National News - The Morning Sun

Israel has expanded its ground operation in Gaza, sending in tanks and infantry backed by massive strikes from the air and sea. (Oct. 28)

Live updates | Israel pounds Gaza Strip, dismissing calls for cease-fire

Israel has entered a new phase of its war on Hamas, expanding its ground attacks with tanks rolling into the Palestinian enclave and stepped-up bombardment from the air, land and sea. Israel's … more

By The Associated Press | 10/28/23

FILE - A cut lead pipe is pulled from a dig site for testing at a home in Royal Oak, Mich., on Nov. 16, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency will soon strengthen lead in drinking water regulations. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

EPA to strengthen lead protections in drinking water after multiple crises, including Flint

The Environmental Protection Agency will soon strengthen lead in drinking water regulations, after decades when they essentially remained the same. Those decades have included numerous crises … more

By MICHAEL PHILLIS and MIKE STOBBE | 10/28/23

Richard Morlock, a member of the deaf community and surviver of the mass shooting at Schemengees Bar and Grille, pays his respect at a makeshift memorial to his friends he played cornhole with who were killed during the recent mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Relief tinged with sadness as Maine residents resume activities after shooting suspect found dead

Sunshine and a sense of relief swept through central Maine after a gunman who had been on the loose for days was found dead. Residents of Lewiston and surrounding towns had been told to stay home … more

By HOLLY RAMER and JAKE BLEIBERG | 10/28/23

FILE - A general view shows the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 22, 2023. Federal authorities have started removing hazardous materials from the Maui wildfires and laying the groundwork to dispose of burnt cars, buildings and other debris. The hazardous materials, including oil, solvent and batteries, are being shipped to the West Coast while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers works with local officials to develop a plan to dispose of an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 tons of debris on the island. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Hawaii agrees to hand over site to Maui County for wildfire landfill and memorial

Hawaii’s land board says it will hand over state land on Maui to be used for a wildfire memorial and fire debris disposal. But members of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources urged Maui … more

By AUDREY McAVOY | 10/28/23

Rutgers University's students place candles with the Star of David pattern to hold solidarity and vigil for Israel on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New Brunswick, N.J. For many of the university chaplains and faith leaders caring for students angered and shaken by the Israel-Hamas war, the needs are acute, the days intense. The bloodshed has roiled campuses in the United States, sparking rival rallies and competing demands.(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Jewish and Muslim chaplains navigate US campus tensions and help students roiled by Israel-Hamas war

For many of the Jewish and Muslim university chaplains and faith leaders caring for students angered and shaken by the Israel-Hamas war, the needs are acute, the days intense. The bloodshed has … more

By MARIAM FAM | 10/28/23

RETRANMISSION TO CORRECT LOCATION - Toni Asselin, who was at the Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley with her mother, Tammy Asselin, during the recent mass shooting, listens to her mother speak during an interview in Lewiston, Maine, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

When a man began shooting in Maine, some froze while others ran. Now they're left with questions

A billiard ball being hit, a dropped bowling ball and a popping balloon. Those are some of the noises that witnesses in Lewiston, Maine, thought they heard when a gunman opened fire at a bowling … more

By HOLLY RAMER and MICHELLE R. SMITH | 10/28/23

Police officers guard the road to a recycling facility where the body of Robert Card, the suspect in this week's mass shootings, was found, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Lisbon, Maine. Card was wanted for the shooting deaths of 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Timeline shows Maine suspect moved swiftly to carry out mass shooting rampage and elude police

A timeline released Friday shows that the suspect in the Maine mass shootings stayed one step ahead of police who rushed to the bowling alley and a bar but were too late to stop him from killing 18 … more

By CLAUDIA LAUER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER | 10/28/23

People gather for a Commemoration Ceremony, on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Schenley Park, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, to remember the 11 worshippers killed by a gunman at the Tree of Life synagogue five years ago. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Five years later, trauma compounds for survivors marking Tree of Life massacre amid Israel-Hamas war

In one sense, there was a feeling of closure as survivors marked five years since the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. They joined with hundreds of others for an outdoor commemoration of … more

By PETER SMITH | 10/27/23

Heart-shaped cut-outs with messages of positivity adorns trees in downtown Lewiston, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. The signs are some of the 100 hearts put up by Miaa Zellner of Turner, Maine, to show her love and support for the community in the wake of Wednesday's mass shootings. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Maine's close-knit deaf community is grieving in the wake of shootings that killed 4 beloved members

Maine’s close-knit community of deaf and hard of hearing people is grieving in the wake of the Lewiston shootings that killed beloved members, many of whom were ardent advocates. The Maine … more

By PATRICK WHITTLE | 10/27/23

FILE - Paul Flores listens during his murder trial in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas, Calif., on July 18, 2022. The California inmate who allegedly attacked Flores, the man convicted of murdering college student Kristen Smart, in August 2023, had previously killed another prisoner in 2021, state officials said. (Daniel Dreifuss/Monterey County Weekly via AP, Pool, File)

Inmate suspected in prison attack on Kristin Smart's killer previously murdered 'I-5 Strangler'

California officials say an inmate accused of attacking Paul Flores this summer, shortly after Flores reported to prison to serve his conviction for murdering college student Kristin Smart, strangled … more

10/27/23

FILE - An image of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse is displayed at a news conference, Feb. 14, 2023, in Miami. A federal judge in Miami on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023 sentenced Germán Alejandro Rivera García, a retired Colombian army officer, to life in prison for his role in plotting to kill Moïse on July 7, 2021. He is the second of 11 suspects detained and charged in Miami to be sentenced. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Retired Colombian army officer gets life sentence in 2021 assassination of Haiti's president

A federal judge in Miami has sentenced a retired Colombian army officer to life in prison for his role in plotting to kill Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Germán Alejandro Rivera García … more

By GISELA SALOMON | 10/27/23

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Russia and Israel have steadily expanded trade and other contacts and strengthened security ties, and Moscow has been guarded in commenting on the Gaza fighting. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Senior Iranian envoy met Hamas representatives in Moscow as Russia seeks to expand its clout

A senior Iranian envoy has met with Hamas representatives in Moscow following talks with Russian diplomats that underscored Moscow’s efforts to expand its clout as a power broker in the latest … more

By The Associated Press | 10/27/23

A law enforcement officer blocks a road in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, during a manhunt for the suspect of a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Live Updates | Search for suspected shooter prompts dread in Maine

The ongoing search for Robert Card, an Army reservist who authorities say fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Maine, is prompting dread around the state. Much of Thursday’s … more

By The Associated Press | 10/27/23

A White Bengal tiger approaches a pumpkin stuffed with meat at Rome's Zoo, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. To celebrate the upcoming Halloween, zookeepers at the Bioparco feast have fed animals with pumpkins stuffed with food. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa

Oct. 20-26, 2023 A white Bengal tiger approaching a pumpkin at the Rome Zoo, and a rainbow shines over St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. A procession takes place in Bucharest, Romania, and a … more

By The Associated Press | 10/27/23

A body is wheeled out on a stretcher at Schemengees Bar and Grille, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. The restaurant was the site of one of the two mass shootings in Lewiston on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Live Updates | Lewiston schools to close as police search for mass shooting suspect

The superintendent of Lewiston Public Schools says they will be closed for another day during an ongoing search for a mass shooting suspect. Superintendent Jake Langlais has posted an online notice … more

By The Associated Press | 10/27/23

A White Bengal tiger approaches a pumpkin stuffed with meat kept by zookeepers to celebrate the upcoming Halloween, at Rome's Zoo, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

AP Week in Pictures: Global | Oct. 20 - 26, 2023

Shepherds defending ancient grazing and migration rights guide sheep through a city square during the annual parade in Spain. Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings following Israeli … more

10/26/23

People stand outside a reunification center early Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, at Auburn Middle School in Auburn, Maine, after shootings Wednesday at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Volunteer youth bowling coach and 'hero' bar manager among Maine shooting victims

Authorities have not released the names of the 18 people killed in two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, but their family members and friends have begun sharing their stories. According to Maine … more

By HOLLY RAMER and LISA RATHKE | 10/26/23

Acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Troy Miller, center, speaks during a news conference at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in San Diego. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced a new government-wide strategy that will target not only fentanyl but precursor materials used to make the synthetic opioid.(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

US government says it plans to go after legal goods tied to illegal fentanyl trade in new strategy

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced a new government-wide strategy that will target not only fentanyl but precursor materials used to make the synthetic opioid. Acting commissioner … more

By JULIE WATSON | 10/26/23

FILE - Officers with the Frederick County, Md., Sheriff's Office SWAT Team search for suspect Pedro Argote at the former Garden State Tannery plant, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Williamsport, Md. Argote, the man suspected of killing a Maryland judge on Thursday, Oct. 19, was found dead on Thursday, Oct. 26, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities believe Argote was angry about losing custody of his children when he shot and killed Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, the judge who presided over his divorce case. (Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post via AP, File)

Suspect in killing of judge who presided over divorce case found dead in rural Maryland

Authorities say a man suspected of killing a Maryland judge last week has been found dead in a heavily wooded area about a mile from where authorities had earlier spotted the his abandoned SUV. The … more

By LEA SKENE | 10/26/23

FILE - A Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine is seen at a drugstore in Cypress, Texas, Sept. 20, 2023. More than a month after federal officials recommended a new version of the COVID-19 vaccines, 7% of U.S. adults and 2% of children have gotten a shot. The numbers — which one expert called “abysmal” — were presented Thursday, Oct. 26, at a meeting held by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

2% of kids and 7% of adults have gotten the new COVID shots, US data show

More than a month after federal officials recommended a new version of the COVID-19 vaccines, 7% of U.S. adults and 2% of children have gotten a shot. One expert calls the numbers “abysmal.” The … more

By MIKE STOBBE | 10/26/23