National News - The Morning Sun

David Peralta, a 67-year-old retired technical college instructor, buys a Mega Millions ticket at a Kansas Lottery machine in a Dillons grocery, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, in Topeka, Kan. Peralta says he buys lottery tickets regularly and said he's likely to help others if he wins a big jackpot because, "I don't know if I need that much." (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Mega Millions hits $565M but prize isn't even in the top 10

Someone could win more than half a billion dollars in the Mega Millions lottery Tuesday, but that jackpot wouldn't even rank in the top 10 as the prizes have grown bigger in recent years. The current … more

By JOSH FUNK | 12/27/22

FILE - Demonstrators stand outside the House chamber before a vote is held on Senate Bill 1 during a special session Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Critics of religious freedom laws often argue they are used to discriminate against LGBTQ people and only protect a conservative Christian worldview. But following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, religious abortion-rights supporters are using these laws to protect access to abortion and defend their beliefs. (Jenna Watson/The Indianapolis Star via AP, File)

State lawsuits defend abortion access with religious freedom

Critics of religious freedom laws often argue they are used to discriminate against LGBTQ people and only protect a conservative Christian worldview. But following the U.S. Supreme Court’s … more

By ARLEIGH RODGERS | 12/27/22

FILE - South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrates after a college basketball game in the final round of the Women's Final Four NCAA tournament against UConn, April 3, 2022, in Minneapolis. South Carolina won 64-49 to win the championship. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Women's sports saw pivotal growth in deals, interest in 2022

Popularity across women’s sports has grown steadily over the past few years and there was pivotal movement in 2022. Several sports and leagues saw growth in viewership and ratings, sponsorship … more

By ALANIS THAMES | 12/27/22

A passenger checks flight departures showing cancellations at Laguardia Airport, Friday Dec. 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Flight canceled? Experts share some advice about what to do

Thousands of travelers have been stranded at airports or stuck on hold trying to rebook flights this week as a massive storm snarled travel in the U.S. and Canada. More than 2,800 more flights had … more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN | 12/27/22

A man passes by a barricade made of trucks loaded with stones that was erected during the night on a street in northern, Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. Serbia on Monday placed its security troops on the border with Kosovo on "the full state of combat readiness," ignoring NATO's calls for calming down of tensions between the two wartime Balkan foes. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

Serbs put up new roadblocks as tensions soar in Kosovo

Serbs have erected more roadblocks in northern Kosovo and defied international demands to remove those placed earlier. A day earlier, Serbia put its troops near the border on a high level of combat … more

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC | 12/27/22

FILE - A customer fills out a Mega Millions lottery ticket at a convenience store in Northbrook, Ill., on Jan. 6, 2021. The holiday shopping season, for Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers, at least, is ramping up as officials say the estimated jackpot for the drawing the night of Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, has surpassed half a billion dollars. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Mega Millions Tuesday jackpot surpasses estimated $565M

The holiday shopping season — for Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers, at least — is ramping up as officials say the estimated jackpot for Tuesday night’s drawing has surpassed half a billion … more

By The Associated Press | 12/26/22

FILE - Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates is seen in Tampa, Fla., March 3, 1963. Fifty years after his death, Clemente, the skillful outfielder, remains one of the most revered figures in Puerto Rico and Latin America. His graceful flare and powerful arm were unrivaled in his era, but his humanitarian efforts are perhaps his greatest legacy. Half a century after he played, many of today’s Latino baseball players credit him for paving the way. (AP Photo/Preston Stroup, File)

Roberto Clemente remains Latino legend 50 years after death

Roberto Clemente remains one of the most revered figures in Puerto Rico and Latin America 50 years after his death. His graceful flare and powerful arm were unrivaled in his era. His humanitarian … more

By ALANIS THAMES | 12/26/22

FILE - A shopper carries bags down Fifth Avenue on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, in New York. Holiday sales rose as shoppers showed some resilience during the most important shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File )

Holiday sales up 7.6% despite the squeeze of inflation

Holiday sales rose as American spending remained resilient during the critical shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent, according to one measure. Holiday sales rose … more

Associated Press | 12/26/22

In this photo provided by the Kosovo government public affairs office, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti, right, poses with the top NATO commander in Kosovo, Maj. Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia, in the capital Pristina, Kosovo, Monday, Dec. 26, 2022. The two met amid heightened tensions in Kosovo's Serb-run north where NATO said unidentified armed men fired weapons near a NATO patrol unit. (Kosovo government public affairs office via AP)

NATO probing shooting incident in tense Kosovo north

NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo say they are investigating a shooting incident in a tense northern region. They urged calm after Serbia sent its army chief to the border area in response. The … more

12/26/22

This photo provided by Amy Watson of Portland, Ore., shows her during an iron infusion in December 2022. Watson, approaching 50, says she has “never had any kind of recovery” from COVID-19. She has had severe migraines, plus digestive, nerve and foot problems. Recently she developed severe anemia. (Amy Watson via AP)

Long COVID: Could mono virus or fat cells be playing roles?

A British historian, an Italian archaeologist and an American preschool teacher share a prominent pandemic bond: They’re each credited with describing, naming and helping bring long COVID into the … more

By LINDSEY TANNER | 12/26/22

Police officers stand on duty at the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village, near Liverpool, England, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022. A Christmas Eve shooting at a pub in northwest England killed a young woman and wounded three men, police said Sunday. The Merseyside Police force said it was investigating the 11:50 p.m. Saturday shooting at the Lighthouse pub in the town of Wallasey as a murder case. Police have not detained any suspects. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Christmas Eve shooting at UK pub leaves 1 dead, 3 wounded

Police say a Christmas Eve shooting at a pub in northwest England killed a young woman and wounded three men. The Merseyside Police force said it was investigating the 11:50 p.m. Saturday shooting at … more

12/25/22

FILE - Masked commuters walk through a walkway in between two subway stations as they head to work during the morning rush hour in Beijing, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. China continues to adapt to an easing of strict virus containment regulations. About three years ago, the original version of the coronavirus spread from China to the rest of the world and was eventually replaced by the delta variant, then omicron and its descendants, which continue plaguing the world today. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

China's COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant

Could the COVID-19 surge in China unleash a new coronavirus mutant on the world? Scientists don’t know but worry that might happen. It could be similar to omicron variants circulating there now. It … more

By LAURA UNGAR and ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL | 12/25/22

FILE - Clouds are reflected off the City of Jackson's O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Facility's sedimentation basins in Ridgeland, Miss., Sept. 2, 2022. Officials in Jackson said the city's water system, which partially collapsed in late August, was experiencing “fluctuating” pressure on Saturday, Dec. 24, amid frigid temperatures. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Water pressure 'fluctuating' in Jackson amid frigid weather

Officials in Jackson, Mississippi, say the city’s water system is experiencing “fluctuating” pressure on Saturday afternoon amid frigid temperatures. Officials are warning that some residents … more

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG | 12/24/22

This image made available by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation shows three photos of Michael James Pratt, the founder of a California-based porn empire that coerced young women into filming adult videos. The FBI says Pratt, who was on its Ten Most Wanted list, was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, in Madrid, three years after he fled while facing federal charges of sex trafficking and producing child pornography. (FBI via AP)

Porn site founder accused of sex trafficking caught in Spain

The founder of a California-based porn empire that coerced young women into filming adult videos has been arrested in Spain, three years after he fled while facing federal sex-trafficking charges. … more

12/24/22

Shana Marler, of Pottsville, Pa., dresses warmly for the cold weather walking on South Centre Street in downtown Pottsville, Pa., Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. (Jacqueline Dormer/Republican-Herald via AP)

Weather Updates | Storm blamed for at least 12 deaths

Authorities are blaming the massive, wild winter storm that has gripped much of the U.S. for at least 12 deaths. A 51-year-old Vermont woman died Friday after a tree in her back yard fell on her in … more

The Associated Press | 12/24/22

FILE - A visitor leaves the Mall of America, Thursday, June 11, 2020 in Bloomington, Minnesota. The mall reopened Wednesday after being closed since March due to the coronavirus. Police in Minnesota say the Mall of America has been placed on lockdown after a reported shooting, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

Police: Mall of America on lockdown after reported shooting

Police in Minnesota say a reported shooting has sent the Mall of America into lockdown for about an hour. The Bloomington Police Department said Friday that police and emergency medical crews were on … more

12/23/22

A woman holds a poster showing Colombian-born businessman Alex Saab in a demonstration demanding his release, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. For more than two years, almost since the time of his arrest on U.S. warrant, Saab has insisted he is a Venezuelan diplomat targeted for his work helping the South American country circumvent American economic sanctions. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

US judge rejects Maduro ally's claim of diplomatic immunity

A federal judge in Miami has rejected attempts by a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to shield himself from U.S. criminal charges. The judge ruled Friday that Alex Saab isn’t … more

By JOSHUA GOODMAN | 12/23/22

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent rioters supporting President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol in Washington. A participant in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was taken into custody Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Southern California after an hours-long standoff, authorities said. Eric Christie was arrested in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, according to Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokesperson. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Feds: Jan. 6 participant arrested after California standoff

A participant in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has been taken into custody in Southern California after an hours-long standoff. An FBI spokesperson says Eric Christie was arrested in … more

By STEFANIE DAZIO | 12/23/22

Stacks of the Congressional Record are distributed as lawmakers debate a massive $1.7 trillion spending bill that finances federal agencies and provides aid to Ukraine, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Spending bill secures funds for Native American health care

Access to health care for Native Americans across the U.S. will be bolstered with funding included in a government spending bill approved by Congress. The U.S. House passed the measure Friday, … more

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN | 12/23/22

Venezuelan migrants crowd around an outdoor bonfire as temperatures plummet in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. Hundreds of migrants are gathered in unusually frigid cold temperatures along the Mexican-U.S. border near El Paso, Texas, awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether and when to lift pandemic-era restrictions that prevent many from seeking asylum. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

Winter weather live updates | Travel chaos, bitter cold

Meteorologists in Canada are warning of a potential once-in-a-decade weather event as a winter storm causes widespread school closures, power outages and flight cancellations. Environment Canada is … more

The Associated Press | 12/23/22