VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prevost-american-pope-profile-leo-xiv-f9d14d75ae3bbe50bda121f27ee0e42b">Cardinal Robert Prevost has taken the name Leo XIV</a>. The Chicago-born missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-new-pope-photos-27ed8420e91b9b40cca8e65899ab878e">elected the first pope</a>&nbsp;from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.

In his first words as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;’ successor, uttered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo, 69, said, “Peace be with you,” and emphasized a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization. He wore the traditional red cape of the papacy — a cape that Francis had eschewed on his election in 2013. He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English.

Trump says ‘it’s such an honor for our country’

Trump spoke to reporters outside the West Wing, saying that for the new pope to be American, “What greater honor can there be?”

“We’re a little bit surprised and we’re happy,” Trump added.

US Secretary of State sends his greetings

Marco Rubio, a Catholic, issued a statement expressing his “heartfelt congratulations” to the new pope during “a moment of profound significance” for the church.

“The papacy carries a sacred and solemn responsibility,” Rubio’s message said. “May the Holy Spirit impart wisdom, strength, and grace as he shepherds the Church. The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff.”

Spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians welcomes the new Roman Catholic Church leader

“I greet the new Pope, the new Bishop of Rome, with great brotherly love in Christ and great expectations,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told the Associated Press Thursday at an event in Athens. He said he’ll be in Rome for the pope’s enthronement.

Reflecting on his longstanding cooperation with Pope Francis, Bartholomew expressed hope for continued progress in Catholic-Orthodox relations. He and Francis collaborated on global challenges including climate change, migration and the impact of technological change. They also hoped to end a centuries-old dispute by finding a common date to celebrate Easter.

“I hope that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will be a dear brother and collaborator ... for unity of the whole Christian family and for the benefit of the whole of humankind,” he said.

Vladimir Putin wishes Leo XIV success based on ‘Christian values’

The Russian president extended his “cordial congratulations” to the new pope in a message published on the Kremlin’s website, wishing him “success in fulfilling the high mission entrusted to you, as well as good health and well-being.”

“I am confident that the constructive dialogue and interaction established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us,” the Russian leader said.

UN secretary general offers ‘heartfelt congratulations’

Antonio Guterres said he looks forward “to building on the long legacy of cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See – nurtured most recently by Pope Francis – to advance solidarity, foster reconciliation, and build a just and sustainable world for all.”

“The election of a new Pope is a moment of profound spiritual significance for millions of faithful around the world, and it comes at a time of great global challenges. Our world is in need of the strongest voices for peace, social justice, human dignity and compassion,” Guterres said.

And he quoted the new pope’s first words: “Despite the rich diversity of backgrounds and beliefs, people everywhere share a common goal: ‘May peace be with all the world.’”

Leaders of African countries offer congratulations

Mozambique President Daniel Chapo said it was “with joy and jubilation that the people and government of the Republic of Mozambique received the happy news of his election.” Mozambique, once a colony of Portugal, has nearly 9 million Catholics.

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said in a Facebook post, “I wish a Pontificate filled with achievements and blessings, under the sign of interreligious dialogue, peace and human brotherhood,” The West African nation, while predominantly Muslim, has a significant Catholic minority.

Kenya’s Archbishop Anthony Muheria said Pope Leo XIV has visited Kenya “many times,” remembering him as “a very pleasant person and a good listener.” Catholics in Kenya make up the second largest denomination.

Spanish prime minister congratulates ‘the entire Catholic church’

Pedro Sánchez cheered the election of Pope Leo XIV, saying in a post on X: “May your pontificate contribute to strengthening dialogue and the defense of human rights in a world in need of hope and unity.”

Taiwan looks to work with the new pope to spread the message of peace

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has extended his congratulations to the new pontiff and said his diplomatically isolated island hopes to work with the Vatican on spreading peace, justice, religious freedom, unity and compassion.

The Vatican is the only state in Europe to have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and Taipei has worked hard to maintain a close relationship with recent popes.

About 2% of Taiwan’s population of 23 million are Catholic, though the church's roots go back hundreds of years on the island. Most Taiwanese follow Buddhism.

China’s state-backed church organizations offer congratulations to the new pope

China's official news agency Xinhua reported on Friday that the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops’ Conference of Catholic Church in China — both under the Chinese government — congratulated Leo.

The Vatican’s relations with China were severed in 1951 after the Communist Party came to power and the expulsion of foreign priests. The country’s estimated millions of Catholics were divided into the state-recognized church and an underground one that stayed loyal to Rome.

In 2018, the Vatican and China signed an accord over the thorny issue of bishop nominations, and the deal was extended in 2024 even though Rome previously acknowledged that it was far from ideal.

The Holy See’s outreach to China under late Pope Francis has drawn criticism, especially from American conservatives who have accused the Vatican of selling out the faithful who have been forced underground. Hong Kong’s outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen also criticized the deal.

Filipinos welcome the first-ever American pontiff

The Philippines is the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia and there were hopes the late Pope Francis would be succeeded by a prominent Filipino Cardinal, Luis Antonio Tagle, from the laidback city of Imus just south of Manila.

Still, Leo's election was welcomed and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he prays that the new pope would "continue to bring the church closer to the poor and disadvantaged.”

“I wanted the candidate from the Philippines … but let’s accept this choice because this was God’s plan,” Alexandra Bonilla, a 20-year-old student, said at a cathedral in Imus.

Australia's prime minister says Pope Leo's leadership comes at an ‘important time’

Anthony Albanese said on Friday that he will invite the new pope to the 54th International Eucharistic Congress, a gathering of Roman Catholic clergy and lay people, in Sydney in 2028.

The Bushes are delighted over an American pope

Former U.S. President George W. Bush said he and his wife, Laura, are “delighted” to congratulate former Cardinal Robert Prevost on his election to become pope.

“This an historic and hopeful moment for Catholics in America and for the faithful around the world,” Bush said in a statement. “We join those praying for the success of Pope Leo XIV as he prepares to lead the Catholic church, serve the neediest, and share God’s love.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746737222266.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prevost-american-pope-profile-leo-xiv-f9d14d75ae3bbe50bda121f27ee0e42b">Cardinal Robert Prevost has taken the name Leo XIV</a>. The Chicago-born missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-new-pope-photos-27ed8420e91b9b40cca8e65899ab878e">elected the first pope</a>&nbsp;from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.</p><p>In his first words as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;’ successor, uttered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo, 69, said, “Peace be with you,” and emphasized a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization. He wore the traditional red cape of the papacy — a cape that Francis had eschewed on his election in 2013. He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English.</p><h2>Trump says ‘it’s such an honor for our country’</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump on Pope Leo XIV: &quot;To have the pope from the United States of America, that&#39;s a great honor.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/0PzT89cpej">pic.twitter.com/0PzT89cpej</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920550229012607248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Trump spoke to reporters outside the West Wing, saying that for the new pope to be American, “What greater honor can there be?”</p><p>“We’re a little bit surprised and we’re happy,” Trump added.</p><h2>US Secretary of State sends his greetings</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Habemus Papam!<br><br>Congratulations to the first American pontiff, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, on his election as the 267th successor to Saint Peter. May God grant him wisdom, courage, and grace as he carries out his sacred ministry.</p>&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1920557152030036353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Marco Rubio, a Catholic, issued a statement expressing his “heartfelt congratulations” to the new pope during “a moment of profound significance” for the church.</p><p>“The papacy carries a sacred and solemn responsibility,” Rubio’s message said. “May the Holy Spirit impart wisdom, strength, and grace as he shepherds the Church. The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff.”</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today, we joyously celebrate the election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, a moment of profound significance for the global Church. A Villanova alumnus, Pope Leo XIV is the first Pope from the United States and the first Augustinian friar to be elected.<a href="https://t.co/ObBq4dgJya">https://t.co/ObBq4dgJya</a> <a href="https://t.co/dwlNiPw0lT">pic.twitter.com/dwlNiPw0lT</a></p>&mdash; Villanova University (@VillanovaU) <a href="https://twitter.com/VillanovaU/status/1920549928348066188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians welcomes the new Roman Catholic Church leader</h2><p>“I greet the new Pope, the new Bishop of Rome, with great brotherly love in Christ and great expectations,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told the Associated Press Thursday at an event in Athens. He said he’ll be in Rome for the pope’s enthronement.</p><p>Reflecting on his longstanding cooperation with Pope Francis, Bartholomew expressed hope for continued progress in Catholic-Orthodox relations. He and Francis collaborated on global challenges including climate change, migration and the impact of technological change. They also hoped to end a centuries-old dispute by finding a common date to celebrate Easter.</p><p>“I hope that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will be a dear brother and collaborator ... for unity of the whole Christian family and for the benefit of the whole of humankind,” he said.</p><h2>Vladimir Putin wishes Leo XIV success based on ‘Christian values’</h2><p>The Russian president extended his “cordial congratulations” to the new pope in a message published on the Kremlin’s website, wishing him “success in fulfilling the high mission entrusted to you, as well as good health and well-being.”</p><p>“I am confident that the constructive dialogue and interaction established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us,” the Russian leader said.</p><h2>UN secretary general offers ‘heartfelt congratulations’</h2><p>Antonio Guterres said he looks forward “to building on the long legacy of cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See – nurtured most recently by Pope Francis – to advance solidarity, foster reconciliation, and build a just and sustainable world for all.”</p><p>“The election of a new Pope is a moment of profound spiritual significance for millions of faithful around the world, and it comes at a time of great global challenges. Our world is in need of the strongest voices for peace, social justice, human dignity and compassion,” Guterres said.</p><p>And he quoted the new pope’s first words: “Despite the rich diversity of backgrounds and beliefs, people everywhere share a common goal: ‘May peace be with all the world.’”</p><h2>Leaders of African countries offer congratulations</h2><p>Mozambique President Daniel Chapo said it was “with joy and jubilation that the people and government of the Republic of Mozambique received the happy news of his election.” Mozambique, once a colony of Portugal, has nearly 9 million Catholics.</p><p>Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said in a Facebook post, “I wish a Pontificate filled with achievements and blessings, under the sign of interreligious dialogue, peace and human brotherhood,” The West African nation, while predominantly Muslim, has a significant Catholic minority.</p><p>Kenya’s Archbishop Anthony Muheria said Pope Leo XIV has visited Kenya “many times,” remembering him as “a very pleasant person and a good listener.” Catholics in Kenya make up the second largest denomination.</p><h2>Spanish prime minister congratulates ‘the entire Catholic church’</h2><p>Pedro Sánchez cheered the election of Pope Leo XIV, saying in a post on X: “May your pontificate contribute to strengthening dialogue and the defense of human rights in a world in need of hope and unity.”</p><h2>Taiwan looks to work with the new pope to spread the message of peace</h2><p>Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has extended his congratulations to the new pontiff and said his diplomatically isolated island hopes to work with the Vatican on spreading peace, justice, religious freedom, unity and compassion.</p><p>The Vatican is the only state in Europe to have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and Taipei has worked hard to maintain a close relationship with recent popes.</p><p>About 2% of Taiwan’s population of 23 million are Catholic, though the church's roots go back hundreds of years on the island. Most Taiwanese follow Buddhism.</p><h2>China’s state-backed church organizations offer congratulations to the new pope</h2><p>China's official news agency Xinhua reported on Friday that the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops’ Conference of Catholic Church in China — both under the Chinese government — congratulated Leo.</p><p>The Vatican’s relations with China were severed in 1951 after the Communist Party came to power and the expulsion of foreign priests. The country’s estimated millions of Catholics were divided into the state-recognized church and an underground one that stayed loyal to Rome.</p><p>In 2018, the Vatican and China signed an accord over the thorny issue of bishop nominations, and the deal was extended in 2024 even though Rome previously acknowledged that it was far from ideal.</p><p>The Holy See’s outreach to China under late Pope Francis has drawn criticism, especially from American conservatives who have accused the Vatican of selling out the faithful who have been forced underground. Hong Kong’s outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen also criticized the deal.</p><h2>Filipinos welcome the first-ever American pontiff</h2><p>The Philippines is the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia and there were hopes the late Pope Francis would be succeeded by a prominent Filipino Cardinal, Luis Antonio Tagle, from the laidback city of Imus just south of Manila.</p><p>Still, Leo's election was welcomed and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he prays that the new pope would "continue to bring the church closer to the poor and disadvantaged.”</p><p>“I wanted the candidate from the Philippines … but let’s accept this choice because this was God’s plan,” Alexandra Bonilla, a 20-year-old student, said at a cathedral in Imus.</p><h2>Australia's prime minister says Pope Leo's leadership comes at an ‘important time’</h2><p>Anthony Albanese said on Friday that he will invite the new pope to the 54th International Eucharistic Congress, a gathering of Roman Catholic clergy and lay people, in Sydney in 2028.</p><h2>The Bushes are delighted over an American pope</h2><p>Former U.S. President George W. Bush said he and his wife, Laura, are “delighted” to congratulate former Cardinal Robert Prevost on his election to become pope.</p><p>“This an historic and hopeful moment for Catholics in America and for the faithful around the world,” Bush said in a statement. “We join those praying for the success of Pope Leo XIV as he prepares to lead the Catholic church, serve the neediest, and share God’s love.”</p>

Trump, other world leaders offer congratulations to new Pope

FINNEY COUNTY—There were no injuries reported after an accident in southwest Kansas.

Just after 2:15 p.m., Wednesday, Police, Fire and EMS responded to an accident at the Highlander Laundry, 510 W. Kansas Avenue in Garden City. A truck struck the building.

The investigation revealed the driver was parking in front of the business when their foot slipped, making the truck accelerate and collide with the building. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from inside the building. The driver was also not injured.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746735205414.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>FINNEY COUNTY—There were no injuries reported after an accident in southwest Kansas.</p><p>Just after 2:15 p.m., Wednesday, Police, Fire and EMS responded to an accident at the Highlander Laundry, 510 W. Kansas Avenue in Garden City. A truck struck the building.</p><p>The investigation revealed the driver was parking in front of the business when their foot slipped, making the truck accelerate and collide with the building. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from inside the building. The driver was also not injured.</p>

Driver crashed into laundromat in southwest Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump agreed on 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. But it also could temper the expectations of the European Union and others negotiating with the U.S. in hopes of mutually slashing tariffs to zero.

The U.S. president talked up the framework to reporters in the Oval Office, although the fine print remains in flux despite his prior statements that a full agreement had been signed

“In the coming weeks, we’ll have it all very conclusive,” Trump said.

The president said that 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 that the baseline 10% tariffs would stay in place and that 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>.

U.K. officials said that 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.

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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-victory-day-world-war-celebration-proclamation-1bc0d2cacc2d5220484d837efc492436">the 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,” Startmer 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.

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.

No new deals have been reached with America's 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>.

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.

Still, 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.

A trade deal with the U.S. is one of several that Starmer’s government is seeking to strike. On Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-india-trade-deal-starmer-modi-6cbaf787f49a08aac18f93b2601d09f2">Britain and India</a>&nbsp;announced a trade agreement after three years of negotiations. The U.K. is also trying to lift some of the barriers to trade with the EU imposed when Britain left the bloc in 2020.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746720326440.png" alt="White House photo" />
                        <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump agreed on 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.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This announcement is a big win for American agriculture! <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is unlocking billions in new market access for U.S. exports like beef, ethanol, and more—boosting our GREAT farmers and rural economies!<br>🇺🇸🤝🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/sMD1naHBnD">https://t.co/sMD1naHBnD</a></p>&mdash; House Committee on Agriculture (@HouseAgGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseAgGOP/status/1920494751465222605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FACT SHEET: U.S.-U.K. Reach Historic Trade Deal <a href="https://t.co/vvwfwkdGA5">pic.twitter.com/vvwfwkdGA5</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1920505009587802144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>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.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🚨 🚨 🚨 <a href="https://t.co/6wmO4WZi6K">pic.twitter.com/6wmO4WZi6K</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1920494982282064090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“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.”</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/fRjtUHS1ZQ">pic.twitter.com/fRjtUHS1ZQ</a></p>&mdash; House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1920500123399831839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>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. But it also could temper the expectations of the European Union and others negotiating with the U.S. in hopes of mutually slashing tariffs to zero.</p><p>The U.S. president talked up the framework to reporters in the Oval Office, although the fine print remains in flux despite his prior statements that a full agreement had been signed</p><p>“In the coming weeks, we’ll have it all very conclusive,” Trump said.</p><p>The president said that 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 that the baseline 10% tariffs would stay in place and that 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>.</p><p>U.K. officials said that 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.</p><p>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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-victory-day-world-war-celebration-proclamation-1bc0d2cacc2d5220484d837efc492436">the World War II victory in Europe</a>&nbsp;was being commemorated.</p><p>“To be able to announce this great deal, on the same day 80 years forward, almost at the same hour,” Startmer said, “I think is incredibly important and makes this truly historic.”</p><p>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.”</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>No new deals have been reached with America's 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>.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Still, 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.</p><p>A trade deal with the U.S. is one of several that Starmer’s government is seeking to strike. On Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-india-trade-deal-starmer-modi-6cbaf787f49a08aac18f93b2601d09f2">Britain and India</a>&nbsp;announced a trade agreement after three years of negotiations. The U.K. is also trying to lift some of the barriers to trade with the EU imposed when Britain left the bloc in 2020.</p><p>-----</p>

U.S. trade deal with the U.K. good for American agriculture

VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prevost-american-pope-profile-leo-xiv-f9d14d75ae3bbe50bda121f27ee0e42b">Robert Prevost,</a>&nbsp;an missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-new-pope-photos-27ed8420e91b9b40cca8e65899ab878e">elected the first pope</a>&nbsp;from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.

Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order, took the name Leo XIV.

In his first words as Pope Francis’ successor, uttered from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, Leo said, “Peace be with you,” and emphasized a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization. He wore the traditional red cape of the papacy — a cape that Francis had eschewed on his election in 2013.

Prevost had been a leading candidate for the papacy except, but there had long been a taboo against a U.S. pope, given the country's geopolitical power already wielded in the secular sphere. But Prevost, a Chicago native, was seemingly eligible because he’s also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.

Pope Francis clearly had his eye on Prevost and in many ways saw him as his heir apparent. He brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-canada-vatican-city-chicago-peru-a2df40ea86c77a2c1442de8a5615b198">serve as the powerful head</a>&nbsp;of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. And in January he elevated him into the senior ranks of cardinals. As a result, Prevost had a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals had.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-50c798caa826bbb7c913791175536add">crowd in St. Peter’s Square</a>&nbsp;erupted in cheers when white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel on the second day of the conclave. Priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted “Viva il papa!”

Waving flags from around the world, tens of thousands of people waited to learn who had won and were shocked when an hour later, the senior cardinal deacon appeared on the loggia and said “Habemus Papam!” and announced the winner was Prevost.

He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English.

The last pope to take the name Leo was Leo XIII, an Italian who led the church from 1878 to 1903. That Leo softened the church’s confrontational stance toward modernity, especially science and politics and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers’ rights and capitalism.

The Chicago-born Prevost has extensive experience in Peru, first as a missionary and then an archbishop, and he is currently prefect of the Vatican’s powerful dicastery for bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world. Francis clearly had an eye on him for years and sent him to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He held that position until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome for his current role. Prevost is also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, a job that keeps him in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in the part of the world that still counts the most Catholics.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746725271539.png" alt="Prevost took the name Leo XIV." />
                        <figcaption>Prevost took the name Leo XIV.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prevost-american-pope-profile-leo-xiv-f9d14d75ae3bbe50bda121f27ee0e42b">Robert Prevost,</a>&nbsp;an missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-new-pope-photos-27ed8420e91b9b40cca8e65899ab878e">elected the first pope</a>&nbsp;from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.</p><p>Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order, took the name Leo XIV.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WATCH: Complete remarks from Pope Leo XIV. <a href="https://t.co/aOzEdyb0G0">pic.twitter.com/aOzEdyb0G0</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920538411326169492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 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"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Pope Leo XIV <a href="https://t.co/UejjnPjzeQ">pic.twitter.com/UejjnPjzeQ</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920531668311359753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>In his first words as Pope Francis’ successor, uttered from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, Leo said, “Peace be with you,” and emphasized a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization. He wore the traditional red cape of the papacy — a cape that Francis had eschewed on his election in 2013.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745282817865.png" alt="Cardinal Robert Prevost courtesy photo" />
                        <figcaption>Cardinal Robert Prevost courtesy photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Prevost had been a leading candidate for the papacy except, but there had long been a taboo against a U.S. pope, given the country's geopolitical power already wielded in the secular sphere. But Prevost, a Chicago native, was seemingly eligible because he’s also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.</p><p>Pope Francis clearly had his eye on Prevost and in many ways saw him as his heir apparent. He brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-canada-vatican-city-chicago-peru-a2df40ea86c77a2c1442de8a5615b198">serve as the powerful head</a>&nbsp;of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. And in January he elevated him into the senior ranks of cardinals. As a result, Prevost had a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals had.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-50c798caa826bbb7c913791175536add">crowd in St. Peter’s Square</a>&nbsp;erupted in cheers when white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel on the second day of the conclave. Priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted “Viva il papa!”</p><p>Waving flags from around the world, tens of thousands of people waited to learn who had won and were shocked when an hour later, the senior cardinal deacon appeared on the loggia and said “Habemus Papam!” and announced the winner was Prevost.</p><p>He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English.</p><p>The last pope to take the name Leo was Leo XIII, an Italian who led the church from 1878 to 1903. That Leo softened the church’s confrontational stance toward modernity, especially science and politics and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers’ rights and capitalism.</p><p>The Chicago-born Prevost has extensive experience in Peru, first as a missionary and then an archbishop, and he is currently prefect of the Vatican’s powerful dicastery for bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world. Francis clearly had an eye on him for years and sent him to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He held that position until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome for his current role. Prevost is also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, a job that keeps him in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in the part of the world that still counts the most Catholics.&nbsp;</p>

🎥Robert Prevost, first pope from US in history of the Catholic Church

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal gun fight in February have a third suspect in custody.

Sedgwick County arrest records show deputies booked 20-year-old Jerry Johnson into jail Wednesday afternoon on requested charges of first-degree murder.

Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.

Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified men dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.

Later on Feb. 11, an 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

The Wichita Police Department asked the public for information on the whereabouts of&nbsp; Johnson. On February 14, Johnson was charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office in reference to his involvement the homicide.

Johnson is now being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $1 million bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp; Police have not reported details of the arrest.&nbsp; He is due to make a&nbsp; &nbsp;court appearance on Thursday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739989718610.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal gun fight in February have a third suspect in custody.</p><p>Sedgwick County arrest records show deputies booked 20-year-old Jerry Johnson into jail Wednesday afternoon on requested charges of first-degree murder.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746700121329.png" alt="Johnson photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Johnson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.</p><p>Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.</p><p>Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified men dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.</p><p>Later on Feb. 11, an 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;</p><p>The Wichita Police Department asked the public for information on the whereabouts of&nbsp; Johnson. On February 14, Johnson was charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office in reference to his involvement the homicide.</p><p>Johnson is now being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $1 million bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp; Police have not reported details of the arrest.&nbsp; He is due to make a&nbsp; &nbsp;court appearance on Thursday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.</p>

After nearly 3 months wanted Kan. murder suspect captured

VATICAN CITY (AP) — White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d7991a37a679f09792ed220cc1f6bbed">a pope has been elected</a>&nbsp;to lead the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave">Catholic Church</a>.

That means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers. The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words “Habemus papam!” Latin for “We have a pope!” from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner’s birth name in Latin, and reveals the name he has chosen to be called.

The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impart a blessing from the same loggia.

Older cardinals who didn’t participate in the conclave rush out to the square

These cardinals lined up as military bands played the Italian and Holy See national anthems.

Spotted in the crowd were American Cardinals Sean O’Malley and Donald Wuerl, both of whom are over 80 and didn’t vote.

Swiss Guards have taken position in front of front of St. Peter’s Basilica

A marching brass band in blue uniforms led a contingent of Swiss guards through the crowd to a central spot below the balcony, generating another huge roar from the crowd.

The Pontifical Swiss Guard is the official security force of the Vatican, and holds a ceremonial and a protective function.

And now more marching bands are celebrating the election of a new pope in a parade that includes large groups in military dress uniforms.

“Vivi il Papa!” erupts from the crowd whenever the music pauses.

All eyes are now on the red-draped central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica

That’s where a cardinal will soon emerge to “to proclaim a new pope to Rome and to the world.”

There is incredible excitement — the crowd is roaring, and some are shouting “hallelujah!”

Moments after white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel, the bells began tolling in Barcelona’s towering Sagrada Familia basilica and the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, across from the royal palace.

The great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica are tolling

And down below, amid the cheers in the vast mix of humanity in St. Peter’s square, priests are making the sign of the cross and nuns are weeping at the white smoke wafting into the sky.

The crowd erupted with joy in St. Peter’s Square

Some are obviously deeply moved, others excited. They’re clapping and waving national flags and taking photos with their phones.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the great bells of St. Peter's Basilica tolled Thursday after cardinals elected the 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church.

The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers, priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted, “Viva il papa!” after the white smoke wafted into the late afternoon sky.

The smoke signal means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words “Habemus Papam!” — Latin for “We have a pope!” — from the loggia of the basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner’s birth name in Latin and reveals the name he has chosen to be called.

<p>VATICAN CITY (AP) — White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d7991a37a679f09792ed220cc1f6bbed">a pope has been elected</a>&nbsp;to lead the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave">Catholic Church</a>.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHITE SMOKE<br><br>Conclave has elected a new pope. <a href="https://t.co/c5x7TXJPGw">pic.twitter.com/c5x7TXJPGw</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920512574375764296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>That means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers. The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words “Habemus papam!” Latin for “We have a pope!” from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner’s birth name in Latin, and reveals the name he has chosen to be called.</p><p>The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impart a blessing from the same loggia.</p><p>Here is the latest:</p><h2>Older cardinals who didn’t participate in the conclave rush out to the square</h2><p>These cardinals lined up as military bands played the Italian and Holy See national anthems.</p><p>Spotted in the crowd were American Cardinals Sean O’Malley and Donald Wuerl, both of whom are over 80 and didn’t vote.</p><h2>Swiss Guards have taken position in front of front of St. Peter’s Basilica</h2><p>A marching brass band in blue uniforms led a contingent of Swiss guards through the crowd to a central spot below the balcony, generating another huge roar from the crowd.</p><p>The Pontifical Swiss Guard is the official security force of the Vatican, and holds a ceremonial and a protective function.</p><p>And now more marching bands are celebrating the election of a new pope in a parade that includes large groups in military dress uniforms.</p><p>“Vivi il Papa!” erupts from the crowd whenever the music pauses.</p><h2>All eyes are now on the red-draped central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica</h2><p>That’s where a cardinal will soon emerge to “to proclaim a new pope to Rome and to the world.”</p><p>There is incredible excitement — the crowd is roaring, and some are shouting “hallelujah!”</p><h2>Church bells ring in Spain</h2><p>Moments after white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel, the bells began tolling in Barcelona’s towering Sagrada Familia basilica and the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, across from the royal palace.</p><h2>The great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica are tolling</h2><p>And down below, amid the cheers in the vast mix of humanity in St. Peter’s square, priests are making the sign of the cross and nuns are weeping at the white smoke wafting into the sky.</p><h2>The crowd erupted with joy in St. Peter’s Square</h2><p>Some are obviously deeply moved, others excited. They’re clapping and waving national flags and taking photos with their phones.</p><p>“Viva il papa!” some shouted.</p><p>------------</p><p>VATICAN CITY (AP) — White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the great bells of St. Peter's Basilica tolled Thursday after cardinals elected the 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church.</p><p>The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers, priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted, “Viva il papa!” after the white smoke wafted into the late afternoon sky.</p><p>The smoke signal means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.</p><p>The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words “Habemus Papam!” — Latin for “We have a pope!” — from the loggia of the basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner’s birth name in Latin and reveals the name he has chosen to be called.</p><p>The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impart a blessing from the same loggia.</p>

🎥White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney: A new pope elected

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.merck-animal-health.com%2F/1/01010196affcb425-3b4f991c-9bb8-456a-a026-b5d61955a9dc-000000/2jAl_vvhePLRUnTv8q-32_0YeOSQ7KKd4OnZYnGdzSA=404">Merck Animal Health</a>&nbsp;today jointly announced an $895 million capital expansion project at the company’s manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas, according to a media release from the governor's office.

 The second largest private investment in Kansas history – and the largest economic development project for Merck Animal Health – will create more than 200 new jobs.

The $860 million investment in its existing manufacturing facility and $35 million in its research and development laboratories demonstrates Merck’s commitment to the U.S. market, where the company has significantly invested to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals.

“This extraordinary investment by Merck Animal Health underscores my administration’s commitment to securing a strong economic future for our state and ensuring prosperity for generations to come,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “Public-private partnerships that lead to major global projects, such as those with Merck, Fiserv and Panasonic – just to name a few recent successes – are occurring because people believe in Kansas. They believe in who we are, what we are doing, and the direction we have taken.”

The 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility project will expand filling and freeze dryer capacity for large molecule vaccines and biologic products for Merck Animal Health. As a Center of Excellence, it will play a pivotal role in the manufacturing of animal health products and will complement the company’s extensive U.S. and international network of animal health product manufacturing plants.

Site preparation and facility design will start immediately, creating 2,500 construction jobs. Commercial manufacturing is expected to begin in 2030.

“Our De Soto manufacturing facility is strategically located in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor. This region is renowned for its concentration of animal health companies, fostering an unparalleled ecosystem for innovation, collaboration and industry leadership,”&nbsp;Merck Animal Health President Richard DeLuca said. “This investment in our site is designed to increase Merck Animal Health’s ability to meet the growing customer demand for its portfolio of animal biologics products and ensure the company remains at the forefront of innovation in the animal health sector. This initiative also reflects our dedication to advancing animal health and our on-going investment in the communities where we operate.”

Since the advent of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Merck has allocated more than $12 billion to enhance domestic manufacturing and research capabilities, with additional planned investments of more than $9 billion over the next four years.

Merck Animal Health’s significant investment in its research and development laboratories will enhance its research capabilities, focusing on advancing global drug discovery and development initiatives. The investment will continue to drive Merck Animal Health’s innovative research and development of novel parasiticides and therapeutics, reinforcing the company’s dedication to improving animal health and welfare worldwide.

“Merck’s massive expansion in De Soto further elevates Kansas’ long-established status as a global leader in animal health,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The opportunities and ripple effects of having almost $1 billion surge into the local economy will have far-reaching and long-lasting reverberations across the entire state. Historic investments such as these truly benefit all Kansans, both now and into the future.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746714250294.png" alt="Merk plant in DeSoto -Google image" />
                        <figcaption>Merk plant in DeSoto -Google image</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.merck-animal-health.com%2F/1/01010196affcb425-3b4f991c-9bb8-456a-a026-b5d61955a9dc-000000/2jAl_vvhePLRUnTv8q-32_0YeOSQ7KKd4OnZYnGdzSA=404">Merck Animal Health</a>&nbsp;today jointly announced an $895 million capital expansion project at the company’s manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas, according to a media release from the governor's office.</p><p> The second largest private investment in Kansas history – and the largest economic development project for Merck Animal Health – will create more than 200 new jobs.</p><p>The $860 million investment in its existing manufacturing facility and $35 million in its research and development laboratories demonstrates Merck’s commitment to the U.S. market, where the company has significantly invested to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals.</p><p>“This extraordinary investment by Merck Animal Health underscores my administration’s commitment to securing a strong economic future for our state and ensuring prosperity for generations to come,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “Public-private partnerships that lead to major global projects, such as those with Merck, Fiserv and Panasonic – just to name a few recent successes – are occurring because people believe in Kansas. They believe in who we are, what we are doing, and the direction we have taken.”</p><p>The 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility project will expand filling and freeze dryer capacity for large molecule vaccines and biologic products for Merck Animal Health. As a Center of Excellence, it will play a pivotal role in the manufacturing of animal health products and will complement the company’s extensive U.S. and international network of animal health product manufacturing plants.</p><p>Site preparation and facility design will start immediately, creating 2,500 construction jobs. Commercial manufacturing is expected to begin in 2030.</p><p>“Our De Soto manufacturing facility is strategically located in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor. This region is renowned for its concentration of animal health companies, fostering an unparalleled ecosystem for innovation, collaboration and industry leadership,”&nbsp;Merck Animal Health President Richard DeLuca said. “This investment in our site is designed to increase Merck Animal Health’s ability to meet the growing customer demand for its portfolio of animal biologics products and ensure the company remains at the forefront of innovation in the animal health sector. This initiative also reflects our dedication to advancing animal health and our on-going investment in the communities where we operate.”</p><p>Since the advent of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Merck has allocated more than $12 billion to enhance domestic manufacturing and research capabilities, with additional planned investments of more than $9 billion over the next four years.</p><p>Merck Animal Health’s significant investment in its research and development laboratories will enhance its research capabilities, focusing on advancing global drug discovery and development initiatives. The investment will continue to drive Merck Animal Health’s innovative research and development of novel parasiticides and therapeutics, reinforcing the company’s dedication to improving animal health and welfare worldwide.</p><p>“Merck’s massive expansion in De Soto further elevates Kansas’ long-established status as a global leader in animal health,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The opportunities and ripple effects of having almost $1 billion surge into the local economy will have far-reaching and long-lasting reverberations across the entire state. Historic investments such as these truly benefit all Kansans, both now and into the future.”</p>

$895M expansion in Kansas plant will bring 200 jobs to the state

SHAWNEE COUNTY – The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a fatality accident near NW Carlson Road and NW 39th Street, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker.

Just after 4:30 a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a phone call regarding a single vehicle vs. pedestrian accident in the 3800 block of NW Carlson Road.

NW Carlson Road was closed between NW 39th Street and NW 33rd Street.

Authorities released no additional details.

<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><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY – The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a fatality accident near NW Carlson Road and NW 39th Street, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker.</p><p>Just after 4:30 a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a phone call regarding a single vehicle vs. pedestrian accident in the 3800 block of NW Carlson Road.</p><p>NW Carlson Road was closed between NW 39th Street and NW 33rd Street.</p><p>Authorities released no additional details.</p>

Sheriff investigating deadly Kansas pedestrian accident

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is tapping Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-autism-medicare-medicaid-0507cd8117f299a50bc20b9ea8569048">Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.</a>, as his nominee for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post.

Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that Means has “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” – referring to the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-food-additives-pharmaceuticals-trump-797750f5f141161778792e84602b57c8">Make America Healthy Again</a>&nbsp;” slogan – and that she will work to eradicate chronic disease and improve the health and well-being of Americans.

“Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding,” Trump said. “Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History.”

In doing so, Trump withdrew former Fox News medical contributor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-trump-marty-makary-34424f5fefcbbc334c1983b025523aad">Janette Nesheiwat</a>&nbsp;for U.S. surgeon general, marking at least the second health-related pick from Trump to be pulled from Senate consideration. Nesheiwat had been scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday for her confirmation hearing.

Means and her brother, former lobbyist Calley Means, served as key advisers to Kennedy’s longshot 2024 presidential bid and helped broker his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-speech-arizona-a2638f89ddcb5de03edbe4574ca17d45">endorsement of Trump</a>&nbsp;last summer. The pair made appearances with some of Trump’s biggest supporters, winning praise from conservative pundit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-tucker-carlson-ailes-bill-oreilly-7aff2465fe2779930ebf6882e085f9c6">Tucker Carlson</a>&nbsp;and podcaster&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-criticism-musk-rogan-portnoy-ackman-7ee3cda2fe172d707af93e042e2009dd">Joe Rogan</a>. Calley Means is currently a White House adviser who appears frequently on television to promote restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-banks-campaign-against-hunger-snap-pantry-665c19251b5d83bbed45a29958f79609">SNAP benefits</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-water-cdc-kennedy-02d931af8f025877a9e3d332bf215c69">removing fluoride</a>&nbsp;from drinking water and other MAHA agenda items.

Casey Means has no government experience and dropped out of her surgical residency program, saying she became disillusioned with traditional medicine. She founded a health tech company, Levels, that helps users track blood sugar and other metrics. She also makes money from dietary supplements, creams, teas and other products sponsored on her social media accounts.

In interviews and articles, Means and her brother describe a dizzying web of influences to blame for the nation’s health problems, including corrupt food conglomerates that have hooked Americans on unhealthy diets, leaving them reliant on daily medications from the pharmaceutical industry to manage obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Few health experts would dispute that the American diet — full of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ultraprocessed-foods-healthy-diet-0501eb985016149541e6cc727e55dfea">processed foods</a>&nbsp;— is a contributor to obesity and related problems. But Means goes further, linking changes in diet and lifestyle to a raft of conditions including infertility, Alzheimer’s, depression and erectile dysfunction.

“Almost every chronic health symptom that Western medicine addresses is the result of our cells being beleaguered by how we’ve come to live,” Means said in a 2024 book co-written with her brother.

Food experts say it’s overly simplistic to declare that all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c06a1200807c4b82a03452d08d480692">processed foods</a>&nbsp;are harmful, since the designation covers an estimated 60% of U.S. foods, including products as diverse as granola, peanut butter and potato chips.

“They are not all created equal,” said Gabby Headrick, a nutrition researcher at George Washington University’s school of public health. “It is much more complicated than just pointing the finger at ultra-processed foods as the driver of chronic disease in the United States.”

Means has mostly steered clear of Kennedy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-election-vaccines-2ccde2df146f57b5e8c26e8494f0a16a">controversial and debunked views on vaccines</a>. But on her website, she has called for more investigation into their safety and recommends making it easier for patients to sue drugmakers in the event of vaccine injuries. Since the late 1980s, federal law has shielded those companies from legal liability to encourage development of vaccines without the threat of costly personal injury lawsuits.

She trained as a surgeon at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-u-of-california-justice-department-probe-77f7c2c66cf27daf60442121c6ba71bf">Stanford University</a>&nbsp;but has built an online following by criticizing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-director-cohen-trump-weldon-kennedy-ec9b1b69fa9e3f61b4033fd095c20ab9">medical establishment</a>&nbsp;and promoting natural foods and lifestyle changes to reverse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-common-is-obesity-us-5663c0388b19009eae3834d695710bc4">obesity</a>, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

If confirmed as surgeon general, Means would be tasked with helping promote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-things-to-know-explained-who-is-hhs-5288a4a7277d1a0b4a7ede8f57a971ce">Kennedy’s sprawling MAHA agenda</a>, which calls for removing thousands of additives and chemicals from U.S. foods, rooting out conflicts of interest at federal agencies and incentivizing healthier foods in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lunchables-removed-national-school-lunch-program-a4a97b8c85932ba28fb9de22f1f82abe">school lunches</a>&nbsp;and other nutrition programs.

Nesheiwat, Trump's first pick, is a medical director for an urgent care company in New York and has appeared regularly on Fox News to offer medical expertise and insights. She is a vocal supporter of Trump and shares photos of them together on social media. Nesheiwat is also the sister-in-law of former national security adviser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waltz-national-security-signal-db2443f6fed98e4067edd57f26f23603">Mike Waltz</a>, who has been nominated to be Trump's ambassador to the United Nations.

But she had recently come under criticism from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-laura-loomer-trump-national-security-council-f7bc493ae99014362875e5d390769477">Laura Loomer</a>, a far-right ally of Trump who was instrumental in ousting several members of the president’s National Security Council. Loomer posted on X earlier this week that “we can’t have a pro-COVID vaccine nepo appointee who is currently embroiled in a medical malpractice case and who didn’t go to medical school in the US” as the surgeon general.

Independent freelance journalist Anthony Clark reported last month that Nesheiwat earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten, despite saying that she has a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine.

“I am looking forward to continuing to support President Trump and working closely with Secretary Kennedy in a senior policy role to Make America Healthy Again! My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed,” Nesheiwat wrote on social media Wednesday.

The surgeon general, considered the nation’s doctor, oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members and can issue advisories that warn of public health threats.

In March, the White House pulled from consideration the nomination of former Florida GOP Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dave-weldon-cdc-director-9a3d061832e2f0f644f2c58fbae36965">Dave Weldon</a>&nbsp;to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His skepticism on vaccines had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-director-david-weldon-senate-hearing-f4c6b6deb5bed31e74d11cf25f8e92d3">raised concerns from key Republican senators</a>, and he withdrew after being told by the White House that he did not have enough support to be confirmed.

The withdrawal was first reported by Bloomberg News.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746656010439.png" alt="Casey Means from her popular Instagram page" />
                        <figcaption>Casey Means from her popular Instagram page</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is tapping Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-autism-medicare-medicaid-0507cd8117f299a50bc20b9ea8569048">Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.</a>, as his nominee for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/CaseyMeansMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CaseyMeansMD</a> on her nomination as Surgeon General! <br><br>This is an excellent choice by President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>. Dr. Means’ commitment to Making America Healthy Again will inspire a healthier nation, and I look forward to working with her on this movement. <br><br>She is a… <a href="https://t.co/kRKralN71K">pic.twitter.com/kRKralN71K</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1920222714305958055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that Means has “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” – referring to the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-vaccines-food-additives-pharmaceuticals-trump-797750f5f141161778792e84602b57c8">Make America Healthy Again</a>&nbsp;” slogan – and that she will work to eradicate chronic disease and improve the health and well-being of Americans.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DCXt3_myk9B/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DCXt3_myk9B/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DCXt3_myk9B/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Casey Means, MD (@drcaseyskitchen)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>“Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding,” Trump said. “Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History.”</p><p>In doing so, Trump withdrew former Fox News medical contributor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-trump-marty-makary-34424f5fefcbbc334c1983b025523aad">Janette Nesheiwat</a>&nbsp;for U.S. surgeon general, marking at least the second health-related pick from Trump to be pulled from Senate consideration. Nesheiwat had been scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday for her confirmation hearing.</p><p>Means and her brother, former lobbyist Calley Means, served as key advisers to Kennedy’s longshot 2024 presidential bid and helped broker his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-speech-arizona-a2638f89ddcb5de03edbe4574ca17d45">endorsement of Trump</a>&nbsp;last summer. The pair made appearances with some of Trump’s biggest supporters, winning praise from conservative pundit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-tucker-carlson-ailes-bill-oreilly-7aff2465fe2779930ebf6882e085f9c6">Tucker Carlson</a>&nbsp;and podcaster&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-criticism-musk-rogan-portnoy-ackman-7ee3cda2fe172d707af93e042e2009dd">Joe Rogan</a>. Calley Means is currently a White House adviser who appears frequently on television to promote restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-banks-campaign-against-hunger-snap-pantry-665c19251b5d83bbed45a29958f79609">SNAP benefits</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-water-cdc-kennedy-02d931af8f025877a9e3d332bf215c69">removing fluoride</a>&nbsp;from drinking water and other MAHA agenda items.</p><p>Casey Means has no government experience and dropped out of her surgical residency program, saying she became disillusioned with traditional medicine. She founded a health tech company, Levels, that helps users track blood sugar and other metrics. She also makes money from dietary supplements, creams, teas and other products sponsored on her social media accounts.</p><p>In interviews and articles, Means and her brother describe a dizzying web of influences to blame for the nation’s health problems, including corrupt food conglomerates that have hooked Americans on unhealthy diets, leaving them reliant on daily medications from the pharmaceutical industry to manage obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions.</p><p>Few health experts would dispute that the American diet — full of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ultraprocessed-foods-healthy-diet-0501eb985016149541e6cc727e55dfea">processed foods</a>&nbsp;— is a contributor to obesity and related problems. But Means goes further, linking changes in diet and lifestyle to a raft of conditions including infertility, Alzheimer’s, depression and erectile dysfunction.</p><p>“Almost every chronic health symptom that Western medicine addresses is the result of our cells being beleaguered by how we’ve come to live,” Means said in a 2024 book co-written with her brother.</p><p>Food experts say it’s overly simplistic to declare that all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c06a1200807c4b82a03452d08d480692">processed foods</a>&nbsp;are harmful, since the designation covers an estimated 60% of U.S. foods, including products as diverse as granola, peanut butter and potato chips.</p><p>“They are not all created equal,” said Gabby Headrick, a nutrition researcher at George Washington University’s school of public health. “It is much more complicated than just pointing the finger at ultra-processed foods as the driver of chronic disease in the United States.”</p><p>Means has mostly steered clear of Kennedy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-election-vaccines-2ccde2df146f57b5e8c26e8494f0a16a">controversial and debunked views on vaccines</a>. But on her website, she has called for more investigation into their safety and recommends making it easier for patients to sue drugmakers in the event of vaccine injuries. Since the late 1980s, federal law has shielded those companies from legal liability to encourage development of vaccines without the threat of costly personal injury lawsuits.</p><p>She trained as a surgeon at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-u-of-california-justice-department-probe-77f7c2c66cf27daf60442121c6ba71bf">Stanford University</a>&nbsp;but has built an online following by criticizing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-director-cohen-trump-weldon-kennedy-ec9b1b69fa9e3f61b4033fd095c20ab9">medical establishment</a>&nbsp;and promoting natural foods and lifestyle changes to reverse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-common-is-obesity-us-5663c0388b19009eae3834d695710bc4">obesity</a>, diabetes and other chronic diseases.</p><p>If confirmed as surgeon general, Means would be tasked with helping promote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-things-to-know-explained-who-is-hhs-5288a4a7277d1a0b4a7ede8f57a971ce">Kennedy’s sprawling MAHA agenda</a>, which calls for removing thousands of additives and chemicals from U.S. foods, rooting out conflicts of interest at federal agencies and incentivizing healthier foods in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lunchables-removed-national-school-lunch-program-a4a97b8c85932ba28fb9de22f1f82abe">school lunches</a>&nbsp;and other nutrition programs.</p><p>Nesheiwat, Trump's first pick, is a medical director for an urgent care company in New York and has appeared regularly on Fox News to offer medical expertise and insights. She is a vocal supporter of Trump and shares photos of them together on social media. Nesheiwat is also the sister-in-law of former national security adviser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waltz-national-security-signal-db2443f6fed98e4067edd57f26f23603">Mike Waltz</a>, who has been nominated to be Trump's ambassador to the United Nations.</p><p>But she had recently come under criticism from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-laura-loomer-trump-national-security-council-f7bc493ae99014362875e5d390769477">Laura Loomer</a>, a far-right ally of Trump who was instrumental in ousting several members of the president’s National Security Council. Loomer posted on X earlier this week that “we can’t have a pro-COVID vaccine nepo appointee who is currently embroiled in a medical malpractice case and who didn’t go to medical school in the US” as the surgeon general.</p><p>Independent freelance journalist Anthony Clark reported last month that Nesheiwat earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten, despite saying that she has a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine.</p><p>“I am looking forward to continuing to support President Trump and working closely with Secretary Kennedy in a senior policy role to Make America Healthy Again! My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed,” Nesheiwat wrote on social media Wednesday.</p><p>The surgeon general, considered the nation’s doctor, oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members and can issue advisories that warn of public health threats.</p><p>In March, the White House pulled from consideration the nomination of former Florida GOP Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dave-weldon-cdc-director-9a3d061832e2f0f644f2c58fbae36965">Dave Weldon</a>&nbsp;to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His skepticism on vaccines had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-director-david-weldon-senate-hearing-f4c6b6deb5bed31e74d11cf25f8e92d3">raised concerns from key Republican senators</a>, and he withdrew after being told by the White House that he did not have enough support to be confirmed.</p><p>The withdrawal was first reported by Bloomberg News.</p>

Kan. U.S. Senator pleased with Trump's choice for surgeon general

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred the downtown Wichita.

Just after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, 911 dispatchers received multiple calls about a stabbing near Third and Topeka in Wichita, according to a media release. Officers responded and found a 55-year-old man with a stab wound.

An officer provided immediate first aid before Sedgwick County EMS arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. The man had an out-of-state ID and appears to be homeless.

During the initial investigation, officers learned about an earlier disturbance at another location. Detectives are working to determine if that incident is connected.

Police arrested a person of interest identified according to county arrest records as 42-year-old Raheem Semaj Smith. Preliminary information indicates the stabbing stemmed from an altercation between the victim and the suspect. Smith is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;second degree intentional murder and theft of property or services, according to online jail records.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746652966135.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred the downtown Wichita.</p><p>Just after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, 911 dispatchers received multiple calls about a stabbing near Third and Topeka in Wichita, according to a media release. Officers responded and found a 55-year-old man with a stab wound.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746700194044.png" alt="Smith photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Smith photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>An officer provided immediate first aid before Sedgwick County EMS arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. The man had an out-of-state ID and appears to be homeless.</p><p>During the initial investigation, officers learned about an earlier disturbance at another location. Detectives are working to determine if that incident is connected.</p><p>Police arrested a person of interest identified according to county arrest records as 42-year-old Raheem Semaj Smith. Preliminary information indicates the stabbing stemmed from an altercation between the victim and the suspect. Smith is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;second degree intentional murder and theft of property or services, according to online jail records.</p>

Suspect accused in deadly Kansas knife fight

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri, have identified the victim as 18-year-old Deon W. Porter, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Just after 10:30p.m. Monday, patrol officers were dispatched to 75th Street and Bruce R Watkins Drive in Kansas City, Missouri on an ambulance in route, medical nature unknown call, according to DiMartino.

Passing motorists observed an individual lying in the roadway, on Bruce R Watkins Drive and called 911. 

First responders observed a victim, later identified as Porter, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers began performing life saving measures and KCFD EMS was ordered to the scene. Medics transported the Porter to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.

This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to Porter being shot. Police have not reported an arrest.

<p>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri, have identified the victim as 18-year-old Deon W. Porter, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.</p><p>Just after 10:30p.m. Monday, patrol officers were dispatched to 75th Street and Bruce R Watkins Drive in Kansas City, Missouri on an ambulance in route, medical nature unknown call, according to DiMartino.</p><p>Passing motorists observed an individual lying in the roadway, on Bruce R Watkins Drive and called 911. </p><p>First responders observed a victim, later identified as Porter, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers began performing life saving measures and KCFD EMS was ordered to the scene. Medics transported the Porter to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.</p><p>This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to Porter being shot. Police have not reported an arrest.</p>

KCPD: Shooting victim drivers saw lying in the road was just a teen

KIOWA COUNTY —Three people died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Wednesday in Kiowa County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford F150 driven by Teresa Christine Davis, 68, Meade, was westbound in the eastbound lane of U.S. 54 nine miles west of Greensburg.

An eastbound 2026 Freightliner semi driven by Dishant&nbsp;Kukreja, 22, Sunnyvale, California traveled left of center to avoid pickup. The pickup reentered the westbound lane and struck the semi.

Davis and two passengers identified as 13-year-old Travis Welch and 10-year-old Hunter Welch both of Meade were pronounced dead at the scene.

 The semi driver was not injured. All four were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<p>KIOWA COUNTY —Three people died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Wednesday in Kiowa County.</p><p>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford F150 driven by Teresa Christine Davis, 68, Meade, was westbound in the eastbound lane of U.S. 54 nine miles west of Greensburg.</p><p>An eastbound 2026 Freightliner semi driven by Dishant&nbsp;Kukreja, 22, Sunnyvale, California traveled left of center to avoid pickup. The pickup reentered the westbound lane and struck the semi.</p><p>Davis and two passengers identified as 13-year-old Travis Welch and 10-year-old Hunter Welch both of Meade were pronounced dead at the scene.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid0aE2PvEsZmZZq2ZXMvR2r1N38DgQCMyC7ZmWGgQRpbHp3pQ26DULSEPeWtn8HMc9nl%26id%3D100063509982763&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="498" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><p> The semi driver was not injured. All four were properly restrained, according to the KHP.</p>

Kansas woman and two boys killed in pickup, semi crash

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke again billowed out of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave">second day of the conclave</a>, indicating that no new pontiff has been chosen after the second or third ballots. There are still two more votes possible later in the day.

The 133 cardinals had resumed voting in the morning, after spending the night sequestered at the Vatican residences. On Wednesday evening, black smoke&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-50c798caa826bbb7c913791175536add">poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney</a>&nbsp;indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave.

The cardinals have been sworn to secrecy in the centuries-old ritual to elect a new leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. To become pope, a cardinal needs a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes. This conclave is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-cardinal-d01b3bfd056836e89560e3b40337b89e">most geographically diverse conclave</a>&nbsp;in the faith’s 2,000-year history.

The faithful in the piazza don’t get a vote. But if they did ...

Pedro Deget, 22, a finance student from Argentina, is hoping for a new pope in Francis’ image. “Francis did well in opening the church to the outside world, but on other fronts maybe he didn’t do enough. We’ll see if the next one will be able to do more.”

The Rev. Jan Dominik Bogataj, a Slovene Franciscan friar, was more critical of Francis. He said if he were in the Sistine Chapel, he’d be voting for Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who is on many papal contender lists.

“He has clear ideas, not much ideology. He’s a direct, intelligent, and respectful man,” Bogataj said from the square. “Most of all, he’s agile.”

A hot mic moment feeds conjecture over papal candidates

As the Sistine Chapel’s doors slammed shut to seal the cardinals off from the outside world, leadership of the proceedings was assumed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old secretary of state under Francis and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-contender-cards">leading contender</a>&nbsp;to succeed him as pope.

Parolin is the most senior cardinal under age 80 eligible to participate, and seemed to have received blessings from none other than Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, who was caught on a hot mic during Wednesday’s pre-conclave Mass telling Parolin “Auguri doppio” or “double best wishes.”

Italians are debating whether this was a customary gesture, an informal endorsement or even a premature congratulations.

Prominent cardinal hopes for white smoke by the evening

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, expressed hope that a new pope would be elected within hours, according to reports in major Italian newspapers.

“I hope that when I return to Rome this evening, I’ll find the white smoke already rising,” he said, speaking from the city of Pompei on Thursday.

Re is 91 years old, which makes him too old to participate in the conclave of 133 cardinals who are electing the next pope and who all have to be under 80.

However, he has been prominent and delivered a Mass on Wednesday before the cardinals began their conclave. As the Mass ended he was caught on a hot mic saying to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, viewed as a favorite for the papacy: “auguri doppi” (“double best wishes”).

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746711274422.png" alt="Smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)" />
                        <figcaption>Smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke again billowed out of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave">second day of the conclave</a>, indicating that no new pontiff has been chosen after the second or third ballots. There are still two more votes possible later in the day.</p><p>The 133 cardinals had resumed voting in the morning, after spending the night sequestered at the Vatican residences. On Wednesday evening, black smoke&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-50c798caa826bbb7c913791175536add">poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney</a>&nbsp;indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave.</p><p>The cardinals have been sworn to secrecy in the centuries-old ritual to elect a new leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. To become pope, a cardinal needs a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes. This conclave is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-cardinal-d01b3bfd056836e89560e3b40337b89e">most geographically diverse conclave</a>&nbsp;in the faith’s 2,000-year history.</p><p>Here is the latest:</p><h2>The faithful in the piazza don’t get a vote. But if they did ...</h2><p>Pedro Deget, 22, a finance student from Argentina, is hoping for a new pope in Francis’ image. “Francis did well in opening the church to the outside world, but on other fronts maybe he didn’t do enough. We’ll see if the next one will be able to do more.”</p><p>The Rev. Jan Dominik Bogataj, a Slovene Franciscan friar, was more critical of Francis. He said if he were in the Sistine Chapel, he’d be voting for Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who is on many papal contender lists.</p><p>“He has clear ideas, not much ideology. He’s a direct, intelligent, and respectful man,” Bogataj said from the square. “Most of all, he’s agile.”</p><h2>A hot mic moment feeds conjecture over papal candidates</h2><p>As the Sistine Chapel’s doors slammed shut to seal the cardinals off from the outside world, leadership of the proceedings was assumed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old secretary of state under Francis and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-contender-cards">leading contender</a>&nbsp;to succeed him as pope.</p><p>Parolin is the most senior cardinal under age 80 eligible to participate, and seemed to have received blessings from none other than Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, who was caught on a hot mic during Wednesday’s pre-conclave Mass telling Parolin “Auguri doppio” or “double best wishes.”</p><p>Italians are debating whether this was a customary gesture, an informal endorsement or even a premature congratulations.</p><h2>Prominent cardinal hopes for white smoke by the evening</h2><p>Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, expressed hope that a new pope would be elected within hours, according to reports in major Italian newspapers.</p><p>“I hope that when I return to Rome this evening, I’ll find the white smoke already rising,” he said, speaking from the city of Pompei on Thursday.</p><p>Re is 91 years old, which makes him too old to participate in the conclave of 133 cardinals who are electing the next pope and who all have to be under 80.</p><p>However, he has been prominent and delivered a Mass on Wednesday before the cardinals began their conclave. As the Mass ended he was caught on a hot mic saying to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, viewed as a favorite for the papacy: “auguri doppi” (“double best wishes”).</p><p>Italians discussed whether this was a customary gesture acknowledging Parolin’s role as the most senior cardinal present in the conclave, or if it might have been an informal endorsement of Parolin’s candidacy for the papacy.</p><h2>Black smoke again pours from the Sistine Chapel chimney: No pope elected yet</h2><p>Black smoke is again pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on second or third ballots of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church.</p><p>The smoke billowed out at 11:50 a.m. on Thursday after the morning voting session to elect a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-member church.</p><p>With no one securing the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the 133 cardinals will return to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered. They will have lunch and then return to the Sistine Chapel for the afternoon voting session.</p><p>Two more votes are possible on Thursday.</p><p>---------------</p><p>VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinals failed again Thursday morning to find a successor to Pope Francis, sending black smoke billowing up through the Sistine Chapel chimney after two more inconclusive rounds of conclave voting.</p><p>The black smoke poured out at 11:50 a.m. (0950 GMT) after the second and third ballots to elect a pope to lead the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.</p><p>With no one securing the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the 133 cardinals will return to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered. They will have lunch and then return to the Sistine Chapel for the afternoon voting session. Two more votes are possible Thursday.</p><p>The cardinals had returned to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave">resume voting for a new pope</a>&nbsp;and crowds flocked back to St. Peter's Square to await their decision, after the first conclave ballot failed to find a winner during a longer-than-expected voting session Wednesday afternoon.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-50c798caa826bbb7c913791175536add">billowing black smoke</a>&nbsp;poured out of the chapel chimney just after 9 p.m. Wednesday (1900 GMT), about 4½ hours after the cardinals filed into the chapel. That prompted speculation about what took so long for the 133 electors to cast and count their ballots.</p><p>Hypotheses abound: Did they have to redo the vote? Did someone get sick or need translation help? Did the papal preacher take a long time to deliver his meditation before the voting began?</p><p>“They probably need more time,” said Costanza Ranaldi, a 63-year-old who traveled from Pescara in Italy’s Abruzzo region to the Vatican.</p><p>Some of the 133 voting cardinals had said they expected a short conclave to replace Pope Francis. But it will likely take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-conclave-what-to-know-25dd2193e89d77e21cedc0d4c7b9c784">a few rounds of voting</a>&nbsp;for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope.</p><p>For much of the past century, the conclave has needed between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.</p><p>The cardinals opened the secretive, centuries-old ritual Wednesday afternoon, participating in a rite more theatrical than even Hollywood could create.</p><p>Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old secretary of state under Francis and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-contender-cards">leading contender</a>&nbsp;to succeed him as pope, assumed leadership of the proceedings as the most senior cardinal under age 80 eligible to participate.</p><p>Outside in St. Peter’s Square, the atmosphere was festive as thousands of people flocked to the piazza to watch the proceedings on giant video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel’s doors slammed shut and the voting began.</p><p>They waited for hours, watching screens that showed just a skinny chimney and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/seagull-takes-prime-vatican-perching-spot-on-sistine-chapel-chimney-ahead-of-conclave-baf5596fef9641b3b612b7fddd9a3e72">occasional seagull</a>. After the vote dragged on to dinnertime, some left in frustration, but those who stayed cheered when the smoke finally billowed out.</p><p>“My hope is that cardinals will choose a man who can be a peacemaker and could reunify the church,” said Gabriel Capry, a 27-year-old from London.</p><p>The cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-election-conclave-pope-vatican-catholics-87fcd94f759575b8744a4d2899371275#:~:text=VATICAN%20CITY%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The,the%20world's%201.3%20billion%20Catholics.">were sequestered</a>&nbsp;from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new pope.</p><p>Francis named 108 of the 133 “princes of the church,” choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before.</p><p>His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors has both lengthened the amount of time it takes for each vote to be processed and injected more uncertainty into a process that is always full of mystery and suspense.</p>