National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - Israeli troops move near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel, Monday, March 4, 2024. The army is battling Palestinian militants across Gaza in the war ignited by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack into Israel. Israel can either try to annihilate Hamas, which would mean almost certain death for the estimated 100 hostages still held in Gaza, or it can cut a deal that would allow the militants to claim a historic victory. Either outcome would be excruciating for Israelis. And either might be seen as acceptable by Hamas, which valorizes martyrdom. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

Hostage crisis poses dilemma for Israel and offers a path to victory for Hamas

Over the last five months, Israel has killed thousands of Hamas fighters, destroyed dozens of their tunnels and wreaked unprecedented destruction on the Gaza Strip. But it faces a dilemma that was … more

By JOSEPH KRAUSS | 3/6/24

Lubbock county first responders pause as the procession for Fritch Fire Chief Zeb Smith passes by, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Lubbock, Texas. Smith suffered a medical emergency and died while fighting a fire Tuesday. (Annie Rice/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal via AP)

Fire chief in Texas city hit hard by wildfires dies while fighting a house fire

Authorities say a Texas fire chief whose small town was among the hardest hit last week by historic blazes sweeping across the Panhandle died while fighting a house fire. An official said that the … more

By JAMIE STENGLE | 3/5/24

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, right, chats with a student as they march, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Frankfort, Ky. They joined others to commemorate a landmark civil rights event known as the 1964 March on Frankfort. (AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner)

Kentucky governor marks civil rights event by condemning limits on diversity, equity and inclusion

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear marched with other Kentuckians to commemorate the 60th anniversary of a landmark civil-rights rally that featured Martin Luther King Jr. in the state's capital city. In … more

By BRUCE SCHREINER | 3/5/24

FILE - Coldwater Creek flows Friday, April 7, 2023, in Florissant, Mo. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is testing soil beneath a few homes in St. Louis County to determine if the houses are sitting atop nuclear contamination. The homes are near Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated with nuclear material in the 1960s. Activists have long said that homes near the creek should be tested. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Homes near St. Louis County creek are being tested after radioactive contamination found in yards

A federal agency is examining soil beneath homes in a small suburban St. Louis subdivision to determine if residents are living atop Cold War era nuclear contamination. But activists say the testing … more

By JIM SALTER | 3/5/24

FILE - Russian Black Sea fleet ships are anchored in one of the bays of Sevastopol, Crimea, March 31, 2014. Successful Ukrainian drone and missile strikes have provided a major morale boost for Kyiv at a time when its undermanned and under-gunned forces are facing Russian attacks along the more than 1,000-kilometer front line. Challenging Russia’s naval superiority also has helped create more favorable conditions for Ukrainian grain exports and other shipments from the country’s Black Sea ports. (AP Photo/File)

Ukrainian attacks increasingly sap the power of Russia's Black Sea fleet

Ukrainian sea drones have reportedly sunk another Russian warship in the Black Sea, the latest in a series of strikes that has crippled Moscow’s naval capability and limited its operations with the … more

By The Associated Press | 3/5/24

FILE - A container with frozen embryos and sperm stored in liquid nitrogen is removed at a fertility clinic in Fort Myers, Fla., Oct. 2, 2018. Alabama lawmakers are moving fast to approve measures to protect in vitro fertilization clinics from lawsuits in response to an uproar sparked by a state supreme court ruling last month that found that frozen embryos have the rights of children. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

What to know about Alabama's fast-tracked legislation to protect in vitro fertilization clinics

Alabama lawmakers are moving quickly with legislation to protect clinics that provide in vitro fertilization from lawsuits in response to a ruling last month from the State's Supreme Court that … more

By GEOFF MULVIHILL | 3/5/24

As threat to IVF looms in Alabama, patients over 35 or with serious diseases worry for their futures

Women over 35 and those facing serious diseases like cancer, lupus and sickle cell are among the most likely to turn to IVF to build the families they desperately want. But in Alabama, they are among … more

By LAURA UNGAR | 3/5/24

This image released by the Pritzker Prize shows the Yokosuka Museum of Art, designed by Riken Yamamoto, in Yokosuka, Japan. (Courtesy of Tomio Ohashi/Pritzker Prize via AP)

Pritzker Prize goes to Japanese architect who values community in spaces both public and private

Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto is the 2024 winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the highest honor in the field. Yamamoto, 78, has spent a five-decade career designing both private and public … more

By JOCELYN NOVECK | 3/5/24

Veronica Wehby-Upchurch a sign and son Ladner Upchurch as hundreds gather for a protest rally for in vitro fertilization legislation Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Montgomery, Ala. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, a ruling critics said could have sweeping implications for fertility treatments. (Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP)

Alabama lawmakers aim to approve immunity laws for IVF providers

Alabama lawmakers, who face public pressure to get in vitro fertilization services restarted, are nearing approval of immunity legislation for providers. Three IVF providers paused services after the … more

By KIM CHANDLER | 3/5/24

FILE - An officer directs people to a courtroom, Jan. 10, 2024, in an immigration court in Miami. A 53-year-old union of immigration judges has been ordered to get supervisor approval to speak publicly to anyone outside the Justice Department, potentially quieting a frequent critic of heavily backlogged immigration courts in an election year. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Immigration judges union, a frequent critic, is told to get approval before speaking publicly

A union of immigration judges has been ordered to get supervisor approval to speak to anyone outside the Justice Department, potentially quieting a frequent critic of heavily backlogged immigration … more

By ELLIOT SPAGAT | 3/4/24

In this image from video provided by KION-TV, police investigate the scene of a shooting in King City, Calif., Sunday, March 3, 2024. Police said a group of men in masks opened fire at an outdoor party, killing several and wounding others. This was the country’s 10th mass killing in 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. (KION -TVvia AP)

A list of mass killings in the United States this year

The latest mass killing in the U.S. happened Sunday in King City in central California. Police said a group of men in masks opened fire at an outdoor party, killing four people and wounding seven … more

By The Associated Press | 3/4/24

Democratic Minnesota State Rep. Cedrick Frazier, of New Hope, speaks with reporters at the State Capitol on Monday, March 4, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn., ahead of a debate on his bill to clarify the powers of police officers who work in schools. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)

Minnesota is poised to give school resource officers clearer authority to use force

Minnesota lawmakers are on the verge of a compromise that will give police officers who work in schools clearer authority to use force. Minnesota reacted to the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a … more

By STEVE KARNOWSKI | 3/4/24

Melissa Saunders ties loose bracelets for her daughter's fundraiser for children affected by the war in Gaza at the Dar Al Jalal Masjid Mosque in Hazelwood, Mo. on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Saunders's daughter is part of former Girl Scout Troop 149 which left the organization after being told to stop their fundraiser by the regional Girl Scout council. (Vanessa Abbitt/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Girl Scouts were told to stop bracelet-making fundraiser for kids in Gaza. Now they can't keep up

A Missouri Girl Scout troop that made bracelets to raise funds for children in Gaza was ordered to stop and threatened with legal action by regional scout leaders. Girl Scouts of the USA has said its … more

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH | 3/4/24

People walk past burning tires during a protest against Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Banks, schools and government agencies closed in Haiti’s northern and southern regions on Monday while protesters blocked main routes with blazing tires and paralyzed public transportation, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

There's chaos in Haiti. Powerful gangs are attacking key targets like prisons as alliances shift

Gangs in Haiti are increasingly powerful, and they've been attacking prisons and the main international airport. They've forced businesses and schools to close. Hundreds of people have fled. Heavy … more

By DÁNICA COTO | 3/4/24

FILE - Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker attends a news conference in Philadelphia, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. The arrest of two of Philadelphia's LGBTQ leaders by a state trooper during a fraught highway traffic stop is “very concerning,” Parker said after a video showing some of what happened on Saturday, March 2, 2024, circulated on social media. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Philadelphia LGBTQ leaders arrested in traffic stop the mayor calls 'concerning'

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker says she's very concerned by the arrest of two of the city's top LGBTQ leaders during a highway stop. Parker's aide Celena Morrison leads the city’s Office of … more

By MARYCLAIRE DALE | 3/4/24

FILE - Michael Voris, founder of Church Militant, speaks during a rally, Nov. 16, 2021, in Baltimore. Church Militant, a far-right, unofficial Catholic media website, has agreed to pay $500,000 to a New Hampshire priest who sued for defamation over a 2019 article that it now disavows. The website also is planning to shut down soon, the priest's attorney says. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Catholic news site Church Militant agrees to pay $500k in defamation case and is expected to close

A far-right, unofficial Catholic media site has agreed to pay $500,000 to a New Hampshire priest who sued for defamation over a 2019 article. And the priest’s attorney says the media site is … more

By PETER SMITH | 3/4/24

FILE - The healthcare.gov website is seen on Dec. 14, 2021, in Fort Washington, Md. A federal appeals court was scheduled to hear arguments Monday, March 4, 2024 on whether former President Barack Obama's signature health care law requires full insurance coverage of certain types of preventive care, including HIV prevention and some types of cancer screenings. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Latest attempt to chip away at 'Obamacare' questions preventive health care

A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments on whether former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law must fully cover certain types of preventive care, including HIV prevention and … more

By KEVIN McGILL | 3/4/24

This image provided by NASA, processed by Kevin M. Gill, shows Jupiter's moon Europa captured by the Juno spacecraft on Sept. 29, 2022, with north to the left. Research published Monday, March 4, 2024, suggests there's less oxygen on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa than thought — and that could affect what if any life might be lurking in the moon’s underground ocean. (Kevin M. Gill/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI via AP)

Jupiter's moon Europa may have less oxygen than expected, a finding that might put a damper on life

New research suggests there’s less oxygen on the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa than thought. This could affect what if any life might be lurking in the moon’s underground ocean. The new … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 3/4/24

This microscope image provided by researchers in March 2024 shows a lung organoid created from cells collected from amniotic fluid. In a study published Monday, March 4, 2024, in the journal Nature Medicine, scientists in the United Kingdom described how they have made mini-organs from cells floating in amniotic fluid – an advance they believe could open up new areas of prenatal medicine. (Giuseppe Calà, Paolo De Coppi, Mattia Gerli via AP)

Scientists have used cells from fluid drawn during pregnancy to grow mini lungs and other organs

Scientists in the United Kingdom have created mini organs from cells floating in the fluid that surrounds a fetus in the womb. They believe this advance could open up new areas of prenatal medicine. … more

By LAURA UNGAR | 3/4/24

FILE - Recent snowfall coats crosses at one of several memorials for the victims of last month's mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. An independent commission investigating the worst mass shooting in Maine's history is about to hear from more family members of the victims of the tragedy. More victims are set to speak Monday, March 4, 2024, at the hearing in Lewiston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Emotional witness implores politicians to drop partisanship to address shootings

An independent commission investigating the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s history is hearing from more family members of the victims of the tragedy. The commission was established by … more

By PATRICK WHITTLE and DAVID SHARP | 3/4/24