National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

'American Carnage': Looking back at Trump's first inaugural address before his second

Eight years ago, Donald Trump delivered an inaugural address that set aside the typical optimism and promises of unity with a dark portrait of national life. His unapologetically populist and … more

By BILL BARROW | 1/17/25

Fires scorched campuses across Los Angeles. Many schools are seeking places to hold classes

The Los Angeles wildfires have forced thousands of students to relocate to other schools. Students from two elementary schools that burned down in the Palisades Fire arrived Wednesday for their first … more

By KRYSTA FAURIA, JOCELYN GECKER and CLAIRE RUSH | 1/17/25

California is years behind in implementing a law to make homes more fire resistant

California is years behind in implementing a 2020 law aiming to make it harder for homes to burn during a wildfire. It was slated to take effect in 2023, but the board tasked with developing the … more

By TRÂN NGUYỄN | 1/17/25

Title IX memo throws wrench in plans for schools to pay NIL money directly to athletes

The U.S. Department of Education says plans for colleges to pay athletes directly for their name, image and likeness deals would run afoul of Title IX. The guidance issued Thursday adds more … more

By EDDIE PELLS and CHEYANNE MUMPHREY | 1/16/25

FILE - People visit a makeshift memorial honoring the victims and survivors of a human smuggling tragedy, where dozens of migrants were found in an airless tractor-trailer rig, in San Antonio, July 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Truck driver in Texas smuggling attempt that resulted in the deaths of 53 migrants pleads guilty

The truck driver in a Texas smuggling attempt that ended in the deaths of 53 migrants in a sweltering tractor-trailer without air conditioner has pleaded guilty. The Justice Department said Thursday … more

1/16/25

In this image made from video, a crime scene is taped off by Miami police after an “unprovoked” attack Thursday, Jan. 16. 2025, in Miami. (WPLG-TV via AP)

A man with a stick killed 2 homeless people in Miami in an 'unprovoked' attack, police say

Two people in Miami are dead following what law enforcement officials say was an “unprovoked” attack on four homeless people by a man wielding a stick. The suspect was taken into custody … more

By KATE PAYNE | 1/16/25

Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Housing, testifies at a Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing for his pending confirmation on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Turner tackles HUD program reforms at confirmation hearing for housing secretary

There were sports analogies galore but few policy specifics during Scott Turner’s confirmation hearing on Thursday to become housing secretary. Turner spoke before the Senate Banking, Housing, and … more

By SALLY HO | 1/16/25

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., President-elect Donald Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump's EPA nominee stays vague on plans as senators press him on climate views

Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, is promising to preserve a clean environment “without suffocating the economy.” Trump has pledged … more

By MICHAEL PHILLIS | 1/16/25

FILE -= Members of the U.S. military on stage during the rehearsal at the U.S. Capitol ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration, Jan. 12, 2025, in Washington.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Get ready for an even bigger chill. Siberian air to make Trump swearing-in coldest in 40 years

The vast majority of Americans are about to get an extended taste of frigid Siberian weather. Forecasters predict another polar vortex disruption will stretch Arctic air across the top of the globe … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 1/16/25

This microscope photo provided by the McLean Hospital's Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center in January 2024 shows cells in the caudate nucleus structure of the brain in a person with Huntington's disease. (McLean Hospital's Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center/NIH NeuroBioBank via AP)

Surprise finding sheds light on what causes Huntington's disease, a devastating fatal brain disorder

Scientists are unraveling the mystery of what triggers Huntington’s disease, a devastating hereditary disorder that strikes in the prime of life. New research shows that a genetic mutation long … more

By LAURA UNGAR | 1/16/25

FILE -Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, right, battle for a loose ball during the second half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series, Oct. 18, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)

Unrivaled 3-on-3 women's basketball league rules, where games will be played and how to watch

The new 3-on-3 women's basketball league Unrivaled tips off this weekend. Games will be played mostly on Friday, Saturday and Monday and broadcast on TNT or TruTv. The six-team league features 36 … more

By DOUG FEINBERG | 1/16/25

A hiring sign is displayed at a cafe in Streamwood, Ill., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

More Americans file for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week, but layoffs remain historically low and the job market broadly healthy.The Labor Department said Thursday that applications … more

By MATT OTT | 1/16/25

FILE - A shopper looks at handbags at Macy's department store on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Anne D'Innocenzio, File)

US retail sales rose modestly last month amid solid holiday shopping, boosting economy

Americans stepped up their spending at retail stores and restaurants last month in a clear sign that consumers are still able and willing to shop. Retail sales rose 0.4% in December from the previous … more

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER | 1/16/25

Michel Bérrios, originally from Nicaragua, is interviewed in Tracy, Calif., Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Some immigrants are already leaving the US in 'self-deportations' as Trump's threats loom

A Nicaraguan woman staying legally in the United States has chosen to leave because of concern over President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign for mass deportations. She is an example of the … more

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN and OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ | 1/16/25

As flames linger, talk turns to rebuilding Los Angeles neighborhoods leveled by wildfires

Heartbroken families, burned-out business owners and beleaguered Los Angeles leaders are beginning to ponder a monumental task: rebuilding what was lost in the Southern California wildfires. Even … more

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and JAIMIE DING | 1/16/25

In this photo provided by Janice Wei, lava fountains from an eruption of Kilauea volcano on Wednesday, Jan., 15, 2025, in Hawaii. (Janice Wei/NPS via AP)

Eager visitors flock to see spectacular lava fountaining from Kilauea eruption in Hawaii

Officials at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are bracing for crowds eager to get a glimpse of lava fountaining from an eruption. The eruption began last month in a crater at the summit of Kilauea … more

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER | 1/15/25

FILE - A burned fire hydrant drips water in front of charred trees in Malibu, Calif., Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

For LA water issues, misinformation spreads nearly as fast as the wildfires

A billionaire couple was accused of withholding water that could help stop Los Angeles’ massive wildfires. Democratic leadership was blamed for fire hydrants running dry and for an empty reservoir. … more

By MELISSA GOLDIN and BRITTANY PETERSON | 1/15/25

FILE - Palestinian children play next to a building destroyed by Israeli army strikes in the central Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana, File)

What does the ceasefire agreement mean for Israel, Hamas and the wider Middle East?

Mediators say Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in fighting in Gaza and to begin releasing the hostages held there. If the ceasefire holds, it could eventually bring an end to the bloodiest and … more

By JOSEPH KRAUSS | 1/15/25

FILE - Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, and other death penalty opponents hold a demonstration outside the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery, Ala., Sept. 25, 2024, asking the state to call off the scheduled execution of Alan Miller in what would be the nation's second execution using nitrogen gas. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler, File)

Alabama inmate asks court to block nitrogen gas execution

Attorneys for an Alabama inmate facing execution by nitrogen gas are asking a federal judge to block the upcoming execution. Demetrius Terrence Frazier on Feb. 6 is scheduled to be the fourth person … more

1/15/25

FILE - Jefferson County Public Schools buses make their way through the Detrick Bus Compound on the first day of school, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. (Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal via AP, File)/Courier Journal via AP)

Kentucky students challenging whether the state is meeting its constitutional duty on education

A student-led lawsuit in Kentucky claims the state's education system has been backsliding for years since lawmakers enacted nationally renowned reforms. The students are seeking a ruling that the … more

By BRUCE SCHREINER | 1/15/25