National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - Dani Thayer, left, and Marina Lanae, right, both of Tulsa, Okla., hold pro-choice signs outside the state Capitol, Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in Oklahoma City. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Friday, Jan 19, 2024, an Oklahoma hospital did not violate federal law when doctors told a woman with a nonviable pregnancy to wait in the parking lot until her condition worsened enough to qualify for an abortion under the state's strict ban. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki File)

US government rejects complaint that woman was improperly denied an emergency abortion in Oklahoma

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says an Oklahoma hospital did not violate federal law after doctors told a woman with a nonviable pregnancy to wait in the parking lot until her … more

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI | 1/19/24

Historically Black Missouri college in turmoil after suicide of administrator who alleged bullying

A historically Black college in Missouri is in turmoil after the suicide of an administrator who alleged bullying by the school's president. Known for keeping her office door open and greeting … more

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and SUMMER BALLENTINE | 1/19/24

FILE - Investigators stand outside a house where five immigrants from Senegal were found dead after a fire in suburban Denver on Aug. 5, 2020. One of three teens accused of starting the fire -- apparently in revenge for a stolen iPhone mistakenly traced to the residence -- pleaded guilty on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024to one count of second degree murder. Under the plea agreement, Gavin Seymour, 19, faces between 16 and 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 15. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert, File)

Teen pleads guilty in Denver house fire that killed 5 from Senegal

One of three teens charged with starting a house fire in suburban Denver that killed five members of a Senegalese family has pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder. Investigators learned … more

1/19/24

FILE - A pedestrian wears a heavy coat against the cold in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. January can be the worst month for respiratory illnesses and vaccination rates are low. When relatives, friends and co-workers are coming down with coughs, nasal congestion, fatigue and fever, keeping viruses at bay means thorough hand-washing, good ventilation and wearing a mask in crowded areas. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

How to stay healthy during cold, flu and COVID-19 season

Getting through winter healthy means trying to protect yourself from respiratory viruses. January can be the worst month for these illnesses and vaccination rates are low. When relatives, friends and … more

By CARLA K. JOHNSON | 1/19/24

FILE - This undated photo provided by the Alabama Department of Corrections shows inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was convicted in a 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher's wife. Alabama will be allowed to put Smith to death with nitrogen gas later this month, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, clearing the way for what would be the nation’s first execution under a new method the inmate’s lawyers criticize as cruel and experimental. (Alabama Department of Corrections via AP, File)

Alabama inmate asking federal appeals court to block first-ever execution by nitrogen gas

An Alabama inmate set to be the first person put to death by nitrogen gas will ask a federal appeals Friday to block the upcoming execution. Kenneth Smith is scheduled to be executed by the … more

By KIM CHANDLER | 1/19/24

FILE - Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., asks a question during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Nov. 15, 2022. The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install two more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to control contamination from so-called forever chemicals, Slotkin's office announced Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.(AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

Defense Department to again target 'forever chemicals' contamination near Michigan military base

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to control contamination from so-called forever chemicals. DOD officials said … more

By TODD RICHMOND | 1/19/24

Emily Vering, a 20-year-old volunteer and sophomore at St. Olaf College, assembles a yard sign as part of a course she is taking on campaigns and politics in Hooksett, N.H., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. President Joe Biden is skipping the New Hampshire Democratic primary on Tuesday because it doesn't comply with party rules, but some supporters have begun a campaign to get voters to write-in his name on the ballot. (AP Photo/Will Weissert)

Biden is skipping New Hampshire's primary. One of his opponents says he's as elusive as Bigfoot

President Joe Biden is skipping Tuesday's New Hampshire primary because the state defies new Democratic rules he championed. He isn't campaigning and his name won't be on the ballot. One of his top … more

By WILL WEISSERT | 1/19/24

In this image taken from video provided by Michigan State Police, a dog named Ruby grasps a rescue disc tethered to a rope. An MSP motor carrier officer wanted Ruby to take the disc to the dog's owner, who fell through the ice on frozen Arbutus Lake in Grand Traverse County, Mich., Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Michigan State Police via AP)

Michigan man who fell into icy lake rescued after officer uses man's dog to deliver rescue equipment

A man who fell through the ice on a frozen Michigan lake was rescued after a quick-thinking state police officer used the stranded man’s dog to get rescue equipment to him and drag him to safety. … more

1/19/24

FILE - In this photo taken from video released by Russia Emergency Situations Ministry telegram channel on Dec. 30, 2023, firefighters extinguish burning cars after shelling in Belgorod, Russia. Belgorod has canceled its traditional Orthodox Epiphany festivities on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024 due to the threat of attacks as Kyiv's forces pursue a new strategy with the war approaching its two-year milestone. (Russia Emergency Situations Ministry telegram channel via AP, File)

A Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot inside Russia causes a massive blaze, officials say

A Russian official says a Ukrainian drone has struck an oil storage depot in western Russia, causing a massive blaze. It is the latest incident in Ukrainian forces' apparently extended campaign of … more

By The Associated Press | 1/19/24

A worker with ice on his face pauses while removing snow from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 14, 2024. A potentially dangerous snowstorm that hit the Buffalo region on Saturday led the NFL to push back the Bills wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Sunday to Monday. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the NFL cited public safety concerns for the postponement, with up to 2 feet of snow projected to fall on the region over a 24- plus hour period. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes)

AP Week in Pictures: North America

Jan. 12-18, 2024 People across the U.S. deal with a winter storm, Iowa Republican caucus participants choose former President Donald Trump and people gather at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial … more

By The Associated Press | 1/19/24

Niecy Nash-Betts, winner of the award for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," poses in the press room during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

AP Week in Pictures: Global

Jan. 12-18, 2024 Divas celebrate at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Ecuadorian soldiers hunt for an escaped gang leader, Denmark celebrates King Frederik and North Korea’s officials exercise in … more

By The Associated Press | 1/19/24

Texas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-Texas, center, sits with family members of shooting victims as they listen to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta during a news conference were they shared the findings of a federal report into the law enforcement response to a school shooting at Robb Elementary, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Uvalde, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Uvalde families renew demands for police to face charges after a scathing Justice Department report

Families of the children and teachers killed in the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre are renewing demands for criminal charges after a scathing Justice Department report again laid bare numerous … more

By ACACIA CORONADO and JAKE BLEIBERG | 1/19/24

File - Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk cheers as he speaks at the annual political festival Atreju, in Rome on Dec. 16, 2023. A recent report from anti-poverty organization Oxfam highlighted how the fortunes of the world's five richest people — Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, Bernard Arnault of luxury company LVMH, and investment guru Warren Buffett — have more than doubled since 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

We could see the world's 1st trillionaire in the next decade. Here are some of today's richest 1%

The world might see its first trillionaire sooner than you think. And that adds a spotlight on today’s richest 1%. In an annual assessment of global inequalities published earlier this week, Oxfam … more

1/18/24

FILE - A ship sails through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Bethel Island, Calif., on March 12, 2008. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Kenneth C. Mennemeier ruled Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, that the state does not have permission to borrow billions of dollars for a water project. The decision could threaten a key source of funding for a plan to build a tunnel to reroute the state's water supply from the Central Valley to the densely populated southern portion of the state. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

California court ruling could threaten key source of funding for disputed giant water tunnel project

A California judge has ruled that the state does not have permission to borrow billions of dollars for a water project. The decision by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Kenneth C. Mennemeier could … more

By ADAM BEAM | 1/18/24

Senior Deputy District Attorney Dan Feldman shows the jury a photo of Aiden Leos and the car he was riding in during opening statements in Marcus Eriz's trial, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Santa Ana, Calif. Eriz, 26, is charged with killing Aiden Leos, 6, while the boy's mother was driving him to kindergarten in Orange County in May 2021. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Trial underway for California man who fired shot at car on freeway, killing boy in booster seat

A prosecutor says a California man acted callously in pulling out his gun and firing a shot at a car traveling on the freeway, killing a 6-year-old boy who was riding in the back in a booster seat. … more

By AMY TAXIN | 1/18/24

FILE - People react outside the Civic Center following a deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 24, 2022. An 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 children and two teachers at the school. On Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 the U.S. Department of Justice released a report detailing the “cascading failures” it found in law enforcement's response to the shooting. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)

Justice Department report details the how the shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, unfolded

A scathing Justice Department report into law enforcement failures during the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, includes a minute-by-minute accounting of missteps by police at the … more

1/18/24

In this photo provided by eGenesis, a genetically modified pig liver is removed in Massachusetts for transportation to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in December 2023. On Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, the university announced surgeons externally attached the pig liver to a brain-dead human body and watched it successfully filter blood, a step toward eventually trying the technique in patients with liver failure. (eGenesis via AP)

A first-ever experiment shows how pigs might one day help people who have liver failure

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have externally attached a pig liver to a brain-dead human body and watched it successfully filter blood. The experiment is a step toward one day trying … more

By The Associated Press | 1/18/24

FILE- Vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine sit in a cooler at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., March 27, 2019. A midwife on New York's Long Island, who gave nearly 1,500 children homeopathic pellets instead of required vaccinations, has been fined $300,000, the state's health department announced this week. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

NY midwife who gave kids homeopathic pellets instead of vaccines fined $300K for falsifying records

A New York midwife who gave nearly 1,500 children homeopathic pellets instead of required vaccinations has been fined $300,000. The state health department said Wednesday that Jeanette Breen … more

By PHILIP MARCELO | 1/18/24

FILE - Amalija Knavs, mother of first lady Melania Trump, walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, June 18, 2017. Funeral services for former first lady Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 at a church not far from the family's Mar-a-Lago estate. Private services for Knavs, 78, will be at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, the congregation former President Donald Trump sometimes attends and where he and his wife were married in 2005. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Melania Trump remembers her mother as 'a ray of light in the darkest days'

Former First Lady Melania Trump remembered her mother as “a ray of light in the darkest of days” during a funeral service at a church not far from the family’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The former … more

By TERRY SPENCER | 1/18/24

FILE - A woman cries as she leaves the Uvalde Civic Center, Tuesday May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas, after a mass shooting. AA federal report into the halting and haphazard law enforcement response to a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, was scheduled to be released Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, reviving scrutiny of the hundreds of officers who responded to the 2022 massacre but waited more than an hour to confront and kill the gunman. (William Luther/The San Antonio Express-News via AP, File)

What to know about the Justice Department's report on police failures in the Uvalde school shooting

A Justice Department report details a myriad of failures by law enforcement who responded to the shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, when children waited desperately for over an hour before police … more

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and CLAUDIA LAUER | 1/18/24