National News - The Morning Sun

This June 2023 image provided by the Space Telescope Science Institute shows the planet Saturn and three of its moons, from left, Enceladus, Tethys and Dione, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. In infrared, the planet appears dark because sunlight is absorbed by methane in the atmosphere. (NASA, ESA, CSA, JWST Saturn Team via AP)

Saturn's rings are glowing in Webb Space Telescope's latest cosmic shot

Saturn has a fresh new look thanks to NASA's Webb Space Telescope. The gas giant is dark in the latest photo by Webb, but its rings are aglow. Webb snapped the picture in the infrared. At this … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 6/30/23

FILE - Demonstrators gather on the steps to the State Capitol to speak against transgender-related legislation bills being considered in the Texas Senate and House, May 20, 2021, in Austin, Texas. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, June 30, 2023, said it will not review a first-of-its-kind ruling from a federal appeals court that found people with gender dysphoria are entitled to the protections of the Americans With Disabilities Act. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Supreme Court lets stand ruling that protects people with gender dysphoria under disability law

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a first-of-its-kind ruling from a federal appeals court that found people with gender dysphoria are entitled to the protections of the Americans With … more

By DENISE LAVOIE | 6/30/23

FILE - A view of the House of Representatives in Atlanta, following the passage of SB 140 on Thursday, March 16, 2023. SB 140 limits treatment for transgender youth. Lawyers for parents of four transgender children said they have filed a lawsuit challenging a Georgia law that bans most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for transgender people under 18. The law is set to take effect Saturday, July 1. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

Parents of transgender youth are suing to block Georgia's gender-affirming care ban

Parents of four transgender children in Georgia have filed a lawsuit challenging a Georgia law that bans most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for minors. The lawsuit … more

By KATE BRUMBACK | 6/30/23

FILE - Striking Writers Guild members hold signs during a rally in front of Paramount Pictures studio in Los Angeles on May 17, 2023. Hollywood actors may be on the verge of joining screenwriters in what would be the first two-union strike in the industry in more than six decades. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

TV series put on pause by the Hollywood writers strike

A strike by unionized Hollywood writers that is nearly two months old has already had a significant affect on the airing and production of television series. Shows on long-term hiatus include “The … more

By The Associated Press | 6/30/23

FILE - A view of the Palm Sunday's mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican on April 2, 2023. The Vatican on Friday, June 30, 2023 reported a doubling of income from its key Peter’s Pence charitable fund last year, to 107 million euros, even as donations from the rank and file faithful dipped slightly following years of scandal over financial mismanagement at the Holy See. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

Vatican reports income boost in charitable fund, even as donations dip following financial scandals

The Vatican says a key charitable fund, Peter's Pence, doubled its income in the last year to 107 million euros. That windfall comes even as donations from the rank-and-file faithful dipped slightly … more

By NICOLE WINFIELD | 6/30/23

FILE - PSG's head coach Christophe Galtier enters to the field prior to their French League One soccer match against Lens at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, April 15, 2023. Christophe Galtier is being detained with his son John Valovic-Galtier as part of an investigation into racism allegations at his former club, according to a justice official on Friday, June 30. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, file)

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier and his son detained in racism probe

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier and his son have been detained as part of an investigation into racism allegations at one of his former clubs. Nice prosecutor Xavier Bonhomme tells The … more

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN | 6/30/23

Police officers check documents of a man in central Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa

June 23-29, 2023 The attempted uprising in Russia, clashes with police following the death of a teenager in Paris, and the ongoing war across Ukraine. In the world of sports, Ukraine played Spain … more

By The Associated Press | 6/30/23

FILE - A Ukrainian soldier jumping off the German self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000 artillery at his position at the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on May 27, 2023. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine’s military was largely reliant on Soviet-era weaponry. While that arsenal helped Ukraine fend off an assault on the capital of Kyiv and prevent a total rout in the early weeks of the war, billions of dollars in military assistance has since poured into the country, including more modern Western-made weapons. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

Ukraine has an array of new Western weapons. What advantages could they offer in a counteroffensive?

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine’s military was largely reliant on Soviet-era weaponry, from tanks to artillery to fighter jets. While that arsenal helped Ukraine fend off an … more

By The Associated Press | 6/30/23

Young people gather peacefully on the beach in Seaside Heights, N.J. on June 2, 2023. Officials and residents of several New Jersey shore towns say the state's law decriminalizing marijuana use is having an unintended effect: emboldening large groups of teenagers to run amok on beaches and boardwalks, knowing there is little chance of them getting in trouble for it. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

Jersey Shore towns say state's marijuana law handcuffs police and emboldens rowdy teens

Officials and residents of several New Jersey shore towns say the state’s law decriminalizing marijuana use is having an unintended effect: emboldening large groups of teenagers to run amok on … more

By WAYNE PARRY | 6/30/23

FILE - A person holds their fist in the air, April 20, 2021, in Washington at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House after the verdict in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was announced in Minneapolis. On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, a California judge dismissed a civil lawsuit that grassroots racial justice activists from around the U.S. brought last summer against a foundation with stewardship of the Black Lives Matter movement’s charitable endowment worth tens of millions of dollars. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Fraud lawsuit against Black Lives Matter foundation dismissed in California

A California judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit that grassroots racial justice activists from around the U.S. brought last summer against a foundation with stewardship of the Black Lives Matter … more

By AARON MORRISON | 6/29/23

Fans walks past a sportsbook attached to the Footprint Center, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Phoenix. Sportsbook branding has prominent placement in stadiums and arenas, including some with on-site betting. Major League Baseball — long the most gambling-averse of the U.S. leagues — now permits its players to be ambassadors for gambling companies. It’s the backdrop for an era of legal sports betting in the U.S. that’s brought in huge revenues but also has some experts sounding cautionary notes. (AP Photo/Matt York)

As NFL cracks down on players gambling, what events are pro athletes allowed to bet on?

The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Murphy vs. NCAA ushered in a new era of legalized sports betting in the U.S., allowing states to establish their own sports wagering laws and operations. The high … more

By KYLE HIGHTOWER | 6/29/23

FILE - A riot police officer aims at protesters during a yellow vests demonstration Saturday, March 16, 2019 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

French suburbs are burning. How a teen's killing is focusing anger over police tactics

The fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old outside Paris this week has set off widespread disorder in French suburbs, with protesters burning cars, garbage and buildings. The killing also has raised … more

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN | 6/29/23

Republican presidential candidate former Vice President Mike Pence leaves the National Celebrate Life rally after speaking at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Pence makes a surprise trip to Ukraine and meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Former Vice President Mike Pence has made a surprise visit to Ukraine, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and touring the war-torn country as it fights Russian aggression. Pence … more

By JILL COLVIN | 6/29/23

Smoke rises from the Diamond Fire that has burned over 2,500 acres, causing mandatory evacuations Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Over 1,000 evacuees return to Arizona homes with brush fire now 30% contained

More than 1,000 people have returned to their homes in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale after firefighters declared a brush fire to be 30% contained. The Arizona Department of Forestry lifted … more

6/29/23

France’s highest administrative court says the soccer federation can ban headscarves in matches

France’s highest administrative jurisdiction says the country's soccer federation is entitled to ban headscarves in matches. The Council of State issued its ruling after a collective of … more

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN | 6/29/23

Apache Leap Mountain hovers over Superior, Ariz., Friday, June 9, 2023. The historic mining town in central Arizona is the subject of a tug of war between locals who want a copper mine developed nearby for economic benefit and Native American groups who say the land needed for mining is sacred and should be protected. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Historic Arizona mining town backs copper project on land that Native American groups say is sacred

Oak Flat in central Arizona is the subject of a tug of war between people in the historic mining town of Superior who want a huge copper mine developed there for its economic benefits. Meanwhile, … more

By ANITA SNOW | 6/29/23

FILE - This electron microscope image provided by the National Institutes of Health shows human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) virions, colorized blue, and anti-RSV F protein/gold antibodies, colorized yellow, shedding from the surface of human lung cells. Americans 60 and older can get a new RSV vaccine but should discuss it with their doctor first, U.S. health officials recommended Thursday, June 29, 2023. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH via AP, File)

Older Americans can get RSV vaccine this fall after speaking with their doctor, CDC says

Americans 60 and older can get a new RSV vaccine but should discuss it with their doctor first. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that those eligible for the newly approved … more

By MIKE STOBBE and CARLA K. JOHNSON | 6/29/23

FILE - The classmates of 15-year-old Sadeel Naghniyeh carry her body during her funeral in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp Wednesday, June 21, 2023. The death of a 15-year-old girl who was killed by suspected Israeli fire during an Israeli military raid on June 19, is renewing scrutiny of Israel's record of causing civilian deaths during a more than yearlong crackdown on militants in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File)

Israeli killing of 15-year-old Palestinian girl in West Bank casts light on civilian casualties

A 15-year-old Palestinian girl, Sadeel Naghniyeh, was killed by suspected Israeli fire when a raid into the refugee camp last week ignited the fiercest Israeli-Palestinian fighting in years. Her … more

By ISABEL DEBRE | 6/29/23

These satellite images from June 6, from top left, June 7, June 25, and June 27, 2023, show the wind movement from wildfire smoke in Quebec, Canada. Heavy smoke from wildfires in Canada has blanketed parts of the Midwest, causing hazardous air for residents, just weeks after drifting smoke did the same thing along parts of the East Coast. (NASA Worldview, (EOSDIS) via AP)

Here's why you better get used to a smoky stubborn summer in much of America

Forecasters say the only break much of America can hope for anytime soon from eye-watering dangerous smoke from fire-struck Canada is brief bouts of shirt-soaking sweltering heat and humidity from a … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 6/29/23

FILE - In this image taken from police body camera video provided by New Haven, Conn., Police, Richard "Randy" Cox, center, is pulled from the back of a police van and placed in a wheelchair after being detained by New Haven Police, June 19, 2022, in New Haven, Conn. Two more Connecticut police officers were fired Wednesday, June 28, 2023, for what officials called their misconduct and lack of compassion in how they treated Cox after he was paralyzed in the back of a police van last year. (New Haven Police via AP, File)

2 more Connecticut officers fired for mistreating Randy Cox after he was paralyzed in a police van

Two more Connecticut police officers have been fired for what officials called their misconduct and lack of compassion in how they treated Richard “Randy” Cox after he was paralyzed in the back … more

By DAVE COLLINS | 6/28/23