BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

With only a week to go before the legislature adjourns for the year, Missouri lawmakers are considering a last-minute push for a $300 million incentive package aimed at building a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals in Clay County.&nbsp;

The tentative plan, which according to those involved has the blessing of the governor’s office, would commit the state to $15 million a year to a newly created Clay County sports authority for the next 20 years. That money would be used to help finance a new stadium in order to prevent the team from moving to Kansas.&nbsp;

It’s unclear if the legislative package will include money to help the Kansas City Chiefs remodel Arrowhead Stadium in Jackson County.&nbsp;

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office did not respond to requests for comment.&nbsp;

Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Republican from Marshall, would be the vehicle for the funding. The underlying bill, which passed the Senate and could be taken up as early as Monday in the House, would authorize Clay County to establish a county sports complex authority for the purpose of “developing or maintaining sports, convention, exhibition or trade facilities.”

Any stadium funding plans would be added to the bill as an amendment in the House, said state Rep. Brad Christ, a St. Louis County Republican handling the legislation in that chamber.&nbsp;

Christ said his involvement with the stadium funding is “very minimal,” and he has not been kept in the loop on any details of the proposal.&nbsp;

All signs point toward Clay County as the preferred location for the new stadium, Gregory said, with the idea that moving the Royals would also clear the way for the Chiefs to remain in Arrowhead, demolish Kauffman Stadium and build a covered entertainment center.

“It’s not ‘downtown,’ but Clay County works a lot better,” Gregory said of a possible North Kansas City site. “There can be better parking. You’ll have the Kansas City skyline just two miles away. They could run the streetcar out to it. It just works.”

Some sort of local support would likely still be needed, Gregory said. But he’s optimistic that can get done, because “when I was knocking doors in Clay, the most frequent question I got was ‘what are we going to do about the Chiefs and the Royals.’”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Both teams have publicly expressed interest in moving from Missouri to Kansas after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal last year to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium and upgrades to Arrowhead.&nbsp;

Kansas lawmakers responded by expanding a tax incentive program in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate. The leases for both teams’ Jackson County stadiums run through the end of the 2030 season.&nbsp;

Regardless of the details of any potential plan, the idea faces incredibly long odds with so little time left in the session. The House and Senate must adjourn for the year at 6 p.m. next Friday.

The tight timeline is especially problematic in the Missouri Senate, where any opposition could turn into a run-out-the-clock filibuster.

State Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat who co-sponsored the Clay County sports authority bill with Gregory, said she’s not been involved in recent discussions and had doubts there was time to still get something done so late in the session.&nbsp;

Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, said there have been ongoing talks all year about the idea of trying to keep the Royals in Missouri. But she has not been directly involved in formal discussions of a new plan this week, she said.

And taking a stadium funding plan from start to finish in less than a week, O’Laughlin said, will be incredibly tough.&nbsp;

“That would be pretty quick,” she said with a laugh.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746820944287.png" alt=" North Kansas City has also proposed as a location for a new Royals ballpark with surrounding development (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption> North Kansas City has also proposed as a location for a new Royals ballpark with surrounding development (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>With only a week to go before the legislature adjourns for the year, Missouri lawmakers are considering a last-minute push for a $300 million incentive package aimed at building a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals in Clay County.&nbsp;The tentative plan, which according to those involved has the blessing of the governor’s office, would commit the state to $15 million a year to a newly created Clay County sports authority for the next 20 years. That money would be used to help finance a new stadium in order to prevent the team from moving to Kansas.&nbsp;It’s unclear if the legislative package will include money to help the Kansas City Chiefs remodel Arrowhead Stadium in Jackson County.&nbsp;Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office did not respond to requests for comment.&nbsp;Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Republican from Marshall, would be the vehicle for the funding. The underlying bill, which passed the Senate and could be taken up as early as Monday in the House, would authorize Clay County to establish a county sports complex authority for the purpose of “developing or maintaining sports, convention, exhibition or trade facilities.”Any stadium funding plans would be added to the bill as an amendment in the House, said state Rep. Brad Christ, a St. Louis County Republican handling the legislation in that chamber.&nbsp;Christ said his involvement with the stadium funding is “very minimal,” and he has not been kept in the loop on any details of the proposal.&nbsp;All signs point toward Clay County as the preferred location for the new stadium, Gregory said, with the idea that moving the Royals would also clear the way for the Chiefs to remain in Arrowhead, demolish Kauffman Stadium and build a covered entertainment center.“It’s not ‘downtown,’ but Clay County works a lot better,” Gregory said of a possible North Kansas City site. “There can be better parking. You’ll have the Kansas City skyline just two miles away. They could run the streetcar out to it. It just works.”Some sort of local support would likely still be needed, Gregory said. But he’s optimistic that can get done, because “when I was knocking doors in Clay, the most frequent question I got was ‘what are we going to do about the Chiefs and the Royals.’”&nbsp;&nbsp;Both teams have publicly expressed interest in moving from Missouri to Kansas after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal last year to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium and upgrades to Arrowhead.&nbsp;Kansas lawmakers responded by expanding a tax incentive program in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate. The leases for both teams’ Jackson County stadiums run through the end of the 2030 season.&nbsp;Regardless of the details of any potential plan, the idea faces incredibly long odds with so little time left in the session. The House and Senate must adjourn for the year at 6 p.m. next Friday.The tight timeline is especially problematic in the Missouri Senate, where any opposition could turn into a run-out-the-clock filibuster.State Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat who co-sponsored the Clay County sports authority bill with Gregory, said she’s not been involved in recent discussions and had doubts there was time to still get something done so late in the session.&nbsp;Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, said there have been ongoing talks all year about the idea of trying to keep the Royals in Missouri. But she has not been directly involved in formal discussions of a new plan this week, she said.And taking a stadium funding plan from start to finish in less than a week, O’Laughlin said, will be incredibly tough.&nbsp;“That would be pretty quick,” she said with a laugh.

Missouri lawmakers eye late push to move Kansas City Royals to Clay County

JOHNSON COUNTY —The Olathe Police Department is currently investigating a fatality crash involving a pedestrian and a pickup truck that occurred just after 9p.m. Thursday.

Officers were dispatched to the area of Santa Fe and Blake following reports of a crash involving a pickup truck and a pedestrian. When officers arrived, they located an unresponsive woman later identified as 57-year-old Jill E. Turner of Indiana.

&nbsp; Officers, along with Olathe Fire and Med-Act personnel, performed life-saving measures at the scene. Turner was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

Officers are in contact with the driver of the pickup truck, and they are cooperating in the investigation

JOHNSON COUNTY —The Olathe Police Department is currently investigating a fatality crash involving a pedestrian and a pickup truck that occurred just after 9p.m. Thursday.Officers were dispatched to the area of Santa Fe and Blake following reports of a crash involving a pickup truck and a pedestrian. When officers arrived, they located an unresponsive woman later identified as 57-year-old Jill E. Turner of Indiana.&nbsp; Officers, along with Olathe Fire and Med-Act personnel, performed life-saving measures at the scene. Turner was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;Officers are in contact with the driver of the pickup truck, and they are cooperating in the investigation

Police ID woman struck and killed by pickup on Kansas roadway

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration must halt much of its dramatic downsizing of the federal workforce, a California judge ordered Friday.

Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco issued the emergency order in a lawsuit filed last week by labor unions and cities, one of multiple legal challenges to Republican President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the size of a federal government he calls bloated and expensive.

“The Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime,” Illston wrote in her order.

The temporary restraining order directs numerous federal agencies to halt acting on the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-downsizing-federal-workers-doge-00683abc4de44a151f26aaa6cb0d0f30">workforce executive order</a>&nbsp;signed in February and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b%20">subsequent memo issued</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-donald-trump-962778979dd35ea79d6092df9cb2cb56">Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;and the Office of Personnel Management.

The order, which expires in 14 days, does not require departments to rehire people. Plaintiffs asked that the effective date of any agency action be postponed and that departments stop implementing or enforcing the executive order, including taking any further action.

They limited their request to departments where dismantlement is already underway or poised to be underway, including at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-human-services-layoffs-restructuring-rfk-jr-fa4e89285e668a3939e20b6cf4c26fd4">announced in March</a>&nbsp;it will lay off 10,000 workers and centralize divisions.

Illston, who was nominated to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, said at a hearing Friday the president has authority to seek changes in the executive branch departments and agencies created by Congress.

“But he must do so in lawful ways,” she said. “He must do so with the cooperation of Congress, the Constitution is structured that way.”

Trump has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate to remake the federal government, and he tapped billionaire Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE.

Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, left their jobs via deferred resignation programs or have been placed on leave as a result of Trump’s government-shrinking efforts. There is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">no official figure for the job cuts</a>, but at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation, and thousands of probationary workers have already been let go.

In her order, Illston gave several examples to show the impact of the downsizing. One union that represents federal workers who research health hazards faced by mineworkers said it was poised to lose 221 of 222 workers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, office; a Vermont farmer didn’t receive a timely inspection on his property to receive disaster aid after flooding and missed an important planting window; a reduction in Social Security Administration workers has led to longer wait times for recipients.

All the agencies impacted were created by Congress, she noted.

Lawyers for the government argued Friday that the executive order and memo calling for large-scale personnel reductions and reorganization plans provided only general principles that agencies should follow in exercising their own decision-making process.

“It expressly invites comments and proposals for legislative engagement as part of policies that those agencies wish to implement,” Eric Hamilton, a deputy assistant attorney general, said of the memo. “It is setting out guidance.”

But Danielle Leonard, an attorney for plaintiffs, said it was clear that the president, DOGE and OPM were making decisions outside of their authority and not inviting dialogue from agencies.

“They are not waiting for these planning documents" to go through long processes, she said. “They’re not asking for approval, and they’re not waiting for it.”

The temporary restraining order applies to departments including the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, Interior, State, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.

It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Association, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.

Some of the labor unions and nonprofit groups are also plaintiffs in another lawsuit before a San Francisco judge challenging the mass firings of probationary workers. In that case, Judge William Alsup ordered the government in March&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-firings-federal-workers-trump-administration-7cc7320f469cc65529367aaea2fd9dcb">to reinstate those workers,</a>&nbsp;but the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-mass-firings-02e218d2b7ee59925ddcb597b6b0a4fe">later blocked his order</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742207940676.png" alt="File photo President Donald Trump talks to reporters aboard Air Force One- White House image" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Donald Trump talks to reporters aboard Air Force One- White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration must halt much of its dramatic downsizing of the federal workforce, a California judge ordered Friday.Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco issued the emergency order in a lawsuit filed last week by labor unions and cities, one of multiple legal challenges to Republican President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the size of a federal government he calls bloated and expensive.“The Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime,” Illston wrote in her order.The temporary restraining order directs numerous federal agencies to halt acting on the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-downsizing-federal-workers-doge-00683abc4de44a151f26aaa6cb0d0f30">workforce executive order</a>&nbsp;signed in February and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b%20">subsequent memo issued</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-donald-trump-962778979dd35ea79d6092df9cb2cb56">Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;and the Office of Personnel Management.The order, which expires in 14 days, does not require departments to rehire people. Plaintiffs asked that the effective date of any agency action be postponed and that departments stop implementing or enforcing the executive order, including taking any further action.They limited their request to departments where dismantlement is already underway or poised to be underway, including at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-human-services-layoffs-restructuring-rfk-jr-fa4e89285e668a3939e20b6cf4c26fd4">announced in March</a>&nbsp;it will lay off 10,000 workers and centralize divisions.Illston, who was nominated to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, said at a hearing Friday the president has authority to seek changes in the executive branch departments and agencies created by Congress.“But he must do so in lawful ways,” she said. “He must do so with the cooperation of Congress, the Constitution is structured that way.”Trump has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate to remake the federal government, and he tapped billionaire Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE.Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, left their jobs via deferred resignation programs or have been placed on leave as a result of Trump’s government-shrinking efforts. There is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">no official figure for the job cuts</a>, but at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation, and thousands of probationary workers have already been let go.In her order, Illston gave several examples to show the impact of the downsizing. One union that represents federal workers who research health hazards faced by mineworkers said it was poised to lose 221 of 222 workers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, office; a Vermont farmer didn’t receive a timely inspection on his property to receive disaster aid after flooding and missed an important planting window; a reduction in Social Security Administration workers has led to longer wait times for recipients.All the agencies impacted were created by Congress, she noted.Lawyers for the government argued Friday that the executive order and memo calling for large-scale personnel reductions and reorganization plans provided only general principles that agencies should follow in exercising their own decision-making process.“It expressly invites comments and proposals for legislative engagement as part of policies that those agencies wish to implement,” Eric Hamilton, a deputy assistant attorney general, said of the memo. “It is setting out guidance.”But Danielle Leonard, an attorney for plaintiffs, said it was clear that the president, DOGE and OPM were making decisions outside of their authority and not inviting dialogue from agencies.“They are not waiting for these planning documents" to go through long processes, she said. “They’re not asking for approval, and they’re not waiting for it.”The temporary restraining order applies to departments including the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, Interior, State, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Association, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.Some of the labor unions and nonprofit groups are also plaintiffs in another lawsuit before a San Francisco judge challenging the mass firings of probationary workers. In that case, Judge William Alsup ordered the government in March&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-firings-federal-workers-trump-administration-7cc7320f469cc65529367aaea2fd9dcb">to reinstate those workers,</a>&nbsp;but the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-mass-firings-02e218d2b7ee59925ddcb597b6b0a4fe">later blocked his order</a>.

Judge pauses Trump's mass layoffs at government agencies

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces charges against a man for his involvement in a shooting that took place outside a lounge in the Kansas City suburb of Independence.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2617/Mekai-Kelly-James-Complaint-Red">Mekai G. Kelly-James, 24, faces</a>&nbsp;one count of 1st Degree Assault, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2616/PC-Mekai-Kelly-James_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were dispatched to a lounge near E. Valley View Parkway and Little Blue Parkway on May 5 on reports of gunfire. Officers located two security guards detaining the Kelly-James in front of a nearby restaurant. He was taken into custody.&nbsp;

The victim said he and other security staff were breaking up a fight inside the lounge involving Kelly-James and several other patrons. Kelly-James was escorted out of the building. Moments later, the victim observed the Kelly-James at a vehicle retrieving a firearm and then firing into the air and toward security staff. The victim and other security staff returned fire, and the victim sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during the exchange. The victim was able to disarm and detain Kelly-James at a nearby business.&nbsp;

A check of Kelly-James' firearm revealed it had been reported stolen. A detective tested the weapon and found it had been modified with a metal bar affixed to the rear side, altering the weapon’s firing mechanism. The firearm exhibited erratic and dangerous discharge behavior, at times functioning in a fully automatic capacity.&nbsp;

Independence police are asking for patrons who have video footage of the incident to contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at (816) 474-8477 or the Independence Police Department Gun Squad at (816) 325-7330.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746824775432.png" alt="Kelly-James -photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Kelly-James -photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces charges against a man for his involvement in a shooting that took place outside a lounge in the Kansas City suburb of Independence.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2617/Mekai-Kelly-James-Complaint-Red">Mekai G. Kelly-James, 24, faces</a>&nbsp;one count of 1st Degree Assault, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2616/PC-Mekai-Kelly-James_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were dispatched to a lounge near E. Valley View Parkway and Little Blue Parkway on May 5 on reports of gunfire. Officers located two security guards detaining the Kelly-James in front of a nearby restaurant. He was taken into custody.&nbsp;The victim said he and other security staff were breaking up a fight inside the lounge involving Kelly-James and several other patrons. Kelly-James was escorted out of the building. Moments later, the victim observed the Kelly-James at a vehicle retrieving a firearm and then firing into the air and toward security staff. The victim and other security staff returned fire, and the victim sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during the exchange. The victim was able to disarm and detain Kelly-James at a nearby business.&nbsp;A check of Kelly-James' firearm revealed it had been reported stolen. A detective tested the weapon and found it had been modified with a metal bar affixed to the rear side, altering the weapon’s firing mechanism. The firearm exhibited erratic and dangerous discharge behavior, at times functioning in a fully automatic capacity.&nbsp;Independence police are asking for patrons who have video footage of the incident to contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at (816) 474-8477 or the Independence Police Department Gun Squad at (816) 325-7330.&nbsp;

Suspect fired shots at security staff after kicked out of KC suburb bar

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal pedestrian accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;Nicholas I. Claspill, 36, of Tecumseh, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.

The accident occurred just after 4:30a.m. Thursday, when a&nbsp;black Ford F-150 pickup was northbound in the 3800 Block NW Carlson Road, according to the sheriff's office.

The pickup struck Claspill who was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The driver of the Ford was wearing a seatbelt and did not sustain any injuries, according to Christian. The driver is fully cooperating with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746710191002.png" alt="-Deputies on the scene early Thursday -photo WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>-Deputies on the scene early Thursday -photo WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal pedestrian accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;Nicholas I. Claspill, 36, of Tecumseh, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.The accident occurred just after 4:30a.m. Thursday, when a&nbsp;black Ford F-150 pickup was northbound in the 3800 Block NW Carlson Road, according to the sheriff's office.The pickup struck Claspill who was pronounced deceased at the scene.The driver of the Ford was wearing a seatbelt and did not sustain any injuries, according to Christian. The driver is fully cooperating with the investigation.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in pedestrian accident

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/meg-kinnard">MEG KINNARD</a> Associated Press

Elected Thursday as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-vatican-d7991a37a679f09792ed220cc1f6bbed">Catholic Church’s first global leader</a>&nbsp;to hail from the United States,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prevost-american-pope-profile-leo-xiv-f9d14d75ae3bbe50bda121f27ee0e42b">Pope Leo XIV</a>&nbsp;is in a new job that will have many crossovers into politics — a realm not entirely unknown to the Chicago-born priest, whose social media history includes sharing criticism of Trump administration policies and of comments by Vice President JD Vance.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has wished the new pope well in his role, calling Leo’s election “such an honor for our country.” But it comes days after Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-conclave-ai-image-bishops-9d88286886c350c4465f7c2afb7a5e41">dressed as pope</a>&nbsp;amid days of official mourning for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis.</a>&nbsp;That act raised eyebrows at the Vatican and was denounced by former Italian Premier Romano Prodi as indecent political interference in matters of faith.

And last month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-bishops-refugee-resettlement-trump-administration-362231100b8e4650c00d22a75b5c6ab8">announced the end</a>&nbsp;of a half-century of partnerships with the federal U.S. government to serve refugees and migrant children, saying the “heartbreaking” decision followed the Trump administration’s abrupt halt to funding.

The majority of Leo’s posts on the X platform are related to or in support of Catholic news and church initiatives. He rarely writes original content, but a look back through his social media timeline shows numerous posts sharing viewpoints opposed to moves aimed at restricting acceptance of migrants and refugees in the U.S.

Leo has recently criticized U.S. Vice President JD Vance

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-catholic-bishops-migration-94138954824b68dbd0b29b28504e056e">Vance, a convert to Catholicism</a>, is the most high-profile Catholic in American politics. He’s drawn attention from the man who now leads the global church, prompting Leo to return to X after a nearly two-year absence to share criticism of the vice president’s views.

In early February, Leo shared an article from a Catholic publication with the headline, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

It came days after Vance — in discussing critiques of the Trump administration’s immigration policies — in a Fox News interview had referenced a Christian tenet “that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world.”

In response to online criticism of his position, Vance posted on X, “Just google ‘ordo amoris.’ Aside from that, the idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-catholic-theology-migration-e868af574fb2e742c6ed3d756c569769">“Ordo amoris,”</a>&nbsp;a historic Catholic tenet, translates to “order of love.”

Ten days after his initial post, Leo shared another piece from a Jesuit publication, titled, “Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance’s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration.”

Prior to his first February post, Leo had been dormant on X since July 2023.

After Leo’s election Thursday, Vance posted congratulations on X, adding, ”I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”

His last post before becoming pope was critical of the Trump administration

The pope’s final post as Cardinal Robert Prevost was a recirculation on April 14 of a post by church chronicler Rocco Palmo about Trump’s Oval Office meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-white-house-el-salvador-kilmar-abrego-garcia-ad338d6b4558a6aba80e8290fd3eece9">Bukele said it was “preposterous”</a>&nbsp;for his country to bring a Maryland man who was wrongly deported there in March back to the U.S., despite a Supreme Court ruling calling on the administration to “facilitate” Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return.

Leo reposted Palmo’s link to an article by Washington-area Bishop Evelio Menjivar — who was born in El Salvador — asking, “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”

His sharing of critiques dates back nearly a decade

As Trump’s campaign ramped up in July 2015, Leo posted to X a Washington Post op-ed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, with the headline, “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.”

In the wake of Trump’s first election in 2016, Leo reposted a homily in which Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez — characterizing the fear among many, including schoolchildren who “think the government is going to come and deport their parents, any day now” — said that America is “better than this.”

Days later, Leo also posted an article by a Catholic outlet quoting Democrats as saying that, in her loss, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “ignored pro-lifers at her own peril.”

In September 2017, months into Trump’s first term, Leo recirculated a post by author-activist Sister Helen Prejean saying she stands “with the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Dreamers?src=hashtag_click" target="_blank">#Dreamers</a>&nbsp;and all people who are working toward an immigration system that is fair, just, and moral.”

He also reposted church chronicler Rocco Palmo’s piece with the teaser, “Saying Trump’s ‘bad hombres’ line fuels ‘racism and nativism,’ Cali bishops send preemptive blast on DACA repeal.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746747852764.png" alt="Pope Leo XiV on Thursday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Pope Leo XiV on Thursday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/meg-kinnard">MEG KINNARD</a> Associated PressElected Thursday as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-vatican-d7991a37a679f09792ed220cc1f6bbed">Catholic Church’s first global leader</a>&nbsp;to hail from the United States,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prevost-american-pope-profile-leo-xiv-f9d14d75ae3bbe50bda121f27ee0e42b">Pope Leo XIV</a>&nbsp;is in a new job that will have many crossovers into politics — a realm not entirely unknown to the Chicago-born priest, whose social media history includes sharing criticism of Trump administration policies and of comments by Vice President JD Vance.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn&#39;t ask us to rank our love for others <a href="https://t.co/hDKPKuMXmu">https://t.co/hDKPKuMXmu</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/NCRonline?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCRonline</a>&mdash; Robert Prevost (@drprevost) <a href="https://twitter.com/drprevost/status/1886469097560719594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1920550545061810261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has wished the new pope well in his role, calling Leo’s election “such an honor for our country.” But it comes days after Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-conclave-ai-image-bishops-9d88286886c350c4465f7c2afb7a5e41">dressed as pope</a>&nbsp;amid days of official mourning for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis.</a>&nbsp;That act raised eyebrows at the Vatican and was denounced by former Italian Premier Romano Prodi as indecent political interference in matters of faith.And last month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-bishops-refugee-resettlement-trump-administration-362231100b8e4650c00d22a75b5c6ab8">announced the end</a>&nbsp;of a half-century of partnerships with the federal U.S. government to serve refugees and migrant children, saying the “heartbreaking” decision followed the Trump administration’s abrupt halt to funding.The majority of Leo’s posts on the X platform are related to or in support of Catholic news and church initiatives. He rarely writes original content, but a look back through his social media timeline shows numerous posts sharing viewpoints opposed to moves aimed at restricting acceptance of migrants and refugees in the U.S.<h2>Leo has recently criticized U.S. Vice President JD Vance</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-catholic-bishops-migration-94138954824b68dbd0b29b28504e056e">Vance, a convert to Catholicism</a>, is the most high-profile Catholic in American politics. He’s drawn attention from the man who now leads the global church, prompting Leo to return to X after a nearly two-year absence to share criticism of the vice president’s views.In early February, Leo shared an article from a Catholic publication with the headline, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”It came days after Vance — in discussing critiques of the Trump administration’s immigration policies — in a Fox News interview had referenced a Christian tenet “that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world.”In response to online criticism of his position, Vance posted on X, “Just google ‘ordo amoris.’ Aside from that, the idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-catholic-theology-migration-e868af574fb2e742c6ed3d756c569769">“Ordo amoris,”</a>&nbsp;a historic Catholic tenet, translates to “order of love.”Ten days after his initial post, Leo shared another piece from a Jesuit publication, titled, “Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance’s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration.”Prior to his first February post, Leo had been dormant on X since July 2023.After Leo’s election Thursday, Vance posted congratulations on X, adding, ”I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”<h2>His last post before becoming pope was critical of the Trump administration</h2>The pope’s final post as Cardinal Robert Prevost was a recirculation on April 14 of a post by church chronicler Rocco Palmo about Trump’s Oval Office meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746791711373.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-white-house-el-salvador-kilmar-abrego-garcia-ad338d6b4558a6aba80e8290fd3eece9">Bukele said it was “preposterous”</a>&nbsp;for his country to bring a Maryland man who was wrongly deported there in March back to the U.S., despite a Supreme Court ruling calling on the administration to “facilitate” Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return.Leo reposted Palmo’s link to an article by Washington-area Bishop Evelio Menjivar — who was born in El Salvador — asking, “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”<h2>His sharing of critiques dates back nearly a decade</h2>As Trump’s campaign ramped up in July 2015, Leo posted to X a Washington Post op-ed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, with the headline, “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.”In the wake of Trump’s first election in 2016, Leo reposted a homily in which Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez — characterizing the fear among many, including schoolchildren who “think the government is going to come and deport their parents, any day now” — said that America is “better than this.”Days later, Leo also posted an article by a Catholic outlet quoting Democrats as saying that, in her loss, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “ignored pro-lifers at her own peril.”In September 2017, months into Trump’s first term, Leo recirculated a post by author-activist Sister Helen Prejean saying she stands “with the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Dreamers?src=hashtag_click" target="_blank">#Dreamers</a>&nbsp;and all people who are working toward an immigration system that is fair, just, and moral.”He also reposted church chronicler Rocco Palmo’s piece with the teaser, “Saying Trump’s ‘bad hombres’ line fuels ‘racism and nativism,’ Cali bishops send preemptive blast on DACA repeal.”

On social media, Pope Leo XIV has shared criticism of Trump and Vance over policies

FRANKLIN COUNTY,&nbsp; Arkansas—A missing kayaker from Kansas whose body was found along the Mulberry River in northwest Arkansas has been identified as 57-year-old Hector Rios from Wichita, according to Keith Stephens, Chief of Communications with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.&nbsp; Rios was an Optometrist for over 20-years in the Wichita area, according to the bio on his practice web site.

Just after 4p.m. Thursday, Franklin County Search and Rescue found the body in area known locally as the Shoe on the Mulberry River just north of Mill Creek in Franklin County. The body was located along the bank of the river under some brush.&nbsp; Rios had been missing since Saturday afternoon. He was not wearing a life jacked, according to Stephens.

According to practice web site, Dr. Rios was a Kansas native. He graduated from Liberal High School in 1985. He attended Southwestern College, in Winfield. While at Southwestern, he attained All- America status in cross country and track &amp; field. He graduated summa cum laude in 1990, with degrees in biology, chemistry, and art. Dr. Rios graduated from Southern California College of Optometry, “with honors”, in 1994. He started practicing in September of 1994, with Dr. Dorwin H. Graham, in Wichita, and purchased a satellite office in Colwich in March of 1996.&nbsp; Rios is survived by a wife and three children.

The body has been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for autopsy. This occurs after all fatal boating accidents, according to Stephens.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746808269282.png" alt="File. photo Rafters head down the swollen Mulberry River on Jan. 31 during the opening ceremony for the new Mulberry River Bridge -photo courtesy River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Penny Weaver" />
 <figcaption>File. photo Rafters head down the swollen Mulberry River on Jan. 31 during the opening ceremony for the new Mulberry River Bridge -photo courtesy River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Penny Weaver</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY,&nbsp; Arkansas—A missing kayaker from Kansas whose body was found along the Mulberry River in northwest Arkansas has been identified as 57-year-old Hector Rios from Wichita, according to Keith Stephens, Chief of Communications with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.&nbsp; Rios was an Optometrist for over 20-years in the Wichita area, according to the bio on his practice web site.Just after 4p.m. Thursday, Franklin County Search and Rescue found the body in area known locally as the Shoe on the Mulberry River just north of Mill Creek in Franklin County. The body was located along the bank of the river under some brush.&nbsp; Rios had been missing since Saturday afternoon. He was not wearing a life jacked, according to Stephens.According to practice web site, Dr. Rios was a Kansas native. He graduated from Liberal High School in 1985. He attended Southwestern College, in Winfield. While at Southwestern, he attained All- America status in cross country and track &amp; field. He graduated summa cum laude in 1990, with degrees in biology, chemistry, and art. Dr. Rios graduated from Southern California College of Optometry, “with honors”, in 1994. He started practicing in September of 1994, with Dr. Dorwin H. Graham, in Wichita, and purchased a satellite office in Colwich in March of 1996.&nbsp; Rios is survived by a wife and three children.The body has been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for autopsy. This occurs after all fatal boating accidents, according to Stephens.

Searchers find body of missing kayaker from Kansas 

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEVI%20SHASTRI%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEVI SHASTRI AP Health Writer</a>

The U.S. surpassed 1,000 measles cases Friday, even as Texas posted one of its lowest counts of newly confirmed cases since its large outbreak began three months ago.

<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>&nbsp;still accounts for the vast majority of cases in the U.S., with 709 confirmed as of Friday in an outbreak that also spread measles to New Mexico, Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas.</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;died from measles-related illnesses in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the epicenter in West Texas,</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

North America has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">two other ongoing outbreaks</a>, all of which are the same measles strain. One outbreak in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=323859266e21469b8b97a294d6c6f98e&amp;sc_lang=en">1,440 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through May 6, up 197 cases in a week. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 1,041 measles cases and one death as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

As the virus takes hold in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">U.S. communities with low vaccination rates</a>, health experts fear that spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. Here’s what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has a total of 49 cases across eight counties in the southwestern part of the state, with one hospitalization. Most of the cases are in Gray, Haskell and Stevens counties.&nbsp; Sedgwick County is also reporting a case of measles.

How many measles cases are there in Texas?

There are a total of 709 cases across&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">29 counties, most of them in West Texas</a>, state health officials said Friday. The state confirmed only seven more cases since its update Tuesday.

The state also added one hospitalization to its count, for a total of 92 throughout the outbreak.

<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025">State health officials estimated</a>&nbsp;about 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious. Fifty-seven percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 403 cases since late January — just over 1.7% of the county’s residents.

The April 3 death in Texas was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">8-year-old child,</a>&nbsp;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.

How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?

New Mexico added four cases Friday for 71 total. Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Three are in Eddy County, two in Doña Ana County and one in Chaves County. Curry County logged its first case this week.

An unvaccinated adult died of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related illness March 6</a>. The person did not seek medical care.

Oklahoma held steady with a total of 14 confirmed and three probable cases as of Friday.

The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases, but Cleveland, Oklahoma and Sequoyah counties have had public exposures in the past couple of months.

Indiana has eight cases, all of them in Allen County in the northeast part of the state. The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health has said.

Michigan has nine confirmed cases of measles, with an outbreak of four connected cases in Montcalm County in the western part of the state that state health officials say is tied to the Ontario outbreak.

Montana added three new measles cases in the last two weeks, bringing the total to eight. The state's outbreak started in mid-April in southwestern Gallatin County — Montana’s first measles cases in 35 years. Health officials didn’t say whether the cases are linked to other outbreaks in North America.

How many cases are there in North Dakota?

North Dakota has nine cases of measles as of Tuesday. The state hadn't seen measles since 2011, health officials said.

All are in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. The state health department says three of the confirmed cases are linked to the first case — an unvaccinated child who health officials believe got it from an out-of-state visitor.

The other five cases were people who were not vaccinated and did not have contact with the other cases, causing concern about community transmission. The state health department said four people diagnosed with measles attended classes while infectious at a Williston elementary school, middle school and high school.

Ohio has 34 measles cases and one hospitalization, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That count includes only Ohio residents.

The state has two outbreaks: Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases, and Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors.

Allen, Cuyahoga, Holmes and Defiance counties have one case each.

How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has 15 cases overall in 2025 as of Friday, including international travel-related cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/2025%20HAN/2025-787-3-13-ADV-%20Measles.pdf">Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia</a>.

There were eight measles cases in Erie County in far northwest Pennsylvania in late April; the county declared an outbreak in mid-April.

Tennessee had six measles cases as of early May. Health department spokesman Bill Christian said all cases are the middle part of the state, and that “at least three of these cases are linked to each other” but declined to specify further. The state also did not say whether the cases were linked to other outbreaks or when Tennessee’s outbreak started.

Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."

Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEVI%20SHASTRI%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEVI SHASTRI AP Health Writer</a>The U.S. surpassed 1,000 measles cases Friday, even as Texas posted one of its lowest counts of newly confirmed cases since its large outbreak began three months ago.<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>&nbsp;still accounts for the vast majority of cases in the U.S., with 709 confirmed as of Friday in an outbreak that also spread measles to New Mexico, Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas.</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;died from measles-related illnesses in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the epicenter in West Texas,</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.North America has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">two other ongoing outbreaks</a>, all of which are the same measles strain. One outbreak in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=323859266e21469b8b97a294d6c6f98e&amp;sc_lang=en">1,440 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through May 6, up 197 cases in a week. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 1,041 measles cases and one death as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.As the virus takes hold in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">U.S. communities with low vaccination rates</a>, health experts fear that spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. Here’s what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>How many cases are there in Kansas?</h2><a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has a total of 49 cases across eight counties in the southwestern part of the state, with one hospitalization. Most of the cases are in Gray, Haskell and Stevens counties.&nbsp; Sedgwick County is also reporting a case of measles.<h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas?</h2>There are a total of 709 cases across&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">29 counties, most of them in West Texas</a>, state health officials said Friday. The state confirmed only seven more cases since its update Tuesday.The state also added one hospitalization to its count, for a total of 92 throughout the outbreak.<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025">State health officials estimated</a>&nbsp;about 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious. Fifty-seven percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 403 cases since late January — just over 1.7% of the county’s residents.The April 3 death in Texas was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">8-year-old child,</a>&nbsp;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.<h2>How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?</h2>New Mexico added four cases Friday for 71 total. Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Three are in Eddy County, two in Doña Ana County and one in Chaves County. Curry County logged its first case this week.An unvaccinated adult died of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related illness March 6</a>. The person did not seek medical care.<h2>How many cases are there in Oklahoma?</h2>Oklahoma held steady with a total of 14 confirmed and three probable cases as of Friday.The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases, but Cleveland, Oklahoma and Sequoyah counties have had public exposures in the past couple of months.<h2>How many cases are there in Indiana?</h2>Indiana has eight cases, all of them in Allen County in the northeast part of the state. The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health has said.<h2>How many cases are there in Michigan?</h2>Michigan has nine confirmed cases of measles, with an outbreak of four connected cases in Montcalm County in the western part of the state that state health officials say is tied to the Ontario outbreak.<h2>How many cases are there in Montana?</h2>Montana added three new measles cases in the last two weeks, bringing the total to eight. The state's outbreak started in mid-April in southwestern Gallatin County — Montana’s first measles cases in 35 years. Health officials didn’t say whether the cases are linked to other outbreaks in North America.<h2>How many cases are there in North Dakota?</h2>North Dakota has nine cases of measles as of Tuesday. The state hadn't seen measles since 2011, health officials said.All are in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. The state health department says three of the confirmed cases are linked to the first case — an unvaccinated child who health officials believe got it from an out-of-state visitor.The other five cases were people who were not vaccinated and did not have contact with the other cases, causing concern about community transmission. The state health department said four people diagnosed with measles attended classes while infectious at a Williston elementary school, middle school and high school.<h2>How many cases are there in Ohio?</h2>Ohio has 34 measles cases and one hospitalization, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That count includes only Ohio residents.The state has two outbreaks: Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases, and Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors.Allen, Cuyahoga, Holmes and Defiance counties have one case each.<h2>How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?</h2>Pennsylvania has 15 cases overall in 2025 as of Friday, including international travel-related cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/2025%20HAN/2025-787-3-13-ADV-%20Measles.pdf">Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia</a>.There were eight measles cases in Erie County in far northwest Pennsylvania in late April; the county declared an outbreak in mid-April.<h2>How many cases are there in Tennessee?</h2>Tennessee had six measles cases as of early May. Health department spokesman Bill Christian said all cases are the middle part of the state, and that “at least three of these cases are linked to each other” but declined to specify further. The state also did not say whether the cases were linked to other outbreaks or when Tennessee’s outbreak started.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.<h2>What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

US has over 1,000 measles cases, 11 states with active outbreaks

JOHNSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 8:30p.m. Thursday in Overland Park.

According to Overland Park police, a vehicle driven by 29-year-old Joshua Haines of Overland Park was eastbound on W. 151 Street at England Street. The vehicle struck another vehicle that was making a u-turn at England Street to travel eastbound. 

EMS transported Haines to Overland Park Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Overland Park Traffic Unit.

JOHNSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 8:30p.m. Thursday in Overland Park.According to Overland Park police, a vehicle driven by 29-year-old Joshua Haines of Overland Park was eastbound on W. 151 Street at England Street. The vehicle struck another vehicle that was making a u-turn at England Street to travel eastbound. EMS transported Haines to Overland Park Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Overland Park Traffic Unit.

Kansas man dies after crash into vehicle making u-turn

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-ukraine-russia-appeasement-af02a823e986bf27baf34520c6c5b931">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;says he’s responsible for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ed-martin-white-house-justice-department-thom-tillis-cecf801799faa2b56fd1bb4fac48379e">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;victory last fall, but he attributes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-6de09bd9d78d11a2cc4c4591c0f404e2">Kamala Harris’</a>&nbsp;loss, at least in part, to sexism and racism.

(click below to watch Biden's explanation)

Biden, who left office in January, addressed the Democrats’ disastrous 2024 election, concerns about his age and Trump’s divisive leadership during a Thursday interview on ABC’s “The View.” The 82-year-old Democrat said he has intentionally avoided speaking out publicly until this week to give the Republican president more than 100 days in office without his interference, as is typically the tradition following a change in the White House.

Asked about the last election, Biden said he was surprised by the role that gender and race played in the contest.

“They went the sexist route,” Biden said of criticism that “a woman couldn’t lead the country and a woman of mixed race.”

He added: “I was in charge, and he won, so I take responsibility.”

Biden has largely stepped away from national politics since leaving the White House. He’s not expected to play a central role in Democratic affairs as the party turns to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pritzker-trump-ocasio-cortez-democrats-resistance-message-9d4f7868892629e34df7ea1e29dc0b34">a new generation of leadership</a>, although he acknowledged on Thursday that he has maintained regular contact with Harris and has offered his guidance on her political future.

“She’s got a difficult decision to make about what she’s going to do. I hope she stays engaged,” Biden said, declining to share his specific advice.

Biden rejected concerns about his cognitive decline prompted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-panic-performance-democrats-debate-trump-cnn-fe6546f2c9762e80e6067ba10abedea8">a disastrous debate performance</a>&nbsp;last June. He also declined to criticize the Democratic leaders who privately pressed him to abandon his campaign.

“The only reason I got out of the race was because I didn’t want to have a divided Democratic Party,” he said, adding that the broader party didn’t buy into concerns about his age following the “terrible” debate performance “but the Democratic leadership and some of the very significant contributors did.”

Polling, however, suggests that the concerns among Democrats were widespread.

In January 2022, just a year into Biden’s first term, an AP-NORC poll found that only 48% of Democrats wanted him to seek reelection. That fell to 37% of Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">an AP-NORC poll conducted February 2023</a>. And two after his debate flop,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-poll-drop-out-debate-democrats-59eebaca6989985c2bfb">nearly two-thirds of Democrats</a>&nbsp;said Biden should withdraw from the race.

Thursday’s appearance also marked Biden’s first joint interview with former first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-jill-biden-gun-safety-schools-9c16e7f50347f040d8a7c6bd814054fd">Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;since leaving Washington. She rejected those who believe she created a protective cocoon around her husband while in office to protect him from scrutiny about his age.

“It was very hurtful especially from some of our so-called friends,” she said of the criticism.

“I was with Joe day and night … and I did not create a cocoon around him,” she continued. “You saw him in the Oval Office. You saw him making speeches. He wasn’t hiding somewhere.”

Meanwhile, the former president did not hold back when the conversation turned to Trump’s job performance.

“He’s had the worst 100 days any president has ever had,” Biden said.

White House communications director Steven Cheung fired back.

“Joe Biden is a complete disgrace to this country and the office he occupied,” Cheung said. “He has clearly lost all mental faculties and his handlers thought it’d be a good idea for him to do an interview and incoherently mumble his way through every answer. Sadly, this feels like abuse.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722723644132.png" alt="File photo Former President Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris- image White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo Former President Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris- image White House</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;STEVE PEOPLESNEW YORK (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-ukraine-russia-appeasement-af02a823e986bf27baf34520c6c5b931">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;says he’s responsible for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ed-martin-white-house-justice-department-thom-tillis-cecf801799faa2b56fd1bb4fac48379e">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;victory last fall, but he attributes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-6de09bd9d78d11a2cc4c4591c0f404e2">Kamala Harris’</a>&nbsp;loss, at least in part, to sexism and racism.(click below to watch Biden's explanation)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Former Pres. Biden tells <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheView?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheView</a> he &quot;wasn&#39;t surprised&quot; by Pres. Trump&#39;s win in 2024: &quot;[Kamala Harris is] qualified to be president of the United States of America, but I wasn&#39;t surprised because they went... the sexist route.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GrtA9iZhP0">pic.twitter.com/GrtA9iZhP0</a>&mdash; The View (@TheView) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheView/status/1920498174143111208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden, who left office in January, addressed the Democrats’ disastrous 2024 election, concerns about his age and Trump’s divisive leadership during a Thursday interview on ABC’s “The View.” The 82-year-old Democrat said he has intentionally avoided speaking out publicly until this week to give the Republican president more than 100 days in office without his interference, as is typically the tradition following a change in the White House.Asked about the last election, Biden said he was surprised by the role that gender and race played in the contest.“They went the sexist route,” Biden said of criticism that “a woman couldn’t lead the country and a woman of mixed race.”He added: “I was in charge, and he won, so I take responsibility.”Biden has largely stepped away from national politics since leaving the White House. He’s not expected to play a central role in Democratic affairs as the party turns to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pritzker-trump-ocasio-cortez-democrats-resistance-message-9d4f7868892629e34df7ea1e29dc0b34">a new generation of leadership</a>, although he acknowledged on Thursday that he has maintained regular contact with Harris and has offered his guidance on her political future.“She’s got a difficult decision to make about what she’s going to do. I hope she stays engaged,” Biden said, declining to share his specific advice.Biden rejected concerns about his cognitive decline prompted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-panic-performance-democrats-debate-trump-cnn-fe6546f2c9762e80e6067ba10abedea8">a disastrous debate performance</a>&nbsp;last June. He also declined to criticize the Democratic leaders who privately pressed him to abandon his campaign.“The only reason I got out of the race was because I didn’t want to have a divided Democratic Party,” he said, adding that the broader party didn’t buy into concerns about his age following the “terrible” debate performance “but the Democratic leadership and some of the very significant contributors did.”Polling, however, suggests that the concerns among Democrats were widespread.In January 2022, just a year into Biden’s first term, an AP-NORC poll found that only 48% of Democrats wanted him to seek reelection. That fell to 37% of Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">an AP-NORC poll conducted February 2023</a>. And two after his debate flop,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-poll-drop-out-debate-democrats-59eebaca6989985c2bfb">nearly two-thirds of Democrats</a>&nbsp;said Biden should withdraw from the race.Thursday’s appearance also marked Biden’s first joint interview with former first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-jill-biden-gun-safety-schools-9c16e7f50347f040d8a7c6bd814054fd">Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;since leaving Washington. She rejected those who believe she created a protective cocoon around her husband while in office to protect him from scrutiny about his age.“It was very hurtful especially from some of our so-called friends,” she said of the criticism.“I was with Joe day and night … and I did not create a cocoon around him,” she continued. “You saw him in the Oval Office. You saw him making speeches. He wasn’t hiding somewhere.”Meanwhile, the former president did not hold back when the conversation turned to Trump’s job performance.“He’s had the worst 100 days any president has ever had,” Biden said.White House communications director Steven Cheung fired back.“Joe Biden is a complete disgrace to this country and the office he occupied,” Cheung said. “He has clearly lost all mental faculties and his handlers thought it’d be a good idea for him to do an interview and incoherently mumble his way through every answer. Sadly, this feels like abuse.”

🎥Joe Biden explains why he thinks Kamala Harris lost the election

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 2:30a.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to 11th and Wyandotte on the report of a dead body, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Security guards were conducting patrol rounds when they located an adult male victim in a nearby parking garage. Officers were directed to the upper floor of the parking garage and located the victim suffering from obvious bodily trauma. 

KCFD EMS responded and medics pronounced the victim deceased on scene. This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to the incident and what caused the victim’s fatal injuries. Detectives are canvassing the area for witnesses and surveillance footage. Crime scene personnel will be processing the scene for all available physical evidence.&nbsp; Police released no additional details early Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746786942808.png" alt="KCTV" />
 <figcaption>KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just after 2:30a.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to 11th and Wyandotte on the report of a dead body, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746790386685.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>Security guards were conducting patrol rounds when they located an adult male victim in a nearby parking garage. Officers were directed to the upper floor of the parking garage and located the victim suffering from obvious bodily trauma. KCFD EMS responded and medics pronounced the victim deceased on scene. This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to the incident and what caused the victim’s fatal injuries. Detectives are canvassing the area for witnesses and surveillance footage. Crime scene personnel will be processing the scene for all available physical evidence.&nbsp; Police released no additional details early Friday.

Homicide: Body of man found in Kansas City parking garage

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the White House’s East Room on a rainy Thursday, first lady Melania Trump and members of the Bush family gathered to unveil a U.S postage stamp bearing the portrait of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barbara-bush">former first lady Barbara Bush</a>.

Amid the anticipation of the unveiling, Trump, Bush’s daughter Dorothy “Doro” Bush Koch and Judy de Torok, a vice president at U.S. Postal Service, took turns sharing stories chronicling the former first lady’s life and achievements.

Bush Koch held back tears recalling moments from her mother’s early life. “Mom was never one to shy away from speaking the truth or taking a stand,” she said. “With her signature white hair and pearls, she became an icon in her own right, and yet, even as a former first lady, she remained humble and humorous.”

The image on the stamp is Barbara Bush’s official White House portrait, which currently hangs in the entrance to the East Wing. She is depicted in a black suit and purple blouse, wearing her hallmark triple strand of pearls.

After a commemoration ceremony in Kennebunkport, Maine, where the Bush family compound is located, the stamp will go on sale June 10th.

Bush notably championed literacy programs and helped destigmatized people with AIDS and HIV when she cradled an infant during a 1989 visit to a hospice for children with the disease. Trump said Bush “changed the national conversation on AIDS and took a stand supporting gay rights.”

Trump also said she appreciated how Bush inspired people to pursue their personal dreams and was ahead of her time when she made the call for a female American president.

“Who knows?” Trump said. “Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps and preside over the White House, and I wish him well,” she said to laughs.

Barbara Bush&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-houston-26296df048a042acbb7b600d5885ed82">died in 2018 at 92 years-old</a>. She was married to President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0a70f6a7eb374acb88fd52b41e1f3c56">George H. W. Bush</a>. She is the mother of former President George W. Bush.

She was one of only two first ladies who had a child who was elected president. The other was Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams and mother of President John Quincy Adams.

And in 2016 — at 90 years-old — Barbara Bush campaigned for her son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush when he vied for the Republican presidential nomination, according to the George H. W. Bush library.

She had strong words for Donald Trump — back in 2016 she said in a joint CNN interview with Jeb Bush that she was “sick” of the current president. “He’s said terrible things about women, terrible things about the military. I don’t understand why people are for him, for that reason,” she said at the time.

Melania Trump attended Bush’s funeral in 2018 while Donald Trump did not attend. The White House said he stayed away to avoid security disruptions.

Bush is the eighth first lady to be honored with a U.S. postage stamp.

Bush Koch said “it’s unlikely that mom ever pictured herself on the postage stamp, and it’s very likely that she would be wondering what all this fuss is about.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the White House’s East Room on a rainy Thursday, first lady Melania Trump and members of the Bush family gathered to unveil a U.S postage stamp bearing the portrait of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barbara-bush">former first lady Barbara Bush</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A new stamp featuring former first lady Barbara Bush is unveiled at the White House. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/LDKQrbYGSl">https://t.co/LDKQrbYGSl</a> <a href="https://t.co/A3YoguAfyO">pic.twitter.com/A3YoguAfyO</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920637483064111162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Melania Trump remarks during postage stamp unveiling in honor of former first lady Barbara Bush ... <a href="https://t.co/DXADc6POjZ">pic.twitter.com/DXADc6POjZ</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1920635383521423667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Amid the anticipation of the unveiling, Trump, Bush’s daughter Dorothy “Doro” Bush Koch and Judy de Torok, a vice president at U.S. Postal Service, took turns sharing stories chronicling the former first lady’s life and achievements.Bush Koch held back tears recalling moments from her mother’s early life. “Mom was never one to shy away from speaking the truth or taking a stand,” she said. “With her signature white hair and pearls, she became an icon in her own right, and yet, even as a former first lady, she remained humble and humorous.”The image on the stamp is Barbara Bush’s official White House portrait, which currently hangs in the entrance to the East Wing. She is depicted in a black suit and purple blouse, wearing her hallmark triple strand of pearls.After a commemoration ceremony in Kennebunkport, Maine, where the Bush family compound is located, the stamp will go on sale June 10th.Bush notably championed literacy programs and helped destigmatized people with AIDS and HIV when she cradled an infant during a 1989 visit to a hospice for children with the disease. Trump said Bush “changed the national conversation on AIDS and took a stand supporting gay rights.”Trump also said she appreciated how Bush inspired people to pursue their personal dreams and was ahead of her time when she made the call for a female American president.“Who knows?” Trump said. “Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps and preside over the White House, and I wish him well,” she said to laughs.Barbara Bush&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-houston-26296df048a042acbb7b600d5885ed82">died in 2018 at 92 years-old</a>. She was married to President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0a70f6a7eb374acb88fd52b41e1f3c56">George H. W. Bush</a>. She is the mother of former President George W. Bush.She was one of only two first ladies who had a child who was elected president. The other was Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams and mother of President John Quincy Adams.And in 2016 — at 90 years-old — Barbara Bush campaigned for her son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush when he vied for the Republican presidential nomination, according to the George H. W. Bush library.She had strong words for Donald Trump — back in 2016 she said in a joint CNN interview with Jeb Bush that she was “sick” of the current president. “He’s said terrible things about women, terrible things about the military. I don’t understand why people are for him, for that reason,” she said at the time.Melania Trump attended Bush’s funeral in 2018 while Donald Trump did not attend. The White House said he stayed away to avoid security disruptions.Bush is the eighth first lady to be honored with a U.S. postage stamp.Bush Koch said “it’s unlikely that mom ever pictured herself on the postage stamp, and it’s very likely that she would be wondering what all this fuss is about.”

🎥White House unveils Barbara Bush postage stamp

SALINE COUNTY — Two people were injured in a house fire in rural Saline County.

Just after 5:30p.m. Thursday, sheriff's deputies and Saline County Rural Fire Districts 5, 7, and 2 responded to a working house fire in the 1500 block of N Marymount Road, according to Saline County Sheriff's Operations Captain Jim Hughes.

A 75-year-old female resident received serious burns and was transported to Salina Regional and transferred to Via Christi in Wichita.&nbsp; &nbsp;An 83-year-old male resident suffered smoke inhalation and was also transferred to Salina Regional Health Center;

The cause of the fire is suspected to be due to electrical issues.&nbsp; The residence is a total loss and the amount of loss is still being evaluated, according to Hughes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746798465659.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY — Two people were injured in a house fire in rural Saline County.Just after 5:30p.m. Thursday, sheriff's deputies and Saline County Rural Fire Districts 5, 7, and 2 responded to a working house fire in the 1500 block of N Marymount Road, according to Saline County Sheriff's Operations Captain Jim Hughes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746798263843.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A 75-year-old female resident received serious burns and was transported to Salina Regional and transferred to Via Christi in Wichita.&nbsp; &nbsp;An 83-year-old male resident suffered smoke inhalation and was also transferred to Salina Regional Health Center;The cause of the fire is suspected to be due to electrical issues.&nbsp; The residence is a total loss and the amount of loss is still being evaluated, according to Hughes.

Man and woman hospitalized after rural Kansas house fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to cut tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum in a planned trade deal but played down the possibility of other nations getting similarly favorable terms on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-deals-china-trade-02986c700a2d46c8b1ba85afe77d139f">his import taxes</a>, which are roiling the global economy.

Under the framework agreement, the United Kingdom is to buy more American beef and ethanol and streamline its customs process for goods from the United States. But Trump's baseline 10% tariffs against British goods are to stay in place, and the Republican president suggested that even higher import taxes would be charged on other countries trying to reach deals with the U.S.

“That's a low number,” Trump said of the U.K.'s 10% tariff rate, adding that other countries would face higher tariff rates in their deals because the U.S. runs trade deficits with them and “in many cases they didn't treat us right.”

The announcement provided a political victory for U.K. Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-reshape-government-musk-ai-f0d5a76f8540299a5338ccd2fe54c956">Keir Starmer</a>&nbsp;and offered a degree of validation for Trump's claims that his turbulent approach on trade may be able to rebalance the global economy on his preferred terms. While the deal should improve Britain's situation relative to when Trump began imposing new tariffs, the world economy is still mired in the confusion and uncertainty unleashed by the president's import taxes. The deal with the U.K. would be a resonant but small step toward greater clarity given that Britain represents a fraction of U.S. imports.

The U.S. president talked up the framework to reporters in the Oval Office, although the fine print remains in flux.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746749775236.png" alt="President Trump celebrating the trade deal with U.K. negotiators in the Oval Office- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Trump celebrating the trade deal with U.K. negotiators in the Oval Office- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to cut tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum in a planned trade deal but played down the possibility of other nations getting similarly favorable terms on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-deals-china-trade-02986c700a2d46c8b1ba85afe77d139f">his import taxes</a>, which are roiling the global economy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The UK offers a strategic market for American aviation &amp; agricultural products. I introduced legislation earlier this year to lay the groundwork for a strong bilateral trade relationship, &amp; President Trump’s announcement of a new trade agreement with the UK is a positive step… <a href="https://t.co/HRK1fu8PMy">https://t.co/HRK1fu8PMy</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1920549416441622683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Under the framework agreement, the United Kingdom is to buy more American beef and ethanol and streamline its customs process for goods from the United States. But Trump's baseline 10% tariffs against British goods are to stay in place, and the Republican president suggested that even higher import taxes would be charged on other countries trying to reach deals with the U.S.“That's a low number,” Trump said of the U.K.'s 10% tariff rate, adding that other countries would face higher tariff rates in their deals because the U.S. runs trade deficits with them and “in many cases they didn't treat us right.”The announcement provided a political victory for U.K. Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-reshape-government-musk-ai-f0d5a76f8540299a5338ccd2fe54c956">Keir Starmer</a>&nbsp;and offered a degree of validation for Trump's claims that his turbulent approach on trade may be able to rebalance the global economy on his preferred terms. While the deal should improve Britain's situation relative to when Trump began imposing new tariffs, the world economy is still mired in the confusion and uncertainty unleashed by the president's import taxes. The deal with the U.K. would be a resonant but small step toward greater clarity given that Britain represents a fraction of U.S. imports.The U.S. president talked up the framework to reporters in the Oval Office, although the fine print remains in flux.“In the coming weeks, we’ll have it all very conclusive,” Trump said.The president said the agreement would lead to more beef and ethanol exports to the U.K., and streamline the processing of U.S. goods through customs. Commerce Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gdp-economy-government-spending-lutnick-7414ba1bd441bd4bf64620bfd66923b2">Howard Lutnick</a>&nbsp;said the baseline 10% tariffs would stay in place and said an unspecified British company would be announcing the purchase of $10 billion in aircraft from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boeing-co">Boeing</a>.<h2>Cars, steel and olive oil</h2>U.K. officials said Trump's auto tariffs would go from 27.5% to 10% on a quota of 100,000 vehicles and the import taxes on steel and aluminum would go from 25% to zero. Starmer said Britain would preserve its health and safety standards on food products.The U.K. government also said it would also reduce tariffs on 2,500 U.S. products such as olive oil, wine and sports equipment, bringing down the average tariff rate 1.8%.Starmer, speaking over the phone to Trump while reporters listened in, stressed the importance of the relationship between the two countries as the anniversary of the Allies'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-victory-day-world-war-celebration-proclamation-1bc0d2cacc2d5220484d837efc492436">World War II victory in Europe</a>&nbsp;was being commemorated.“To be able to announce this great deal, on the same day 80 years forward, almost at the same hour,” Starmer said, “I think is incredibly important and makes this truly historic.”Starmer later spoke to workers at a Jaguar Land Rover plant and promoted the deal, which he said would protect thousands of auto jobs. He told the workers that “this is just the start,” saying “we are hammering out further details to reduce barriers to trade with the United States and across the world.”While celebrating the planned deal, Trump talked up the U.S. economy's future despite worrisome signs of a possible slowdown and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-rate-inflation-tariff-7b96cf47c986602db51ce87055ca5f24">increase in inflation</a>&nbsp;that could hurt most Americans' financial well-being and lead to layoffs.The president said the public should buy into the stock market because the U.S. was about to go up like a “rocket ship," even as he dismissed reports of fewer container ships docking in the U.S. and companies warning of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-poll-tariffs-inflation-prices-recession-1d320115e8801e4970bd5cccf2742fc4">price increases</a>&nbsp;if the tariffs remain.Trump said that fewer container ships arriving from China meant “we lose less money” from the trade deficit, even though the goods in those ships are used by U.S. manufacturers and sold by retailers in ways that can support jobs while holding down prices.Asked about companies saying they would need to raise prices because of the tariffs, Trump said, “I think they’re saying that just to try and negotiate deals with me.” Trump suggested that he might put 100% tariffs on Mattel toys if they don't relocate their factories to the United States.Trump has maintained that there is “virtually” no inflation. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure has increased at 2.3% annually, slightly higher than the central bank's 2% target.The U.S. president on Thursday said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jerome-powell">Fed Chair Jerome Powell</a>&nbsp;should cut the Fed's benchmark interest rates that are designed to manage inflation, saying that Powell was holding the Fed's rates at current levels instead of slashing them because “he's not in love with me.” Powell warned at a Wednesday news conference that the tariffs were creating uncertainty and the Fed could afford to wait until more data shows the impacts on the economy.<h2>Looking for a deal since Brexit</h2>The U.S. already runs a trade surplus with the U.K., making it a bit easier to find common ground at a time when Trump has staked his tariffs on eliminating the annual trade deficits with multiple nations he says have taken advantage of the U.S.A British government official, insisting on anonymity to discuss the talks, said the U.K. planned to seek greater trade liberalization as negotiations continue, such that the effective tariff rate charged by the U.S. could be lower than the 10% baseline.The official said the talks have been built on the longstanding closeness between the two nations and, when in discussions with the Trump administration, the key was to be charming and know how to say “no” nicely.The official said Trump had invited the British government to agree to a trade deal before April 2, but the president changed his mind so that he could impose his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs. That statement indicates that Trump could have announced some form of Thursday's agreement weeks earlier.No new deals have been reached with the United States' largest trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and China. Trump has left the highest tariffs in place on China, sparking a confrontation between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-trump-dce0557297c1a367cac9353d270a3c2e">the world's two biggest economies</a>. Washington and Beijing are sending officials to Switzerland this weekend for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-china-trade-switzerland-bessent-2a3335ed92989dc4b3a74ea550b79b3f">an initial round of trade talks</a>.Trump said Thursday that he "could" lower the 145% rate charged on Chinese goods if the weekend talks go well.“Right now, you can’t get any higher," Trump said. "It's at 145, so we know it’s coming down.”The U.S. and the U.K. have been aiming to strike a bilateral trade agreement since the British people voted in 2016 to leave the European Union, allowing the country to negotiate independently of the rest of the continent. Then-Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-resigns-partygate-lockdown-misled-parliament-64a8697c9ccbed381915fbfe45ffe028">Boris Johnson</a>&nbsp;touted a future deal with the U.S. as an incentive for Brexit.Negotiations started in 2020, during Trump’s first term. But the talks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-boris-johnson-entertainment-states-e5d3799d03fa90704376dc52fdf1f709">made little progress</a>&nbsp;under President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-ukraine-russia-appeasement-af02a823e986bf27baf34520c6c5b931">Joe Biden</a>, a Democrat and a critic of Brexit. Negotiations resumed after Trump returned to office in January and intensified in recent weeks.The U.S. ran a $11.9 billion trade surplus in goods with the U.K. last year, according to the Census Bureau. The $68 billion in goods that the U.S. imported from the U.K. last year accounted for just 2% of all goods imported into the country.The U.S. is far more important for the U.K. economy. It was Britain's biggest trading partner last year, according to government statistics, though the bulk of Britain’s exports to the U.S. are services rather than goods.___Jill Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.