National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - The Snapchat app is seen on a mobile device in New York, Aug. 9, 2017. As concerns about social media's impact on teen psychology continue to rise, platforms from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram are bolting on new features they say will make their services safer and more age appropriate. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Social media offers parents more controls. But do they help?

As concerns about social media’s harmful effects on teens continue to rise, platforms from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram are bolting on new features designed to make their services safer and more … more

By BARBARA ORTUTAY | 8/10/22

Russia targets reporter with raid, probe over war criticism

Russian authorities on Wednesday raided the home of a former state TV journalist who quit after making an on-air protest against Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Her lawyer says on social media that … more

8/10/22

FILE - In this handout photo taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Aug. 7, 2022, a general view of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in territory under Russian military control, southeastern Ukraine. The Zaporizhzhia plant is in southern Ukraine, near the town of Enerhodar on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is one of the 10 biggest nuclear plants in the world. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling Europe's largest nuclear power plant, stoking international fears of a catastrophe on the continent. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

EXPLAINER: Fighting in Ukraine endangers big nuclear plant

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, stoking international fears of a catastrophe. The Zaporizhzhia plant is in southern Ukraine, on the … more

By The Associated Press | 8/10/22

FILE - Firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant died in Calabasas, Calif., Jan. 26, 2020. Bryant's widow is taking her lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Fire Department to a federal jury seeking compensation for photos deputies shared of the remains of the NBA star, his daughter and seven others killed in a helicopter crash in 2020. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Kobe Bryant crash photos lawsuit to be heard by LA jury

Kobe Bryant’s widow is taking her lawsuit against the Los Angeles County sheriff’s and fire departments to a federal jury seeking compensation for photos deputies shared of the remains of the NBA … more

8/10/22

Sam Payne, of Dummerston, fills out a ballot at the Dummerston, Vt., Polling Station for the state's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)

Vermonters Democratic House member will seek Senate seat

Vermont's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives is the Democratic Party nominee to run for the U.S. Senate seat that has been occupied by retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy since 1975. The … more

By WILSON RING | 8/9/22

FILE - Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, left, listens as Bishop Megan Rohrer speaks to the media before their installation ceremony at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Rohrer is the first openly transgender person elected as bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, issued a public apology Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, to members of a majority Latino immigrant congregation for the pain and trauma caused after Rohrer unexpectedly fired their pastor. (AP Photo/John Hefti, File)

Lutheran bishop issues public apology to Latino congregation

A top Lutheran bishop issued a public apology to a majority Latino congregation in California for how they were treated after their pastor was fired by the denomination's first transgender bishop. … more

By DEEPA BHARATH and HOLLY MEYER | 8/9/22

FILE - Homeless encampments block the street on an overpass of the Hollywood freeway in Los Angeles, in July 7, 2021. The Los Angeles City Council has voted to ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycare centers. The council voted Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022 to broaden an existing ban on sleeping or camping near the facilities. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Los Angeles OKs sweeping ban on homeless camps near schools

The Los Angeles City Council has voted to ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycare centers. The council voted Tuesday to broaden an existing ban on sleeping or camping near the … more

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER | 8/9/22

FILE - Actor-comedian Kenan Thompson appears at the American Museum of Natural History's 2019 Museum Gala on Nov. 21, 2019, in New York. Thompson will host the 74th Emmy® Awards scheduled for Monday, Sept. 12. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Kenan Thompson of 'SNL' to host Sept. 12 Emmy Awards

Veteran “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson will host next month’s Emmy Awards. Thompson calls it “ridiculously exciting” to be part of the ceremony honoring TV's best. … more

8/9/22

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, of West Springfield, Mass., center, charged with negligent homicide in the deaths of seven motorcycle club members in a 2019 crash, enters a courtroom at Coos County Superior Court, in Lancaster, N.H., Monday, July 25, 2022, before a scheduled visit to the crash scene. Zhukovskyy has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of negligent homicide, manslaughter, reckless conduct and driving under the influence in the June 21, 2019, crash. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, Pool)

Jury deliberations start in deadly motorcycle crash trial

Jury deliberations have begun in the trial of a truck driver charged with killing seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire three years ago. Twenty-six-year-old Volodymyr Zhukovskyy faces negligent … more

By HOLLY RAMER | 8/9/22

Fewer than 1 in 3 insured hepatitis C patients getting cure

A new government study found that fewer than 1 in 3 people infected with hepatitis C are getting the treatments that can cure them. Experts say insurance restrictions appear to be part of the reason … more

By MIKE STOBBE | 8/9/22

Maryam holds a poster showing her father Khalil Awawdeh, a Palestinian prisoner in Israel, at the family house in the West Bank village of Idna, Hebron, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Arabic graffiti reads: "to those who are in love, my heart is like a stranger, it is a long time." Awawdeh who has refused food for 150 days and is wasting away in an Israeli jailhouse infirmary has suddenly been thrust at the center of efforts to firm up a Gaza cease-fire. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Israel-Gaza truce shines light on Palestinian hunger striker

A Palestinian hunger striker who has refused food for the past five months and is wasting away in an Israeli jailhouse infirmary has suddenly been thrust into the center of efforts to firm up a Gaza … more

By JELAL HASSAN and TIA GOLDENBERG | 8/9/22

Neighbor Mary Thompson prays as she brings a bouquet to the memorial site set after a crash involving as many as six cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills in Los Angeles, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. Authorities said that a speeding car ran a red light and plowed into cars in a crowded intersection Thursday in a fiery crash that killed several people, including a baby. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Driver in LA crash that killed 5 charged with murder

The driver suspected of causing a fiery crash that killed five people and an 8 1/2-month-old fetus near Los Angeles has been charged with murder. Nicole Lorraine Linton of Texas also was charged … more

8/8/22

Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas dances to Motown music playing at the Motown Museum. The museum celebrates the completion of two of three phases of an ambitious expansion plan, including a new courtyard in front of the museum, during a gathering in Detroit, Monday, August 8, 2022. (Daniel Mears/Detroit News via AP)

Motown stars celebrate completion of museum expansion phases

Motown legends Smokey Robinson, Otis Williams and Martha Reeves were among those who celebrated the completion of the first two phases of the Motown Museum's expansion. The event took place Monday … more

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER | 8/8/22

FILE - In this photo provided by the National Park Service, Mud Canyon Road is closed due to flash flooding in Death Valley, Calif., Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. Authorities say the main roadway into Death Valley National Park will remain closed into the following week as crews clean up after record-breaking rains damaged the roadway and choked it with mud, rocks and debris. (National Park Service/Death Valley National Park via AP, File)

Death Valley route buried in floods closed for another week

Authorities say a main roadway into Death Valley National Park will remain closed into next week as crews clean up after record-breaking rains damaged the roadway and choked it with mud, rocks and … more

8/8/22

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams speaks during a news conference in New York, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. Williams and other officials were announcing the repatriation 30 antiquities to Cambodia that had been illegally trafficked. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Cambodian ambassador: Looted artworks are 'souls' of culture

Cambodia’s ambassador to the United States says the return of 30 antiquities to his country by U.S. law enforcement authorities is like a returning of the souls of Cambodia's culture. Ambassador … more

By LARRY NEUMEISTER | 8/8/22

Robert Terwilliger, right, of Williamsburg, Pa., who is participating in a Lyme disease vaccine trial at the Altoona Center for Clinical Research, is injected with either the new vaccine or a placebo, by registered nurse Janae Roland, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, in Duncansville, Pa. Lyme is a growing problem, with cases steadily rising and warming weather helping ticks expand their habitat. (AP Photo/Gary M. Baranec)

Major test of first possible Lyme vaccine in 20 years begins

Researchers are seeking thousands of volunteers in the U.S. and Europe to test the first potential vaccine against Lyme disease in 20 years. The shot developed by Pfizer and French biotech Valneva … more

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and SHELBY LUM | 8/8/22

This photo provided by Daniela C. Roessler in August 2022 shows a jumping spider (E. arcuata) exhibiting leg curling during a REM sleep-like state. A study published on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, finds that some spiders show resting patterns that look like REM sleep — raising questions about how widespread this kind of sleep might be in the animal world. (Daniela C. Roessler via AP)

Do spiders sleep? Study suggests they may snooze like humans

New research suggests that jumping spiders show signs of sleep cycles, similar to humans and some animals. Scientists trained cameras on baby jumping spiders to find out what happened during the … more

By MADDIE BURAKOFF | 8/8/22

In this undated photo released by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office is Deputy Andrew Peery. Authorities say a sheriff's deputy was shot and killed Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, while responding to a shooting in southern Colorado. Deputy Andrew Peery was a decorated member of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office SWAT team. (El Paso County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Sheriff's deputy and woman killed in Colorado home shooting

Southern Colorado authorities say a woman and a sheriff’s deputy were fatally shot at a home over the weekend and that the suspected gunman was found dead inside the home. Police say Deputy Andrew … more

By COLLEEN SLEVIN | 8/8/22

FILE- In this image taken from police body camera video provided by The Moab Police Department, Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito talks to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12, 2021. The family of Petito filed a notice of claim Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, of plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the tourist town of Moab, Utah, over police officers' handling of an encounter with Petito and her boyfriend weeks she was found dead in Wyoming. (The Moab Police Department via AP, File)

Gabby Petito's family files claim alleging police failed her

Gabby Petito’s family has notified Utah officials that they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit alleging police failed to recognize she was in a life-threatening situation last year when they … more

By BRADY McCOMBS and SAM METZ | 8/8/22

FILE - A man walks past a house abandoned after it was inundated by water due to the rising sea level in Sidogemah, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 8, 2021. Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, such as malaria, hantavirus, cholera and even anthrax, according to a new study released Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

Study connects climate hazards to 58% of infectious diseases

A new study finds climate hazards aggravate 58% of known infection diseases in people. Monday's study shows how widespread the influence of extreme weather such as flooding, heat waves and drought is … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 8/8/22