National News - The Morning Sun

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, speaks during the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

House GOP sues in bid to force Justice Department lawyers to testify as part of impeachment inquiry

House Republicans have filed a lawsuit seeking to force two Justice Department lawyers to testify about the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden as part of the chamber’s impeachment inquiry into … more

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER | 3/21/24

FILE - Shoppers buy food in a supermarket in London, on Aug. 17, 2022. Food prices and overall inflation will rise as temperatures climb with climate change, a new study by an environmental scientist and the European Central Bank found. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Higher temperatures mean higher food and other prices. A new study links climate shocks to inflation

A study by an environmental scientist and the European Central Bank finds that food prices and overall inflation will rise as temperatures climb with climate change. Thursday's study looks at monthly … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 3/21/24

FILE - A couple takes a selfie with cherry blossoms at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, March 29, 2023. The United States can expect a nice spring break from past too rainy or too dry extremes, federal meteorologists predicted Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

The US may catch a spring break on weather. Forecasters see minimal flooding and drought for spring

Federal meteorologists predict that the United States can expect a nice spring break from past too rainy or too dry extremes. Thursday's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s spring … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 3/21/24

FILE - A development of new homes is shown in Middlesex Township, Pa., on Apr. 19, 2023. On Thursday, March 21, 2024, Freddie Mac reports on this week's average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Average long-term US mortgage rate climbs back to nearly 7% after two-week slide

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed back to nearly 7%, just under where it was two weeks ago, pushing up borrowing costs for home shoppers with the spring homebuying season underway. The … more

By ALEX VEIGA | 3/21/24

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Godzilla, left, and Kong in a scene from "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

In ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,’ the Titans are the stars

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” in theaters everywhere March 29, is a sequel to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the 2021 showdown between the 393-foot Godzilla and 337-foot Kong. It’s also … more

By LINDSEY BAHR | 3/21/24

FILE - Daniel Banyai, the owner of Slate Ridge, speaks to supporters, April 17, 2021, in West Pawlet, Vt., during a Second Amendment Day Picnic. Banyai, the owner of a former firearms training center in Vermont, was arrested on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 in Pawlet, Vermont, state police said. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring, File)

The owner of a Vermont firearms training center has been arrested after a struggle

The owner of a firearms training center in Vermont has been taken into custody after a struggle and faces charges of resisting arrest and aggravated assault. Daniel Banyai is expected to be arraigned … more

By LISA RATHKE | 3/21/24

AP-Week-in-Pictures: Global

March 15-21, 2024 A volcano erupts again in Iceland. A boat carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees who survived a night at sea after their boat capsized were being rescued off Indonesia's … more

By The Associated Press | 3/21/24

FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Las Vegas. Trump on Monday, March 18, 2024, charged that Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and hate “their religion,” igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.(AP Photo/John Locher, File)

US Jews upset with Trump's latest rhetoric say he doesn't get to tell them how to be Jewish

Many Jewish faith leaders and commentators are decrying what they say are inflammatory remarks by Donald Trump. That follows the Republican former president’s accusation that Jews who vote for … more

By PETER SMITH and TIFFANY STANLEY | 3/21/24

The sign outside the town government and police department offices stands in Ridgely, Md., Friday, March 15, 2024. Ridgely officials announced last week that their entire police department had been suspended pending the results of an investigation by state prosecutors. (AP Photo/Lea Skene)

A small town suspended its entire police force. Residents want to know why

The small town of Ridgely on Maryland’s Eastern Shore has suspended its entire police force pending the results of an investigation by state prosecutors. The largely unexplained decision has left … more

By LEA SKENE | 3/21/24

Russia President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech as he meets his authorised representatives for the presidential election campaign in the Andreyevsky Hall of the Great Kremlin Palace, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

After preordained election, Putin claims vote proves public support for his policies

President Vladimir Putin has thanked Russians for casting ballots in a presidential vote in which he cemented his grip on the country for another six years after the harshest crackdown on dissent … more

By The Associated Press | 3/21/24

FILE - A Mega Millions ticket is seen as a person makes a purchase inside a convenience store, Aug. 7, 2023, in Kennesaw, Ga. The winning numbers for a nearly $1 billion Mega Millions lottery prize will be drawn Friday night, March 22, 2024, offering the hope of sudden riches for a lucky player and almost certain disappoint for everyone else. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Mega Millions jackpot soars to nearly $1 billion. Here's what to know

The winning numbers for a nearly $1 billion Mega Millions lottery prize will be drawn Friday night, offering sudden riches for any lucky player who matches them and almost certain disappoint for … more

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE | 3/21/24

FILE - In this March 26, 2019, file photo, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks during a news conference in Chicago. A federal judge Wednesday, March 20, 2024, dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Chicago police officer that alleged sexual assault by former police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who was out drinking with her the night he was found asleep behind the wheel of his SUV. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford, File)

Judge dismisses sexual assault suit brought by Chicago police officer against superintendent

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Chicago police officer that alleged sexual assault by former police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who was out drinking with her the night he was … more

3/20/24

A police vehicle is parked outside Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Three Idaho corrections officers were shot as a suspect staged a brazen attack to break Skylar Meade, a prison inmate out of the Boise hospital overnight. Two of the officers were shot by the suspect early Wednesday. The third was shot and wounded by a police officer when police mistook the correctional officer for the suspect. (Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman via AP)

Idaho police search for escaped inmate and accomplice after ambush at Boise hospital

Three Idaho corrections officers were shot as a suspect staged a brazen attack to break a prison inmate out of a Boise hospital overnight. Two of the officers were shot by the suspect early … more

By GENE JOHNSON and MARK THIESSEN | 3/20/24

In this photo provided by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, an alligator was caught by an angler in Norris Lake in Union County, Tenn., on Monday, March 18, 2024. TWRA communications coordinator Matthew Cameron said the origin of the alligator was unclear, but it appeared that the alligator had been illegally held in captivity and possibly released into the lake. (Rick Roberts/Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency via AP)

A Tennessee fisherman reeled in a big one. It turned out to be an alligator

An angler in northeast Tennessee caught a surprise when he was fishing at a lake. Stuck on his bait was a 3- to 4-foot long alligator, which are not native to that part of Tennessee. A Tennessee … more

3/20/24

FILE - Michael Cohen leaves a lower Manhattan building after meeting with prosecutors, March 10, 2023, in New York. A federal judge has suggested Michael Cohen has committed perjury under oath, giving fresh support to former President Donald Trump's claims that his onetime personal lawyer and star witness at his upcoming criminal trial in New York is an untrustworthy liar. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Judge says Michael Cohen may have committed perjury, refuses to end his probation early

A federal judge has suggested Michael Cohen has committed perjury under oath, giving fresh support to former President Donald Trump's claims that his onetime personal lawyer and star witness at his … more

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and MICHAEL R. SISAK | 3/20/24

Fresh off his awards season high after attending the Oscars with his fellow “Poor Things” co-stars — and presenting — Ramy Youssef is heading back into more familiar territory. The actor and comedian will premiere his latest stand-up special March 23 on HBO and Max. In keeping with much of his previous work, “Ramy Youssef: More Feelings” doesn’t shy away from fraught topics, including religion, the upcoming presidential election and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Although Youssef says he is “constantly interrogating” whether tackling these subjects through comedy is a good use of his time, he thinks there is enough reason to keep doing it — for now. (March 19)

Ramy Youssef constantly asks if jokes are harmful or helpful. He keeps telling them anyway

Fresh off his awards season high after going to the Oscars with his fellow “Poor Things” stars, Ramy Youssef is heading back into more familiar territory. The actor and comedian, known for the … more

By KRYSTA FAURIA | 3/20/24

This image provided by the Georgia Department of Corrections shows inmate Willie James Pye. A judge on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, signed the order for the execution of Pye, who was convicted of murder and other crimes in the November 1993 killing of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. The execution is set for March 20 at 7 p.m., after the judge set an execution window between noon that day and noon on March 27. (Georgia Department of Corrections via AP)

Georgia plans its first execution in years. Lawyers say the inmate is intellectually disabled

A Georgia man is scheduled to be put to death in what would be the state’s first execution in more than four years. Willie James Pye was convicted of killing his former girlfriend Alicia Lynn … more

3/20/24

A Russian border region reels from sustained Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes

A Russian border region being pounded by Ukrainian shelling and drones is expanding its closure of schools and colleges amid a major evacuation plan. Kyiv’s forces are extending their campaign of … more

By EMMA BURROWS | 3/20/24

FILE - Dot Skoko, owner of Dot's Dollar More or Less shop in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., hands a customer a Mega Millions lottery ticket, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2022. The Mega Millions jackpot has reached an astounding $977 million for Friday night’s drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Mega Millions jackpot reaches an astounding $977M after no one wins Tuesday's drawing

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached an astounding $977 million for Friday night’s drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night. The winning numbers drawn on Tuesday … more

3/20/24

FILE - Jewish ultra-Orthodox men and children, some wearing costumes, celebrate the festival of Purim at a synagogue in Bnei Brak, Israel, March 17, 2022. Purim celebrates the biblical story of how a plot to exterminate Jews in Persia was thwarted, and thus is embraced as an affirmation of Jewish survival throughout history. For many Jews, it will have extra significance in 2024 during a war in Gaza triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel in which Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 250 others hostage. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

During the Israel-Hamas war, Jews will soon celebrate Purim — one of their most joyous holidays

Purim is widely depicted as the most joyful of Jewish holidays — highlighted by celebrations that include costumes, skits and noisemakers. It celebrates the biblical story of how a plot to … more

By DAVID CRARY | 3/20/24