National News - The Morning Sun

FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the Starliner spacecraft docked to the Harmony module of the International Space Station, orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast, on June 13, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)

Boeing is closer to understanding thruster failures on its first astronaut flight with latest test

Boeing is closer to understanding what went wrong with its astronaut capsule in orbit, now that testing is complete on a spare thruster here on Earth. The Starliner capsule has been docked at the … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 7/18/24

Bill Werner, Lead Greenhouse Manager of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, walks between plants and evaporative cooling pads in a greenhouse at the Core Greenhouse Complex on the campus in Davis, Calif., Monday, May 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Greenhouses are becoming more popular, but there's little research on how to protect workers

The latest agricultural census shows the number of greenhouse and nursery workers in the U.S. has grown by 16,000 in recent years. But there are no federal heat rules even as greenhouses become more … more

By MELINA WALLING and DORANY PINEDA | 7/18/24

More Americans apply for jobless benefits as layoffs settle at higher levels in recent weeks

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits rose again last week and appear to be settling consistently at a slightly higher though still healthy level. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless … more

By MATT OTT | 7/18/24

Abortion activists protest the proposal of a law, under debate by lawmakers, that would keep a total abortion ban in place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Activists fear it will reduce penalties for sexual violence and fail to protect the LGBTQ community. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Dominican activists protest against a new criminal code that would maintain a total abortion ban

Activists in the Dominican Republic are protesting against a bill for a new criminal code that would retain a total abortion ban. The Dominican Senate gave initial approval to the bill in late June … more

By MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ | 7/18/24

Family, friends and community attend a candlelight vigil for Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief shot and killed at a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Hundreds attend vigil for man killed at Trump rally in Pennsylvania before visitation Thursday

Hundreds of people who gathered to remember the former fire chief fatally shot at a rally for former President Donald Trump have been urged to find “unity” as the area in rural Pennsylvania … more

By MICHAEL SISAK | 7/18/24

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives on third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FACT FOCUS: Trump, in Republican convention video, alludes to false claim 2020 election was stolen

Former President Donald Trump has maintained since his defeat in 2020 that the election was stolen. In a prerecorded video at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday he again alluded to the … more

By MELISSA GOLDIN | 7/18/24

Logan Check, left, junior firefighter, and Randy Reamer, president and rescue captain at the Buffalo Township Fire Company 27, hang bunting on the fire station in memory of fellow firefighter Corey Comperatore, in Buffalo Township, Pa., Sunday, July 14, 2024. Comperatore was killed during a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. The flag at the station house flies at half staff at left. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Hundreds gather to remember former fire chief fatally shot at Trump rally in Pennsylvania

Hundreds of people gathered to remember the former fire chief shot and killed at a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump and were urged to seek unity and healing in the rural area of … more

By MICHAEL SISAK | 7/17/24

FILE - Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks before a meeting with Romanian Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca, Oct. 8, 2020, at the Pentagon, in Washington. Esper said Wednesday, July 17, 2024, that it was time for the Biden administration "to do better than just playing defense" to Iranian threats on Trump administration officials.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Former Trump defense secretary urges Biden to do more to stop Iran's threats on officials

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper says it was time for the Biden administration “to do better than just playing defense” to Iranian threats on Trump administration officials. His remarks … more

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER | 7/17/24

This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows death row inmate Ruben Gutierrez. Gutierrez is set to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP)

Delay of Texas death row inmate's execution has not been the norm for Supreme Court, experts say

Texas death row inmate Ruben Gutierrez was only 20 minutes away from being executed when the U.S. Supreme Court granted his request to stay his lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville. … more

By JUAN A. LOZANO | 7/17/24

FILE - Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers speaks with reporters outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 28, 2023. Thousands of Nebraskans with felony convictions could be denied voting rights under an opinion from Hilgers released Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Thousands of Nebraskans with felony convictions could be denied voting rights under AG's opinion

Thousands of Nebraskans with felony convictions could be denied voting rights under an opinion from the state attorney general. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued an opinion Wednesday that … more

By MARGERY A. BECK | 7/17/24

Ukraine's Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov arrives for a social dinner for defense ministers attending the NATO summit hosted by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at Fort McNair on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Ukraine defense chief says his nation will find battlefield solutions no matter who wins US election

Ukraine's defense minister said his country will find a way to battle Russia’s invading forces even if Donald Trump wins a second term, jeopardizings vital U.S. support for its defense. Defense … more

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER | 7/17/24

This photo provided by NASA, taken from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour, shows the International Space Station on Nov. 8, 2021. NASA and SpaceX discussed plans on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to shove the International Space Station out of orbit and steer it toward a watery grave in the next decade. (NASA via AP)

How NASA and SpaceX will bring down the space station when it's retired

SpaceX will use a powerful, souped-up capsule to shove the International Space Station out of orbit once time is up for the sprawling lab. NASA and SpaceX on Wednesday outlined the plan to burn the … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 7/17/24

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents on stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Multiple failures, multiple investigations: Unraveling the attempted assassination of Donald Trump

Multiple investigations have been launched into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. They include probes into the crime itself and how law enforcement allowed it to happen at all. But it’s … more

By COLLEEN LONG, MIKE BALSAMO and MICHAEL R. SISAK | 7/17/24

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with the trophy after his team defeated Colombia in the Copa America final soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, July 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Lionel Messi asked to apologize for Argentina players' racist chant

Lionel Messi is facing calls to apologize for racist chants made by Argentina players after they won the Copa America on Sunday. An Argentinean government official said Messi, who is the team … more

By JAMES ROBSON | 7/17/24

Remains of World War II POW who died in the Philippines returned home to California

The remains of a World War II service member who died in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in the Philippines in 1942 have been brought home to California. The remains of U.S. Army Air Forces Pvt. 1st … more

7/17/24

This image provided by California Closets shows a room with a bed built into a cabinet. A horizontal tilt wall bed with built-in cabinets for TV and more helps organize a studio apartment and keeps the sleeping area in its own space. (California Closets via AP)

Don't work in bed, and other tips for creating a peaceful sleep zone in a studio apartment

There’s a lot to be said for the work/play energy of a nice studio or other small apartment during the day. But how do you bring that energy down to get a good night’s sleep? When electronics, … more

By KIM COOK | 7/17/24

FILE - Activists with Black Lives Matter protest in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in the wake of a decision by federal prosecutors who declined to bring civil rights charges against New York City police Officer Daniel Pantaleo, in the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner. Wednesday, July 17, 2024 marks 10 years since the chokehold death of Eric Garner at the hands of New York City police officers who were trying to arrest him for selling loose cigarettes. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)

'I can't breathe': Eric Garner remembered on the 10th anniversary of his chokehold death

It has been 10 years since the chokehold death of Eric Garner at the hands of New York City police officers made “I can’t breathe” a rallying cry. On Wednesday, Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, … more

By KAREN MATTHEWS | 7/17/24

Museum curator Nikki Walsh holds up two Revolutionary War musket balls, which are believed to be fired at the British by colonial militia men, at Minute Man National Historical Park, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Concord, Mass. Archeologists say the musket balls date back nearly 250 years and were fired during one of the first battles in the Revolutionary War. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Archeologists find musket balls fired during 1 of the first battles in the Revolutionary War

Archeologists with the National Park Service say they have found musket balls that date back nearly 250 years and were fired during one of the first battles in the Revolutionary War. The five musket … more

By MICHAEL CASEY | 7/17/24

Scientists are monitoring wild rattlesnakes through a webcam in remote northern Colorado, observing rattlesnake activity around the clock. The livestream is part of a community science initiative called Project RattleCam.

Webcam monitors hundreds of rattlesnakes at a Colorado 'mega den' for citizen science

A “mega den” of rattlesnakes at a remote location in northern Colorado is now available for live, round-the-clock viewing online. California Polytechnic State University scientists recently put … more

By MEAD GRUVER and KENDRIA LaFLEUR | 7/16/24

FILE - Utility crews work to restore electricity in Houston, Thursday, July 11, 2024. Houston’s prolonged outages following Hurricane Beryl has some fed-up and frustrated residents taking out their anger on repair workers who are trying to restore power across the city. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi, File)

Anger over Houston power outages after Beryl has repair crews facing threats from some residents

Houston’s prolonged outages following Hurricane Beryl has some fed-up and frustrated residents taking out their anger on repair workers who are trying to restore power across the city. Authorities … more

By JUAN A. LOZANO | 7/16/24