National News - The Morning Sun

Today in History: January 11, Theodore Roosevelt makes the Grand Canyon a national monument

Today is Saturday, Jan. 11, the 11th day of 2025. There are 354 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 11, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt leveraged the Antiquities Act of 1906 … more

By The Associated Press | 1/11/25

FILE - Edgar Maddison Welch, of Salisbury, N.C., surrenders to police, in Washington, Dec. 4, 2016. (Sathi Soma via AP, File)

'Pizzagate' gunman killed by police in North Carolina after traffic stop, authorities say

Authorities say the man who traveled armed to a pizzeria in the nation's capital nearly a decade ago because of a fake online conspiracy theory has been shot and killed by police in North Carolina. … more

By MAKIYA SEMINERA | 1/10/25

FILE - Part of a 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return form is shown July 24, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

IRS announces January 27 as the start of the 2025 tax season

The IRS on Friday announced January 27 as the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 tax deadline. The tax collection … more

By CORA LEWIS | 1/10/25

Erden Arkan, left, leaves federal court, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in New York after pleading guilty to a charge alleging that he worked with a Turkish government official to funnel illegal campaign contributions to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Brooklyn real estate magnate pleads guilty to conspiring to funnel illegal donations to NYC mayor

A Brooklyn real estate magnate has pleaded guilty to a charge alleging that he worked with a Turkish government official to funnel illegal campaign contributions to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. … more

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ and LARRY NEUMEISTER | 1/10/25

FILE - A woman cools herself with a fan during a hot day in London, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Earth breaks yearly heat record and lurches past dangerous warming threshold

Global temperatures in 2024 soared to yet another record level, but this time it was such a big jump that Earth temporarily passed a major symbolic climate threshold. Three government climate … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 1/10/25

A man walks in front of the burning Altadena Community Church, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the downtown Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Saving Torah scrolls and saying prayers, Los Angeles fires leave congregants without worship spaces

Among the thousands of buildings destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires were a mosque, a synagogue, a Catholic parish and a half-dozen Protestant churches. Many members of these congregations were … more

By GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO, LUIS ANDRES HENAO and PETER SMITH | 1/10/25

FILE - Elton John performs on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

For Elton John, 'Never Too Late' isn't just a documentary and song — it is a life mantra

Capturing Sir Elton John’s 50-year career is a herculean task. Good thing his husband David Furnish and filmmaker R.J. Cutler were up for the challenge. “Elton John: Never Too Late" was inspired … more

By MARIA SHERMAN | 1/10/25

Margarita Salazar, 82, wipes the sweat off with a tissue inside her home amid hot weather in Veracruz, Mexico, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

In their own words: AP photographers explain how selected images capture warming world

Around the globe, Associated Press photographers in 2024 documented what scientists on Friday said was the hottest year on record, the latest in a long string of heat milestones that have been … more

The Associated Press | 1/10/25

An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. (AP Photo/Hendrik Osula)

Estonia steps up patrols in the icy Baltic Sea in a show of force after suspected cable sabotage

Estonian naval ships are taking part in stepped-up patrols in the Baltic Sea by NATO countries after undersea power and communications cables have been damaged in recent months. The ships are … more

By EMMA BURROWS and HENDRIK OSULA | 1/10/25

Smoke lingers over a neighborhood devastated by the Eaton Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

What ignited the deadly California wildfires? Investigators consider an array of possibilities

Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources for the huge fires that have killed at least 10 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the Los Angeles area. In … more

By JASON DEAREN | 1/10/25

Today in History: January 10, “The Catch” sends 49ers to Super Bowl

Today is Friday, Jan. 10, the tenth day of 2025. There are 355 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 10, 1982, San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark caught a touchdown pass … more

By The Associated Press | 1/10/25

A surfer rides a wave in Santa Monica, Calif., during sunset under a blackened sky from the Palisades fire in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

AP Week in Pictures

Jan. 3 - 9, 2025 This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Patrick Sison, highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide made or published by The Associated Press in the past week. more

By The Associated Press | 1/9/25

FILE - The barricade that Shamsud-Din Jabbar hit with his truck while driving into a crowd on New Year's Day is seen on Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

Lawsuit by New Orleans truck attack victims says city, contractors failed to implement safety system

Six people who were injured and the father of a man who was killed in the New Year’s truck attack are suing the City of New Orleans and two contractors, claiming they failed to protect revelers … more

By MARTHA BELLISLE | 1/9/25

Visitors to the Santa Monica pier look out at smoke from a wildfire in the Pacific Palisades blows over the beach in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Far from wildfire flames, residents of sunny Los Angeles go about their lives in disquiet and fear

As fires raged from the seaside enclave of Pacific Palisades to the hillsides above Pasadena — with at least five dead and thousands of homes and other buildings leveled or damaged — residents … more

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD | 1/9/25

FILE - From left, President Barack Obama, former President Jimmy Carter, first lady Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton wave to the crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington at the conclusion of a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Aug. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Michelle Obama doesn't attend state funeral for Jimmy Carter

Former first lady Michelle Obama didn't attend the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter. Except for Michelle Obama, all of the living former presidents and their spouses were at the … more

By JONATHAN J. COOPER | 1/9/25

FILE - New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez listens to oral arguments dealing with local municipalities implementing ordinances restricting abortion, Dec. 13, 2023 in Santa Fe, N.M. . (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, file)

New Mexico is a go-to state for women seeking abortions. A new court ruling helps it stay that way

The New Mexico Supreme Court has struck down abortion restrictions by conservative cities and counties at the request of the state attorney general. The unanimous opinion on Thursday reinforces the … more

By MORGAN LEE | 1/9/25

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden watch as the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter begins at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

From Carter's funeral, an American snapshot: A singular image, 5 presidents, 379 years of history

Inside Washington National Cathedral, the five men who've occupied the Oval Office since 1993 convened for a rare moment together at Jimmy Carter’s state funeral. In that one act, Bill Clinton, … more

By TED ANTHONY | 1/9/25

This image provided by European Space Agency shows close-up photos of Mercury's north pole taken by the European-Japanese spacecraft BepiColombo. (European Space Agency via AP)

Spacecraft buzzes Mercury's north pole and beams back stunning photos

A spacecraft has beamed back some of the best close-up photos yet of Mercury's north pole. The European and Japanese robotic explorer buzzed the planet's polar region Wednesday. The European Space … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 1/9/25

A residence burns as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

How to safely evacuate a wildfire

Evacuating a wildfire area can be scary, but experts say people can significantly improve their own safety with a little preparation and situational awareness. Jesse Torres is a battalion chief for … more

By REBECCA BOONE | 1/9/25

FILE - Surfers catch waves in the Pacific Ocean off of Ho'okipa Beach Park, Nov. 22, 2024, near Paia, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

NOAA says La Nina ocean cooling has finally arrived, but it's weak and may cause fewer problems

A long-awaited La Nina has finally appeared, but meteorologists say the periodic cooling of Pacific Ocean waters is weak and unlikely to cause as many weather problems as usual. La Nina is the flip … more

By SETH BORENSTEIN | 1/9/25