Hi there! It sounds like your local news app on your iPhone is opening to a random point rather than starting at the beginning, and you're having trouble navigating back to the start. Just to clarify, is this happening in the Apple News app or a different local news application you have installed?

Also, when you say "can't reliably get back to the start," do you mean there's no button or option for going back to the top or first story? Or does the app try to reload randomly somewhere in the middle when you open it again?

Knowing a bit more about how it behaves will help me guide you better. Meanwhile, here are some general steps to try for issues like this on iOS 18.7:

1. Force close and reopen the app: Swipe up from the bottom and hold, then swipe the app off the screen. Open it again to see if it starts fresh.

2. Check for app updates: Open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and update the news app if available.

3. Restart your iPhone: Sometimes a simple reboot fixes app glitches.

4. Clear any cached data or reset settings within the app: If the app has a settings menu, look for options to clear cache or reset the app’s behavior.

5. Reinstall the app: Delete the app, then reinstall it to ensure the latest version is cleanly installed.

If these don’t help, I can walk you through looking at any specific settings related to your news app or check if it's an app bug others are experiencing.

Could you share which app this is and any other behaviors you've noticed? That way, I can tailor the solution perfectly to your situation.