toughest sheriff," organized an armed posse earlier this month to patrol the Arizona county's schools.

January 24, 2013

Bobby Jindal: GOP should change ‘just about everything’

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is calling on Republicans to "recalibrate the compass of conservatism" following a crushing blow to the GOP on Election Day.

January 24, 2013

CEO unveils bulletproof whiteboards that could shield kids

Less than a month after the Newtown shooting and a new invention was born: bulletproof dry erase boards for teachers could use as a shield. George Tunis, a CEO of Hardwire LLC, came up with the idea after the tragedy in December.

January 24, 2013

Holy smokes! Oregon Democrat wants prescription-only cigarettes

Oregon state Rep. Mitch Greenlick, a Democrat, is sponsoring a bill that makes cigarettes a Schedule III controlled substance, equatable with ketamine, lysergic acid and anabolic steroids. The bill would force all cigarette smokers to carry a prescription from a doctor or face jail time.

January 24, 2013

Fifth-grader searched, berated for paper gun in South Philly

A South Philadelphia fifth-grader was searched and scolded in front of her class after trying to throw away a folded piece of paper shaped like a gun.

January 24, 2013

NBC scolds Prince Harry for ‘antagonizing’ Taliban

Following a Prince Harry interview where he said to have killed Taliban insurgents, an NBC panel Wednesday hyperventilated over Harry's "need to antagonize the Taliban."

January 24, 2013

‘Infuriated’ Boxer stormed out of Benghazi hearing

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., told MSNBC's Al Sharpton Wednesday night she was "infuriated" during Sen. Rand Paul's questioning of Sec. Hillary Clinton and even left the hearing room.

January 24, 2013

DiCaprio to fly around the world ‘for the environment’

"Django Unchained" star Leonardo DiCaprio said he's tuckered out and taking "a long, long break" from acting to "fly around the world doing good for the environment."

January 23, 2013