National News - The Morning Sun

This image from video released by the U.S. Army, shows a frame from a haunting new video, released on May 2, 2024, in the latest effort by the Army to lure soldiers to some of its more secretive units. Hints of its origin are tucked into the frames as they flash by touting the power of words, ideas and "invisible hands." Army Special Operations Command hopes that those drawn to the video may be interested in joining as one of its psychological warfare soldiers. (U.S. Army via AP)

Faceless people, invisible hands: New Army video aims to lure recruits for psychological operations

A haunting new video released in the early morning hours is the latest effort by the Army to lure soldiers to some of its more secretive units. Hints of its origin are tucked into the frames as they … more

By LOLITA C. BALDOR | 5/2/24

FILE - A single room, fully dedicated maternity room in a hospital maternity ward in Mississippi is seen on Oct. 11, 2012. In 2023, U.S. pregnancy-related deaths fell back to pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Pregnancy-related deaths have fallen to pre-pandemic levels, new US data says

New government data suggests U.S. pregnancy-related deaths have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. About 680 women died last year during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth. That’s down from 817 … more

By MIKE STOBBE | 5/2/24

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings wipes away tears as he speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

A list of mass killings in the United States this year

The latest mass killing in the U.S. happened Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Four officers were fatally shot. Another four officers were wounded. It happened when a task force of officers from … more

By The Associated Press | 5/1/24

FILE - Joie Henney hugs his emotional support alligator named Wally, Jan. 22, 2019, inside their home in York Haven, Pa. Henney credits Wally for helping relieve his depression for nearly a decade, says he's searching for the reptile after it went missing during a vacation to the coast of Georgia. (Heather Khalifa/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)

Man says his emotional support alligator, known for its big social media audience, has gone missing

A Pennsylvania man says his emotional support alligator named Wally has gone missing amid the coastal marshes of Georgia. Joie Henney's alligator has attracted thousands of social media followers … more

5/1/24

FILE - Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., speaks at a news conference after the House passed the debt ceiling bill, May 31, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington. A panel of federal judges on Tuesday rejected a new congressional map that would give Louisiana a second majority Black district, renewing the political fortunes of Graves, whose district was altered by the map. Fields had declared his intention to run for Congress in the new district. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Louisiana won't immediately get a new majority-Black House district after judges reject it

A new Louisiana congressional map giving the state a second majority-Black House district has been rejected by a panel of federal judges. Tuesday’s 2-1 decision fuels new uncertainty about district … more

By KEVIN McGILL | 5/1/24

This image provided by the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, Minn., shows Abelhamid Al-Madioum, a Minnesota man who once fought for the Islamic State group in Syria. Al-Madioum, who has been cooperating with federal authorities and now expresses remorse for joining a “death cult”, will learn Wednesday, May 1, 2024, how much prison time he faces. Al-Madioum was brought to the U.S. in 2020 and pleaded guilty in 2021 to providing material support to a designated terrorist organization. (Sherburne County Jail via AP)

Sentencing postponed for Minnesota man who regrets joining Islamic State group

A Minnesota man who once fought for the Islamic State group in Syria but now expresses remorse and has been cooperating with authorities will have to wait to learn how much prison time he faces. A … more

By STEVE KARNOWSKI | 5/1/24

Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic spokesperson, Emily Thompson, announces a $10 million investment into a state voter engagement campaign at a press conference in Bicentennial Plaza in Raleigh, N.C., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The campaign will focus on canvassing, mailers, digital ads and phone banking to block a GOP legislative supermajority and Republican governor in the 2024 election. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

Some North Carolina abortion pill restrictions are unlawful, federal judge says

A federal judge has ruled that some of North Carolina government’s restrictions on dispensing abortion pills are unlawful. A U.S. district judge granted a partial victory Tuesday to a physician who … more

By GARY D. ROBERTSON | 5/1/24

In this aerial still image provided by KABC-TV, firefighters respond to the scene of an accident where a shuttle bus collided with a Metro light rail train on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. (KABC via AP)

Metro train collides with bus in downtown Los Angeles, injuring more than 50, 2 seriously

Officials say 55 people were hurt, two seriously, when a Metro light rail train and a University of Southern California shuttle bus collided in downtown Los Angeles. The LA Fire Department says the … more

By DAMIAN DOVARGANES | 4/30/24

President Joe Biden waves as he walks to Marine One for departure from the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Washington. Biden is headed to Delaware. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Biden's historic marijuana shift is his latest election-year move for young voters

President Joe Biden has made a number of election-year moves intended to appeal to younger voters. The latest is a proposal by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana as a … more

By JONATHAN J. COOPER | 4/30/24

FILE - Mississippi House Democratic Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, speaks during a debate, Feb. 1, 2024, at the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Johnson said Tuesday, April 30, that many House Democrats have concerns about a bill that he said would provide "Medicaid expansion in name only." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Mississippi Medicaid expansion plan could struggle for bipartisan support, Democratic leader says

The Mississippi House Democratic leader says a Medicaid expansion plan endorsed by Republican leaders could struggle for bipartisan support. Rep. Robert Johnson says the plan has a work requirement … more

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS | 4/30/24

FILE - A gray wolf is seen, July 16, 2004, at the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake, Minn. The U.S. House moved Tuesday, April 30, 2024, toward ending federal protections for gray wolves, approving a bill that would remove wolves across the lower 48 states from the endangered species list. (AP Photo/Dawn Villella, File)

US House votes to remove wolves from endangered list in 48 states

The U.S. House voted to end federal protection for gray wolves in 48 states, though the bill's ultimate prospects are uncertain. The GOP-controlled House passed the bill 209-205 on Tuesday, sending … more

By TODD RICHMOND | 4/30/24

George Alan Kelly, center, is followed by reporters as he exits the Santa Cruz County Courthouse on Monday, April 29, 2024, in Nogales, Arizona. Kelly's trial in the fatal shooting of a Mexican man on his property ended last week with a deadlocked jury and prosecutors said Monday they will not retry him. (Angela Gervasi/Nogales International via AP)

Mexican officials regret US decision not to retry American rancher in fatal shooting of Mexican man

The Mexican consul general in Nogales says his foreign ministry is displeased with the decision not to retry an Arizona rancher accused in the fatal shooting of a Mexican man on his property. Marcos … more

By ANITA SNOW | 4/30/24

Former President Donald Trump talks to reporters as leaves the courtroom following the day's proceedings in his trial at Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)

Takeaways from the start of week 2 of testimony in Trump's hush money trial

Prosecutors in Donald Trump's hush money trial are working on filling in the details of how they say the Republican pulled off a scheme to bury damaging stories to protect his 2016 campaign. It's the … more

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JAKE OFFENHARTZ, COLLEEN LONG and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER | 4/30/24

An undated photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service shows Thomas M. Weeks. Weeks was a deputy U.S. Marshal assigned to the Western District of North Carolina and was one of four officers killed in a shootout Monday, April 29, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (U.S. Marshals Service via AP)

The 4 officers killed in North Carolina were tough but kind and loved their jobs, friends say

Four officers were killed Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016. They include three members of a fugitive task force and a police officer who … more

4/30/24

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Emily Blunt, right, and Ryan Gosling in a scene from "The Fall Guy." (Universal Pictures via AP)

How to be a 'Fall Guy': Stunt performers on their rough-and-tumble life

Since the early days of Hollywood, stunt performers have fueled the mayhem of movies, playing a vital role in sustaining the illusion of countless car chases, bar fights and rooftop leaps. By its … more

By JAKE COYLE | 4/30/24

This combo of undated images provided by law enforcement, shows, from left, Sam Poloche and William Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer; and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks. The four officers were killed and four others were wounded, Monday, April 29, 2024, in suburban Charlotte, as they approached a home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (North Carolina Department of Corrections (2), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, US Marshals Service via AP)

Fugitive task forces face dangerous scenarios every day. Here's what to know about how they operate.

A fugitive task force attempting to serve a warrant Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina, ended in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement in a single incident since 2016. Four officers were killed … more

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and CLAUDIA LAUER | 4/30/24

The Google sign is displayed outside the Google offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Google has fired 28 employees who were involved in protests over the tech company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The workers held sit-ins at the company’s offices in California and New York over Google’s $1.2 billion contract to provide custom tools for Israeli’s military. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Fired Google workers ousted over Israeli contract protests file complaint with labor regulators

Dozens of Google workers who were fired after internal protests surrounding a lucrative contract that the internet company has with the Israeli government have filed a complaint with labor regulators … more

4/30/24

Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)

Trump says states should decide on prosecuting women for abortions, has no comment on abortion pill

Former President Donald Trump says it should be left up to the states whether they want to prosecute women for getting abortions or whether to monitor their pregnancies. The presumptive Republican … more

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO | 4/30/24

Corrects Photographer ID: Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball presides at a session of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church on Monday, April 29, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Peter Smith)

United Methodists begin to reverse longstanding anti-LGBTQ policies

United Methodist delegates have begun making historic policy changes on sexuality, voting without debate to reverse a series of anti-LGBTQ polices. The delegates voted to delete mandatory penalties … more

By PETER SMITH | 4/30/24

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on student loan debt at Madison College, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The deadline to consolidate some student loans to receive forgiveness is here. Here's what to know

Borrowers with some types of federal student loans have until today to consolidate their loans to qualify for full student loan cancellation or credit toward cancellation. The Education Department is … more

By ADRIANA MORGA | 4/30/24