National News - The Morning Sun

Elijah Hill plays with his bubbles, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2023, in Westfield, Ind. Families reliant on Medicaid worry changes coming in January will limit access to the therapy as Indiana and other states cut the size of the low-income healthcare program.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Families say autism therapy helped their kids. Indiana's Medicaid cuts could put it out of reach

Starting with the new year, Indiana will implement a universal reimbursement rate for a therapy commonly used by children with autism, at a rate significantly less than what healthcare providers … more

By ISABELLA VOLMERT | 12/17/23

Cydney Wallace poses for a photo in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. Cydney Wallace is a Black Jewish woman who recently went on a trip to Israel and the West Bank through a trip called "Black Jerusalem" that was focused on exploring "the sacred geography of Jerusalem through a framework that privileges a Black American and an African lens." (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Black American solidarity with Palestinians is rising and testing longstanding ties to Jewish allies

A growing number of Black Americans see the struggle of Palestinians reflected in their own struggles for racial equality and civil rights. In recent years, the rise of protest movements against … more

By NOREEN NASIR and AARON MORRISON | 12/17/23

Black American solidarity with Palestinians is rising and testing longstanding ties to Jewish allies

A growing number of Black Americans see the struggle of Palestinians reflected in their own struggles for racial equality and civil rights. In recent years, the rise of protest movements against … more

By NOREEN NASIR and AARON MORRISON | 12/17/23

FILE - A man salutes after placing a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Arlington, Va. A Confederate memorial is to be removed from Arlington National Cemetery in northern Virginia in the coming days, part of the push to remove symbols that commemorate the Confederacy from military-related facilities, a cemetery official said Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)

Confederate memorial to be removed in coming days from Arlington National Cemetery

A Confederate memorial's days at Arlington National Cemetery are numbered. A cemetery official says the memorial is to be removed from the northern Virginia cemetery in the coming days. It's part of … more

12/16/23

FILE-In this Monday, Dec. 11, 2017 photo, visitors to the Boston Tea Party Museum throw replicas of historic tea containers into Boston Harbor from aboard a replica of the vessel Beaver, in Boston. Patriotic mobs and harbor tea dumping are returning to Boston on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, as the city marks the 250th anniversary of the revolutionary protest that preceded America’s independence. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, files)

Boston Tea Party turns 250 years old with reenactments of the revolutionary protest

Patriotic mobs and harbor tea-dumping are returning to Boston on Saturday as the city marks the 250th anniversary of the revolutionary protest that preceded America’s independence. Saturday's … more

12/16/23

People walk in Manger Square, adjacent to the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. World-famous Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem have been put on hold due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Under the shadow of war in Gaza, Jesus' traditional birthplace is gearing up for a subdued Christmas

Bethlehem is gearing up for a subdued Christmas without the festive lights and customary Christmas tree towering over Manger Square. Officials in Jesus’ traditional birthplace have decided to … more

By JULIA FRANKEL and JALAL BWAITEL | 12/16/23

FILE - Solar panels are installed on the roof of a home in Frankfort, Ky., Monday, July 17, 2023. Residential solar is gaining traction in the U.S., with about 4.5 million homes now with solar rooftops. The share of electric vehicles in the U.S. is also growing. Many people with EVs become interested in charging them on solar energy, if they own their own roofs. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Electric vehicles owners and solar rooftops find mutual attraction

Residential solar is gaining traction in the U.S., with about 4.5 million homes now with solar rooftops. The share of electric vehicles in the U.S. is also growing. Many people with EVs become … more

By ALEXA ST. JOHN | 12/16/23

FILE - The U.S. Supreme Court is seen, with a carving of Justice in the foreground, April 19, 2023, in Washington. A Black Ohio woman who miscarried in her bathroom has been charged with abuse of a corpse and awaits grand jury action. Her case has sparked a national firestorm over the plight of pregnant women, especially women of color, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Black Ohio woman criminally charged after miscarriage underscores the perils of pregnancy post-Roe

A Black Ohio woman who miscarried in her bathroom has been charged with abuse of a corpse. Thirty-three-year-old Brittany Watts, of Warren, awaits grand jury action. Her case has sparked a national … more

By JULIE CARR SMYTH | 12/16/23

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Communications blackout and spiraling hunger compound misery in Gaza Strip as war enters 11th week

A prolonged communications blackout is compounding the misery in the besieged Gaza Strip where a United Nations agency says hunger levels have spiraled. An internet access advocacy group said … more

By NAJIB JOBAIN and SAMY MAGDY | 12/16/23

A female wolf pup is seen in North Park, Colo, in this February 2022 photograph. A handful of the predators have wandered into Colorado from Wyoming in recent years. ( Eric Odell/Colorado Parks and Wildlife via AP)

Federal judge denies cattle industry’s request to temporarily halt wolf reintroduction in Colorado

A federal judge has denied a request to halt the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado just days away from the predators’ release. Judge Regina Rodriguez sided Friday with state and federal … more

By JESSE BEDAYN | 12/15/23

In a photo provided by the Lake County State's Attorney, date not known, is Jason Karels, 36, of Round Lake Beach, Ill. Karels, who told his estranged wife “If I can’t have them neither can you,” pleaded guilty but mentally ill Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, to three counts of first-degree murder for killing their three young children, a prosecutor said. Karels will be sentenced to life in the Illinois Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. (Lake County State's Attorney via AP)

Dad who said 'If I can’t have them neither can you' pleads guilty to killing 3 kids

A suburban Chicago man who told his estranged wife “If I can’t have them neither can you” has pleaded guilty but mentally ill to three counts of first-degree murder for killing their three … more

12/15/23

A police officer guards the road where the body of suspected mass shooter Robert Card was found, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Lisbon, Maine. Despite warnings of deteriorating mental health, drunken threats and guns, the sheriff department chose to avoid confronting the Army reservist who later killed 18 people and work with family and the Army to get him help, states the report, released late Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

A review defends police action before the Maine mass shooting. Legal experts say questions persist

An independent report conducted for a police agency clears the agency’s response to growing concerns about the mental health of a man who later went on to commit the deadliest mass shooting in … more

By PATRICK WHITTLE and DAVID SHARP | 12/15/23

FILE - Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones rallies pro-Trump supporters, Nov. 5, 2020, in Phoenix. A court upheld $75,000 in fines against Jones for missing Sandy Hook case deposition. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Court upholds $75,000 in fines against Alex Jones for missing Sandy Hook case deposition

A Connecticut appeals court has upheld $75,000 in fines against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for missing a deposition in the lawsuit filed by Sandy Hook families. The lawsuit led to a $1.4 billion … more

By DAVE COLLINS | 12/15/23

FILE - Bare spots are seen on Nov. 29, 2022, in the snowy parking lot in front of the home where four University of Idaho students were found dead on Nov. 13, in Moscow, Idaho, after vehicles belonging to the victims and others were towed away earlier in the day. The defense team for a man accused of killing four University of Idaho students has been given access to the off-campus home where the deaths occurred so they can gather photos, measurements and other documentation before the house is demolished later this month. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Bryan Kohberger's defense team given access to home where students were killed before demolition

The defense team for a man accused of killing four University of Idaho students has been given access to the off-campus home where the deaths occurred so the lawyers can gather photos, measurements … more

12/15/23

This December 2005 photo shows a 7th century sculpture titled "Head of Buddha" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The sculpture is one of 16 pieces of artwork that the museum said it will return to Cambodia and Thailand that federal prosecutors say were tied to an art dealer and collector accused of running a huge antiquities trafficking network out of Southeast Asia. (Metropolitan Museum of Art via AP)

New York's Metropolitan Museum will return stolen ancient sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art will return 16 pieces of ancient artwork to Cambodia and Thailand that federal prosecutors say were tied to an art dealer and collector accused of running a … more

By MAYSOON KHAN | 12/15/23

A baby owl is found sitting in a Christmas tree in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 27, 2023. The bird was safely released into the family's backyard. (Bobby Hayes via AP)

A Kentucky family gets an early gift: a baby owl in their Christmas tree

One Kentucky family got a little something extra when they picked out their Christmas tree this year: a baby owl. Lexington resident Michele White tells WDKY-TV that it’s a tradition for the family … more

12/15/23

This photo provided by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare, as seen in the bright flash in the upper right, on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. The sun spit out the huge flare at noon on Thursday, resulting in two hours of radio interference in the U.S. and other sunlit parts of the world. (NASA via AP)

Biggest solar flare in years temporarily disrupts radio signals on Earth

A NASA telescope has captured the biggest solar flare in years, which temporarily knocked out radio communication on Earth. The sun spit out the huge flare on Thursday, leading to two hours of radio … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 12/15/23

Alan Ritchson poses for a portrait to promote the television series "Reacher" on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in Toronto. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP)

'Reacher' star Alan Ritchson talks season two of hit show and how 'Amazon took a risk' on him

The wandering Jack Reacher, created by novelist Lee Child, returns in a second season of “Reacher” on Prime Video. Alan Ritchson stars as the former Army intelligence officer who prefers to … more

By ALICIA RANCILIO | 12/15/23

FILE - The Rev. Bill Farmer, center, speaks to members of the congregation during service at the Grace Methodist Church Sunday, May 14, 2023, in Homosassa Springs, Fla. The new congregation was created by former United Methodists after their previous congregation voted to stay in that denomination. Grace Church affiliated with the more conservative Global Methodist Church. A quarter of U.S. congregations in the United Methodist Church have received permission to leave the denomination during a five-year window, closing in December 2023, that authorized departures for congregations over disputes involving the church's LGBTQ-related policies. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

One fourth of United Methodist churches in US have left in schism over LGBTQ ban. What happens now?

United Methodist churches had a five-year window to leave the denomination over disputes involving its bans on same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ persons. That window closes Dec. 31, but results … more

By PETER SMITH | 12/15/23

Shooting of Palestinian college students came amid spike in gun violence in Vermont

The recent shootings of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont’s largest city come as the small rural state, often ranked as one of the safest in the country, is grappling with a … more

By LISA RATHKE | 12/15/23