Hi there tedworley,
Thanks for joining us in Apple Support Communities! We understand the News app on your iPhone shows a message indicating it's not connected to the internet. We're glad you're here, and we'd like to learn more to see how we can help.
To begin, which iOS version is listed in Settings > General > About? The most current version available is iOS 15.2.1. If needed, learn more about updating here:
Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
If your iPhone is updated and this behavior persists, let us know if this is happening when connected to Wi-Fi, your cellular network, or both. Also, try working through the steps in this link:
If an app on your iPhone or iPad stops responding, closes unexpectedly, or won’t open
Send over these details, and let us know if the steps in the link above help. We'll take a closer look from there, if needed.
Take care!