National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - A makeshift memorial stands outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in the aftermath of a deadly shooting in Pittsburgh, Oct. 29, 2018. More than a week after convicting a gunman in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, jurors will begin hearing arguments in federal court Monday, June 26, 2023, about whether he should receive the death penalty for killing 11 worshippers inside the Pittsburgh synagogue. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Trying to save his life, lawyers for Pittsburgh synagogue gunman argue he is mentally ill

Jurors who convicted the gunman in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history are hearing arguments on whether he should be put to death. The sentencing phase of Robert Bowers' trial is … more

By PETER SMITH | 6/26/23

File - Harvard University students celebrate their graduate degrees in public health during Harvard commencement ceremonies, Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Cambridge, Mass. A pause on student loan payments that's been in place since the start of the COVID pandemic will end late this summer if Congress approves a debt ceiling and budget deal negotiated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Here's how to prepare to start paying back your student loans when the pandemic payment freeze ends

A three-year pause on federal student loan payments will soon end regardless of how the Supreme Court rules this week on a White House plan to forgive billions of dollars in student loan debt. The … more

By CORA LEWIS and ADRIANA MORGA | 6/26/23

In this image taken from video, a roof of a home is severely damaged after a tornado touched down on Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Johnson County, Ind. Authorities said up to 75 homes were damaged. (WRTV via AP)

Indiana tornado kills one as severe weather causes damage and power outages across multiple states

A tornado struck a home, killing one occupant and injuring another as severe weather hit parts of Indiana, Tennessee and other states. WXIN-TV reports the tornado was part of a severe storm system … more

6/26/23

In this photo provided by the Serbian Ministry of Interior, a three Kosovo police officers captured by Serbian police officers lying face down on a field, on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Serbian authorities said Wednesday they have captured three "fully armed" Kosovo police officers inside Serbia near their mutual border, while Kosovo police said they have likely been "kidnapped" on Kosovo territory as they patrolled the area. (Serbian Ministry of Interior via AP)

Serbia releases 3 Kosovo police officers whose arrest fueled tensions between the Balkan foes

A Serbian court has ordered the release of three police officers from Kosovo who were detained earlier this month. Tensions had escalated between the Balkan foes and U.S. and European Union officials … more

By JOVANA GEC | 6/26/23

FILE- A router and internet switch are displayed in East Derry, N.H., June 19, 2018. President Joe Biden is expected to announce his administration's plans Monday, June 26, 2023, to distribute billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to bring the internet to every household and small business in the U.S. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Biden will announce how billions of dollars for expanding broadband internet are being distributed

President Joe Biden will announce how much money each state is set to receive from the largest-ever federal investment in broadband expansion. The amount each state, territory and Washington, D.C., … more

By KAVISH HARJAI | 6/26/23

In this photo released on Monday, June 26, 2023 by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, center, and Yevgeny Nikiforov, the commander of the Western Military District, right, inspect a command post of one of the formations of the Zapad (West) group of Russian troops at an undisclosed location of Ukraine. Shoigu made his first public appearance Monday since a mercenary uprising demanded his ouster, inspecting troops in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Live Updates | Fallout from Russian mercenary armed revolt

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has made his first public appearance since a mercenary uprising demanded his ouster. Shoigu appeared in a video Monday inspecting troops in Ukraine, apparently … more

By The Associated Press | 6/26/23

Former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School School Resource Officer Scot Peterson sits at the defense table during his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, June 23, 2023. Broward County prosecutors charged Peterson, a former Broward Sheriff's Office deputy, with criminal charges for failing to enter the 1200 Building at the school and confront the shooter as he perpetuated the Valentine's Day 2018 Massacre that left 17 dead and 17 injured. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

The suspect in the attack that killed 5 at Colorado Springs gay nightclub is set to plead guilty

Closing arguments are expected in the trial of a former Florida sheriff's deputy accused of failing to stop the Parkland school massacre five years ago. Prosecutors and Scot Peterson's defense … more

By TERRY SPENCER | 6/26/23

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, right, sits inside a military vehicle posing for a selfie photo with a local civilian on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin's troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)

Russian defense minister makes first public appearance since mercenary revolt demanded his ouster

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made his first public appearance Monday since a mercenary uprising demanded his ouster, inspecting troops in Ukraine. He’s the first of three powerful Russian … more

By The Associated Press | 6/26/23

Political activist and writer James Meredith sits in the shade as an event staffer holds an ice pack on his head after he fell outside the Mississippi Capitol at an event marking his 90th birthday, in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Civil rights icon James Meredith, 90, falls at Mississippi event but has no visible injuries

Civil rights icon James Meredith fell outside the Mississippi Capitol at an event marking his 90th birthday. He suffered no visible injuries. Meredith tumbled forward onto a portable lectern Sunday … more

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS | 6/25/23

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on monitors as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, called for armed rebellion and reached the southern city of Rostov-on-Don with his troops, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

Russian mercenaries' revolt undermines Putin and could lead to further challenges to his rule

For the first time in his more than 20-year rule, President Vladimir Putin’s power appeared to hang in the balance this weekend. And even though the rebellious Russian mercenary forces who … more

By The Associated Press | 6/25/23

Local authorities are on the scene as heavy equipment is staged to begin removing the wreckage after a bridge collapse near Columbus, Mont., Saturday, June 24, 2023. The bridge collapsed overnight, causing a train that was traveling over it to plunge into the water below. Authorities on Sunday were testing the water quality along a stretch of the Yellowstone River where mangled cars carrying hazardous materials remained after crashing into the waterway. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

Water being tested where freight train carrying hazardous material plunged into Yellowstone River

Authorities were testing the water quality along a stretch of the Yellowstone River where mangled cars carrying hazardous materials remained after crashing into the waterway following a bridge … more

6/25/23

FILE - This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible. The wrecks of the Titanic and the Titan sit on the ocean floor, separated by 1,600 feet (490 meters) and 111 years of history. How they came together unfolded over an intense week that raised temporary hopes and left lingering questions. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File)

US Navy: Hefty salvage system not required in probe of fatal Titan implosion

The U.S. Navy said Sunday it won’t be using a large piece of salvage equipment it had deployed to the effort to retrieve the Titan submersible. The Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System had the … more

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and STEVE LeBLANC | 6/25/23

FILE - Salman Rushdie attends the 68th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner on Nov. 15, 2017, in New York. Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen and Ibram X. Kendi are among hundreds of authors who have endorsed an announcement by the American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers that calls attention to the 70th anniversary of a Freedom to Read Statement issued by book publishers and librarians during the height of the McCarthy era. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Salman Rushdie and Cheryl Strayed among endorsers of anti-censorship initiative

Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen and Ibram X. Kendi are among hundreds of authors who have endorsed an initiative by the American Library Association and the Association of American … more

6/25/23

Russian mercenaries' short-lived revolt could have long-term consequences for Putin

A short-lived revolt by a rebellious Russian mercenary commander has ended with his troops beating a retreat. But the extraordinary challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s two-decade hold on power … more

By The Associated Press | 6/25/23

Malika N. Pryor gives a tour in preparation for the opening of the International African American Museum on Friday, June 23, 2023, in Charleston, S.C. Overlooking the old wharf at which nearly half of the enslaved population first entered North America, the 150,000-square foot museum houses exhibits and artifacts exploring how African Americans' labor, perseverance, resistance and cultures shaped the Carolinas, the nation and the world. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

At International African American Museum opening, a reclaiming of sacred ground for enslaved kin

The International African American Museum will soon open in Charleston, South Carolina, at one of the country’s most historically significant slave-trading ports. Overlooking the sacred site of … more

By AARON MORRISON | 6/25/23

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, looks out from a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin's troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)

Belarus deal to take in leader of Russian rebellion puts him in an even more repressive nation

Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was notorious for unbridled and profane challenges to authority even before the attempted rebellion that he mounted Saturday. The reported agreement for him … more

By The Associated Press | 6/25/23

FILE - This 2004 photo provided by the Institute for Exploration, Center for Archaeological Oceanography/University of Rhode Island/NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, shows the remains of a coat and boots in the mud on the sea bed near the Titanic's stern. The wrecks of the Titanic and the Titan sit on the ocean floor, separated by 1,600 feet (490 meters) and 111 years of history. How they came together unfolded over an intense week that raised temporary hopes and left lingering questions. (Institute for Exploration, Center for Archaeological Oceanography/University of Rhode Island/NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, File)

When wealthy adventurers take huge risks, who should foot the bill for rescue attempts?

In recent days, the massive hunt for a submersible vehicle lost during a north Atlantic descent to explore the wreckage of the Titanic has refocused attention on the conundrum: who should pay for the … more

By ADAM GELLER and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS | 6/25/23

Live Updates | Aftermath of Russian mercenary chief's armed rebellion

There are still no reports of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin arriving in Belarus after he reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and ended his rebellion. Many other questions remained … more

By The Associated Press | 6/25/23

Several train cars are immersed in the Yellowstone River after a bridge collapse near Columbus, Mont., on Saturday, June 24, 2023. The bridge collapsed overnight, causing a train that was traveling over it to plunge into the water below. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

A bridge over Yellowstone River collapses, sending a freight train into the waters below

A bridge that crosses Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed overnight, causing portions of a freight train that was traveling over it to plunge into the water below. There was no immediate word on … more

By MATTHEW BROWN | 6/24/23

Tornado that ripped through massive Wyoming coal mining site injures 8 people, officials say

A tornado touching down at a mine in Wyoming has injured eight people and knocked over employee transport buses and empty train cars at the facility. The Gillette News Record reports the tornado hit … more

6/24/23