National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - WTA CEO Steve Simon sits for an interview during the WTA Finals tennis tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals as part of a three-year deal announced Thursday, April 4, 2024, by the women’s professional tennis tour that will increase the prize money for this November’s season-ending championship to a record $15.25 million, a 70% increase from 2023. (AP Photo/Tim Heitman, File)

Saudi Arabia will host the women's tennis WTA Finals for the next three years

Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals as part of a three-year deal with the women’s professional tennis tour that will increase the prize money for this November’s season-ending championship to a … more

By HOWARD FENDRICH | 4/4/24

FILE - A partial solar eclipse is seen behind a cross on the steeple of the St. George church, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, June 21, 2020. Throughout history, solar eclipses have had profound impact on adherents of various religions around the world. They were viewed as messages from God or spiritual forces, inducing emotions ranging from dread to wonder. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

Awe and dread: How religions have responded to total solar eclipses over the centuries

Throughout history, solar eclipses have had profound impact on adherents of various religions around the world. They were viewed as messages from God or spiritual forces, inducing emotions ranging … more

By DEEPA BHARATH, DAVID CRARY and MARIAM FAM | 4/4/24

FILE - Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, March 4, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Scott announced Tuesday, March 19, 2024 she would give $640 million to more than 360 organizations in response to an application process she launched last year. The award is more than double the amount that she initially promised in an “open call” for applications. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

What is next for billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's giving?

Much about billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s giving remains a mystery, but a recent round of grants to nonprofits offer some insights. The grants announced in March were largely in line … more

By THALIA BEATY | 4/4/24

FILE - Viewers use special glasses to watch from San Antonio, as the moon moves in front of the sun during an annular solar eclipse, or ring of fire, Oct. 14, 2023. The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 may be weeks away but businesses are ready for the celestial event with oodles of special eclipse glasses for sale, along with T-shirts and other souvenirs. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

One Tech Tip: How to use apps to track and photograph the total solar eclipse

Monday's total solar eclipse might become one of the year's most filmed and photographed events. As the moon passes in front of the sun, plunging a swath of North America into a few minutes of … more

By KELVIN CHAN | 4/4/24

FILE - Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, a suspect in the Crocus City Hall shootings, is escorted by police and FSB officers in Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia, on March 24, 2024. The attack on the Moscow concert hall, the bloodiest assault on Russian soil in two decades, appears to be setting the stage for an increasingly harsh response by President Vladimir Putin. Four suspects in the attack appeared in court showing signs of brutal treatment while in custody. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

In the aftermath of the Moscow concert hall attack, is a harsher era under Putin in the works?

The attack on a Moscow concert hall, the bloodiest assault on the Russian soil in two decades, appears to be setting the stage for an increasingly harsh response by President Vladimir Putin after his … more

By The Associated Press | 4/4/24

FILE - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, right, greets Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Nov. 9, 2023, in San Francisco. Yellen is headed to China to Guangzhou and Beijing for meetings with finance leaders and state officials. Her engagements will include Vice Premier He Lifeng, Chinese Central Bank Governor Pan Gongsheng, former Vice Premier Liu He, leaders of American businesses operating in China, university students and local leaders. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Treasury secretary heads to China to talk trade, anti-money laundering and Chinese 'overproduction'

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is heading to a China that is determined to avoid open conflict with the United States. Yet the world’s two largest economies still appear to be hashing out the … more

By FATIMA HUSSEIN | 4/4/24

FILE - One of Pacific Gas and Electric's Diablo Canyon Power Plant's nuclear reactors is seen in Avila Beach, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2008. An environmental group has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Energy Department challenging its award of over $1 billion to help keep California's last nuclear power plant running beyond a planned closure by 2025. The lawsuit filed by Friends of the Earth in U.S. District Court opens the latest battlefront in the fight over the future of Diablo Canyon's twin reactors. (AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File)

Lawsuit challenges $1 billion in federal funding to sustain California's last nuclear power plant

An environmental group is challenging the U.S. Energy Department's decision to award over $1 billion to help keep California’s last nuclear power plant running beyond 2025. A lawsuit filed by … more

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD | 4/3/24

This image released by Universal Pictures shows a scene from the film "Monkey Man." (Universal Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man' is a political allegory bathed in blood

Like “Slumdog Millionaire,” Dev Patel's “Monkey Man” is set in Mumbai and has a touch of fable to it. But in tone and texture, it could hardly be more different. Bathed in blood and fury, … more

By JAKE COYLE | 4/3/24

Demonstrators gather outside federal court buildings in New Orleans on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, to protest a Texas law known as SB4. Texas officials appeared before a three-judge federal appeals panel to defend a state law that would allow police to arrest migrants for illegally entering the United States, a week after the same three judges put the law on hold. (AP Photo by Kevin McGill)

Texas asks court to decide if the state's migrant arrest law went too far

A attorney defending Texas’ plans to arrest migrants who enter the U.S. illegally has told a panel of federal judges that the law may have “went too far” but that will be up the court to … more

By ACACIA CORONADO | 4/3/24

Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Tuesday as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes.

New England braces for major spring snowstorm as severe weather continues to sock US

More severe weather is coming across the nation. A major spring storm is expected to drop more than a foot of snow in parts of New England on Wednesday, while heavy rains are likely to soak the East … more

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI | 4/3/24

This colorized electron microscope image provided by The Rockefeller University and NIAID shows a hepatitis C virion. New U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022, a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases, federal health officials said Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Maria Teresa Catanese, Charles M. Rice/The Rockefeller University, NIAID via AP)

Hepatitis C cases dropped in the US. Health officials aren't sure if it's a blip or a trend

Federal health officials say that new U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022. It's a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases. Experts say they're not sure … more

By MIKE STOBBE | 4/3/24

This image released by Focus Features shows Dzada Selim, left, and Anamaria Marinca in a scene from "Housekeeping for Beginners." (Focus Features via AP)

Movie Review: Love wins in the triumphant 'Housekeeping for Beginners'

“Housekeeping for Beginners” begins with a shot of a painting on a wall hanging just a little askew. It’s an apt metaphor for what’s in store, says Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy. … more

By MARK KENNEDY | 4/3/24

In this photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Education, 2nd grade teacher Missy Testerman, center, who teaches English as a second language, works with students Dafne Lozano, left, and Dwiti Patel, right, at the Rogersville City School, Thursday, March 13, 2024, in Rogersville, Tenn. Testerman has been named the 2024 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers. (Tennessee Department of Education via AP)

National Teacher of the Year helps diverse students and their families thrive in rural Tennessee

A 2nd grade teacher in rural Tennessee has been chosen as the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. Missy Testerman has drawn accolades for celebrating differences among her students while emphasizing … more

By TRAVIS LOLLER | 4/3/24

FILE - A Powerball lottery ticket is dipslayed seen inside a convenience store, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Kennesaw, Ga. An estimated $1.09 billion Powerball jackpot that ranks as the 9th largest in U.S. lottery history will be up for grabs Wednesday night, April 3. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, FIle)

Drawing nears for $1.09 billion Powerball jackpot that is 9th largest in US history

An estimated $1.09 billion Powerball jackpot that ranks as the 9th largest in U.S. lottery history is up for grabs. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than three months, reflecting the … more

4/3/24

Salvage work continues on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Workers had little warning as Maryland bridge collapsed, raising concerns over safety, communication

In the moments before the cargo ship Dali rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it crumbling into the water, a flurry of urgent warnings crackled over radios and enabled police to block … more

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ and CLAUDIA LAUER | 4/3/24

FILE - A tornado funnel moves through the southeast Pine Crest Garden section of Xenia, Ohio, Wednesday was April 3, 1974. The deadly tornado killed 32 people, injured hundreds and leveled half the city of 25,000. Nearby Wilberforce was also hit hard. As the Watergate scandal unfolded in Washington, President Richard Nixon made an unannounced visit to Xenia to tour the damage. Xenia's was the deadliest and most powerful tornado of the 1974 Super Outbreak. (AP Photo/Fred Stewart, file)

AP Was There: A 1974 tornado in Xenia, Ohio, kills 32 and levels half the city

On April 3, 1974, a deadly tornado barreled through Xenia, Ohio. It killed 32 people, injured hundreds and leveled half the city of 25,000. Nearby Wilberforce was also hit hard. As the Watergate … more

The Associated Press | 4/3/24

FILE - This undated photo provided by the City of Fontana Police Department shows abducted teen Savannah Graziano. Graziano who had been kidnapped by her father in 2022 was following sheriff's deputies' instructions during a gunbattle on a Southern California highway and appeared to be surrendering to them when they fatally shot her, newly released audio and video show. Graziano, 15, was shot and killed as she ran toward San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies amid a hail of gunfire on Sept. 27, 2022. (City of Fontana Police Department via AP,File)

Video shows California deputies fatally shooting abducted teen as she surrenders

A 15-year-old girl who had been kidnapped by her father was following sheriff’s deputy's instructions and appeared to be surrendering when deputies fatally shot her during a gun battle on a … more

By STEFANIE DAZIO | 4/2/24

Aid organizations suspend operations in Gaza after World Central Kitchen workers' deaths

Several humanitarian aid organizations have suspended operations in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike killed seven World Central Kitchen workers. The nonprofits, including World Central Kitchen, said … more

By GLENN GAMBOA and SARAH EL DEEB | 4/2/24

FILE - Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stands during the playing of the national anthem at the inauguration ceremonies, Jan. 9, 2023, in Oklahoma City. Drummond urged the state’s highest court on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, to stop the creation of what would be the nation’s first publicly funded Catholic charter school. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Oklahoma court considers whether to allow the US' first publicly funded Catholic school

Oklahoma's attorney general is urging the state's highest court to stop the creation of what would be the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school. Republican Attorney General Gentner … more

By SEAN MURPHY | 4/2/24

People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. World Central Kitchen, an aid group, says an Israeli strike that hit its workers in Gaza killed at least seven people, including several foreigners. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Family and friends recall 'brave' and 'selfless' aid workers killed in Israeli airstrike

An Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza reverberated around the world Tuesday. Friends and relatives mourned the losses of those who were delivering food to besieged Palestinians … more

The Associated Press | 4/2/24