National News - The Morning Sun

This image provided by researchers shows artifacts made of bony material from a giant sloth discovered at a rock shelter in Brazil, recovered from archaeological layers dated to 25,000 to 27,000 years ago. Research published Wednesday, July 12, 2023, in Britain's Proceedings of the Royal Society B journal, suggests humans lived in South America at the same time as now-extinct giant sloths, bolstering evidence that people arrived in the Americas earlier than once thought. (Thais Rabito Pansani via AP)

Pendants made from giant sloths suggest earlier arrival of people in the Americas

New research suggests humans lived in South America at the same time as now extinct giant sloths, bolstering evidence that people arrived in the Americas earlier than previously thought. Scientists … more

By CHRISTINA LARSON | 7/11/23

Scrutiny surrounding ethics at the United States Supreme Court has brought into question the way the judicial branch of government differs from the legislative and executive branches. (July 11)

Senators call for Supreme Court to follow ethics code like other branches of government

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says it's time for Supreme Court justices to bring their conduct in line with the standards of other branches of government. Sen. Dick Durbin, an … more

By CHRIS MEGERIAN, ERIC TUCKER and BRIAN SLODYSKO | 7/11/23

Damaged homes are torn apart by earth movement in the Los Angeles County city of Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., on Monday, July 10, 2023. The dozen homes torn apart were hastily evacuated by firefighters Saturday when cracks began appearing in structures and the ground. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Things to know about a landslide that has destroyed homes in Southern California

Leaders of a Southern California city hit by a destructive landslide are planning to vote on a resolution to declare a local emergency. The resolution on the Rolling Hills Estate City Council agenda … more

7/11/23

FILE - This image from the body camera of Louisiana State Police Trooper Dakota DeMoss shows his colleagues, Kory York, center left, and Chris Hollingsworth, center right, holding up Ronald Greene before paramedics arrived on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. In July 2023, a state judge has thrown out obstruction of justice charges against DeMoss and York, two of the five Louisiana lawmen indicted in the fatal arrest of Greene. Authorities initially blamed his death on a car crash before long suppressed body-camera video showed the white officers beating, stunning and dragging the Black motorist. (Louisiana State Police via AP, File)

Louisiana judge tosses some charges against officers in deadly arrest of Black driver Ronald Greene

A state judge has thrown out obstruction of justice charges against two of the five Louisiana lawmen indicted in the fatal 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene, a death authorities initially blamed on a car … more

By JIM MUSTIAN | 7/11/23

FILE - A BART police officer displays the Fentanyl he confiscated while patrolling the Civic Center Station BART platform in San Francisco, Nov. 20, 2020. An Oregon county's controversial policy that would have distributed tin foil and straws for fentanyl users and glass pipes for methamphetamine and crack users through the health department has been halted. "Our health department went forward with this proposal without proper implementation protocols," Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement to KGW-TV. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)

Oregon county pauses plan to distribute tin foil, straws for fentanyl users

A plan by Oregon’s largest county to distribute tin foil and straws for fentanyl users and glass pipes for methamphetamine and crack users has been halted after opposition from Portland’s mayor … more

7/11/23

Trees surround Crawford Lake in Milton, Ontario., on Monday, July 10, 2023. A team of scientists is recommending the start of a new geological epoch defined by how humans have impacted the Earth should be marked at the pristine Crawford Lake outside Toronto in Canada. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP)

Scientists now say a new epoch – the Anthropocene, marked by human impact on Earth – began in 1950s

A team of scientists is recommending to mark the start of a new geological epoch defined by how humans have impacted the Earth with a ‘golden spike’ in the pristine Crawford Lake outside Toronto … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 7/11/23

In this photo provided by the National archives, records from the sixth floor of the Military Personnel Records Center in Overland, Mo., near St. Louis, are recovered months after the massive fire that started on July 12, 1973. The box was soaked in water and covered completely with mold. (National Archives via AP)

A fire destroyed millions of veterans' records. 50 years later, families are still seeking answers

Fifty years ago, millions of files were destroyed in a huge fire at the Military Personnel Records Center in suburban St. Louis. The July 12, 1973, blaze consumed an estimated 16 to 18 million … more

By ALLEN G. BREED, RANDY HERSCHAFT | 7/11/23

FILE - Caster Semenya, of South Africa, competes during a heat in the women's 5000-meter run at the World Athletics Championships on July 20, 2022, in Eugene, Oregon. The European Court of Human Rights is expected to deliver what could be the final word Tuesday in Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya's yearslong legal challenge against rules that force her and other female athletes to lower their natural hormone levels through medical intervention to be allowed to compete in women's track and field races. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

Olympic champion Caster Semenya wins appeal against testosterone rules at human rights court

Double Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya has won an appeal against track and field’s testosterone rules after the European Court of Human Rights ruled she had been discriminated against. The … more

By GERALD IMRAY | 7/11/23

FILE - Students work in the library during homeroom at D.H.H. Lengel Middle School in Pottsville, Pa., March 15, 2022. According to an analysis of test scores released Tuesday, July 11, 2023, students across the U.S. fell further behind academically last school year despite extensive efforts to help them recover from learning setbacks tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Lindsey Shuey/Republican-Herald via AP, File)

Test scores show American students slipping further behind despite recovery efforts

A new analysis shows students across the U.S. fell further behind academically last school year despite extensive efforts to help them recover from learning setbacks tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. … more

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and CAROLYN THOMPSON | 7/11/23

FILE - An election worker carries two ballots to be verified inside the Maricopa County Recorders Office, Nov. 10, 2022, in Phoenix. Few Republicans have high confidence that votes will be tallied accurately in next year’s presidential contest, suggesting years of sustained attacks against elections by former President Donald Trump and his allies have taken a toll. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that just 22% of Republicans have high confidence in the 2024 vote count compared to 71% of Democrats. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

GOP confidence in 2024 vote count low after years of false election claims, AP-NORC poll shows

Few Republicans have high confidence that votes will be tallied accurately in next year’s presidential contest, suggesting years of sustained attacks against elections by former President Donald … more

By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY and LINLEY SANDERS | 7/11/23

This image taken from video and provided by KABC-7 TV shows a single-engine plane crashed nose-first into the roof of a hangar at Long Beach Airport in Southern California on Monday, July 10, 2023. Authorities say the pilot escaped with only minor injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash happened while the pilot of the Cessna 172 was practicing landings and takeoffs. (KABC-7 via AP)

Pilot escapes with minor injuries when small plane crashes into hangar's roof at California airport

Authorities say a pilot escaped with only minor injuries after a single-engine plane crashed nose-first into the roof of a hangar at a Southern California airport. The Federal Aviation Administration … more

7/10/23

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Trump lawyers agree to delay pretrial conference in classified documents case

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump say they agreed with prosecutors to delay to next week a pretrial hearing to discuss how classified information is handled in court as he faces federal … more

7/10/23

FILE - This booking photo provided by the Platte County Sheriff's Office shows Lorna Roxanne Green, March 23, 2023, in Wheatland, Wyo. Green, a college student who authorities say admitted setting fire to a building slated to become Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic, has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, federal court documents showed Monday, July 10. (Platte County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

A woman accused of burning a Wyoming abortion clinic has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors

Federal court documents filed Monday show that a woman who authorities say admitted setting fire to what was to become Wyoming's only full-service abortion clinic has reached a plea agreement with … more

By MEAD GRUVER | 7/10/23

Beach goers take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean at Hollywood Beach, Monday, July 10, 2023, in Hollywood, Fla. Water temperatures in the mid-90s (mid-30s Celsius) are threatening delicate coral reefs, depriving swimmers of cooling dips and adding a bit more ick to the state's already oppressive summer weather. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida in hot water as ocean temperatures rise along with the humidity

Record ocean heat has invaded Florida with a vengeance. Water temperatures in the mid-90s (mid-30s Celsius) are threatening delicate coral reefs, depriving swimmers of cooling dips and adding a bit … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN and MIKE SCHNEIDER | 7/10/23

This photo, taken in New York, Thursday, July 6, 2023, shows Meta's new app Threads. Meta has unveiled an app called Threads to rival Twitter, targeting users looking for an alternative to the social media platform owned — and frequently changed — by Elon Musk. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Reluctant Twitter users, influencers and others are flocking to Meta's new Threads app

Celebrities, lawmakers, brands and everyday social media users are flocking to Meta’s freshly minted app Threads to connect with their followers, including many Twitter refugees tired of the drama … more

By HALELUYA HADERO | 7/10/23

This booking photo provided by Philadelphia Police Department shows Kimbrady Carriker. Carriker was arraigned Wednesday, July 5, 2023 on five counts of murder as well as charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons counts of possession without a license and carrying firearms in public, prosecutors said. (Philadelphia Police Department via AP)

Philadelphia shooter fired through 1st victim's door, claimed to be law enforcement, police say

A day before killing four people in a mass shooting in Philadelphia last week, authorities say the gunman went to his first victim’s door wearing a dark mask, shot through it and yelled that he was … more

By CLAUDIA LAUER | 7/10/23

People wade through a street due to a heavy rain in Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, southern Japan Monday, July 10, 2023. Scientists have long warned that more extreme rainfall is expected in a warming world. (Kyodo News via AP)

Deadly flooding hits several countries, scientists said this will be increasingly common

Lethal flooding has simultaneously hit India, Japan, China, Turkey and the U.S. Northeast. Scientists have long warned that more extreme rainfall is expected in a warming world. Climate pollutants, … more

ISABELLA O'MALLEY, BRITTANY PETERSON and DREW COSTLEY | 7/10/23

FILE - Madonna appears at the 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on May 4, 2019, in New York. . (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Madonna says she's 'on the road to recovery' following ICU stay, postpones North American tour dates

After postponing her career-spanning Celebration Tour due to a “serious bacterial infection" last month and spending several days in an intensive care unit, Madonna says she's “on the road to … more

By MARIA SHERMAN | 7/10/23

A house in Rolling Hills Estates is severely damaged after a landslide on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County early Sunday, July 9, 2023. Multiple homes were evacuated in the Los Angeles-area city after a major ground shift put them at risk of collapse, officials said Sunday. (Michael Hixon/The Orange County Register via AP)

12 homes torn apart by landslide on Southern California's Palos Verdes Peninsula

A dozen homes torn apart by earth movement on Southern California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula during the weekend are likely to fall into an adjacent canyon. The homes in the Los Angeles County city of … more

7/10/23

FILE - South Africa's Caster Semenya is shown at the Diamond League athletics event in Doha, Qatar, May 3, 2019. The European Court of Human Rights is expected to deliver what could be the final word Tuesday in Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya's yearslong legal challenge against rules that force her and other female athletes to lower their natural hormone levels through medical intervention to be allowed to compete in women's track and field races. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

Ruling expected Tuesday in runner Caster Semenya's human rights appeal against sex eligibility rules

The European Court of Human Rights is expected to deliver what could be the final judgment on Tuesday in Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya’s yearslong legal challenge against track and field's … more

By GERALD IMRAY | 7/10/23