National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - A person places a candle near a memorial for Donovon Lynch during a vigil on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Virginia Beach, Va. The city of Virginia Beach will pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit from the family of Donovon Lynch, a Black man who was shot by police during a chaotic night of violence on the city’s oceanfront last year. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, File)

Court asked to enforce $3M deal in police shooting lawsuit

Several parties to a wrongful death lawsuit over the fatal police shooting of a Black man on the Virginia Beach oceanfront last year have asked a judge to enforce a settlement agreement announced … more

12/28/22

Rocky ride: Tesla stock on pace for worst year ever

Owning Tesla stock this year has been anything but a smooth ride for investors. Shares in the electric vehicle maker are down nearly 70% since the start of the year, on pace to finish in the bottom … more

By ALEX VEIGA | 12/28/22

FILE - A road leading to the Etoile du Sud Hotel, seen in the background, is cordoned off near the site of an attack in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast, on March 15, 2016. Eleven people have been sentenced to life in prison in Ivory Coast on Wednesday Dec. 28, 2022 after being convicted of carrying out an Islamic extremist attack that killed 19 people and injured dozens more on a tourist beach nearly seven years ago. (AP Photo/Carley Petesch, File)

11 convicted over deadly extremist attack in Ivory Coast

Eleven people have been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of an Islamic extremist attack that killed 19 people and injured dozens more on an Ivory Coast tourist beach nearly seven … more

By TOUSSAINT N'GOTTA | 12/28/22

Victoria Solomon, right, hangs her belongings to dry after several days of rain in San Francisco, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. Police harass her on a regular basis, she says, and San Francisco city workers have confiscated her belongings at least five times this year in tent cleanups. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Homelessness in San Francisco: talk of frustration, survival

Victoria Solomon has been woken up by police, told to move off public sidewalks and had her belongings trashed. She’s one of the estimated 7,800 people living without a home in San Francisco. The … more

By JANIE HAR | 12/28/22

A traveler wades through the field of unclaimed bags at the Southwest Airlines luggage carousels at Denver International Airport, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Southwest Airlines flight cancellations continue to snowball

Families hoping to catch a Southwest Airlines flight after days of cancellations, missing luggage and missed family connections are suffering through another wave of scrubbed flights. Another 2,500 … more

By DAVID KOENIG | 12/28/22

FILE - American Nobel laureate and "Beloved" author Toni Morrison smiles during a news conference at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Nov. 8, 2006. A Feb. 22 to June 4, 2023 Morrison tribute at Princeton University, where she taught for 17 years, will range from music created and performed by Grammy winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant to a spring lecture series to a three-day symposium featuring author Edwidge Danticat, among others. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

Princeton University plans Toni Morrison tribute in 2023

A monthslong Toni Morrison tribute at Princeton University will range from music created and performed by Grammy-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant to a spring lecture series to a three-day … more

12/28/22

Mary Warwick, wildlife director for the Houston Humane Society, holds a Mexican free-tailed bat as it recovers from last week's freeze on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022 in Houston. The freezing temperatures caused the bats to go into hypothermic shock, lose their grip on their habitat and fall to the ground. Over 1500 bats were rescued from the Waugh Street Bridge and in Pearland since Friday. The public is welcome to watch them release almost 700 of bats on Wednesday at 5:30 at Waugh Street Bridge in Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Bats plunge to ground in cold; saved by incubators, fluids

Texas wildlife officials say hundreds of bats lost their grip and plunged to the pavement underneath a bridge in Houston after going into hypothermic shock during the state's recent cold snap. The … more

12/28/22

FILE - A customer fills out a Mega Millions lottery ticket at a convenience store in Northbrook, Ill., on Jan. 6, 2021. The holiday shopping season, for Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers, at least, is ramping up as officials say the estimated jackpot for the drawing the night of Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, has surpassed half a billion dollars. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Mega Millions jackpot up to $640M after no big winner

A giant Mega Millions jackpot has grown larger to an estimated $640 million after another drawing without a winner. No one won the lottery game’s top prize Tuesday night, making it 21 straight … more

12/28/22

FILE -- Irmgard Furchner, accused of being part of the apparatus that helped the Nazis' Stutthof concentration camp function, appears in court for the verdict in her trial in Itzehoe, Germay, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. The 97-year-old woman is appealing against her conviction last week by a German court of being an accessory to more than 10,000 murders in her role as a secretary to the commander of the Nazis' Stutthof concentration camp during World War II. (Christian Charisius/Pool Photo via DPA, file)

Germany: Former Nazi camp secretary, 97, appeals conviction

A 97-year-old woman is appealing against her conviction in Germany of being an accessory to more than 10,000 murders when she was a secretary to the commander of the Nazis’ Stutthof concentration … more

12/28/22

FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Delaware Department of Justice shows Barry Croft Jr. Prosecutors are recommending a life prison sentence for the co-leader of the conspiracy to kidnap Michigan’s governor. They have reminded a judge that social media posts and secretly recorded conversations revealed a chilling desire by Croft Jr. to spark a “reign of terror” in 2020. Croft Jr. is due in federal court Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, a day after key ally Adam Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison after prosecutors also recommended a life sentence for him. (Delaware Department of Justice via AP, File)

Architect of plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer to face sentence

Prosecutors are recommending a life prison sentence for a co-leader of the conspiracy to kidnap Michigan’s governor. They've reminded a judge that social media posts and secretly recorded … more

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI | 12/28/22

FILE - This surveillance image provided by the Riverside Sheriff's Department shows a suspect during an armed robbery in Norco, Calif., on July 31, 2022. The 80-year-old Southern California liquor store owner who blasted the would-be armed robber with a shotgun has died, the store reported Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. (Riverside Sheriff's Department via AP, File)

80-year-old California store owner who shot robber dies

An 80-year-old Southern California liquor store owner who shot a would-be armed robber with a shotgun has died. Norco Market & Liquor in Riverside County says Craig Cope died Tuesday morning. Cope … more

12/27/22

David Peralta, a 67-year-old retired technical college instructor, buys a Mega Millions ticket at a Kansas Lottery machine in a Dillons grocery, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, in Topeka, Kan. Peralta says he buys lottery tickets regularly and said he's likely to help others if he wins a big jackpot because, "I don't know if I need that much." (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Mega Millions hits $565M but prize isn't even in the top 10

Someone could win more than half a billion dollars in the Mega Millions lottery Tuesday, but that jackpot wouldn't even rank in the top 10 as the prizes have grown bigger in recent years. The current … more

By JOSH FUNK | 12/27/22

FILE - Demonstrators stand outside the House chamber before a vote is held on Senate Bill 1 during a special session Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Critics of religious freedom laws often argue they are used to discriminate against LGBTQ people and only protect a conservative Christian worldview. But following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, religious abortion-rights supporters are using these laws to protect access to abortion and defend their beliefs. (Jenna Watson/The Indianapolis Star via AP, File)

State lawsuits defend abortion access with religious freedom

Critics of religious freedom laws often argue they are used to discriminate against LGBTQ people and only protect a conservative Christian worldview. But following the U.S. Supreme Court’s … more

By ARLEIGH RODGERS | 12/27/22

FILE - South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrates after a college basketball game in the final round of the Women's Final Four NCAA tournament against UConn, April 3, 2022, in Minneapolis. South Carolina won 64-49 to win the championship. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Women's sports saw pivotal growth in deals, interest in 2022

Popularity across women’s sports has grown steadily over the past few years and there was pivotal movement in 2022. Several sports and leagues saw growth in viewership and ratings, sponsorship … more

By ALANIS THAMES | 12/27/22

A passenger checks flight departures showing cancellations at Laguardia Airport, Friday Dec. 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Flight canceled? Experts share some advice about what to do

Thousands of travelers have been stranded at airports or stuck on hold trying to rebook flights this week as a massive storm snarled travel in the U.S. and Canada. More than 2,800 more flights had … more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN | 12/27/22

A man passes by a barricade made of trucks loaded with stones that was erected during the night on a street in northern, Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. Serbia on Monday placed its security troops on the border with Kosovo on "the full state of combat readiness," ignoring NATO's calls for calming down of tensions between the two wartime Balkan foes. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

Serbs put up new roadblocks as tensions soar in Kosovo

Serbs have erected more roadblocks in northern Kosovo and defied international demands to remove those placed earlier. A day earlier, Serbia put its troops near the border on a high level of combat … more

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC | 12/27/22

Mega Millions Tuesday jackpot surpasses estimated $565M

The holiday shopping season — for Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers, at least — is ramping up as officials say the estimated jackpot for Tuesday night’s drawing has surpassed half a billion … more

By The Associated Press | 12/26/22

FILE - Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates is seen in Tampa, Fla., March 3, 1963. Fifty years after his death, Clemente, the skillful outfielder, remains one of the most revered figures in Puerto Rico and Latin America. His graceful flare and powerful arm were unrivaled in his era, but his humanitarian efforts are perhaps his greatest legacy. Half a century after he played, many of today’s Latino baseball players credit him for paving the way. (AP Photo/Preston Stroup, File)

Roberto Clemente remains Latino legend 50 years after death

Roberto Clemente remains one of the most revered figures in Puerto Rico and Latin America 50 years after his death. His graceful flare and powerful arm were unrivaled in his era. His humanitarian … more

By ALANIS THAMES | 12/26/22

FILE - A shopper carries bags down Fifth Avenue on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, in New York. Holiday sales rose as shoppers showed some resilience during the most important shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File )

Holiday sales up 7.6% despite the squeeze of inflation

Holiday sales rose as American spending remained resilient during the critical shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent, according to one measure. Holiday sales rose … more

Associated Press | 12/26/22

In this photo provided by the Kosovo government public affairs office, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti, right, poses with the top NATO commander in Kosovo, Maj. Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia, in the capital Pristina, Kosovo, Monday, Dec. 26, 2022. The two met amid heightened tensions in Kosovo's Serb-run north where NATO said unidentified armed men fired weapons near a NATO patrol unit. (Kosovo government public affairs office via AP)

NATO probing shooting incident in tense Kosovo north

NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo say they are investigating a shooting incident in a tense northern region. They urged calm after Serbia sent its army chief to the border area in response. The … more

12/26/22