National News - The Morning Sun

Pecan trees, planted in the 1960's, shade a memorial created to honor the victims killed in the recent school shooting at Robb Elementary, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. The Texas elementary school where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers has long been a part of the fabric of the small city of Uvalde, a school attended by generations of families, and where the spark came that led to Hispanic parents and students to band together to fight discrimination over a half-century ago. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Report: Police knew of injured at Texas school while waiting

Police waited for protective equipment as they delayed entering the Texas elementary school where a gunman inside killed 19 children and two teachers. That's according to a review of law enforcement … more

6/9/22

NASA launches study of UFOs despite 'reputational risk'

NASA is launching a study of UFOs as part of a new push toward high-risk, high-impact science. The space agency announced Thursday that it's setting up an independent team to see how much information … more

By MARCIA DUNN | 6/9/22

New signs are on a fence at the Hennepin County Government Center, Monday, April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis where closing arguments are being heard in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin continues. Chauvin is charged with murder in the death of George Floyd during an arrest last may in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

A look at high-profile killings by US police

A Michigan police officer has been charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head as the Black man was on the ground. Grand Rapids Officer Christopher … more

6/9/22

Gasoline prices are shown at a gas station Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Gas prices rising toward $5 a gallon in US; record in UK

Gasoline is closing in on $5 a gallon nationwide for the first time ever, according to AAA. The auto club said the national average for a gallon of regular hit $4.97 on Thursday. High gas prices are … more

By DAVID KOENIG | 6/9/22

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a meeting with Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes and Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly as the Summit of the Americas continues in Los Angeles, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (Mike Blake/Pool via AP)

Salvadoran leader rebuffs Blinken effort to bolster summit

In the run-up to this week's Summit of the Americas, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador rebuffed attempts by U.S. officials to set up a phone call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The … more

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and JOSHUA GOODMAN | 6/9/22

Jeff Beck appears at the 59th Ivor Novello Awards in London on May 22, 2014, left, and Johnny Depp appears at the European premiere of their film, "The Rum Diary," in London on Nov. 3, 2011. Beck and Depp will release "18," an album releasing July 15. (AP Photo)

Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck announce new joint album, '18'

Fresh off his legal battle with his ex-wife, Johnny Depp has announced that he and legendary guitarist Jeff Beck will release an album of mostly covers next month. The duo’s 13-track album is … more

By MARK KENNEDY | 6/9/22

FILE-- Bushehr atomic power plant is seen Feb. 19, 1985. In 1975 the German firm Kraftwerk Union began construction of the Busher nuclear power plant as part of $4.8 billion deal for four reactors. Iran’s atomic program first came to the country under American aspirations of peaceful energy but later found itself the target of Western fears over the Islamic Republic’s intentions. (AP Photo, File)

Long, fraught timeline of tensions over Iran nuclear program

Iran has started removing 27 surveillance cameras installed by U.N. inspectors at nuclear sites around the country, widening a dispute over Tehran’s program as it enriches uranium closer than ever … more

By The Associated Press | 6/9/22

FILE - A MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flies at Marine Corps Air Facility at Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., on on Aug. 3, 2012. Officials say a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey carrying five Marines crashed in the Southern California desert, Wednesday afternoon, June 8, 2022, during training in a remote area near the community of Glamis in Imperial County. Military officials have yet to release official word on the fate of the five Marines. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

Official: 4 dead, 1 unaccounted for in Marine aircraft crash

A military official says four Marines were killed and one is missing after an Osprey aircraft crashed in the Southern California desert. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the … more

By JULIE WATSON and LOLITA BALDOR | 6/9/22

FILE - Grammy Awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. The Grammys are adding a special song for social change award and five new categories including songwriter of the year, giving the Recording Academy an avenue to honor music’s best composer. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Grammys add new categories, including songwriter of the year

The Recording Academy has created a social change song award and five new categories including songwriter of the year, giving the Grammys an avenue to honor music’s best composer. The academy … more

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. | 6/9/22

The Arizona state prison is shown, Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in Florence, Ariz. Frank Atwood was put to death Wednesday in the state’s second execution since officials resumed carrying out the death penalty in May following a nearly eight-year hiatus. Atwood, 66, died by lethal injection at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of Vicki Hoskinson, whose body was found in the desert, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona set to execute Frank Atwood, who killed girl in 1984

An Arizona prisoner convicted in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl is scheduled to be executed Wednesday morning after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal to halt the execution. It … more

By JONATHAN J. COOPER and JACQUES BILLEAUD | 6/8/22

FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020, in Washington. Elon Musk is threatening to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts. Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday, June 6, 2022 that the social platform included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Reports: Twitter to provide Musk with raw daily tweet data

Twitter plans to offer Elon Musk access to its “firehose” of raw data on hundreds of millions of daily tweets in an effort to push forward the Tesla billionaire’s agreed-to $44 billion … more

Associated Press | 6/8/22

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks with Harvard President Larry Bacow on the stage during Harvard's 371st Commencement, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. Ardern was the keynote speaker and received an honorary degree. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

Harvard President Lawrence Bacow to step down next year

Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow has announced that he plans to step down next year. Bacow said in a statement Wednesday to the Ivy League university's community that there is never a good … more

6/8/22

FILE - People march holding a banner with a message that reads in Spanish; "Environmental justice is social justice" during a global climate strike demonstration in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sept. 24, 2021. Philanthropy can fight climate change more effectively if more donors focus on funding climate justice issues and battling inequality, according to a report from the philanthropy research organization Candid released Wednesday, June 8, 2022. According to the report, only about 2% of global giving goes to climate change mitigation and less than 4% of that – about $60 million in 2019 – is designated for climate justice and equity-oriented work. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, file)

Report: Philanthropy can help protect against climate change

Philanthropists could help ease the damage from climate change by donating more money to address global warming and the communities most at risk from it, according to a report from the research … more

By GLENN GAMBOA | 6/8/22

This image released by Acorn Art and Photography shows the Solterre Concept House in Nova Scotia, an off the grid home featured in the book "Downsize, Living Large In a Small House" by Sheri Koones. (Adam Cornick/Acorn Art and Photography via AP)

Off-grid living beckons more than just hardy pioneer types

Off-the-grid living was once an oddity reserved for dedicated survivalists. But there are many ways to live off-grid and more people looking into it. Off-grid living means you're not connected to … more

By KATHERINE ROTH | 6/8/22

FILE - Musician Taylor Hawkins appears at One Love Malibu in Calabasas, Calif., on Dec. 2, 2018. Foo Fighters will honor the rock band’s late drummer Taylor Hawkins with a pair of tribute concerts in September — one in London and the other in Los Angeles. The twin shows will take place Sept. 3 at London’s Wembley Stadium and Sept. 27 at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Hawkins died March 25, 2022, during a South American tour with the rock band. He was 50. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Foo Fighters plan 2 tribute concerts for Taylor Hawkins

Foo Fighters will honor the rock band’s late drummer Taylor Hawkins with a pair of tribute concerts in September, with one in London and the other in Los Angeles. The twin shows will take place … more

By MARK KENNEDY | 6/8/22

FILE — Richard Rojas, right, appears in court for the start of his trial in New York, Monday, May 9, 2022. Rojas, 31, is fighting murder, assault and other charges at a trial unfolding in the shadow of mass shootings across the country and the political debate in which gun-control opponents have sought to blame the violence on failures in mental health care. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Testimony at Times Square trial: Attacker was hearing voices

A relative of Richard Rojas has testified at a New York City trial that his nephew declared “I’m crazy” before he allegedly used his car to mow down pedestrians in a fatal attack in Times … more

By TOM HAYS | 6/8/22

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry shows Frank Atwood, who was convicted of murder in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl. Atwood was put to death Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in the state’s second execution since officials resumed carrying out the death penalty in May following a nearly eight-year hiatus. (Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry via AP, File)

Arizona prisoner asks Supreme Court to delay his execution

An Arizona prisoner has made a last-minute request to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution scheduled Wednesday for his murder conviction in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl. Frank … more

By JACQUES BILLEAUD | 6/7/22

This undated photo provided by the family via Houston Northwest Church shows Mark Collins. Collins was one of the people authorities believe was killed by Gonzalo Lopez, 46, a convicted murderer who escaped from prison. (Family Photo/Courtesy of Houston Northwest Church via AP)

Texas suspends inmate transports after escape left 5 dead

The Texas prison system says it's temporarily stopped transporting inmates as it investigates how a convicted murderer escaped from a transport bus last month, later killing a man and his four … more

By JUAN A. LOZANO | 6/7/22

FILE - Bishop Megan Rohrer speaks to the press before their installation ceremony at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Rohrer, an openly transgender bishop who made history in 2021 with an appointment as a bishop by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has resigned amid allegations of racism after firing the pastor of a predominantly Latino congregation. (AP Photo/John Hefti, File)

Transgender Lutheran bishop resigns over racism allegations

Megan Rohrer, an openly transgender cleric from San Francisco, made history last year with an appointment as a bishop by the Evangelical Lutheran church in America. On Saturday, Roher resigned amid … more

By DEEPA BHARATH | 6/7/22

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, Jr., speaks during a special emergency city council meeting, Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas, to reissue the mayor's declaration of a local state of disaster due to the recent school shooting at Robb Elementary School. Two teachers and 19 students were killed. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

School police chief a no-show at Uvalde City Council meeting

The school district police chief criticized for waiting too long before ordering law enforcement to confront and kill the gunman during a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school did not appear at … more

By JAKE BLEIBERG and JAMIE STENGLE | 6/7/22