National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - Ire Gene Grovner walks through remnants of the old slave's quarters, May 16, 2013, at the Chocolate Plantation where his ancestors lived some eight generations ago on Sapelo Island, Ga. One of the few remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the U.S. is in another fight to hold onto land owned by residents' families since their ancestors were freed from slavery. The few dozen remaining residents of the tiny Hogg Hummock community on Georgia's Sapelo Island were stunned when they learned county officials may end zoning protections enacted nearly 30 years ago to protect the enclave from wealthy buyers and tax increases. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Slave descendants on Georgia island face losing protections that helped them keep their land

One of the few remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the U.S. is in another fight to hold onto land owned by residents' families since their ancestors were freed from slavery. The few dozen … more

By RUSS BYNUM | 9/7/23

FILE - Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Democratic-supported Janet Protasiewicz participates in a debate Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin Republicans talking about impeaching Protasiewicz before she's even heard a case, point to the nearly $10 million she received from the Democratic Party as proof that she can't fairly rule on redistricting cases that could weaken the GOP's hold on the Legislature.(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Wisconsin GOP threatens to impeach justice over donations, but conservatives also took party cash

Wisconsin Republicans are threatening to impeach a state Supreme Court justice over donations she received from the Democratic Party. But there's no rule requiring her to recuse herself, and … more

By SCOTT BAUER and HARM VENHUIZEN | 9/7/23

Pennsylvania State police search the woods and a creek in Pennsbury Township, Pa., on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Murderer Danelo Cavalcante was able to escape a prison yard in suburban Pennsylvania last week by climbing up a wall and over razor wire, officials said at a news conference Wednesday. (Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Search for escaped Pennsylvania murderer enters eighth day

A murderer who made a brazen escape from a suburban Philadelphia jail yard last week remains on the lam. But some schools closed due to the extensive manhunt planned to reopen Thursday, along with a … more

9/7/23

FILE - Friends comfort each other at a private candlelight vigil Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio, held for 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young, who was shot and killed a day earlier by Blendon Township police outside an Ohio supermarket. Young was pregnant and due to give birth in November, according to her family. (Courtney Hergesheimer/The Columbus Dispatch via AP, File)

Ta’Kiya Young had big plans for her growing family before police killed her in an Ohio parking lot

Ta’Kiya Young planned to move her growing family into a place of her own, and was just steps away from achieving that goal. She will now never have that chance. The 21-year-old pregnant Black woman … more

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM | 9/7/23

Ukrainian soldiers move an injured woman to an ambulance after a Russian shelling attack on the food market in the city center of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. Dozens of people were killed and dozens more were wounded Wednesday when Russian shelling struck a market in a city in eastern Ukraine, officials said. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Russian officials say five drones shot down, including one targeting capital

Five drones were shot down over three Russian regions overnight, officials said Thursday. There were reports of no casualties. Meanwhile, Russia launched a fourth day of air attacks on the Ukrainian … more

By The Associated Press | 9/7/23

A currency trader passes by the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. Shares fell in Asia on Thursday after a decline on Wall Street, where strong economic data revived worries that the Federal Reserve might keep interest rates high for longer than hoped. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Stock market today: Asian shares fall as China reports weaker global demand hit its trade in August

Shares have fallen in Asia as China reported weaker global demand hit its trade in August, adding to pressures on its economy. Oil prices and U.S. futures also fell. Hong Kong's benchmark gave up … more

By ELAINE KURTENBACH | 9/7/23

Deja Taylor arrives at federal court, Monday, June 12, 2023, in Virginia Beach, Va. Prosecutors have asked a federal judge to revoke the bond for Taylor, the mother of a Virginia boy who shot and wounded his first-grade teacher, after she allegedly failed multiple drug tests while awaiting sentencing on two felony charges. Taylor pleaded guilty in June to having a gun while possessing marijuana and to lying on a federal background check form when she purchased the 9mm handgun her son used to shoot teacher Abigail Zwerner at the Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Prosecutors ask a judge to revoke bond of mother of Virginia boy who shot his first-grade teacher

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to revoke the bond for the mother of a Virginia boy who shot and wounded his first-grade teacher after she allegedly failed multiple drug tests while awaiting … more

By DENISE LAVOIE | 9/6/23

FILE - West Virginia University students lead a protest against cuts to programs in world languages, creative writing and more amid a $45 million budget deficit outside Stewart Hall in Morgantown, W.Va., on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. West Virginia University is recommending slashing its language department and dozens of other programs amid a $45 million budget shortfall. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham, File)

West Virginia University faculty express symbolic no confidence in President E. Gordon Gee

Faculty at West Virginia University have approved a symbolic motion expressing no confidence in President E. Gordon Gee as the university addresses a $45 million budget shortfall. The university’s … more

By JOHN RABY | 9/6/23

This image provided by Gianluca Masi shows the comet C/2023 P1 Nishimura and its tail seen from Manciano, Italy on Sept. 5, 2023. Stargazers across the Northern Hemisphere should catch a glimpse as soon as possible because it will be another 400 years before the wandering ice ball returns. (Gianluca Masi via AP)

Across the Northern Hemisphere, now's the time to catch a new comet before it vanishes for 400 years

A newly discovered comet is swinging through our cosmic neighborhood for the first time in more than 400 years. Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere will want to catch a glimpse as soon as possible … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 9/6/23

This image provided by Michigan State Police shows a vehicle driven by a person suspected of setting fire and shooting at multiple Michigan State Police patrol vehicles in the sate's Upper Peninsula. The vehicles at the Sault Ste. Marie Post were lit on fire and struck by rifle rounds early Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, state police said. No troopers were in the vehicles at the time of the attack. (Michigan State Police via AP)

Suspect sought after 4 Michigan State Police cruisers set on fire and shot at in Upper Peninsula

Authorities are searching for a male suspected of shooting at and setting fire to four unoccupied Michigan State Police cruisers at one of the agency’s posts in the Upper Peninsula. The agency says … more

9/6/23

This photo provided by the Chester County Prison shows Danelo Cavalcante. Cavalcante, convicted this month of fatally stabbing his girlfriend escaped Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 from the suburban Philadelphia prison and prosecutors say he is also wanted in his native Brazil in a separate slaying. (Chester County Prison via AP)

Authorities try to flush out escaped murderer in suburban Philadelphia manhunt

Two suburban Philadelphia school districts are shuttered and one of the nation’s premier botanical gardens is closed as authorities hunt for a convicted murderer who escaped from prison. Danelo … more

9/6/23

The Webb Ellis Cup is on display during a press conference in Paris, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, ahead of the France 2023 Rugby World Cup. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

France boosts security at Rugby World Cup. The hosts don't want another failure before Olympics

French authorities have pledged to mobilize a record number of police officers to guarantee a smooth Rugby World Cup in the wake of the chaos outside the stadium that marred the 2022 Champions League … more

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN | 9/6/23

FILE - A man views the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. Nearly a month after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed scores of people, authorities on Maui are working their way through a list of the missing that has grown almost as quickly as names have been removed. Lawsuits are piling up in court over liability for the inferno, and businesses across the island are fretting about what the loss of tourism will mean for their futures. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Things to know about aid, lawsuits and tourism nearly a month after fire leveled a Hawaii community

It's been nearly a month since the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed at least 115 people in Hawaii. Lawsuits are piling up in court. Businesses across the island of Maui are … more

By GENE JOHNSON, JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and AUDREY McAVOY | 9/6/23

FILE - Electric crews work on power lines in the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Lawyers for Lahaina residents and business owners told a court Tuesday, Sept. 5, that cable TV and telephone companies share in responsibility for the wildfires that devastated the island. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Lawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires

Lawyers for residents and business owners of the Hawaiian town devastated by last month’s fires on Maui told a court that cable TV and telephone companies share in responsibility for the disaster. … more

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT, JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and AUDREY McAVOY | 9/6/23

FILE - Former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr listens as Judge Nicholas Ayoub binds the case for trial at the Kent County Courthouse, Oct. 31, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Lawyers for the former Michigan police officer are asking the state appeals court to throw out a murder charge in the killing of a Black motorist in 2022. The court is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, in the case against Schurr, who shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head after a morning traffic stop in Grand Rapids turned into a short foot chase and vigorous struggle. (Cory Morse/MLive.com/The Grand Rapids Press via AP, Pool, File)

Michigan court to hear dispute over murder charge against ex-police officer who shot Black motorist

Lawyers for a former Michigan police officer are asking the state appeals court to throw out a murder charge in the killing a Black motorist in 2022. The court is scheduled to hear arguments … more

9/6/23

FILE - A man wearing a mask to help protect from the coronavirus stands near a stretch of the Badaling Great Wall of China on the outskirts of Beijing on Oct. 6, 2020. Authorities in China arrested the two men for smashing a path through a section of the ancient wall, a cultural icon and United Nations protected heritage site. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

China authorities arrest 2 for smashing shortcut through Great Wall with excavator

China’s Great Wall has been pierced by Genghis Khan, the Manchus, and now, allegedly, a couple of construction workers named Zheng and Wang who wanted a shortcut. Authorities in China arrested two … more

By The Associated Press | 9/6/23

FILE – California Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab is seen in Sacramento, Calif.,, on March 22, 2023. The California Legislature on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, passed a bill that would make California the first state to outlaw discrimination based on caste. The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas, File)

California lawmakers vote to become first state to ban caste-based discrimination

California lawmakers have voted to outlaw discrimination based on caste. California would be the first state to do this if Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signs it into law. Caste is an ancient system … more

By ADAM BEAM | 9/5/23

Furniture is piled high inside a canal-front second home of Victor Cassano in Suwannee, Fla., as he prepares for the expected arrival of Hurricane Idalia, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. Cassano, a flooring contractor, has meticulously constructed and outfitted the small two-bedroom home which he is hoping to move into full-time as soon as he can sell his house in Ormond Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Idalia strengthens over Gulf of Mexico and is now predicted to hit Florida as Category 4 hurricane

Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas have been ordered to pack up and leave as Hurricane Idalia gained steam in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and threatened to unleash … more

By DANIEL KOZIN | 9/5/23

FILE - Jennifer Bowie, center left, and Aaron Baker, center right, become emotional while watching discussion of SB 140 on a video monitor in the Capitol before it gets final approval at the state Senate in Atlanta, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. A federal judge on Tuesday, Sept. 5, allowed Georgia to resume enforcing a ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender people under 18. Judge Sarah Geraghty put her previous order blocking the ban on hold after a federal appeals court allowed Alabama to enforce a similar restriction. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

Georgia can resume enforcing ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender youth, judge says

A federal judge in Atlanta has allowed Georgia to resume enforcing a ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender people under 18. Judge Sarah Geraghty on Tuesday put her previous order … more

By SUDHIN THANAWALA | 9/5/23

FILE - A line of people wait outside the federal courthouse in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. to watch a redistricting hearing. Federal judges said Tuesday, Sept. 5, that they will draft new congressional lines for Alabama after lawmakers refused to create a second district where Black voters at least came close to comprising a majority, as suggested by the court. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)

Judges reject Alabama’s congressional lines, will draw new districts to increase Black voting power

A three-judge panel has blocked Alabama’s new congressional map after lawmakers failed to create a second district where Black voters at least came close to comprising a majority, as suggested by … more

By KIM CHANDLER | 9/5/23