National News - The Morning Sun

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

This Jan. 27, 2021 image provided by The Tate Record shows a Senatobia Police vehicle in front of the Senatobia, Miss., Police Department. A 10-year-old Black child, who was arrested by the police after urinating in a parking lot, must serve three months' probation and write a two-page book report on the late NBA star Kobe Bryant, a Tate County Youth Court Judge ruled Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. (The Tate Record via AP)

Black child, 10, sentenced to probation and a book report for urinating in public

A 10-year-old Black child who urinated in a parking lot is being sentenced to three months’ probation. He also has to write a two-page book report on the late NBA star Kobe Bryant. A Tate County … more

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG | 12/14/23

Memphis-Shelby County, Tenn., Schools Interim Superintendent Toni Williams, board Chairperson Althea Greene, board member Mauricio Calvo, and roughly 40 other local leaders in the faith community gather, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn., to talk about the After School Satan Club poised to be held at Chimneyrock Elementary in Cordova, Tenn., in January 2024. (John Klyce/The Commercial Appeal via AP)

Education, faith leaders denounce planned Satan club at Tennessee elementary school

Faith and education leaders are denouncing plans for an After School Satan Club at a Tennessee elementary school. But say they would follow the law and allow the organization hosting the club to … more

12/14/23

Temple Israel Synagogue is seen, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Canton, Ohio, after charges came to light against a 13-year-old boy who allegedly planned a mass shooting targeting the synagogue, including drawing maps of the building, back in September. A trial hearing for the boy is set for Wednesday, Dec. 20. (Kevin Whitlock/The Independent via AP)

Boy, 13, charged after allegedly planning mass shooting in a synagogue

A 13-year-old boy has been charged with allegedly planning a mass shooting at an Ohio synagogue. Court documents say the boy, who has not been publicly named because he is a minor, faces misdemeanor … more

By SAMANTHA HENDRICKSON | 12/14/23

FILE - Activists haul boxes of signed petitions to Atlanta City Hall, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, to force a referendum on the future of a planned police and firefighter training center. An analysis of petition entries by four news organizations finds it’s unclear whether petitioners have enough valid entries to force the citywide vote, with nearly half the entries unable to be matched to eligible registered Atlanta voters. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, file) /Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Lawyers for Atlanta ask federal appeals court to kill 'Stop Cop City' petition seeking referendum

Lawyers for the city of Atlanta are asking an appeals court to overturn a ruling that let nonresidents collect signatures in the “Stop Cop City” effort to force a referendum on a police and fire … more

By JEFF AMY | 12/14/23

This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo on the set of "Poor Things." (Atsushi Nishijima/Searchlight Pictures via AP)

Behind the sumptuous, monstrous craft of 'Poor Things'

“Poor Things” is a Frankenstein-esque fantasia about a young woman (Emma Stone) reanimated by a demented surgeon (Willem Dafoe). Yet the behind-the-scenes work that went into crafting the … more

By JAKE COYLE | 12/14/23

Gautam Dongre, of the National Alliance of Sickle Cell Organizations, sits for a portrait with his daughter, Sumedha, 13, at their residence in Nagpur, India, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. Dongre recalls how his newborn son, Girish, cried constantly from stomach and leg pain. Doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong and didn’t diagnose him with sickle cell for 2 1/2 years. When Sumedha was born, he and his wife had her tested immediately and learned she had the disease too. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Promising new gene therapies for sickle cell are out of reach in countries where they're needed most

New gene therapies promise a cure for sickle cell disease but experts say they are out of reach in places that need them the most. Vast inequities cut much of the world off from gene therapy in … more

By LAURA UNGAR | 12/14/23

FILE - A bald eagle flies at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge Friday, Dec. 24, 2021, in Mound City, Mo. A federal grand jury in Montana early Dec. 2023, has indicted two men accused of killing about 3,600 birds, including bald eagles and golden eagles, and selling them on the black market. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Men charged with illegal killing of 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles to sell

A federal grand jury in Montana has indicted two men accused of killing about 3,600 birds, including bald eagles and golden eagles to sell on the black market. The indictment returned in U.S. … more

12/14/23

A hiring sign is displayed outside of a retail store in Schaumburg, Ill., Tuesday, Dec.12, 2023. On Thursday, the Labor Department reports on the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

US applications for jobless benefits fall again as labor market continues to thrive

The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits fell last week as the labor market continues to thrive amid high interest rates and still-elevated inflation. Applications for unemployment … more

By MATT OTT | 12/14/23

A woman carrying a shopping bag passes Macy's department store in Herald Square, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, in New York. On Thursday, the Commerce Department releases U.S. retail sales data for November. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Retail sales up 0.3% in November, showing how Americans continue to spend

Americans picked up their spending from October to November as the unofficial holiday season kicked off, underscoring that shoppers still have power to keep buying. Retail sales rose 0.3%, in … more

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO | 12/14/23

FILE - The entrance to Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton is seen on Sept. 22, 2015, in Oceanside, Calif. One U.S. Marine has died and 14 others were taken to hospitals after an amphibious combat vehicle they were in rolled over during a training at a California base. The Marine Corps says the rollover happened around 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton during a ground movement training. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

1 Marine killed, 14 taken to hospitals after amphibious combat vehicle rolls over during training

One U.S. Marine has died and 14 others were taken to hospitals after an amphibious combat vehicle they were in rolled over during a training at a California base. The Marine Corps says the rollover … more

Associated Press | 12/13/23

Mandy Benn addresses the court before she is sentenced at Ionia County Courthouse in Ionia, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Benn struck bicyclists that were riding in a July 2022 fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation. Two cyclists Edward Erickson, 48, of Ann Arbor, and Michael Salhaney, 57, of Bloomfield Hills, died from the crash. (Joel Bissell/MLive.com/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Woman gets 70 years in prison for killing two bicyclists in Michigan charity ride

A woman has been sentenced to at least 70 years in prison for causing the deaths of two bicyclists taking part in a charity ride last year in western Michigan. A judge in Ionia County stacked two … more

12/13/23

FILE - CBD wax is displayed at a shop in Sunset Hills, Mo., on June 27, 2019. CBD use increased 50% in the past four years, according to a new survey published Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Brian Munoz/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File)

More people are using CBD products. There's still little research on the benefits and risks

A new survey shows 1 in 5 Americans used CBD in the past year. This is despite a lack of research on the benefits and risks of CBD and other compounds that come from hemp. The survey was done by NORC … more

By DEVI SHASTRI | 12/13/23

FILE - A Russian flag is held above the Olympic Rings at Adler Arena Skating Center during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia on Feb. 18, 2014. Some Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IOC said Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 in a decision that removed the option of a blanket ban over the invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Many top Russian athletes faced minimal drug testing in 2023 ahead of next year's Paris Olympics

Two of Russia’s top swimmers who could be eligible for the next year’s Olympics have been drug tested by their country’s anti-doping agency only twice apiece in 2023. It's part of a larger … more

By EDDIE PELLS | 12/13/23

FILE - Saudi Aramco engineers walk in front of a gas turbine generator at Khurais oil field during a tour for journalists, outside of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

Saudi registrants for COP28 included undeclared oil company employees, nonprofit says

At least 15 people who registered for Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai appear to be undeclared employees of the Saudi state oil company, according to research by … more

By ED DAVEY and MARY KATHERINE WILDEMAN | 12/13/23

FILE - The Geminid meteor shower lights up the night sky above Tybee Island, Ga., early Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. The year’s best meteor shower, the Geminids, peaks this week, with lucky stargazers seeing as many as one or even two a minute in the darkest spots. The meteors will reach their frenzy Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (Will Peebles/Savannah Morning News via AP, File)

Geminids meteor shower peaks this week under dark skies

The year's best meteor shower, the Geminids, peaks this week. Skygazers may see as many as one or even two a minute in locations with dark skies. The meteors will reach their frenzy Thursday. But … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 12/13/23

Kealoha Pisciotta, a cultural practitioner and longtime activist, sits on lava rock part of the way up Mauna Kea while giving an interview on the Big Island of Hawaii, on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Over the last 50 years, astronomers have mounted 13 giant astronomical observatories on Mauna Kea's summit. In 2019, Native Hawaiians including Piscioitta staged a year-long protest over construction of an additional telescope. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

A volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is sacred to spiritual practitioners and treasured by astronomers

Mauna Kea is a 14,000-foot shield volcano in Hawaii’s Big Island. The mountain, especially its summit, is sacred to Native Hawaiians as it contains ceremonial platforms, ancestral burial sites and … more

By DEEPA BHARATH and AUDREY McAVOY | 12/13/23

Tesla recalls over 2 million vehicles to fix defective system that monitors drivers using Autopilot

Tesla is recalling more than 2 million vehicles across its model lineup to fix a defective system that’s supposed to ensure drivers are paying attention when they use Autopilot. Documents posted by … more

By TOM KRISHER | 12/13/23

The kanji character “zei,” or taxes is displayed as the kanji letter of this year, at Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, Japan, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. The kanji character “zei,” or taxes, was chosen as one that best represents 2023 amid growing speculation of a future tax increase to fund Japan’s ongoing drastic military buildup. The top Buddhist monk at the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, using a brush, wrote the letter on the temple balcony during Tuesday’s closely watched annual event. (Kyodo News via AP)

2023 in other words: AI might be the term of the year, but consider these far-flung contenders

Many sentiments are universal. Many words are not. As 2023 ends, The Associated Press reached out to colleagues around the world for terms that emerged this year and seized or crystalized the popular … more

By CARA ANNA | 12/13/23