National News - The Morning Sun

Members of the Bay St. Louis, Miss., community stand with candles during a vigil for Bay St. Louis police Sgt. Steven Robin and Officer Branden Estorffe at Tiger Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. Robin and Estorffe were killed the day before when a woman shot both of them. (Hannah Ruhoff/The Sun Herald via AP)

Mississippi officials: Woman and officer shot each other

Officials now say that a Mississippi police officer shot and killed a woman even as the woman was fatally shooting the officer and his partner in the parking lot of a Gulf Coast motel on Wednesday. … more

12/16/22

FILE - This booking photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction shows death row inmate Henry Hodges. The Associated Press has filed a motion seeking to protect public access to records detailing the treatment of Hodges, the Tennessee death row inmate who cut off his penis while on suicide watch. (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP, File)

Records access sought in case of inmate who severed penis

A Tennessee judge is promising to rule quickly on whether to grant public access to records detailing the treatment of a death row prisoner who cut off his penis while on a suicide watch. In a … more

By TRAVIS LOLLER | 12/16/22

FILE - Robert E. Crimo III's father Robert Crimo Jr., right, and mother Denise Pesina attend to a hearing for their son in Lake County court on Aug. 3, 2022, in Waukegan, Ill. Prosecutors announced Friday, Dec. 16, that Crimo Jr., the father of the Illinois man charged with killing seven people in a mass shooting at a July 4 parade in a Chicago suburb, has been charged with seven felony counts of reckless conduct. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool, File)

Father of July 4 shooting suspect charged with 7 felonies

Prosecutors say the father of an Illinois man charged with killing seven people in a mass shooting at a July 4 parade has been charged with seven felony counts of reckless conduct. Lake County … more

By KATHLEEN FOODY and MICHAEL TARM | 12/16/22

Aaron Dean listens to testimony during the sentencing phase of his trial at Tarrant County's 396th District Court on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas. Dean, a former Fort Worth police officer, was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2019 shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson. (Amanda McCoy/Star-Telegram via AP, Pool)

Sentencing begins in police killing of Atatiana Jefferson

A psychologist says a former Texas officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson through a rear window of her home in 2019 was unsuitable for police work. Kyle Clayton evaluated Dean in March 2017 … more

12/16/22

This Nov. 11, 2022 photo taken by an FBI in an affidavit filed to the United State District Court of Minnesota shows River William Smith at a gun club in Prior Lake, Minn. Smith, who authorities say had idolized the man who killed five people at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs and was building an arsenal to use against police, was arrested this week as he allegedly tried to buy grenades from an informant. (FBI via AP)

FBI: Minnesota man was making arsenal, revered mass shooters

Authorities say a Minnesota man who told an FBI informant that he was building an arsenal of automatic weapons to use against police was arrested this week as he tried to buy grenades. The U.S. … more

By STEPHEN GROVES and AMY FORLITI | 12/16/22

FILE - A Goodwill store sign is shown in Berkeley, Calif., on March 9, 2021. The maverick philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is dedicating an unusually large share of her giving to nonprofits in the South — a region that mega-philanthropy and particularly tech donors have long been criticized for ignoring. Scott lists a $10 million gift to Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee as addressing economic development but also financial inclusion, workforce development, vocational education, and youth development. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

New data: MacKenzie Scott gifts prioritize The South

MacKenzie Scott is dedicating an unusually large share of her giving to nonprofits in the South — a region that megaphilanthropy and particularly tech donors have long been criticized for ignoring. … more

By DREW LINDSAY of The Chronicle of Philanthropy | 12/16/22

FILE - A student rides a bicycle on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, March 5, 2013. Oberlin College has completed paying out a $25 million judgment to an Ohio bakery that won a libel lawsuit against the school after a shoplifting incident involving three Black students. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)

Oberlin College finishes paying $25M judgement in libel suit

Oberlin College has finished paying out a $25 million judgment to an Ohio bakery that won a libel lawsuit against the school after a shoplifting incident involving three Black students. The store’s … more

12/16/22

Rain clouds hover over Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Voters in one of Southern California's largest counties have delivered a pointed if largely symbolic message about frustration in the nation's most populous state: Officials will soon begin studying whether to break free from California and form a new state. Voters in one of Southern California's largest counties have delivered a pointed if largely symbolic message about frustration in the nation's most populous state: Officials will soon begin studying whether to break free from California and form a new state. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

So long, California: Major county votes to study secession

One of California’s largest counties will consider whether to secede and establish a new state, a largely symbolic move driven by economic stress and frustration with state government. Voters in … more

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, JAE HONG and AMY TAXIN | 12/16/22

A family build a snowman in London, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. Snow and ice have swept across parts of the UK, with cold wintry conditions set to continue for days. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa

Dec. 8 – Dec. 15 From snowfall in Britain and Germany to the Masai Olympics in Kenya and Moroccan soccer fans in Morocco and France celebrating their team's success, this photo gallery … more

By The Associated Press | 12/16/22

FILE - A Ukrainian serviceman patrols area near the Antonovsky Bridge which was destroyed by Russian forces after withdrawing from Kherson, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. With the war in Ukraine grinding through its 10th month, both sides are locked in a stalemated battle of attrition, which could set the stage for a new round of escalation. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

Ukraine stalemate sets stage for possible winter escalation

With the war in Ukraine grinding through its 10th month, both sides are locked in a stalemated battle of attrition, which could set the stage for a new round of escalation. Many observers see the … more

By The Associated Press | 12/16/22

FILE - Migrants wait to cross the U.S.-Mexico border from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, next to U.S. Border Patrol vehicles in El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez, File)

US judge blocks Biden bid to end 'Remain in Mexico' policy

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. The judge in Texas … more

12/16/22

Phil Metzger, center, of the Christian church Calvary San Diego, ducks under tape as he helps Ukrainians arriving after crossing into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico, Friday, April 1, 2022, in Chula Vista, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Russians find asylum lifeline to US, but at a high price

The pastor of a San Diego-area church promises to arrange entry to the United States for Russian-speaking asylum-seekers through connections with U.S. officials and unnamed “opportunists” who … more

By ELLIOT SPAGAT | 12/16/22

Carl Chan, left, and Jihao Wu, father of homicide victim Jasper Wu, look on as California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Jason Reardon announces multiple arrests in the fatal 880 freeway shooting of toddler Jasper Wu during a press conference at Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office filed murder charges Thursday against Trevor Green, Ivory Bivins and Johnny Jackson. A fourth suspect, Keison Lee, was killed in a separate shooting last month. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group via AP)

3 charged in toddler's slaying in California gang gun battle

Prosecutors say a Northern California toddler fatally struck by a stray bullet while sleeping in his car seat last year was the victim of a rolling gun battle between rival gangs on a freeway. The … more

12/15/22

FILE - This aerial photo shows the Standard Oil Refinery in El Segundo, Calif., with Los Angeles International Airport in the background and the El Porto neighborhood of Manhattan Beach, Calif., in the foreground on May 25, 2017. California air regulators are set to approve an ambitious plan for the state to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Doing so will require a rapid transition away from oil and gas and toward renewable energy to power everything from cars to buildings. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

California to vote on roadmap for carbon neutrality by 2045

The California Air Resources Board is set to vote on an ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality in the state by 2045. The plan, which has undergone multiple changes after input from the public, … more

By SOPHIE AUSTIN | 12/15/22

Happy Perry, mother of D'Sean Perry, a University of Virginia football player who was killed last month when a shooter opened fire on a bus carrying students returning from seeing a play, closes her eyes briefly as she talks about her son at a press conference, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla. Perry's football teammates Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler were also killed in the Nov. 13, 2022, shooting, while a fourth member of the team and another student were wounded. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Parents of slain UVA student call for stricter gun laws

The parents of a University of Virginia football player killed in a shooting last month are calling for stricter gun laws and more mental health support to prevent future gun deaths. Happy Perry is … more

By BEN FINLEY and DANIEL KOZIN | 12/15/22

Aaron Dean stands with his defense team as the jury leaves the 396th District Court to start its deliberations on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, in Fort Worth, Texas.. Dean is accused of murder in the 2019 fatal shooting of Atatiana Jefferson. (Amanda McCoy/Star-Telegram via AP, Pool)

Texas officer convicted of manslaughter in window shooting

A former Texas police officer has been convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting a Black woman through a rear window of her home in 2019. The jury on Thursday found Aaron Dean not guilty of … more

12/15/22

This photo provided by Harvard University shows Claudine Gay. Harvard University announced Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, that Gay will become its 30th president, making her the first Black person to lead the Ivy League school and only the second woman. (Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard University via AP)

Claudine Gay to be Harvard's 1st Black president, 2nd woman

Harvard University has named Claudine Gay as its next president, making her the first Black person and the second woman to lead the Ivy League school. Gay is currently a dean at the university and a … more

By MICHAEL CASEY | 12/15/22

Mark Latunski appears before Judge Matthew J. Stewart at the Shiawassee County Courthouse in Corunna, Mich., Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. Latunski was sentenced to life for the 2019 murder and mutilation of Kevin Bacon, 25, in Latunski's home. (Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal via AP)

Michigan man gets life sentence for 2019 killing, mutilation

A Michigan man who acknowledged killing another man and hanging the victim’s mutilated body from the ceiling of his home has been sentenced to life in prison. A Shiawassee County judge sentenced … more

12/15/22

This image made from video provided by KNXV shows law enforcement outside an Amazon delivery hub in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Ariz., Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. Police say that a person with a gun shot and wounded a contract worker outside the Amazon delivery station in Arizona before another contract worker who was armed fatally shot the suspect in the parking lot Wednesday, possibly stopping an active shooter situation. (KNXV via AP)

Personal issues between 3 men led to shooting outside Amazon

Authorities say personal issues between three men led to a deadly shooting outside an Amazon delivery station in Arizona. Chandler police say a man with a gun shot and critically wounded an unarmed … more

12/15/22

Kasey Dungan, 73, sits in her subsidized apartment in Phoenix, Ariz. for older adults on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, and says she feels fortunate. She fell into homelessness early this year. But high costs for food and other bills mean her entire Social Security check is gone by month's end. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)

Working at 76: Inflation forces hard choice for older adults

Higher prices throughout much of 2022 have taken their financial toll on older adults in particular. People of all ages have been struggling but those over 65 often have an even harder time because … more

By ANITA SNOW | 12/15/22