KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Authorities are investigating the cause of a townhome fire in Kansas City.

Just after 8p.m. Sunday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported fire in the 1700 block of Woodland, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First responders reported heavy fire from a two-story 4-plex townhome. After inital interior operations crews were forced to evacuate when the roof became unstable. Searches of the adjoining structures came back all clear. The fire was placed under control at 8:26 p.m. No injuries were reported.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744625941039.png" alt="View of the fire scene- photo KMBC" />
 <figcaption>View of the fire scene- photo KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Authorities are investigating the cause of a townhome fire in Kansas City.Just after 8p.m. Sunday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported fire in the 1700 block of Woodland, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.First responders reported heavy fire from a two-story 4-plex townhome. After inital interior operations crews were forced to evacuate when the roof became unstable. Searches of the adjoining structures came back all clear. The fire was placed under control at 8:26 p.m. No injuries were reported.&nbsp;

Cause of massive KC townhome fire under investigation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Suspected U.S. airstrikes around Yemen's rebel-held capital killed at least seven people and wounded 29 overnight,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">the Houthis</a>&nbsp;said Monday as they also claimed shooting down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone.

Since its start nearly a month ago, the intense campaign of U.S. airstrikes under President Donald Trump targeting the rebels over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters — related to the Israel-Hamas war —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-us-strikes-iran-447f4abb39cc12c7f2f5596f0e33407b">has killed over 120 people</a>, according to casualty figures released Monday by the Houthis' Health Ministry.

Footage aired by the Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel showed firefighters spraying water on a raging fire they described as being sparked by the airstrikes.

Rubble littered a street as rescuers carried one person away from the site, which the rebels claimed was a ceramics factory in the Bani Matar neighborhood of Sanaa, the capital. The Associated Press could not independently verify what was struck.

The U.S. military’s Central Command, which oversees American military operations, did not acknowledge the strikes. That follows a pattern for the command, which now has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-yemen-houthis-us-airstrikes-711f221c18341616044e021ec2bed538">authorization from the White House to conduct strikes at will</a>&nbsp;in the campaign that began March 15.

The American military also hasn’t been providing any information on targets hit. The White House has said over 200 strikes have been conducted so far.

Houthis claim another American drone shot down

The Houthis separately claimed Sunday night they shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen's Hajjah governorate, which sits to the northwest of the country on the Red Sea on the country's border with Saudi Arabia.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, described the downing in a prerecorded video message as the fourth in two weeks by the rebels. Saree said the rebels targeted the drone with “a locally manufactured missile.” The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles — such as the Iranian missile known as the 358 — capable of downing aircraft.

Iran denies arming the rebels, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-iran-israel-hamas-war-red-sea-attacks-076e5e764b7bed548b15cff4175bb4d5">Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield</a>&nbsp;and in sea shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthi rebels despite a United Nations arms embargo.

General Atomics Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes over 40,000 feet (12,100 meters) and remain in the air for over 30 hours. They have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA for years over Afghanistan, Iraq and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">now Yemen.</a>

Central Command said it was aware of “reports” of the drone being shot down but did not elaborate.

US strikes come as part of monthlong intense campaign

<a href="https://apnews.com/278d07bc5aad75bb32e57f99a78cbe88">An AP review</a>&nbsp;has found the new U.S. operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3WJ-C2gpDA">more extensive</a>&nbsp;than that under former President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities.

The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships</a>&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted.

The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two of them and killing four sailors</a>&nbsp;from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.

The U.S. campaign shows no signs of stopping, as the Trump administration has also linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-us-tensions-explains-25acc4bfbbe165a374a58ebfa6a4ab41">rapidly advancing nuclear program</a>.

“What we're doing with the Houthis and what we're doing in the region, we've shown a capability to go far, to go deep and to go big,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday on Fox News. “We don't want to do that. But if we have to, we will to prevent a nuclear bomb in Iran's hands.”

Hegseth added: “We know Iran ... is taking a look at what's happening to the Houthis and realizing they don't want any part of it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744624870854.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Suspected U.S. airstrikes around Yemen's rebel-held capital killed at least seven people and wounded 29 overnight,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">the Houthis</a>&nbsp;said Monday as they also claimed shooting down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone.Since its start nearly a month ago, the intense campaign of U.S. airstrikes under President Donald Trump targeting the rebels over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters — related to the Israel-Hamas war —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-us-strikes-iran-447f4abb39cc12c7f2f5596f0e33407b">has killed over 120 people</a>, according to casualty figures released Monday by the Houthis' Health Ministry.Footage aired by the Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel showed firefighters spraying water on a raging fire they described as being sparked by the airstrikes.Rubble littered a street as rescuers carried one person away from the site, which the rebels claimed was a ceramics factory in the Bani Matar neighborhood of Sanaa, the capital. The Associated Press could not independently verify what was struck.The U.S. military’s Central Command, which oversees American military operations, did not acknowledge the strikes. That follows a pattern for the command, which now has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-yemen-houthis-us-airstrikes-711f221c18341616044e021ec2bed538">authorization from the White House to conduct strikes at will</a>&nbsp;in the campaign that began March 15.The American military also hasn’t been providing any information on targets hit. The White House has said over 200 strikes have been conducted so far.<h2>Houthis claim another American drone shot down</h2>The Houthis separately claimed Sunday night they shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen's Hajjah governorate, which sits to the northwest of the country on the Red Sea on the country's border with Saudi Arabia.Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, described the downing in a prerecorded video message as the fourth in two weeks by the rebels. Saree said the rebels targeted the drone with “a locally manufactured missile.” The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles — such as the Iranian missile known as the 358 — capable of downing aircraft.Iran denies arming the rebels, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-iran-israel-hamas-war-red-sea-attacks-076e5e764b7bed548b15cff4175bb4d5">Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield</a>&nbsp;and in sea shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthi rebels despite a United Nations arms embargo.General Atomics Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes over 40,000 feet (12,100 meters) and remain in the air for over 30 hours. They have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA for years over Afghanistan, Iraq and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">now Yemen.</a>Central Command said it was aware of “reports” of the drone being shot down but did not elaborate.<h2>US strikes come as part of monthlong intense campaign</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/278d07bc5aad75bb32e57f99a78cbe88">An AP review</a>&nbsp;has found the new U.S. operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3WJ-C2gpDA">more extensive</a>&nbsp;than that under former President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities.The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships</a>&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted.The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two of them and killing four sailors</a>&nbsp;from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.The U.S. campaign shows no signs of stopping, as the Trump administration has also linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-us-tensions-explains-25acc4bfbbe165a374a58ebfa6a4ab41">rapidly advancing nuclear program</a>.“What we're doing with the Houthis and what we're doing in the region, we've shown a capability to go far, to go deep and to go big,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday on Fox News. “We don't want to do that. But if we have to, we will to prevent a nuclear bomb in Iran's hands.”Hegseth added: “We know Iran ... is taking a look at what's happening to the Houthis and realizing they don't want any part of it.”

Month-long US airstrikes continue against Iran-backed terrorists

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—One person died in an accident just before 11p.m. Sunday in Kansas City.

A Dodge Challenger was southbound on Prospect Avenue from Gregory Blvd. at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez. The driver lost control and was ejected. 

EMS pronounced him deceased on scene. Police released no additional details early Monday including the name of the victim.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—One person died in an accident just before 11p.m. Sunday in Kansas City.A Dodge Challenger was southbound on Prospect Avenue from Gregory Blvd. at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez. The driver lost control and was ejected. EMS pronounced him deceased on scene. Police released no additional details early Monday including the name of the victim.

Driver dies after ejected from car crash in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A man who fled to Mexico and faked his own death has been sentenced in federal court for receiving and possessing child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

On April 9, Diego Antonio Rafael Camargo-Wasserman, 32, formerly of Columbia, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven R. Bough to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Carmargo-Wasserman to 10 years of supervised release following&nbsp; his release from custody. Carmargo-Wasserman will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On August 8, 2024, Camargo-Wasserman pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

The investigation began on July 1, 2010, as part of an ongoing investigation into the distribution of child pornography over the internet.&nbsp; During a search warrant execution, Camargo-Wasserman admitted to using Limewire to download child pornography.&nbsp; Multiple videos depicting child pornography were found on Camargo-Wasserman’s cell phone.&nbsp; Camargo-Wasserman was previously indicted on federal charges for this offense in 2010, however in 2013, a bail bond agent provided documentation from Mexico stating Camargo-Wasserman had died on October 5, 2012.&nbsp; Federal charges were dismissed.

In July 2017, the FBI received information that Camargo-Wasserman was alive and was residing in Mexico.&nbsp;Federal charges were filed again in 2018 followed by extradition proceedings to return Camargo-Wasserman to the United States.&nbsp; Camargo-Wasserman was brought to the United States to face charges in 2024.&nbsp;Camargo-Wasserman is a dual citizen of both the United States and Mexico.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744585150152.png" alt=" Camargo-Wasserman photo Boone Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption> Camargo-Wasserman photo Boone Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A man who fled to Mexico and faked his own death has been sentenced in federal court for receiving and possessing child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.On April 9, Diego Antonio Rafael Camargo-Wasserman, 32, formerly of Columbia, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven R. Bough to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Carmargo-Wasserman to 10 years of supervised release following&nbsp; his release from custody. Carmargo-Wasserman will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.On August 8, 2024, Camargo-Wasserman pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.The investigation began on July 1, 2010, as part of an ongoing investigation into the distribution of child pornography over the internet.&nbsp; During a search warrant execution, Camargo-Wasserman admitted to using Limewire to download child pornography.&nbsp; Multiple videos depicting child pornography were found on Camargo-Wasserman’s cell phone.&nbsp; Camargo-Wasserman was previously indicted on federal charges for this offense in 2010, however in 2013, a bail bond agent provided documentation from Mexico stating Camargo-Wasserman had died on October 5, 2012.&nbsp; Federal charges were dismissed.In July 2017, the FBI received information that Camargo-Wasserman was alive and was residing in Mexico.&nbsp;Federal charges were filed again in 2018 followed by extradition proceedings to return Camargo-Wasserman to the United States.&nbsp; Camargo-Wasserman was brought to the United States to face charges in 2024.&nbsp;Camargo-Wasserman is a dual citizen of both the United States and Mexico.

Man who fled to Mexico, faked his own death is going to prison

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump's doctor says the oldest man elected president is "fully fit" to serve as commander in chief as the White House released results Sunday of Trump's recent physical exam. The 78-year-old Trump is 20 pounds lighter since his checkup as president in 2020 showed him bordering on obesity.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/04/memorandum-from-the-white-house-physician/"> Click here to read</a> the report or see it below

His physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, cited an "active lifestyle" that "continues to contribute significantly" to the Republican president's well-being. Trump turns 79 on June 14.

In a three-page summary of the comprehensive exam from Friday, the doctor said Trump is "fully fit to execute the duties of Commander-in-Chief and Head of State." Trump weighed 224 at the checkup, down from 244 at that physical more than four years ago.

The summary noted that Trump previously had cataract surgery on both eyes, but did not include a date or dates. A common procedure among aging people, the surgery typically involves removing a cloudy eye lens and replacing it with an artificial lens to help clear up vision.

In July 2024, according to the report, then-candidate Trump had a colonoscopy that found a benign polyp and the condition called diverticulosis. It's a common condition in which the walls of the intestine weaken with age. It can lead to inflammation, though most people with it never experience any problems.

Trump again passed a Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, a short screening test to assess different brain functions, Barbabella wrote. The test includes remembering a list of spoken words and listening to a list of random numbers and repeating them backward, among other questions.

Known as MoCA, it's the same test Trump took in 2018 and later recounted in an interview in which he described reciting a list of words in order: "Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV."

The president also was screened Friday for depression and anxiety, and had normal scores on questionnaires for those conditions, according to the report.

Trump may be the oldest person elected to the nation's highest office, but he is four years behind Democrat Joe Biden, who was 82 when his presidential term ended in January.

Barbabella wrote that Trump remains in "excellent health" with "robust" cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and general physical function."

The doctor said Trump's days include participating in multiple meetings, public appearances, media availabilities and "frequent victories in golf events." Trump is an avid golfer who said he recently won tournaments played at clubs he owns in Florida

Trump's cholesterol levels have improved over time, helped by the medications rosuvastatin and ezetimibe.

At his physical in January 2018, his total cholesterol was 223. In early 2019, the reading came in at 196 and it stood at 167 in 2020. Today it is 140. Ideally, total cholesterol should be less than 200.

His blood pressure was 128 over 74. That is considered elevated, and people in that situation are likely to develop high blood pressure unless steps are taken to control the condition.

Trump has a resting heart rate of 62 beats per minute, in line with previous tests. A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 beats to 100 beats per minute, and generally, a lower rate implies better cardiovascular fitness.

Trump also takes aspirin, which can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The exam found minor sun damage to Trump's skin and a few benign lesions, but no concerning lesions or growth. It also confirmed scarring on Trump's right ear from a gunshot wound during an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally in July 2024.

Barbabella performed and supervised the medical examination of Trump and said it included diagnostic and laboratory testing in addition to consultations with 14 specialists.

Barbabella is a decorated Navy physician who specializes in emergency and tactical medicine and served several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has a Purple Heart and a Legion of Merit award, two of the military's highest honors.

Barbabella is also the third consecutive osteopathic doctor to serve as physician to the president, following Biden's doctor and one of the doctors who cared for Trump in his first term. Barbabella ran a naval health clinic in Havelock, North Carolina, before Trump tapped him for the job.

Associated Press writer Jonathan Poet in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741448538478.png" alt="President Trump on the way to the golf course earlier this month -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump on the way to the golf course earlier this month -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump's doctor says the oldest man elected president is "fully fit" to serve as commander in chief as the White House released results Sunday of Trump's recent physical exam. The 78-year-old Trump is 20 pounds lighter since his checkup as president in 2020 showed him bordering on obesity.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/04/memorandum-from-the-white-house-physician/"> Click here to read</a> the report or see it below<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744555875706.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744555895255.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744555915306.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>His physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, cited an "active lifestyle" that "continues to contribute significantly" to the Republican president's well-being. Trump turns 79 on June 14.In a three-page summary of the comprehensive exam from Friday, the doctor said Trump is "fully fit to execute the duties of Commander-in-Chief and Head of State." Trump weighed 224 at the checkup, down from 244 at that physical more than four years ago.The summary noted that Trump previously had cataract surgery on both eyes, but did not include a date or dates. A common procedure among aging people, the surgery typically involves removing a cloudy eye lens and replacing it with an artificial lens to help clear up vision.In July 2024, according to the report, then-candidate Trump had a colonoscopy that found a benign polyp and the condition called diverticulosis. It's a common condition in which the walls of the intestine weaken with age. It can lead to inflammation, though most people with it never experience any problems.Trump again passed a Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, a short screening test to assess different brain functions, Barbabella wrote. The test includes remembering a list of spoken words and listening to a list of random numbers and repeating them backward, among other questions.Known as MoCA, it's the same test Trump took in 2018 and later recounted in an interview in which he described reciting a list of words in order: "Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV."The president also was screened Friday for depression and anxiety, and had normal scores on questionnaires for those conditions, according to the report.Trump may be the oldest person elected to the nation's highest office, but he is four years behind Democrat Joe Biden, who was 82 when his presidential term ended in January.Barbabella wrote that Trump remains in "excellent health" with "robust" cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and general physical function."The doctor said Trump's days include participating in multiple meetings, public appearances, media availabilities and "frequent victories in golf events." Trump is an avid golfer who said he recently won tournaments played at clubs he owns in FloridaTrump's cholesterol levels have improved over time, helped by the medications rosuvastatin and ezetimibe.At his physical in January 2018, his total cholesterol was 223. In early 2019, the reading came in at 196 and it stood at 167 in 2020. Today it is 140. Ideally, total cholesterol should be less than 200.His blood pressure was 128 over 74. That is considered elevated, and people in that situation are likely to develop high blood pressure unless steps are taken to control the condition.Trump has a resting heart rate of 62 beats per minute, in line with previous tests. A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 beats to 100 beats per minute, and generally, a lower rate implies better cardiovascular fitness.Trump also takes aspirin, which can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.The exam found minor sun damage to Trump's skin and a few benign lesions, but no concerning lesions or growth. It also confirmed scarring on Trump's right ear from a gunshot wound during an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally in July 2024.Barbabella performed and supervised the medical examination of Trump and said it included diagnostic and laboratory testing in addition to consultations with 14 specialists.Barbabella is a decorated Navy physician who specializes in emergency and tactical medicine and served several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has a Purple Heart and a Legion of Merit award, two of the military's highest honors.Barbabella is also the third consecutive osteopathic doctor to serve as physician to the president, following Biden's doctor and one of the doctors who cared for Trump in his first term. Barbabella ran a naval health clinic in Havelock, North Carolina, before Trump tapped him for the job.___Associated Press writer Jonathan Poet in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

Read the doctor's report from President Trump's physical exam

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for causing a $1.2&nbsp;&nbsp;million loss to a company by submitting false invoices in connection a performance incentive rewards program, according to the United State's Attorney. The prison sentence will be followed by two years of supervised release, and Cummings is ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution.

According to court documents, Barry Cummings, 52, of Overland Park, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. An energy management company offered a performance-based rewards program as an incentive to non-employee resellers, contractors, and others to sell its products. Participants submitted information regarding sales to earn points they could then redeem for items like airline vouchers, hotel stays, gift cards, and electronic devices.

In 2017, a business in Lenexa, Kansas, hired Cummings, and he enrolled in the victim company’s rewards program through that affiliation. In his plea agreement, Cummings admitted to orchestrating a years-long scheme to defraud the victim company’s rewards program. Cummings admitted to logging into the rewards site and submitting fraudulent sales claims, which falsely represented that he had sold the company’s products. Cummings admitted that he never sold a single one of the company’s products despite the thousands of sales claims he submitted representing that he did.

After his termination from the Lenexa business in April 2018, Cummings continually logged into the rewards website to submit fraudulent invoices and redeem points, using the email he previously had at the Lenexa business. As an example, during a 12-hour period in November 2018, Cummings submitted 834 fraudulent invoices for which he received more than 2.8 million points. In 2019, he submitted 5,543 false claims for 22.5 million points. Cummings used point redemptions to receive more than 2,000 rewards at a value that caused a $1,233,024 loss to the victim company.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. The victim energy company cooperated and provided invaluable assistance in the investigation. 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for causing a $1.2&nbsp;&nbsp;million loss to a company by submitting false invoices in connection a performance incentive rewards program, according to the United State's Attorney. The prison sentence will be followed by two years of supervised release, and Cummings is ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution.According to court documents, Barry Cummings, 52, of Overland Park, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. An energy management company offered a performance-based rewards program as an incentive to non-employee resellers, contractors, and others to sell its products. Participants submitted information regarding sales to earn points they could then redeem for items like airline vouchers, hotel stays, gift cards, and electronic devices.In 2017, a business in Lenexa, Kansas, hired Cummings, and he enrolled in the victim company’s rewards program through that affiliation. In his plea agreement, Cummings admitted to orchestrating a years-long scheme to defraud the victim company’s rewards program. Cummings admitted to logging into the rewards site and submitting fraudulent sales claims, which falsely represented that he had sold the company’s products. Cummings admitted that he never sold a single one of the company’s products despite the thousands of sales claims he submitted representing that he did.After his termination from the Lenexa business in April 2018, Cummings continually logged into the rewards website to submit fraudulent invoices and redeem points, using the email he previously had at the Lenexa business. As an example, during a 12-hour period in November 2018, Cummings submitted 834 fraudulent invoices for which he received more than 2.8 million points. In 2019, he submitted 5,543 false claims for 22.5 million points. Cummings used point redemptions to receive more than 2,000 rewards at a value that caused a $1,233,024 loss to the victim company.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. The victim energy company cooperated and provided invaluable assistance in the investigation.

Prison: Kan. man cheated business incentive rewards program

LOS ANGELES (AP) — This spring homebuying season is shaping up to be more favorable for home shoppers than it's been in recent years — as long as they can afford to buy.

Home prices are rising more slowly. Mortgage rates remain elevated, but have been mostly easing and could be headed lower if the U.S. economic outlook continues to darken over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">the Trump administration's widespread tariffs,</a>&nbsp;which have rattled financial markets and stoked fears of a recession.

Most importantly, the number of homes on the market is up sharply from a year ago.

While the inventory of homes for sale nationally is still low by historical standards, active listings — a tally that encompasses all homes on the market except those pending a finalized sale — surged 28.5% last month from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings jumped between 44% and 68% in many large metro areas, including San Diego, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Washington D.C.

As homes take longer to sell, prices have started dropping in many markets. The median listing price was down last month from a year earlier in most of the nation's biggest 50 metro areas, including a more than 6% drop in Austin, Miami and Kansas City.

These trends should give prospective homebuyers more leverage as they negotiate with sellers this spring, though they are unlikely to be a game-changer for many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market after years of soaring prices.

“It’s a little hard to say that it’s a buyer’s market, but I’d call it a much more balanced market than it’s been in the last couple of years, where it’s really been a predominantly seller’s market,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.

Ryan Vasko and his wife, Whitney, recently navigated both sides of the housing market equation in their move from Oregon to Colorado.

In December, the couple sold their three-bedroom, one-bath house in Portland for $505,000. That was $10,000 below their list price, but still above the $500,000 minimum they hoped to get.

At the same time, the couple searched for a home in the Denver metro area, which is among the markets that’s had the biggest increase in homes for sale this year. Active listings soared 67.3% in March from a year earlier. As listings jumped, the median listing price fell 5.6% to $585,000.

Last month, the Vaskos closed the deal on a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house in Littleton, Colorado, about 10 miles south of Denver, that had been on the market at least three weeks.

“We got under contract week one, we found out we were pregnant week two and we put an offer on this house week three,” said Vasko, 41, a creative director at an advertising agency.

The price: $680,000, or $5,000 above the list price. Still, the seller agreed to cover the cost of lowering the couple’s 6.9% mortgage rate for the first two years of the loan to 4.9% and 5.9%, respectively.

“It gives us a little wiggle room, if we need it,” said Vasko, noting that he’s hoping to eventually refinance to a lower fixed rate.

The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">lowest level in nearly 30 years</a>. Easing mortgage rates and more homes on the market nationally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-6b0a5692ad279ee25f106fde04656713">helped drive sales higher in February from the previous month</a>, though they were down year-over-year.

Last year, higher mortgage rates dampened the start of the spring homebuying season. This year, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage is down to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-a280c5075139dca518f97d964cae559d">6.6% from</a>&nbsp;just over 7% in mid-January, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac, although that’s still elevated relative to the 2-year low of about 6% it fell to in September.

Another plus for buyers: Lower prices. The median listing price fell in March from a year earlier in 32 of the 50 largest metro areas, including Kansas City, San Francisco, Miami and San Diego. Nationally, it was $424,900 last month, unchanged from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com.

The market shift may give home shoppers more leverage when sellers ask that buyers waive home inspections. Sellers may also be more willing to pay for closing costs, contribute cash to make repairs or make other concessions, real estate agents say.

“Pretty much every buyer is asking for concessions, unless they know that they are in a multiple offer situation,” said Afton Hartmann, a Redfin agent in Denver.

Such situations, although less common than a few years ago, still exist.

Gilad Hoffman, executive director at a synagogue, knew his home search was over when he spotted a four-bedroom, 2.5-bath house for sale in Escondido, 30 miles northeast of San Diego. He felt the home, listed by the estate of its late owner for $1.079 million, was “severely underpriced.”

Hoffman, 41, paid $13,000 above the asking price for the home in February as he fended off bids from three other prospective buyers -- including one offering to pay all cash.

Elevated mortgage rates didn’t dissuade Hoffman. He accepted a 7% rate in exchange for a credit from his lender to put toward closing costs.

“My philosophy going into the whole thing was: get into something now that you can afford with these high interest rates,” Hoffman said. “Hopefully in two years, they’ll come down and then you can refinance. And that’s still my intention.”

Affordability and uncertainty are still hurdles

Despite some buyer-friendly trends, the housing market remains largely out of reach for many Americans, especially first-time buyers who don't have home equity gains to put toward a new home. While home price growth has been slowing, the decline is negligible against the 47% gain in prices over the last five years.

And while home listings are up, many more are needed to return the market to more of a balance between buyers and sellers. Consider, there were 1.24 million unsold homes on the market at the end of February. While up 17% from a year earlier, that's still about 44% below the 2.21 million monthly average going back to 1999, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

As of January, a household earning the median U.S. annual income of $79,223 would have to spend 47% of that to cover payments on a home at the median price of $390,333. That share of income matches the highest it has ever been on records going back to 2005, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. When the annual cost of homeownership exceeds 30% of the median U.S. household income, it’s considered unaffordable by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

If the decline in mortgage rates accelerates in coming months, that would boost homebuyers' purchasing power.

Economic forecasts generally have the average rate on a 30-year mortgage staying around 6.5% this year, but those forecasts may be outdated now.

A sharp downward move last week in the 10-year Treasury yield as bond investors reacted to rapidly escalating trade war between the U.S. and nations around the globe points to lower mortgage rates.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which banks use as a guide to pricing home loans, dropped to 4.01% Friday, its lowest level since October, as global trade tensions escalated.

Still, tariffs are typically inflationary, and the 10-year Treasury yield tends to rise on expectations of higher inflation. That could keep mortgage rates where they are, or nudge them higher.

If the trade war worries do pave the way for further mortgage rate drops, “those lower rates may be cold comfort to prospective buyers who are increasingly worried about job security and inflation,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659001075252.jpeg" alt="File AP photo" />
 <figcaption>File AP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — This spring homebuying season is shaping up to be more favorable for home shoppers than it's been in recent years — as long as they can afford to buy.Home prices are rising more slowly. Mortgage rates remain elevated, but have been mostly easing and could be headed lower if the U.S. economic outlook continues to darken over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">the Trump administration's widespread tariffs,</a>&nbsp;which have rattled financial markets and stoked fears of a recession.Most importantly, the number of homes on the market is up sharply from a year ago.While the inventory of homes for sale nationally is still low by historical standards, active listings — a tally that encompasses all homes on the market except those pending a finalized sale — surged 28.5% last month from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings jumped between 44% and 68% in many large metro areas, including San Diego, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Washington D.C.As homes take longer to sell, prices have started dropping in many markets. The median listing price was down last month from a year earlier in most of the nation's biggest 50 metro areas, including a more than 6% drop in Austin, Miami and Kansas City.These trends should give prospective homebuyers more leverage as they negotiate with sellers this spring, though they are unlikely to be a game-changer for many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market after years of soaring prices.“It’s a little hard to say that it’s a buyer’s market, but I’d call it a much more balanced market than it’s been in the last couple of years, where it’s really been a predominantly seller’s market,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.Ryan Vasko and his wife, Whitney, recently navigated both sides of the housing market equation in their move from Oregon to Colorado.In December, the couple sold their three-bedroom, one-bath house in Portland for $505,000. That was $10,000 below their list price, but still above the $500,000 minimum they hoped to get.At the same time, the couple searched for a home in the Denver metro area, which is among the markets that’s had the biggest increase in homes for sale this year. Active listings soared 67.3% in March from a year earlier. As listings jumped, the median listing price fell 5.6% to $585,000.Last month, the Vaskos closed the deal on a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house in Littleton, Colorado, about 10 miles south of Denver, that had been on the market at least three weeks.“We got under contract week one, we found out we were pregnant week two and we put an offer on this house week three,” said Vasko, 41, a creative director at an advertising agency.The price: $680,000, or $5,000 above the list price. Still, the seller agreed to cover the cost of lowering the couple’s 6.9% mortgage rate for the first two years of the loan to 4.9% and 5.9%, respectively.“It gives us a little wiggle room, if we need it,” said Vasko, noting that he’s hoping to eventually refinance to a lower fixed rate.<h2>A mixed market</h2>The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">lowest level in nearly 30 years</a>. Easing mortgage rates and more homes on the market nationally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-6b0a5692ad279ee25f106fde04656713">helped drive sales higher in February from the previous month</a>, though they were down year-over-year.Last year, higher mortgage rates dampened the start of the spring homebuying season. This year, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage is down to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-a280c5075139dca518f97d964cae559d">6.6% from</a>&nbsp;just over 7% in mid-January, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac, although that’s still elevated relative to the 2-year low of about 6% it fell to in September.Another plus for buyers: Lower prices. The median listing price fell in March from a year earlier in 32 of the 50 largest metro areas, including Kansas City, San Francisco, Miami and San Diego. Nationally, it was $424,900 last month, unchanged from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com.The market shift may give home shoppers more leverage when sellers ask that buyers waive home inspections. Sellers may also be more willing to pay for closing costs, contribute cash to make repairs or make other concessions, real estate agents say.“Pretty much every buyer is asking for concessions, unless they know that they are in a multiple offer situation,” said Afton Hartmann, a Redfin agent in Denver.Such situations, although less common than a few years ago, still exist.Gilad Hoffman, executive director at a synagogue, knew his home search was over when he spotted a four-bedroom, 2.5-bath house for sale in Escondido, 30 miles northeast of San Diego. He felt the home, listed by the estate of its late owner for $1.079 million, was “severely underpriced.”Hoffman, 41, paid $13,000 above the asking price for the home in February as he fended off bids from three other prospective buyers -- including one offering to pay all cash.Elevated mortgage rates didn’t dissuade Hoffman. He accepted a 7% rate in exchange for a credit from his lender to put toward closing costs.“My philosophy going into the whole thing was: get into something now that you can afford with these high interest rates,” Hoffman said. “Hopefully in two years, they’ll come down and then you can refinance. And that’s still my intention.”<h2>Affordability and uncertainty are still hurdles</h2>Despite some buyer-friendly trends, the housing market remains largely out of reach for many Americans, especially first-time buyers who don't have home equity gains to put toward a new home. While home price growth has been slowing, the decline is negligible against the 47% gain in prices over the last five years.And while home listings are up, many more are needed to return the market to more of a balance between buyers and sellers. Consider, there were 1.24 million unsold homes on the market at the end of February. While up 17% from a year earlier, that's still about 44% below the 2.21 million monthly average going back to 1999, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.As of January, a household earning the median U.S. annual income of $79,223 would have to spend 47% of that to cover payments on a home at the median price of $390,333. That share of income matches the highest it has ever been on records going back to 2005, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. When the annual cost of homeownership exceeds 30% of the median U.S. household income, it’s considered unaffordable by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.If the decline in mortgage rates accelerates in coming months, that would boost homebuyers' purchasing power.Economic forecasts generally have the average rate on a 30-year mortgage staying around 6.5% this year, but those forecasts may be outdated now.A sharp downward move last week in the 10-year Treasury yield as bond investors reacted to rapidly escalating trade war between the U.S. and nations around the globe points to lower mortgage rates.The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which banks use as a guide to pricing home loans, dropped to 4.01% Friday, its lowest level since October, as global trade tensions escalated.Still, tariffs are typically inflationary, and the 10-year Treasury yield tends to rise on expectations of higher inflation. That could keep mortgage rates where they are, or nudge them higher.If the trade war worries do pave the way for further mortgage rate drops, “those lower rates may be cold comfort to prospective buyers who are increasingly worried about job security and inflation,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS.

Signs of a more buyer-friendly housing market emerge for the spring homebuying season

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The National Weather Service is no longer providing language translations of its products, a change that experts say could put non-English speakers at risk of missing potentially life-saving warnings about extreme weather.

The weather service has “paused” the translations because its contract with the provider has lapsed, NWS spokesperson Michael Musher said. He declined further comment.

Lilt, an artificial intelligence company, began providing translations in late 2023, replacing manual translations that the weather service had said were labor-intensive and not sustainable. It eventually provided them in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French and Samoan. The contract lapse comes as President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to slash spending in federal agencies, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-weather-cuts-tornado-dangerous-staff-warnings-aa7db3e0d0009d99c143742ab722c40a">cuts within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>&nbsp;that have led to high employee vacancy rates at NWS offices.

NOAA referred questions about the contract to a message on its website announcing the contract had lapsed. Lilt did not respond to requests for comment.

Nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, including 42 million Spanish speakers, according to 2019 Census data.

Not being able to read urgent weather alerts could be a matter of life or death, said Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, a researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who has worked with NOAA researching how to translate weather and climate information to the public, including the use of artificial intelligence.

He said translated weather alerts saved lives during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-kentucky-illinois-arkansas-tennessee-missouri-e1ae21e0b7521c28411f8c360b756700">deadly tornado outbreak in Kentucky in 2021.</a>&nbsp;A Spanish-speaking family interviewed afterward said they got a tornado alert on their cellphone in English but ignored it because they didn’t understand it, he said. When the same alert came in Spanish, they quickly sought shelter, he said.

“It saved their life,” said Trujillo-Falcón.

Trujillo-Falcón said weather alerts used to be translated by forecasters that spoke more than one language, a task that could be “completely overwhelming” on top of their forecasting duties.

The translations are important for more than extreme weather events, said Andrew Kruczkiewicz, a senior researcher at the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University. General weather forecasts are essential for a number of sectors including tourism, transportation and energy. Families and businesses can make more informed decisions when they can get weather information that often includes actions that should be taken based on the forecast.

Norma Mendoza-Denton, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said there are many people in the U.S. that function with limited English relevant to their daily routines. For example, a shopkeeper might be able to have short conversations with customers, but might not have the same understanding when it comes to reading weather or climate terminologies.

“If they don’t have access to that National Weather Service information in the different languages, that could be the difference between life and death for somebody,” said Mendoza-Denton.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/standards-for-working-with-outside-groups/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/discover/Supporting-AP" target="_blank">AP.org</a>.

BY&nbsp;ISABELLA O’MALLEYKANSAS CITY (AP) —The National Weather Service is no longer providing language translations of its products, a change that experts say could put non-English speakers at risk of missing potentially life-saving warnings about extreme weather.The weather service has “paused” the translations because its contract with the provider has lapsed, NWS spokesperson Michael Musher said. He declined further comment.Lilt, an artificial intelligence company, began providing translations in late 2023, replacing manual translations that the weather service had said were labor-intensive and not sustainable. It eventually provided them in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French and Samoan. The contract lapse comes as President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to slash spending in federal agencies, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-weather-cuts-tornado-dangerous-staff-warnings-aa7db3e0d0009d99c143742ab722c40a">cuts within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>&nbsp;that have led to high employee vacancy rates at NWS offices.NOAA referred questions about the contract to a message on its website announcing the contract had lapsed. Lilt did not respond to requests for comment.Nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, including 42 million Spanish speakers, according to 2019 Census data.Not being able to read urgent weather alerts could be a matter of life or death, said Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, a researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who has worked with NOAA researching how to translate weather and climate information to the public, including the use of artificial intelligence.He said translated weather alerts saved lives during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-kentucky-illinois-arkansas-tennessee-missouri-e1ae21e0b7521c28411f8c360b756700">deadly tornado outbreak in Kentucky in 2021.</a>&nbsp;A Spanish-speaking family interviewed afterward said they got a tornado alert on their cellphone in English but ignored it because they didn’t understand it, he said. When the same alert came in Spanish, they quickly sought shelter, he said.“It saved their life,” said Trujillo-Falcón.Trujillo-Falcón said weather alerts used to be translated by forecasters that spoke more than one language, a task that could be “completely overwhelming” on top of their forecasting duties.The translations are important for more than extreme weather events, said Andrew Kruczkiewicz, a senior researcher at the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University. General weather forecasts are essential for a number of sectors including tourism, transportation and energy. Families and businesses can make more informed decisions when they can get weather information that often includes actions that should be taken based on the forecast.Norma Mendoza-Denton, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said there are many people in the U.S. that function with limited English relevant to their daily routines. For example, a shopkeeper might be able to have short conversations with customers, but might not have the same understanding when it comes to reading weather or climate terminologies.“If they don’t have access to that National Weather Service information in the different languages, that could be the difference between life and death for somebody,” said Mendoza-Denton.___The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/standards-for-working-with-outside-groups/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/discover/Supporting-AP" target="_blank">AP.org</a>.

National Weather Service no longer translating products for non-English speakers

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) has been alerted of a scam impacting incarcerated individuals and their families where callers are identifying themselves as FBOP employees to secure money for community placement services. 

The FBOP will not contact individuals to request personal information or money. Also, there appear to be other scams affecting incarcerated individuals and their families. Specifically, callers are identifying as “Federal Bureau of Prisons Reentry Division Services” to gain personal information or money for early release and/or community placement services.

Individuals who are contacted by persons purporting to be employees of the FBOP requesting money and/or compensation should report these calls to the Federal Trade Commission online <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">by clicking here</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-877-382-4357 (9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712245575011.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) has been alerted of a scam impacting incarcerated individuals and their families where callers are identifying themselves as FBOP employees to secure money for community placement services. The FBOP will not contact individuals to request personal information or money. Also, there appear to be other scams affecting incarcerated individuals and their families. Specifically, callers are identifying as “Federal Bureau of Prisons Reentry Division Services” to gain personal information or money for early release and/or community placement services.Individuals who are contacted by persons purporting to be employees of the FBOP requesting money and/or compensation should report these calls to the Federal Trade Commission online <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">by clicking here</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-877-382-4357 (9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.).

Federal Bureau of Prisons alerts public to a scam

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>

Evenezer Cortez Martinez is back on U.S. soil, landing in Kansas City Tuesday afternoon after being deported.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/DACA" target="_blank">DACA</a>&nbsp;recipient and Kansas father of three feared that he wouldn’t be able to return from Mexico, a country he left at the age of 4. His Roeland Park family embraced in a tearful and joyful reunion at Kansas City International airport.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection had stopped Cortez Martinez at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport more than two weeks ago, after he took a short trip to Mexico to visit his grandfather’s grave.

Instead, he was detained and questioned, then put back on a plane to Mexico City on March 23.

Cortez Martinez is a recipient of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

He had never been back to his birth nation, having been brought to the U.S. by his parents as a toddler. His farmworker father tended grapevines in California.

Prior to his scheduled trip to Mexico, Cortez Martinez had applied for and received permission to travel and return to the U.S., a process called “advance parole.”

His case is an example of an immigrant who “did everything the right way” and still ran into problems, said&nbsp;<a href="https://sharma-crawford.com/" target="_blank">Rekha Sharma-Crawford</a>, the Kansas City-based immigration attorney who filed a lawsuit April 2 on behalf of Cortez Martinez with the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas. The case,&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">first reported by The Beacon</a>, drew national attention.

“The lawsuit has been dismissed because you are home and that was really the point of the lawsuit,” Sharma-Crawford told her client at the airport.

The government had asked for time to respond, indicating that the issue could be resolved without the judge hearing the case, said Sharma-Crawford.

There seemed to be some confusion at the time when he was detained in Dallas, Cortez Martinez recalled, because a supervisor had been called over.

Still, Cortez Martinez said he was told that he’d been ordered removed in absentia on June 11, 2024, and that his documents allowing him to travel had been issued in error.

Cortez Martinez said he was never made aware of that order.

“I never got any notice,” he said. “I check everything because there is all of the paper that we get for DACA renewal.”

His current DACA is valid until October 2026.

Cortez Martinez will now have an opportunity to resolve the re-calendaring of removal proceedings in Kansas City’s immigration court, said Sharma-Crawford.

“I trust you,” Cortez Martinez said to Sharma-Crawford. “Let’s talk as soon as possible.”

His children carried a poster they’d made, each signing a note to their father.

They also brought mylar “Happy Birthday” balloons.

Cortez Martinez turned 40 while he was gone. Several other family members also had recent birthdays.

Laughing, Cortez Martinez hugged his wife and declared, “We’ll have one single party.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/08/daca-recipient-deported-after-visiting-mexico-back-in-kansas-city/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744549104964.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>Evenezer Cortez Martinez is back on U.S. soil, landing in Kansas City Tuesday afternoon after being deported.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/DACA" target="_blank">DACA</a>&nbsp;recipient and Kansas father of three feared that he wouldn’t be able to return from Mexico, a country he left at the age of 4. His Roeland Park family embraced in a tearful and joyful reunion at Kansas City International airport.U.S. Customs and Border Protection had stopped Cortez Martinez at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport more than two weeks ago, after he took a short trip to Mexico to visit his grandfather’s grave.He was trying to return to Kansas City.Instead, he was detained and questioned, then put back on a plane to Mexico City on March 23.Cortez Martinez is a recipient of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.He had never been back to his birth nation, having been brought to the U.S. by his parents as a toddler. His farmworker father tended grapevines in California.Prior to his scheduled trip to Mexico, Cortez Martinez had applied for and received permission to travel and return to the U.S., a process called “advance parole.”His case is an example of an immigrant who “did everything the right way” and still ran into problems, said&nbsp;<a href="https://sharma-crawford.com/" target="_blank">Rekha Sharma-Crawford</a>, the Kansas City-based immigration attorney who filed a lawsuit April 2 on behalf of Cortez Martinez with the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas. The case,&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/03/kansas-man-deported-after-visiting-grandfathers-grave-in-mexico/" target="_blank">first reported by The Beacon</a>, drew national attention.“The lawsuit has been dismissed because you are home and that was really the point of the lawsuit,” Sharma-Crawford told her client at the airport.The government had asked for time to respond, indicating that the issue could be resolved without the judge hearing the case, said Sharma-Crawford.There seemed to be some confusion at the time when he was detained in Dallas, Cortez Martinez recalled, because a supervisor had been called over.Still, Cortez Martinez said he was told that he’d been ordered removed in absentia on June 11, 2024, and that his documents allowing him to travel had been issued in error.Cortez Martinez said he was never made aware of that order.“I never got any notice,” he said. “I check everything because there is all of the paper that we get for DACA renewal.”His current DACA is valid until October 2026.Cortez Martinez will now have an opportunity to resolve the re-calendaring of removal proceedings in Kansas City’s immigration court, said Sharma-Crawford.“I trust you,” Cortez Martinez said to Sharma-Crawford. “Let’s talk as soon as possible.”His children carried a poster they’d made, each signing a note to their father.They also brought mylar “Happy Birthday” balloons.Cortez Martinez turned 40 while he was gone. Several other family members also had recent birthdays.Laughing, Cortez Martinez hugged his wife and declared, “We’ll have one single party.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/08/daca-recipient-deported-after-visiting-mexico-back-in-kansas-city/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Man deported after visiting family grave in Mexico is back in Kansas City

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Trump administration late said it would exclude electronics like smartphones and laptops from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">reciprocal tariffs</a>, a move that could help keep the prices down for popular consumer electronics that aren’t usually made in the U.S.

It would also benefit big tech companies like Apple and Samsung and chip makers like Nvidia, setting the stage for a likely tech stock rally on Monday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said items like smartphones, laptops, hard drives, flat-panel monitors and some chips would qualify for the exemption. Machines used to make semiconductors are excluded too. That means they won’t be subject to the current&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-trump-tariffs-2e05057e973e1e26d1b95c5be003b4cd">145% tariffs levied on China</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-pause-businesses-reaction-a61a1adcaf6332f6188ae1d70664b898">10% baseline tariffs elsewhere</a>.

It's the latest tariff change by the Trump administration, which has made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-trump-tariffs-2e05057e973e1e26d1b95c5be003b4cd">several U-turns</a>&nbsp;in their massive plan to put tariffs in place on goods from most countries.

The exemption seemed to reflect the president’s realization that his China tariffs are unlikely to shift more manufacturing of smartphones, computers and other gadgets to the U.S. any time soon, if ever, despite the administration’s predictions that the trade war prod Apple to make iPhones in the U.S. for the first time.

But that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-trump-china-tariffs-iphone-f50e1c6ba8f8cbb7c4b463720e65f3c4">an unlikely scenario</a>&nbsp;after Apple spent decades building up a finely calibrated supply chain in China. What’s more, It would take several years and cost billions of dollars to build new plants in the U.S., and then confront Apple with economic forces that could triple the price of an iPhone, threatening to torpedo sales of its marquee product.

Trump’s decision to exempt the iPhone and other popular electronics made in China mirrors the similar relief that he gave those products during the trade war of his first term in the White House. But Trump began his second term seemingly determined to impose the tariffs more broad this time, triggering a meltdown in the market values of Apple and other technology powerhouses.

The turmoil battered the stocks of tech’s “Magnificent Seven” -- Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta Platforms. At one point earlier this week, the combined Magnificent Seven’s combined market value had plunged by $2.1 trillion, or 14%, from April 2 when Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on a wide range of countries.

Some of the losses eased this past Wednesday when Trump paused the tariffs outside of China, paring the lost value in the Magnificent Seven to $644 billion, or a 4% decline, from April 2. Now, the stage is set for another tech rally Monday when trading resumes in the U.S. stock market, with Apple likely leading the way because the iPhones made in China remain the company’s biggest money maker.

The electronics exemption also should relieve consumer worries that the China tariffs would result in hefty price hikes on smartphones and other devices that have become essential tools of modern living,

It’s the kind of friendly treatment that industry was envisioning when Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-tech-billionaires-zuckerberg-musk-wealth-0896bfc3f50d941d62cebc3074267ecd">assembled behind the president</a>&nbsp;during his Jan. 20 inauguration. That united display of fealty reflected Big Tech’s hopes that Trump would be more accommodating than President Joe Biden’s administration’s and help propel an already booming industry to even greater heights.

Apple won praise from Trump in late February when the Cupertino, California, company committed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-us-investment-texas-factory-78c761e50f3f3f8186db99899efefb7c">to invest $500 billion</a>&nbsp;and add 20,000 jobs in the U.S. during the next four years. The pledge was an echo of a $350 billion investment commitment in the U.S. that Apple made during Trump’s first term when the iPhone was exempted from China tariffs.

The move takes off “a huge black cloud overhang for now over the tech sector and the pressure facing U.S. Big Tech,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a research note.

In a statement issued Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not address the exemptions specifically but indicated the administration still plans to push for tech companies to move manufacturing to the U.S.

“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops," Leavitt said in an emailed statement.

She said the administration has secured U.S. investments from tech companies including Apple, TSMC and Nvidia and these companies are "hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.”

Neither Apple nor Samsung responded to a request for comment Saturday. Nvidia declined to comment.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Trump administration late said it would exclude electronics like smartphones and laptops from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">reciprocal tariffs</a>, a move that could help keep the prices down for popular consumer electronics that aren’t usually made in the U.S.It would also benefit big tech companies like Apple and Samsung and chip makers like Nvidia, setting the stage for a likely tech stock rally on Monday.U.S. Customs and Border Protection said items like smartphones, laptops, hard drives, flat-panel monitors and some chips would qualify for the exemption. Machines used to make semiconductors are excluded too. That means they won’t be subject to the current&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-trump-tariffs-2e05057e973e1e26d1b95c5be003b4cd">145% tariffs levied on China</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-pause-businesses-reaction-a61a1adcaf6332f6188ae1d70664b898">10% baseline tariffs elsewhere</a>.It's the latest tariff change by the Trump administration, which has made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-trump-tariffs-2e05057e973e1e26d1b95c5be003b4cd">several U-turns</a>&nbsp;in their massive plan to put tariffs in place on goods from most countries.The exemption seemed to reflect the president’s realization that his China tariffs are unlikely to shift more manufacturing of smartphones, computers and other gadgets to the U.S. any time soon, if ever, despite the administration’s predictions that the trade war prod Apple to make iPhones in the U.S. for the first time.But that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-trump-china-tariffs-iphone-f50e1c6ba8f8cbb7c4b463720e65f3c4">an unlikely scenario</a>&nbsp;after Apple spent decades building up a finely calibrated supply chain in China. What’s more, It would take several years and cost billions of dollars to build new plants in the U.S., and then confront Apple with economic forces that could triple the price of an iPhone, threatening to torpedo sales of its marquee product.Trump’s decision to exempt the iPhone and other popular electronics made in China mirrors the similar relief that he gave those products during the trade war of his first term in the White House. But Trump began his second term seemingly determined to impose the tariffs more broad this time, triggering a meltdown in the market values of Apple and other technology powerhouses.The turmoil battered the stocks of tech’s “Magnificent Seven” -- Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta Platforms. At one point earlier this week, the combined Magnificent Seven’s combined market value had plunged by $2.1 trillion, or 14%, from April 2 when Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on a wide range of countries.Some of the losses eased this past Wednesday when Trump paused the tariffs outside of China, paring the lost value in the Magnificent Seven to $644 billion, or a 4% decline, from April 2. Now, the stage is set for another tech rally Monday when trading resumes in the U.S. stock market, with Apple likely leading the way because the iPhones made in China remain the company’s biggest money maker.The electronics exemption also should relieve consumer worries that the China tariffs would result in hefty price hikes on smartphones and other devices that have become essential tools of modern living,It’s the kind of friendly treatment that industry was envisioning when Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-tech-billionaires-zuckerberg-musk-wealth-0896bfc3f50d941d62cebc3074267ecd">assembled behind the president</a>&nbsp;during his Jan. 20 inauguration. That united display of fealty reflected Big Tech’s hopes that Trump would be more accommodating than President Joe Biden’s administration’s and help propel an already booming industry to even greater heights.Apple won praise from Trump in late February when the Cupertino, California, company committed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-us-investment-texas-factory-78c761e50f3f3f8186db99899efefb7c">to invest $500 billion</a>&nbsp;and add 20,000 jobs in the U.S. during the next four years. The pledge was an echo of a $350 billion investment commitment in the U.S. that Apple made during Trump’s first term when the iPhone was exempted from China tariffs.The move takes off “a huge black cloud overhang for now over the tech sector and the pressure facing U.S. Big Tech,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a research note.In a statement issued Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not address the exemptions specifically but indicated the administration still plans to push for tech companies to move manufacturing to the U.S.“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops," Leavitt said in an emailed statement.She said the administration has secured U.S. investments from tech companies including Apple, TSMC and Nvidia and these companies are "hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.”Neither Apple nor Samsung responded to a request for comment Saturday. Nvidia declined to comment.___

See what electronics are excluded from Trump reciprocal tariffs

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are searching for the driver of an ATV who drove over and critically injured Kansas City, Missouri Police officer.

Just before 7p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a disturbance involving an officer at E. Truman Road and S. Main Street, according to KCPD Officer Alyana Gonzalez.

First responders found the driver of an ATV had attempted to avoid tire deflation devices. The driver popped a wheelie and struck the officer who set the devices. The impact caused the officer to fall to the ground before the ATV drove over him and sped off.

The officer was transported to a hospital for treatment of a critical head injury.&nbsp;

Anyone with information about the incident should report it to the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are searching for the driver of an ATV who drove over and critically injured Kansas City, Missouri Police officer.Just before 7p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a disturbance involving an officer at E. Truman Road and S. Main Street, according to KCPD Officer Alyana Gonzalez.First responders found the driver of an ATV had attempted to avoid tire deflation devices. The driver popped a wheelie and struck the officer who set the devices. The impact caused the officer to fall to the ground before the ATV drove over him and sped off.The officer was transported to a hospital for treatment of a critical head injury.&nbsp;Anyone with information about the incident should report it to the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Kansas City Police Officer hospitalized after struck by ATV

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lindsay-whitehurst">LINDSAY WHITEHURST</a>&nbsp;and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday sided with the Trump administration in allowing immigration agents to conduct enforcement operations at houses of worship despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arrests-church-ban-lawsuit-trump-administration-7e0f3060033fc25c5982bc583587562c">a lawsuit filed by religious groups</a>&nbsp;over the new policy.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington refused to grant a preliminary injunction to the plaintiffs, more than two dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans.

She found that only a handful of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-el-salvador-humanitarian-parole-registry-37ea881c165081c207be0c9d521d5108">immigration enforcement actions</a>&nbsp;have been conducted in or around churches or other houses of worship and that the evidence doesn’t show “that places of worship are being singled out as special targets.”

The groups argued the policy violated the right to practice their religion. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, attendance has declined significantly, with some areas showing double-digit percentage drops, they said.

The judge, though, found that the groups had not shown their drops were definitively linked to the church policy specifically, as opposed to broader increased actions by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-immigration-and-customs-enforcement">Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;or other agencies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739901900435.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lindsay-whitehurst">LINDSAY WHITEHURST</a>&nbsp;and MICHAEL KUNZELMANWASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday sided with the Trump administration in allowing immigration agents to conduct enforcement operations at houses of worship despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arrests-church-ban-lawsuit-trump-administration-7e0f3060033fc25c5982bc583587562c">a lawsuit filed by religious groups</a>&nbsp;over the new policy.U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington refused to grant a preliminary injunction to the plaintiffs, more than two dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans.She found that only a handful of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-el-salvador-humanitarian-parole-registry-37ea881c165081c207be0c9d521d5108">immigration enforcement actions</a>&nbsp;have been conducted in or around churches or other houses of worship and that the evidence doesn’t show “that places of worship are being singled out as special targets.”The groups argued the policy violated the right to practice their religion. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, attendance has declined significantly, with some areas showing double-digit percentage drops, they said.The judge, though, found that the groups had not shown their drops were definitively linked to the church policy specifically, as opposed to broader increased actions by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-immigration-and-customs-enforcement">Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;or other agencies.

Federal judge allows immigration raids in houses of worship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas man who was falsely accused of being among the shooters who opened fire at a rally celebrating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730">Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory</a>&nbsp;last year has died, his attorney said.

Denton Loudermill Jr., of Olathe, was briefly handcuffed but was never charged in the chaos that followed the deadly shooting. He later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-e7fe8d9910c0a9518155c71ff2e7d558">filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against three Republican Missouri state senators and a Tennessee congressman who shared social media posts that falsely implicated him.

Those cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-417e1c19a86c7983e3e36246c9f70e90">were all dismissed,</a>&nbsp;largely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-congressman-lawsuit-aa35b46b43f502ed1da51c9659bb18c6">jurisdictional issues.</a>

Attorney LaRonna Lassiter Saunders confirmed Loudermill’s death&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=636412692729347&amp;id=100090818664168&amp;rdid=2xtrNZmyrf3QQl4B#">in a statement Friday</a>&nbsp;but gave no details on the circumstances. Loudermill was 49.

“More details will be provided in time, but for now, we ask that you honor the family’s need for privacy as they come together to grieve this tremendous loss,” she wrote.

The Feb. 14, 2024, shooting outside Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, killed a well-known DJ and injured more than 20 others, many of them children.

Loudermill’s lawsuits said he froze when the gunfire erupted, standing in the middle of the chaos so long that police had put up crime scene tape by the time he finally started to walked away. As he tried to leave, officers stopped him and told him he was moving “too slow.” They handcuffed him and put him on a curb, where people began taking pictures and posting them on social media, the lawsuits said.

Loudermill ultimately was led away and told he was free to go. But soon posts began appearing on X that included a picture of Loudermill, a car wash employee who was born and raised in the U.S. The posts called him an “illegal alien” and a “shooter,” even though he had no involvement, the lawsuits said.

Three men were ultimately charged with murder, and several other people faced other charges stemming from the shootings, which authorities said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-charge-ac4527e5290fccb3d20d9d7f69233040">stemmed from a dispute</a>&nbsp;between two groups of people.

Lassiter Saunders said she would continue fighting to clear Loudermill's name.

“While the family takes this time to mourn, we want to make it clear that this is not over. Mr. Loudermill should not have spent his final days burdened with stress and chasing down a lie that went viral due to the careless and heartless actions of a Congressman, Missouri senators, and social media influencers, who couldn’t be bothered to verify the truth before destroying a man’s life.

"If you thought we were determined before, you haven’t seen anything yet!” she concluded.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708018861457.jpeg" alt="Police clear the area following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)." />
 <figcaption>Police clear the area following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas man who was falsely accused of being among the shooters who opened fire at a rally celebrating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730">Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory</a>&nbsp;last year has died, his attorney said.Denton Loudermill Jr., of Olathe, was briefly handcuffed but was never charged in the chaos that followed the deadly shooting. He later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-e7fe8d9910c0a9518155c71ff2e7d558">filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against three Republican Missouri state senators and a Tennessee congressman who shared social media posts that falsely implicated him.Those cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-417e1c19a86c7983e3e36246c9f70e90">were all dismissed,</a>&nbsp;largely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-congressman-lawsuit-aa35b46b43f502ed1da51c9659bb18c6">jurisdictional issues.</a>Attorney LaRonna Lassiter Saunders confirmed Loudermill’s death&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=636412692729347&amp;id=100090818664168&amp;rdid=2xtrNZmyrf3QQl4B#">in a statement Friday</a>&nbsp;but gave no details on the circumstances. Loudermill was 49.“More details will be provided in time, but for now, we ask that you honor the family’s need for privacy as they come together to grieve this tremendous loss,” she wrote.The Feb. 14, 2024, shooting outside Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, killed a well-known DJ and injured more than 20 others, many of them children.Loudermill’s lawsuits said he froze when the gunfire erupted, standing in the middle of the chaos so long that police had put up crime scene tape by the time he finally started to walked away. As he tried to leave, officers stopped him and told him he was moving “too slow.” They handcuffed him and put him on a curb, where people began taking pictures and posting them on social media, the lawsuits said.Loudermill ultimately was led away and told he was free to go. But soon posts began appearing on X that included a picture of Loudermill, a car wash employee who was born and raised in the U.S. The posts called him an “illegal alien” and a “shooter,” even though he had no involvement, the lawsuits said.Three men were ultimately charged with murder, and several other people faced other charges stemming from the shootings, which authorities said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-charge-ac4527e5290fccb3d20d9d7f69233040">stemmed from a dispute</a>&nbsp;between two groups of people.Lassiter Saunders said she would continue fighting to clear Loudermill's name.“While the family takes this time to mourn, we want to make it clear that this is not over. Mr. Loudermill should not have spent his final days burdened with stress and chasing down a lie that went viral due to the careless and heartless actions of a Congressman, Missouri senators, and social media influencers, who couldn’t be bothered to verify the truth before destroying a man’s life."If you thought we were determined before, you haven’t seen anything yet!” she concluded.

Kan. man falsely accused of being a shooter at Chiefs Super Bowl rally has died

KANSAS CITY —A woman who was identified by SAVE KC as high-risk for violence, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for her involvement in a double homicide that took place in south Kansas City last year, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2566/LINDA-ATER-PLEA-AGREEMENT">Linda Ater, 18,&nbsp; pled guilty</a>&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. She received 18 years for 2nd Degree Murder and 15 years for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, which will be served at the same time. She also received a three-year sentence for Armed Criminal Action, which will run consecutively, for a total of 21 years.&nbsp;

SAVE KC is a focused deterrence strategy involving the Prosecutor’s Office, the Kansas City Police Department, the City, and service providers, targeting those at-risk of violence. The identified clients are invited to a call-in where they are warned about enhanced enforcement and consequences if they continue engaging in criminal activity. Clients are offered services including housing support, job placement, mental health counseling, and more.&nbsp;

While the defendant was on the SAVE KC target list and was invited to a call-in, she did not attend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744318371060.png" alt="Ater photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Ater photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A woman who was identified by SAVE KC as high-risk for violence, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for her involvement in a double homicide that took place in south Kansas City last year, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2566/LINDA-ATER-PLEA-AGREEMENT">Linda Ater, 18,&nbsp; pled guilty</a>&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. She received 18 years for 2nd Degree Murder and 15 years for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, which will be served at the same time. She also received a three-year sentence for Armed Criminal Action, which will run consecutively, for a total of 21 years.&nbsp;SAVE KC is a focused deterrence strategy involving the Prosecutor’s Office, the Kansas City Police Department, the City, and service providers, targeting those at-risk of violence. The identified clients are invited to a call-in where they are warned about enhanced enforcement and consequences if they continue engaging in criminal activity. Clients are offered services including housing support, job placement, mental health counseling, and more.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733792910134.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>While the defendant was on the SAVE KC target list and was invited to a call-in, she did not attend.“SAVE KC’s message is clear: give up crime, accept help, or face the full weight of prosecution. There are some, including the defendant, who do not heed our warnings and reject help. As a result, this young woman will spend the rest of her young years in prison,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “As we explain to SAVE KC clients, we care about your future, but violence will never be tolerated.”<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2567/LINDA-ATER-PCREDACTED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to the 6000 block of Blue Hills Road on Dec. 9 and located a man&nbsp; in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Sentra and a woman on the ground near the vehicle both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Both victims were confirmed deceased.&nbsp;Video surveillance shows the Nissan pulling into the apartment complex parking lot and park in front of the building. An individual, later identified as Ater, exits the Nissan holding a firearm with an extended magazine. Just a minute later, the defendant fires in the direction of the victim in the driver’s seat and then retreats into another vehicle, which flees the scene.&nbsp;