National News - The Morning Sun

A widening manhunt for a Texas gunman who fatally shot five neighbors continued coming up empty Sunday as officers knocked on doors, the governor put up $50,000 in reward money and the FBI appeared no closer to catching the killer after nearly two days of searching with a team that has grown to hundreds of people. (May 1)

Manhunt for suspect in Texas mass shooting: What to know

Authorities have been stymied in their search for a man accused of opening fire at his Texas neighbors' home and killing five people. The hunt for 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza began Friday after he … more

5/2/23

In this image from video provided by Nicholas County Schools, Zela Elementary School Principal James Marsh reacts after a black bear jumps out of a trash dumpster outside the school in Summersville, W. Va., on Monday, May 1, 2023. Marsh said the school had installed a lock to keep the bear out but over the weekend the bear was able to get back inside when Marsh came across it. (Nicholas County Schools via AP)

Bear gives West Virginia principal a roaring wake-up call

A black bear gave a West Virginia principal quite the roaring wake-up call when it emerged from a dumpster outside an elementary school. Zela Elementary School principal James Marsh was surprised to … more

By BEATRICE DUPUY | 5/2/23

FILE -In this illustration photographed in La Habra, Calif., the AirTag tracking device is introduced during a virtual event held to announce new Apple products, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Apple and Google on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, disclosed they are teaming up in an effort to thwart unwanted tracking on smartphones through Bluetooth devices designed to help people find their keys, keep tabs on their luggage and locate other things they don’t want to line. The two companies behind the iPhone and the software that powers Android phones said they submitted a proposal to set standards for combatting secret surveillance on Apple’s AirTag trackers and similar gadgets to Internet Engineering Task Force. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Apple, Google partner to combat creepy tracking tactics

Apple and Google are teaming up to thwart unwanted tracking through Bluetooth devices that were created to help people find lost keys, keep tabs on luggage or to locate other things that have a … more

5/2/23

This image taken from Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor meeting via Zoom shows Sen. Calvin Bahr shirtless during a vote on Monday, May 1, 2023. In a video streamed on YouTube, Bahr, of East Bethel, can briefly be seen voting — with a School House Rock “I’m Just a Bill” character on the wall behind him — during a Zoom call on Monday with the Legislative Audit Commission. A GOP Senate spokeswoman said Bahr, a truck driver, worked until 4:45 a.m. and then went to bed before Monday's meeting. She said he would not comment on the vote or the video. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. ( Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor via AP)

State senator makes shirtless vote during Zoom meeting

A Minnesota state senator is getting social media attention after casting what should have been a routine vote at a legislative commission hearing. Republican Sen. Calvin Bahr, of East Bethel, can be … more

5/2/23

The body of a bodyguard is put into an ambulance by Ugandan medical staff in Kyanja village, Kampala, Tuesday May 2, 2023. A bodyguard shot and killed a government minister in Uganda early Tuesday in an apparent private dispute, according to the army and local media. The attacker, who has not been publicly identified, then turned the gun on himself, according to state broadcaster UBC and others. (AP Photo/Ajar Nalwadda)

Media: Ugandan minister shot and killed by bodyguard

The Ugandan army says a bodyguard and shot and killed a government minister in an apparent private dispute. The victim, Charles Engola, served in the government of President Yoweri Museveni as the … more

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA | 5/2/23

FILE - This photo provided by the Hennepin County, Minn., Sheriff's Office on June 3, 2020, shows Tou Thao, a former Minneapolis police officer who held back bystanders while his colleagues restrained a dying George Floyd. Thao was found guilty on Monday, May 1, 2023 of aiding and abetting manslaughter. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

Ex-officer Thao convicted of aiding George Floyd’s killing

A judge has found a former Minneapolis police officer who held back bystanders while his colleagues restrained a dying George Floyd guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter. Tou Thao was last of … more

By STEVE KARNOWSKI | 5/2/23

Colleen Briggs holds her 8-month-old poodle named Bondi, during a walk a park near their home, Thursday April 6, 2023, in New York. When Bondi recently became sick, a quick diagnosis found he was likely poisoned after nibbling unfinished marijuana joints. Veterinarians are growing alarmed by an apparent rise in marijuana poisonings among dogs that ingest discarded joints and edibles on city sidewalks. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Scooby doobie don't: Discarded joints pose hazards for dogs

Veterinarians are growing alarmed by an apparent rise in marijuana poisonings among dogs that ingest discarded joints and edibles on city sidewalks. Canines are eating unfinished joints while … more

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN | 5/2/23

Transgender and non-binary Missourians are turning to do-it-yourself treatments as Republicans across the nation move to restrict gender-affirming health care. Missouri resident Erin Stille says she bought hormones online from a Taiwan-based supplier over concerns that she might lose what she describes as life-saving medicine. As she waited for her package to arrive, the state's Republican attorney general rolled out a rule with strict regulations on puberty blockers, hormones and other gender-affirming treatments for both minors and adults. Physicians say DIY treatments are risky. But Stille and others say the risks are worth it.

Judge blocks Missouri rule that would limit transgender care

A Missouri judge has blocked a unique rule that would restrict access to gender-affirming health care to children and adults. St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo issued a temporary … more

By SUMMER BALLENTINE | 5/1/23

FILE - A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., May 24, 2022. A powerful Southern Baptist committee was looking to appoint a new leader Monday, May 1, 2023, who could navigate controversies over its handling of sexual-abuse reforms and the ousting of churches with women serving as pastors. Instead, the Executive Committee found itself tangled in yet another dispute, voting down a recommendation to make its own former chairman its president in what had become a racially fraught decision. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer, File)

Southern Baptist leader selection process fails amid dispute

A powerful Southern Baptist committee was planning to appoint a new president on Monday who could navigate controversies over its handling of sexual-abuse reforms and the ousting of churches with … more

By PETER SMITH | 5/1/23

National Transportation Safety Board investigators inspect a downed plane on a steep hill above a home on Beverly Glen Circle in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 30, 2023. Fire department officials said a person was found dead following an intensive search for the single-engine airplane that crashed in a foggy area Saturday night. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

3 killed in Southern California small plane crash

Authorities say a single-engine plane has crashed near Big Bear City Airport in the California mountains, killing all three people aboard. It happened about 2 p.m. Monday. Officials say the … more

5/1/23

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, left, speaks during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on Monday, May 1, 2023. Bonta announced a lawsuit against the city of Elk Grove for not approving an apartment complex for people experiencing homelessness. (AP Photo/Adam Beam)

California sues Elk Grove over housing project for homeless

California officials are suing a local government for not approving an apartment complex for people experiencing homelessness. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom's … more

By ADAM BEAM | 5/1/23

FILE - A dentist works on polishing and contouring the teeth of a patient at his dental office in Virginia Beach. Va. For millions of low-income New Yorkers, access to routine dental care has long hinged on whether or not they have eight crucial teeth. Under a new legal settlement reached Monday, May 1, 2023, the New York Department of Health must lift some of its most restrictive rules for Medicaid recipients, including the long-standing "eight points of contact" policy. The change will expand dental coverage for an estimated 5 million people. (Kristen Zeis/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, File)

Low-income New Yorkers win the right to a root canal

For millions of low-income New Yorkers, access to routine dental care has long hinged on whether or not they still have eight crucial teeth. State Department of Health rules for Medicaid recipients … more

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ | 5/1/23

Congregants sit in largely empty pews during service at Zion Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C., on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Zion's shrinking attendance is in line with a recent Pew Research Center survey, which found that the number of Black Protestants who say they attend services monthly has fallen from 61% in 2019 to 46%. They are also the only group in which more than half attend services virtually. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Black Protestant church still vital despite attendance drop

The wide empty spaces in pews between parishioners at a Sunday service at Zion Baptist Church in South Carolina’s capital highlight a post-pandemic reality common among many Black Protestant … more

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO | 5/1/23

FILE - Rep. Zooey Zephyr poses for a photo at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Mont., on April 26, 2023. The banishment of transgender lawmaker Zephyr from Montana's House floor has showcased the rising power of hardline conservatives who are leveraging divisive social issues to gain political influence. (AP Photo/Tommy Martino, File)

Zooey Zephyr row spotlights rise of GOP far-right caucuses

The banishment of transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from Montana’s House floor has showcased the rising power of hard-line conservatives who are leveraging divisive social issues to gain political … more

By MATTHEW BROWN and SAM METZ | 5/1/23

A city worker inspects the HESCO sand barriers along River Drive between Iowa and Perry Streets, Friday, April 28, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa. The Upper Mississippi River will rise to near record-high levels as it flows through Wisconsin and Iowa, but officials said Thursday they expected to hold back floodwaters with a combination of flood walls, temporary barriers and wetlands, especially if dry weather continues. (Nikos Frazier/Quad City Times via AP)

Mississippi River waters keep rising in Iowa and Illinois

People along the Mississippi River in southeast Iowa and northwest Illinois are warily watching rising water levels from the spring snow melt. Further north, floodwaters are beginning to slowly … more

4/30/23

2 killed, 4 wounded in Mississippi shooting; man arrested

Police have charged a 19-year-old man with killing two teenagers and wounding four others in an early Sunday shooting at a house party on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Cameron Everest Brand of Pass … more

4/30/23

Pope Francis meets the journalists during a press conference aboard the airplane directed to Rome, at the end of his pastoral visit to Hungary, Sunday, April 30, 2023. (Vincenzo Pinto/Pool Photo Via AP)

Pope voices willingness to return Indigenous loot, artifacts

Pope Francis says talks are underway to return artifacts in the Vatican Museum that were acquired from Indigenous peoples in Canada and has voiced a willingness to return other colonial-era objects … more

By NICOLE WINFIELD | 4/30/23

Pope Francis is greeted by Hungary President Katalin Novak during the farewell ceremony at the Budapest International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Pope open to helping return Ukrainian children in Russia

Pope Francis says the Vatican is willing to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war. He says the Holy See has already helped mediate some prisoner exchanges … more

By NICOLE WINFIELD | 4/30/23

The crescent moon sets behind a farmhouse Monday, April 24, 2023, near Eudora, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

AP Week in Pictures: North America

APRIL 20 - 27, 2023 This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images from North America made or published by The Associated Press in the past week. The selection was curated by AP … more

4/30/23

Downed trees appear near a property with a damaged roof after a reported tornado hit the area Sunday, April 30, 2023 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city

A tornado touched down in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with 100 mph winds that overturned cars, snapped trees and damaged homes. The National Weather Service in Miami says the tornado hit late … more

4/30/23