National News - The Morning Sun

Thirteen people have died, and 21 are missing, according to Brazil's Civil Defense, after heavy rains hit south of the country since Monday. Rio Grande do Sul state Governor Eduardo Leite said Thursday the death toll was expected to rise in the state due to the difficult access to the landslide sites.

Death toll from heavy rains in southern Brazil jumps to 29, with 60 more still mising

The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state has jumped to 29, with another 60 people missing, according to the state’s civil defense agency. Brazil’s President … more

Associated Press | 5/2/24

FILE - This artist sketch depicts Salah Al-Ejaili, foreground right with glasses, a former Al-Jazeera journalist, before the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., April 16, 2024. Al-Ejaili, a former detainee at the infamous Abu Ghraib Prison, described to jurors the type of abuse that is reminiscent of the scandal that erupted there 20 years ago: beatings, being stripped naked and threatened with dogs, stress positions meant to induce exhaustion and pain. A judge declared a mistrial Thursday, May 2, after a jury said it was deadlocked and could not reach a verdict in the trial of a military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq two decades ago. (Dana Verkouteren via AP, File)

Judge declares mistrial after jury deadlocks in lawsuit filed by former Abu Ghraib prisoners

A judge declared a mistrial after a jury said it was deadlocked and couldn't reach a verdict in the trial of a military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at the Abu Ghraib … more

By MATTHEW BARAKAT | 5/2/24

A convention goer wears a button supporting LGBTQ clergy at the United Methodist Church General Conference Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy with no debate on Wednesday, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

United Methodists remove anti-gay language from their official teachings on societal issues

For the past 52 years, the United Methodist Church had officially declared “the practice of homosexuality ... incompatible with Christian teaching.” But that has ended now that church delegates … more

By PETER SMITH | 5/2/24

Dana Pope, with her husband John by her side, holds a photo of her son, Ethan, as she speaks at a news conference at the Georgia Capitol on May 2, 2024, after Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill to regulate kratom. Extracted from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, kratom is used to make capsules, powders and liquids. It's often sold in gas stations or smoke shops, marketed as an aid for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.The Popes say their son died after using kratom and that they hope the newly signed legislation will prevent other families from having to go through what they did. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback)

Georgia governor signs law adding regulations for production and sale of herbal supplement kratom

Georgia’s governor has signed a bill putting new regulations on the production and sale of products containing kratom, a plant-based supplement. The law was signed Thursday. It takes effect Jan. 1 … more

By KATE BRUMBACK | 5/2/24

FILE - A pedestrian crosses a street in a shopping district Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Pedestrians who are not white ended up in the emergency room for traffic-related injuries at higher proportions than white people, according to a new federal report published Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Non-white pedestrians more often end up in the ER for vehicle-related injuries, report shows

Pedestrians who are not white ended up in the emergency room for traffic-related injuries at higher rates than white people. That's according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and … more

By KENYA HUNTER | 5/2/24

This image provided by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office shows Heather Pressdee. The Pennsylvania nurse who administered lethal or potentially lethal doses of insulin to numerous patients pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and other charges Thursday, May 2, 2024 and sentenced to life in prison. (Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office via AP)

Pennsylvania nurse who gave patients lethal or possibly lethal insulin doses gets life in prison

A Pennsylvania nurse who administered lethal or potentially lethal doses of insulin to numerous patients has pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and other charges and been sentenced to life in … more

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI | 5/2/24

This image provided by the Norwalk Police Department shows the scene of a tanker fire on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., Thursday, May 2, 2024. Both sides of I-95, the East Coast's main north-south highway, were shut down — causing “horrendous” traffic jams — following the early morning crash involving a passenger car, a tractor-trailer and a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons (about 32,000 liters) of gasoline. (Norwalk Police Department via AP)

A fiery crash involving tanker carrying gas closes I-95 in Connecticut in both directions

Both sides of I-95, the East Coast’s main north-south highway, have been shut down in southwestern Connecticut. It follows an early morning crash Thursday involving a passenger car, tractor trailer … more

5/2/24

Workers remove wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Body of 5th missing worker found more than a month after Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say

Authorities say they've recovered the body of a fifth person who was missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge more than a month ago. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command … more

5/2/24

Demonstrators wave a Georgian national flag standing in front of police block during an opposition protest against a bill near the Parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Protesters denounce the bill as "the Russian law" because Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize independent news media and organizations critical of the Kremlin. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

Georgia parliament cancels session after building damaged during huge protests

The parliament of Georgia has cancelled its plenary session following massive protests against a proposed law that critics fear will stifle media freedom and endanger the country’s bid for … more

5/2/24

FILE - Police block streets around the Vladislav Ribnikar school in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. A teenage boy opened fire at the school on the morning of May 3, 2023. Eight children and a school guard died, and seven people were wounded. One of the wounded, a child, died from injuries later. A total of 10 people were killed. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

Serbia prepares to mark school shooting anniversary. A mother says 'everyone rushed to forget'

Serbia is preparing to mark the anniversary of a school shooting last year that killed 10 people. Mother Ninela Radicevic lost her 11-year-old daughter in the tragedy on May 3, 2023. Radicevic told … more

By MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC and JOVANA GEC | 5/2/24

This image from video released by the U.S. Army, shows a frame from a haunting new video, released on May 2, 2024, in the latest effort by the Army to lure soldiers to some of its more secretive units. Hints of its origin are tucked into the frames as they flash by touting the power of words, ideas and "invisible hands." Army Special Operations Command hopes that those drawn to the video may be interested in joining as one of its psychological warfare soldiers. (U.S. Army via AP)

Faceless people, invisible hands: New Army video aims to lure recruits for psychological operations

A haunting new video released in the early morning hours is the latest effort by the Army to lure soldiers to some of its more secretive units. Hints of its origin are tucked into the frames as they … more

By LOLITA C. BALDOR | 5/2/24

FILE - A single room, fully dedicated maternity room in a hospital maternity ward in Mississippi is seen on Oct. 11, 2012. In 2023, U.S. pregnancy-related deaths fell back to pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Pregnancy-related deaths have fallen to pre-pandemic levels, new US data says

New government data suggests U.S. pregnancy-related deaths have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. About 680 women died last year during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth. That’s down from 817 … more

By MIKE STOBBE | 5/2/24

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings wipes away tears as he speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

A list of mass killings in the United States this year

The latest mass killing in the U.S. happened Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Four officers were fatally shot. Another four officers were wounded. It happened when a task force of officers from … more

By The Associated Press | 5/1/24

FILE - Joie Henney hugs his emotional support alligator named Wally, Jan. 22, 2019, inside their home in York Haven, Pa. Henney credits Wally for helping relieve his depression for nearly a decade, says he's searching for the reptile after it went missing during a vacation to the coast of Georgia. (Heather Khalifa/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)

Man says his emotional support alligator, known for its big social media audience, has gone missing

A Pennsylvania man says his emotional support alligator named Wally has gone missing amid the coastal marshes of Georgia. Joie Henney's alligator has attracted thousands of social media followers … more

5/1/24

FILE - Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., speaks at a news conference after the House passed the debt ceiling bill, May 31, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington. A panel of federal judges on Tuesday rejected a new congressional map that would give Louisiana a second majority Black district, renewing the political fortunes of Graves, whose district was altered by the map. Fields had declared his intention to run for Congress in the new district. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Louisiana won't immediately get a new majority-Black House district after judges reject it

A new Louisiana congressional map giving the state a second majority-Black House district has been rejected by a panel of federal judges. Tuesday’s 2-1 decision fuels new uncertainty about district … more

By KEVIN McGILL | 5/1/24

This image provided by the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, Minn., shows Abelhamid Al-Madioum, a Minnesota man who once fought for the Islamic State group in Syria. Al-Madioum, who has been cooperating with federal authorities and now expresses remorse for joining a “death cult”, will learn Wednesday, May 1, 2024, how much prison time he faces. Al-Madioum was brought to the U.S. in 2020 and pleaded guilty in 2021 to providing material support to a designated terrorist organization. (Sherburne County Jail via AP)

Sentencing postponed for Minnesota man who regrets joining Islamic State group

A Minnesota man who once fought for the Islamic State group in Syria but now expresses remorse and has been cooperating with authorities will have to wait to learn how much prison time he faces. A … more

By STEVE KARNOWSKI | 5/1/24

Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic spokesperson, Emily Thompson, announces a $10 million investment into a state voter engagement campaign at a press conference in Bicentennial Plaza in Raleigh, N.C., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The campaign will focus on canvassing, mailers, digital ads and phone banking to block a GOP legislative supermajority and Republican governor in the 2024 election. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

Some North Carolina abortion pill restrictions are unlawful, federal judge says

A federal judge has ruled that some of North Carolina government’s restrictions on dispensing abortion pills are unlawful. A U.S. district judge granted a partial victory Tuesday to a physician who … more

By GARY D. ROBERTSON | 5/1/24

In this aerial still image provided by KABC-TV, firefighters respond to the scene of an accident where a shuttle bus collided with a Metro light rail train on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (KABC via AP)

Metro train collides with bus in downtown Los Angeles, injuring more than 50, 2 seriously

Officials say 55 people were hurt, two seriously, when a Metro light rail train and a University of Southern California shuttle bus collided in downtown Los Angeles. The LA Fire Department says the … more

By DAMIAN DOVARGANES | 4/30/24

President Joe Biden waves as he walks to Marine One for departure from the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Washington. Biden is headed to Delaware. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Biden's historic marijuana shift is his latest election-year move for young voters

President Joe Biden has made a number of election-year moves intended to appeal to younger voters. The latest is a proposal by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana as a … more

By JONATHAN J. COOPER | 4/30/24

FILE - Mississippi House Democratic Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, speaks during a debate, Feb. 1, 2024, at the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Johnson said Tuesday, April 30, that many House Democrats have concerns about a bill that he said would provide "Medicaid expansion in name only." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Mississippi Medicaid expansion plan could struggle for bipartisan support, Democratic leader says

The Mississippi House Democratic leader says a Medicaid expansion plan endorsed by Republican leaders could struggle for bipartisan support. Rep. Robert Johnson says the plan has a work requirement … more

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS | 4/30/24