National News - The Morning Sun

Valentine's Day Hearts decorate a storefront on Exchange Street, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, in Portland, Maine. The public has helped honor the memory of Kevin Fahrman, the Valentine's Day Bandit who secretly hung hundreds of red paper hearts throughout the city every February 14th. Farman died last year. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Portland, Maine, shows love for late Valentine's Day Bandit by continuing tradition of paper hearts

The tradition of red hearts mysteriously appearing overnight across Maine’s largest city has continued despite the death last spring of its beloved Valentine’s Day Bandit. Hundreds of red hearts … more

By DAVID SHARP | 2/14/24

Activists from the Last Generation climate movement protest after attaching materials on the glass protecting Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, Tuesday Feb. 13, 2024. Two climate activists on Tuesday targeted Botticelli’s masterpiece “The Birth of Venus” hanging at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, attaching images of recent flood damage in the Tuscany region on the protective glass. (Emiliano Benedetti, FirenzeToday via AP)

Climate activists target Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' in Florence's Uffizi Gallery

Two climate activists have targeted Botticelli’s masterpiece “The Birth of Venus” hanging at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, attaching images of recent flood damage in the Tuscany region on the … more

By The Associated Press | 2/14/24

First responders work the scene after a car crashed into an emergency room at St. David's North Austin Medical Center, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

1 person killed and 5 injured when vehicle crashes into emergency room in Austin, Texas

A driver car crashed into a Texas hospital’s emergency room, killing the driver and injuring five others, including a child with life-threatening injuries. The car smashed into the lobby of the ER … more

2/13/24

FILE - In this undated photo provided by Kenda James, Kevin Dizmang holds his granddaughter as an infant. Members of a mental health response team sent to Dizmang, a man who was having a “psychotic breakdown”, instead killed him by tackling him and leaving him handcuffed, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, by his family. (Kenda James via AP, File)

Family of man who died after being tackled by mental crisis team sues paramedic, police officer

Members of a mental health response team sent to help a man who was having a “psychotic breakdown” instead killed him by tackling him and leaving him handcuffed, according to a federal lawsuit … more

By COLLEEN SLEVIN | 2/13/24

Kinsley Boyette, assistant director of the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO, poses in this undated photo next to Charlotte, a round stingray, in Hendersonville, N.C. The aquarium said Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, that Charlotte is pregnant, even though she's lived at the aquarium for years without a male companion of her species. (Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO via AP)

Charlotte, a stingray with no male companion, is pregnant in her mountain aquarium

A stingray that has lived for years in a North Carolina aquarium without a male companion is pregnant. The animal is named Charlotte and is expected to give birth in the next two weeks. Brenda Ramer … more

By BEN FINLEY | 2/13/24

Palestinians mourn relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital morgue in Rafah, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. The Israeli military said early Monday that it had rescued the two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip. The operation, which was accompanied by airstrikes, killed dozens of Palestinians, according to local health officials. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Airstrike from Israeli hostage rescue wipes out entire Palestinian family in Gaza border town

Ibrahim Hasouna was staying with a friend when heard about the Israeli airstrikes near the house where his family was staying. When he rushed home, he found his entire family dead — his parents, … more

By The Associated Press | 2/13/24

This body camera image provided by the Greenville County Sheriff’s office shows a deputy from the Greenville County Sheriff’s office outside a home in Greenville, S.C., on Dec. 27, 2023 pointing a firearm at an 81-year-old man who was armed with a pistol. Sheriff Hobart Lewis said an internal investigation found the deputies didn't violate sheriff's office policies and have returned to work. A state investigation continues so prosecutors can determine whether they think the Dec. 27 shooting was justified or merits criminal charges. (Greenville County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Video shows deputies fired dozens of shots at armed 81-year-old man in South Carolina

Body camera recordings released by a sheriff’s office in South Carolina show deputies fired dozens of shots at an 81-year-old man who they said pointed a gun at them from the backyard of his home. … more

By JEFFREY COLLINS | 2/13/24

FILE - A red-backed vole is held during a survey of plant and animal life in Juneau, Alaska, on Thursday, May 1, 2014. Alaskapox was discovered in 2015 in a woman who lived near Fairbanks, Alaska. It mainly has been found in small mammals, including red-backed voles and shrews. But pets, such as dogs and cats, may also carry the virus, health officials say. (Michael Penn/The Juneau Empire via AP, File)

What is Alaskapox? Recent death brings attention to virus seen in small animals

A recent death has brought new attention to the so-called Alaskapox virus. The bug belongs to a family of brick-shaped viruses that can infect animals and humans. Smallpox is perhaps the most famous … more

By MIKE STOBBE | 2/13/24

FILE - ShotSpotter equipment overlooks the intersection of South Stony Island Avenue and East 63rd Street in Chicago on Aug. 10, 2021. Chicago won't renew its contract for the controversial gunshot detection system and end the use of ShotSpotter technology later this year, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office announced Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, file)

Chicago to stop using controversial gunshot detection technology this year

Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicago isn't renewing its ShotSpotter contract and will stop using the controversial gunshot detection system later this year. The system relies on an artificial … more

By SOPHIA TAREEN | 2/13/24

Army Reserve soldier killed in Jordan mourned by family and Georgia governor at funeral

Family and friends are gathering in Georgia this week as funerals begin for three Army Reserve soldiers killed in a recent drone attack in Jordan. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp joined military officers … more

By SUDHIN THANAWALA and RUSS BYNUM | 2/13/24

A police officer assists an electoral worker to drive his motorbike up a hill as they distribute ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia to polling stations in remote villages ahead of the Feb. 14 election in Maros, Indonesia, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, will open its polls on Wednesday to nearly 205 million eligible voters in presidential and legislative elections, the fifth since Southeast Asia's largest economy began democratic reforms in 1998. (AP Photo/Masyudi S. Firmansyah)

Election ballots and boxes carried across Indonesia by motorcycle, boat, horse and on foot

Iconic white ballot boxes and ballots to let the nearly 205 million eligible voters of Indonesia choose candidates in this Wednesday’s election have been carried across the world's largest … more

2/13/24

FILE - A male polar bear eats a piece of whale meat as it walks along the shore of Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, Aug. 23, 2010. With Arctic sea ice shrinking from climate change, many polar bears have to shift their diets to land during parts of the summer, a new study suggests. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

For threatened polar bears, the climate change diet is a losing proposition

With Arctic sea ice shrinking from climate change, many polar bears have to shift their diets to land during parts of the summer. A new study looking at Hudson Bay polar bears tries to figure out if … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 2/13/24

FILE - People pass through Salt Lake City International Airport Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Salt Lake City. Flight attendants for major U.S. airlines are holding rallies at airports around the country to push for higher pay, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The protests are not, however, a strike. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Flight attendants are holding airport rallies to protest the lack of new contracts and pay raises

Flight attendants for major U.S. airlines are holding rallies at airports around the country to push for higher pay. Tuesday's protests are not, however, a strike. Federal law makes it difficult for … more

Associated Press | 2/13/24

FILE - Dorsey Prince, right, and Shannon Carter pray during an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, Texas, Feb. 22, 2023. In 2024, Feb. 14 is a holiday heavyweight due to a calendar collision of events — it’s Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)

Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day fall on the same day this year. Here's what you need to know

Feb. 14 is a holiday heavyweight this year due to a calendar collision. It’s Valentine’s Day, the fixed annual celebration of love and friendship, marked by cute couples, eager elementary school … more

By HOLLY MEYER | 2/13/24

FILE - People attend the "NO FEAR: Rally in Solidarity with the Jewish People" event in Washington, Sunday, July 11, 2021, co-sponsored by the Alliance for Israel, Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International and other organizations. The American Jewish Committee released a survey on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, that found nearly two-thirds of American Jews feel less secure in the U.S. than they did a year ago. The group conducted the survey on antisemitism last fall just as the Israel-Hamas war began. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Antisemitism and safety fears surge among US Jews, survey finds

Nearly two-thirds of American Jews feel less secure in the U.S. than they did a year ago. That’s according to the latest annual survey from the American Jewish Committee. The AJC — a prominent … more

By TIFFANY STANLEY | 2/13/24

Palestinians mourn a child killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital morgue in Rafah, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. The Israeli military said early Monday that it had rescued two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip. The operation, which was accompanied by airstrikes, killed dozens of Palestinians, according to local health officials. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Live updates | China calls on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza as soon as possible

China has called on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza as soon as possible, a day after Israeli forces rescued two hostages from the Gaza Strip in a dramatic operation that also killed at … more

By The Associated Press | 2/13/24

Raquel Poti performs on stilts during the "Ceu na Terra" or Heaven on Earth pre-Carnival street party, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

AP PHOTOS: A Carnival day in Brazil, from a morning street party to an evening samba parade

A typical Carnival day in Brazil starts around 7 a.m., when the first blocos — as the free street parties are known — start their loud and colorful musical journey down the city’s streets. … more

By The Associated Press | 2/13/24

FILE - President Donald Trump listens as Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, right, speaks during a campaign rally Nov. 5, 2018, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Trump is calling for a leadership change at the RNC in an attempt to install a new slate of loyalists, including his daughter-in-law, at the top of the GOP's political machine even before he formally secures the party's next presidential nomination. Trump outlined his plans on social media Monday night, Feb. 12, 2024.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Trump wants to install new RNC leadership, including his daughter-in-law as co-chair

Donald Trump is calling for a leadership change at the Republican National Committee in an attempt to install a new slate of loyalists — including his daughter-in-law — at the top of the GOP’s … more

By STEVE PEOPLES and JILL COLVIN | 2/12/24

New York Police walk through the Mount Eden subway station while investigating a shooting, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York. Several people were shot Monday at the New York City subway station, police said. (New York Police Department via AP)

One dead, five injured in shooting at a New York City subway station. Shooter is at large

New York City police say one person has been killed and five others injured in a shooting at a subway station in the Bronx. The Fire Department describes four of the injuries as serious. The … more

2/12/24

Gov. Jim Pillen announces that the state will participate in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program after previously saying Nebraska wouldn't take part during a press conference in the Warner Chamber at the Capitol, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Lincoln, Neb. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)

Nebraska governor reverses course and says state will take federal funding to feed children

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has reversed course and now says he will accept federal funding to help feed hungry children during the summer break. Pillen said Monday that the state will accept the … more

By MARGERY A. BECK | 2/12/24