WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-border-trump-44925ad8670cd4ad57427513915bb140">Kristi Noem</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence against President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”

Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, said Comey was advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem wrote.

Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.

“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Comey's original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.

Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.

James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-5-14-2025">traveling in the Middle East</a>.

“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists &amp; hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.

Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-russia-united-states-government-094da2d5fb1e45bda42e55c1577f815c">fired by Trump</a>&nbsp;during the president's first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”

He is now a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-crime-new-york-donald-trump-d86c246a39d44b15d1238f105c19a06e">crime fiction writer</a>&nbsp;and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-border-trump-44925ad8670cd4ad57427513915bb140">Kristi Noem</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence against President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> Trump. <br><br>DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.</p>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1923141313005785365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 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">We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump. We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.</p>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1923151715777356062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747360229157.png" alt="Image from Comey's Instagram page" />
                        <figcaption>Image from Comey's Instagram page</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”</p><p>Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, said Comey was advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem wrote.</p><p>Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJsN4GAPoxY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJsN4GAPoxY/?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 James Comey (@comey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.</p><p>“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”</p><p>Comey's original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.</p><p>Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.</p><p>James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-5-14-2025">traveling in the Middle East</a>.</p><p>“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists &amp; hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.</p><p>Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-russia-united-states-government-094da2d5fb1e45bda42e55c1577f815c">fired by Trump</a>&nbsp;during the president's first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”</p><p>He is now a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-crime-new-york-donald-trump-d86c246a39d44b15d1238f105c19a06e">crime fiction writer</a>&nbsp;and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.</p>

Former FBI Director accused of post seen as potential threat to Trump's life

ELLSWORTH COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Thursday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Chrysler 200 driven by Nathaniel B.&nbsp;Dold, 18, Sterling, was eastbound on Kansas 156 approximately three mile northeast of Ellsworth.&nbsp;The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Noel J.&nbsp;Schilling, 58, Morrill.

Dold was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Parsons Funeral Home. EMS transported&nbsp;Schilling to the Ellsworth County Hospital. Dold was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

<p>ELLSWORTH COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Thursday in Ellsworth County.</p><p>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Chrysler 200 driven by Nathaniel B.&nbsp;Dold, 18, Sterling, was eastbound on Kansas 156 approximately three mile northeast of Ellsworth.&nbsp;The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Noel J.&nbsp;Schilling, 58, Morrill.</p><p>Dold was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Parsons Funeral Home. EMS transported&nbsp;Schilling to the Ellsworth County Hospital. Dold was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.</p>

Kansas teen dies after crash with a semi

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas man has been charged after he allegedly performed stunts in a vehicle and then fled police, resulting in a high-speed chase and crash Saturday night, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2618/najeracarlos---complaint-packet">Carlos Najera. 19, faces</a>&nbsp;one count of Aggravated Fleeing a Stop or Detention.&nbsp;

“Thanks to the work by the Kansas City Police Department, we were able to swiftly file charges in this case,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “Stunts and sideshows are criminal activities and endanger other drivers and pedestrians. We will continue to take these incidents seriously and pursue charges to the fullest extent possible.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2619/najeracarlos---pc-statement--Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were attempting a traffic stop for ATVs near Southwest Boulevard and 31st Street on May 9. While the ATVs fled, a silver Infiniti sedan began doing burnouts and donuts in the intersection in front of officers. Officers observed the rear side passenger point a black handgun with a green laser attachment directly at them.&nbsp;

The Infiniti fled the scene, driving at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour on Interstate 35, crossing state lines into Kansas and then returning to Missouri. The chase ended at Southwest Trafficway and 31st Street where it collided with another vehicle. Multiple occupants exited the vehicle and attempted to run.

Najera was taken into custody and is being held on a $100,000 cash only bond. The two backseat passengers were identified as juveniles. &nbsp;

Officers recovered three firearms in the vehicle, including one with a green laser attachment.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746915068272.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
                        <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas man has been charged after he allegedly performed stunts in a vehicle and then fled police, resulting in a high-speed chase and crash Saturday night, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.</p><p><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2618/najeracarlos---complaint-packet">Carlos Najera. 19, faces</a>&nbsp;one count of Aggravated Fleeing a Stop or Detention.&nbsp;</p><p>“Thanks to the work by the Kansas City Police Department, we were able to swiftly file charges in this case,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “Stunts and sideshows are criminal activities and endanger other drivers and pedestrians. We will continue to take these incidents seriously and pursue charges to the fullest extent possible.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747082899348.png" alt="Najera photo Jackson County" />
                        <figcaption>Najera photo Jackson County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2619/najeracarlos---pc-statement--Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were attempting a traffic stop for ATVs near Southwest Boulevard and 31st Street on May 9. While the ATVs fled, a silver Infiniti sedan began doing burnouts and donuts in the intersection in front of officers. Officers observed the rear side passenger point a black handgun with a green laser attachment directly at them.&nbsp;</p><p>The Infiniti fled the scene, driving at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour on Interstate 35, crossing state lines into Kansas and then returning to Missouri. The chase ended at Southwest Trafficway and 31st Street where it collided with another vehicle. Multiple occupants exited the vehicle and attempted to run.</p><p>Najera was taken into custody and is being held on a $100,000 cash only bond. The two backseat passengers were identified as juveniles. &nbsp;</p><p>Officers recovered three firearms in the vehicle, including one with a green laser attachment.&nbsp;</p>

Kan. teen driver performed dangerous stunts, fled police

RENO COUNTY —Police arrested a Hutchinson man Tuesday night after he allegedly called 911 multiple times without cause and then directed his dogs to attack officers attempting to arrest him, according to a media release from Hutchinson Police.

On May 13, 911 Telecommunications in Reno County received several emergency calls from Timothy W. Peters, 60, requesting police response to his residence at 1405 North Main Street. Each time officers arrived, Peters reportedly refused assistance and ordered them to leave.

Just before 9p.m., officers responded again to the same location following another call from Peters. When informed he was under arrest for unlawfully requesting emergency assistance, Peters allegedly threatened to use his dogs as weapons. Authorities say he ignored repeated commands to secure the animals.

As officers attempted to take Peters into custody, he resisted and instructed his dogs to attack. The dogs reportedly showed immediate aggression, but officers were not bitten.

Peters was arrested and booked on requested charges, including two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threat with intent to terrorize or cause evacuation, felony interference with law enforcement, unlawful request for emergency assistance, and battery on a law enforcement officer.

No injuries were reported in the incident. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747247463474.png" alt="Peters photo Reno Co." />
                        <figcaption>Peters photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>RENO COUNTY —Police arrested a Hutchinson man Tuesday night after he allegedly called 911 multiple times without cause and then directed his dogs to attack officers attempting to arrest him, according to a media release from Hutchinson Police.</p><p>On May 13, 911 Telecommunications in Reno County received several emergency calls from Timothy W. Peters, 60, requesting police response to his residence at 1405 North Main Street. Each time officers arrived, Peters reportedly refused assistance and ordered them to leave.</p><p>Just before 9p.m., officers responded again to the same location following another call from Peters. When informed he was under arrest for unlawfully requesting emergency assistance, Peters allegedly threatened to use his dogs as weapons. Authorities say he ignored repeated commands to secure the animals.</p><p>As officers attempted to take Peters into custody, he resisted and instructed his dogs to attack. The dogs reportedly showed immediate aggression, but officers were not bitten.</p><p>Peters was arrested and booked on requested charges, including two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threat with intent to terrorize or cause evacuation, felony interference with law enforcement, unlawful request for emergency assistance, and battery on a law enforcement officer.</p><p>No injuries were reported in the incident. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.</p>

Police: Kan. man made many 911 calls, commanded dogs to attack officers

By MEHMET GUZEL, HANNA ARHIROVA and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine were set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, both countries said Thursday, but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.

During his Middle East trip, President Trump told reporters he and Putin need to get together to get the Ukraine war solved.

The president insists he’s not disappointed with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not showing up for peace talks in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“I don’t believe anything’s going to happen whether you like it or not, until he and I get together,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled from Doha, Qatar, to Abu Dhabi, United Emirates, on Thursday. “But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.”

Zelenskyy said he is sending a team headed by his defense minister from the Turkish capital Ankara to Istanbul to meet a Russian delegation, even though Moscow's side doesn't include "anyone who actually makes decisions."

The Ukrainian side would be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and its aim is "to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation, the first steps toward ending the war — namely, a ceasefire," he said.

Few had expected Putin to show up in Turkey, and his absence punctured any hope of significant progress toward ending the 3-year-old war amid peace efforts in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders. It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the West.

Zelenskyy, who flew Thursday to Ankara after challenging Putin to sit down with him, accused Moscow of not making a serious effort to end the war by sending a low-level negotiating team that he described as "a theater prop."

His proposal to Putin came amid a flurry of maneuvering last weekend as each side sought a diplomatic advantage.

Zelenskyy said he decided to send the delegation to Istanbul to demonstrate to U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine wants to end the fighting.

The war has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the U.N. Russian forces are preparing a fresh military offensive, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.

At least five civilians were killed and 29 wounded in the past day, according to authorities in five eastern regions of Ukraine where Russia is trying to advance.

The head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said in Istanbul that the representatives were ready to meet Ukrainian officials.

"The task of these direct negotiations with Ukraine is to establish long-term peace sooner or later by eliminating the root causes of this conflict," he said in a brief statement.

It was not clear when they would meet. The Russian state news agency Tass reported that the talks will go ahead Friday, citing an unidentified source.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would confer Friday in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation, adding that the Russian delegation would be meeting with other members of the U.S. team and that he hoped all sides could get together.

"We don't have high expectations of what will happen tomorrow. And frankly, at this point, I think it's abundantly clear that the only way we're going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin," Rubio told reporters in Antalya, Turkey, where he was attending a NATO foreign ministers meeting.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier welcomed Zelenskyy to the presidential palace in Ankara for their own talks. Zelenskyy heads Friday to Albania for a gathering of European officials.

The diplomatic maneuvering began Saturday when European leaders met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged the Kremlin to agree to a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward peace. Putin responded early Sunday by proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Then came Zelenskyy's challenge to Putin for face-to-face talks.

After days of silence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov finally said Thursday that Putin had no plans to travel to Istanbul in the next few days.

Trump said he was not surprised that Putin was a no-show. He had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet but brushed off the Kremlin leader's decision not to attend.

"I didn't think it was possible for Putin to go if I'm not there," Trump told reporters in Doha, Qatar, on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.

Trump said a meeting between him and Putin was crucial to breaking the deadlock.

"I don't believe anything's going to happen whether you like it or not, until (Putin) and I get together," he said on Air Force One while traveling from Doha to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. "But we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."

Peskov said Putin has no plans to meet with Trump in the coming days.

Medinsky, Putin's aide, is leading the Russian team that also includes three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as "experts" for the talks in Istanbul.

Also absent from the talks were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, both of whom represented Russia at talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia in March.

The top-level Ukrainian delegation included Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, a Ukrainian official said. Zelenskyy will sit at the negotiating table only with Putin, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.

Putin met Wednesday with senior government officials and members of the delegation in preparation for the talks, Peskov said. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov and National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu attended.

The Kremlin billed the Istanbul talks as a "restart" of peace negotiations held there in 2022 that quickly collapsed. Moscow accused Ukraine and the West of wanting to continue fighting, while Kyiv said Russia's demands amounted to an ultimatum, not something both sides could agree on. That delegation also was also headed by Medinsky.

Putin's proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kick-started by Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the war swiftly — although it's been hard to pull off. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated it might walk away from the effort if there was no tangible progress soon.

Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, met with Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday night in Antalya.

Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine's support for Trump's mediation efforts and thanked the U.S. for its continued involvement, urging Moscow to "reciprocate Ukraine's constructive steps" toward peace. "So far, it has not," Sybiha said.

On Thursday morning, Sybiha also met with other European foreign ministers, including his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, who in a post on X reiterated the call for a ceasefire and the threat of "massive sanctions" if Russia doesn't comply.

"We're in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future," Rubio said Thursday.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of "standing in the way of peace."

"There was only one country that started this conflict — that was Russia. That was Putin. There's only one country now standing in the way of peace — that is Russia, that is Putin," he said in a visit to Tirana, Albania.

Barrot echoed that sentiment: "In front of Ukrainians, there is an empty chair, one that should have been occupied by Vladimir Putin," he said. "Vladimir Putin is dragging his feet and in all evidence does not want to enter into these peace discussions."

Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels; Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; Aamer Madhani in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Matthew Lee in Antalya, Turkey, contributed to this report.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747337212246.png" alt="Image from CSPAN video" />
                        <figcaption>Image from CSPAN video</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By MEHMET GUZEL, HANNA ARHIROVA and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press</p><p>ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine were set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, both countries said Thursday, but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.</p><p>During his Middle East trip, President Trump told reporters he and Putin need to get together to get the Ukraine war solved.</p><p>The president insists he’s not disappointed with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not showing up for peace talks in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump: &quot;Nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/iKg3SJQmaf">pic.twitter.com/iKg3SJQmaf</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1923043128061104498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“I don’t believe anything’s going to happen whether you like it or not, until he and I get together,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled from Doha, Qatar, to Abu Dhabi, United Emirates, on Thursday. “But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.”</p><p>Zelenskyy said he is sending a team headed by his defense minister from the Turkish capital Ankara to Istanbul to meet a Russian delegation, even though Moscow's side doesn't include "anyone who actually makes decisions."</p><p>The Ukrainian side would be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and its aim is "to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation, the first steps toward ending the war — namely, a ceasefire," he said.</p><p>Few had expected Putin to show up in Turkey, and his absence punctured any hope of significant progress toward ending the 3-year-old war amid peace efforts in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders. It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the West.</p><p>Zelenskyy, who flew Thursday to Ankara after challenging Putin to sit down with him, accused Moscow of not making a serious effort to end the war by sending a low-level negotiating team that he described as "a theater prop."</p><p>His proposal to Putin came amid a flurry of maneuvering last weekend as each side sought a diplomatic advantage.</p><p>Zelenskyy said he decided to send the delegation to Istanbul to demonstrate to U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine wants to end the fighting.</p><p>The war has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the U.N. Russian forces are preparing a fresh military offensive, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.</p><p>At least five civilians were killed and 29 wounded in the past day, according to authorities in five eastern regions of Ukraine where Russia is trying to advance.</p><p>The head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said in Istanbul that the representatives were ready to meet Ukrainian officials.</p><p>"The task of these direct negotiations with Ukraine is to establish long-term peace sooner or later by eliminating the root causes of this conflict," he said in a brief statement.</p><p>It was not clear when they would meet. The Russian state news agency Tass reported that the talks will go ahead Friday, citing an unidentified source.</p><p>U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would confer Friday in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation, adding that the Russian delegation would be meeting with other members of the U.S. team and that he hoped all sides could get together.</p><p>"We don't have high expectations of what will happen tomorrow. And frankly, at this point, I think it's abundantly clear that the only way we're going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin," Rubio told reporters in Antalya, Turkey, where he was attending a NATO foreign ministers meeting.</p><p>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier welcomed Zelenskyy to the presidential palace in Ankara for their own talks. Zelenskyy heads Friday to Albania for a gathering of European officials.</p><p>Weekend maneuvers</p><p>The diplomatic maneuvering began Saturday when European leaders met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged the Kremlin to agree to a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward peace. Putin responded early Sunday by proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Then came Zelenskyy's challenge to Putin for face-to-face talks.</p><p>After days of silence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov finally said Thursday that Putin had no plans to travel to Istanbul in the next few days.</p><p>Trump said he was not surprised that Putin was a no-show. He had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet but brushed off the Kremlin leader's decision not to attend.</p><p>"I didn't think it was possible for Putin to go if I'm not there," Trump told reporters in Doha, Qatar, on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.</p><p>Trump said a meeting between him and Putin was crucial to breaking the deadlock.</p><p>"I don't believe anything's going to happen whether you like it or not, until (Putin) and I get together," he said on Air Force One while traveling from Doha to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. "But we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."</p><p>Peskov said Putin has no plans to meet with Trump in the coming days.</p><p>Medinsky, Putin's aide, is leading the Russian team that also includes three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as "experts" for the talks in Istanbul.</p><p>Also absent from the talks were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, both of whom represented Russia at talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia in March.</p><p>The top-level Ukrainian delegation included Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, a Ukrainian official said. Zelenskyy will sit at the negotiating table only with Putin, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.</p><p>Putin met Wednesday with senior government officials and members of the delegation in preparation for the talks, Peskov said. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov and National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu attended.</p><p>Russia calls the talks a 'restart'</p><p>The Kremlin billed the Istanbul talks as a "restart" of peace negotiations held there in 2022 that quickly collapsed. Moscow accused Ukraine and the West of wanting to continue fighting, while Kyiv said Russia's demands amounted to an ultimatum, not something both sides could agree on. That delegation also was also headed by Medinsky.</p><p>Putin's proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kick-started by Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the war swiftly — although it's been hard to pull off. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated it might walk away from the effort if there was no tangible progress soon.</p><p>Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, met with Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday night in Antalya.</p><p>Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine's support for Trump's mediation efforts and thanked the U.S. for its continued involvement, urging Moscow to "reciprocate Ukraine's constructive steps" toward peace. "So far, it has not," Sybiha said.</p><p>On Thursday morning, Sybiha also met with other European foreign ministers, including his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, who in a post on X reiterated the call for a ceasefire and the threat of "massive sanctions" if Russia doesn't comply.</p><p>"We're in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future," Rubio said Thursday.</p><p>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of "standing in the way of peace."</p><p>"There was only one country that started this conflict — that was Russia. That was Putin. There's only one country now standing in the way of peace — that is Russia, that is Putin," he said in a visit to Tirana, Albania.</p><p>Barrot echoed that sentiment: "In front of Ukrainians, there is an empty chair, one that should have been occupied by Vladimir Putin," he said. "Vladimir Putin is dragging his feet and in all evidence does not want to enter into these peace discussions."</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels; Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; Aamer Madhani in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Matthew Lee in Antalya, Turkey, contributed to this report.</p><p>___</p><p>Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine</p>

🎥 Trump: Not disappointed Putin skipped Ukraine peace talks

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEE-ANN DURBIN <br>AP Business Writer</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/video/starbucks-imposes-new-limits-on-what-baristas-can-wear-under-their-green-aprons-d85d947832844f0b96bf4023757ee77f">A strike</a>&nbsp;by Starbucks baristas protesting the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-black-shirt-union-b7dd93b93c6c13448606545fb3f1778f">new dress code</a>&nbsp;grew Thursday.

More than 2,000 Starbucks baristas at 120 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest the new dress code, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">Starbucks Workers United</a>, a union representing the coffee giant's U.S. workers.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-earnings-quarter-niccol-084641cd0786394e93d87d59689b8806">Starbucks</a>&nbsp;put new limits starting Monday on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. The dress code requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms.

Under the previous dress code, baristas could wear a broader range of dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks said the new rules would make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-restrooms-policy-2d258bc61c55769bb2acaf15d1ed3b48">for customers</a>&nbsp;as it tries to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer, more welcoming feeling</a>&nbsp;in its stores.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-strike-baristas-workers-united-7b2f6e5d7b039bc1909d646d84cd426d">Starbucks Workers United</a>, the union that represents workers at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said the dress code should be subject to collective bargaining.

“Starbucks has lost its way. Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things, like implementing a restrictive new dress code,” said Paige Summers, a Starbucks shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland. “Customers don’t care what color our clothes are when they’re waiting 30 minutes for a latte.”

Summers and others also criticized the company for selling styles of Starbucks-branded clothing that employees no longer are allowed to wear to work on an internal website. Starbucks said it would give two free black T-shirts to each employee when it announced the new dress code.

On Wednesday, Starbucks Workers Union said a total of 1,000 workers had staged walkouts at 75 U.S. stores. Starbucks said at the time that the strike was having a limited impact on its 10,000 company-operated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-first-3d-printed-store-texas-552972e9df63796e42ede152747b9069">U.S. stores</a>. In some cases the strikes closed stores for less than an hour, the company said.

“It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table that they’re putting into protesting wearing black shirts to work," Starbucks said in a statement. "More than 99% of our stores are open today serving customers — and have been all week.”

Associated Press readers who shared their opinions had mixed views of the dress code. Some said they didn’t think Starbucks’ baristas had much to complain about, noting that many retailers require their workers to dress a certain way. Others said they thought Starbucks should focus on improving the quality and prices of its beverages, and keeping workers happy instead of worrying about what its employees wear.

Starbucks Workers United has been unionizing U.S. stores since 2021. Starbucks and the union have yet to reach a contract agreement, despite agreeing to return to the bargaining table in February 2024.

The union said this week that it filed a complaint with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">National Labor Relations Board</a>&nbsp;alleging Starbucks' failure to bargain over the new dress code.

<p><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEE-ANN DURBIN <br>AP Business Writer</a></p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/video/starbucks-imposes-new-limits-on-what-baristas-can-wear-under-their-green-aprons-d85d947832844f0b96bf4023757ee77f">A strike</a>&nbsp;by Starbucks baristas protesting the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-black-shirt-union-b7dd93b93c6c13448606545fb3f1778f">new dress code</a>&nbsp;grew Thursday.</p><p>More than 2,000 Starbucks baristas at 120 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest the new dress code, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">Starbucks Workers United</a>, a union representing the coffee giant's U.S. workers.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-earnings-quarter-niccol-084641cd0786394e93d87d59689b8806">Starbucks</a>&nbsp;put new limits starting Monday on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. The dress code requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms.</p><p>Under the previous dress code, baristas could wear a broader range of dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks said the new rules would make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-restrooms-policy-2d258bc61c55769bb2acaf15d1ed3b48">for customers</a>&nbsp;as it tries to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer, more welcoming feeling</a>&nbsp;in its stores.</p><p>But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-strike-baristas-workers-united-7b2f6e5d7b039bc1909d646d84cd426d">Starbucks Workers United</a>, the union that represents workers at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said the dress code should be subject to collective bargaining.</p><p>“Starbucks has lost its way. Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things, like implementing a restrictive new dress code,” said Paige Summers, a Starbucks shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland. “Customers don’t care what color our clothes are when they’re waiting 30 minutes for a latte.”</p><p>Summers and others also criticized the company for selling styles of Starbucks-branded clothing that employees no longer are allowed to wear to work on an internal website. Starbucks said it would give two free black T-shirts to each employee when it announced the new dress code.</p><p>On Wednesday, Starbucks Workers Union said a total of 1,000 workers had staged walkouts at 75 U.S. stores. Starbucks said at the time that the strike was having a limited impact on its 10,000 company-operated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-first-3d-printed-store-texas-552972e9df63796e42ede152747b9069">U.S. stores</a>. In some cases the strikes closed stores for less than an hour, the company said.</p><p>“It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table that they’re putting into protesting wearing black shirts to work," Starbucks said in a statement. "More than 99% of our stores are open today serving customers — and have been all week.”</p><p>Associated Press readers who shared their opinions had mixed views of the dress code. Some said they didn’t think Starbucks’ baristas had much to complain about, noting that many retailers require their workers to dress a certain way. Others said they thought Starbucks should focus on improving the quality and prices of its beverages, and keeping workers happy instead of worrying about what its employees wear.</p><p>Starbucks Workers United has been unionizing U.S. stores since 2021. Starbucks and the union have yet to reach a contract agreement, despite agreeing to return to the bargaining table in February 2024.</p><p>The union said this week that it filed a complaint with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">National Labor Relations Board</a>&nbsp;alleging Starbucks' failure to bargain over the new dress code.</p>

More Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code

KANSAS CITY— Two firefighters avoided serious injuries while fighting a blaze at a townhome.

Just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 1600 block of Brooklyn in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

&nbsp;Crews reported smoke and fire showing from a vacant two-story townhome on arrival. During the search of the building, a firefighter fell through the floor and a "Mayday" call was put out. 

The firefighter was quickly found and escorted out of the structure. The firefighter was evaluated on scene. No transport was necessary.&nbsp; A second firefighter unrelated to the mayday was transported for evaluation for a minor injury, according to Hopkins.

Authorities have not released the cause of the fire or additional details.

<p>KANSAS CITY— Two firefighters avoided serious injuries while fighting a blaze at a townhome.</p><p>Just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 1600 block of Brooklyn in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.</p><p>&nbsp;Crews reported smoke and fire showing from a vacant two-story townhome on arrival. During the search of the building, a firefighter fell through the floor and a "Mayday" call was put out. </p><p>The firefighter was quickly found and escorted out of the structure. The firefighter was evaluated on scene. No transport was necessary.&nbsp; A second firefighter unrelated to the mayday was transported for evaluation for a minor injury, according to Hopkins.</p><p>Authorities have not released the cause of the fire or additional details.</p>

Firefighter safe after Mayday call during KC townhome fire

Air traffic controllers in Denver had to scramble to use backup frequencies after their main communications lines went down for 90 seconds earlier this week in the latest Federal Aviation Administration equipment failure. The FAA's head of air traffic control, Frank McIntosh, said during a House hearing Thursday that the outage in Denver happened Monday afternoon but its radar remained online. This communications failure follows two high-profile outages of radar and communications in the past 2 1/2 weeks at a facility that directs planes in and out of the Newark, New Jersey, airport. The FAA said in a statement the Denver facility lost communications for approximately 90 seconds, but controllers used another frequency to communicate and the planes remained a safe distance apart.

Air traffic controllers in Denver lost communications with planes around that major airport for 90 seconds earlier this week and had to scramble to use backup frequencies in the latest Federal Aviation Administration equipment failure.

The outage at Denver International Airport happened Monday afternoon and affected communications, not radar, the FAA's head of air traffic control, Frank McIntosh, said during a House hearing Thursday. This communications failure follows two high-profile outages of radar and communications in the past 2 1/2 weeks at a facility that directs planes in and out of the Newark, New Jersey, airport.

The FAA said in a statement that the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center lost communications for approximately 90 seconds. McIntosh said both the primary and main backup frequencies went down, so the controllers had to turn to an emergency frequency to communicate.

"Controllers used another frequency to relay instructions to pilots. Aircraft remained safely separated and there were no impacts to operations," the FAA said.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California told McIntosh during the hearing that "anytime there's these outages which are happening now more regularly, it's very concerning."

"We know that there are staffing and equipment problems at air traffic control," Garcia said. "We know that the problems have gone back decades in some cases, but it's still an absolutely shocking system failure and we need immediate solutions."

The Denver communications failure is the latest troubling equipment failure in the system that keeps planes safe. Last week, the Trump administration announced a multibillion-dollar plan to overhaul an air traffic control system that relies on antiquated equipment.

The Newark airport has generally led the nation in flight cancellations and delays ever since its first radar outage on April 28 that also lasted about 90 seconds. A second outage happened on May 9. In both those instances controllers lost both radar and communications.

The FAA was in the middle of a second day Thursday of meetings with the airlines that fly out of Newark about cutting flights because there aren't enough controllers to handle all the flights on the schedule now. More than 100 flights have been canceled at Newark Thursday.

Officials developed the plan to upgrade the system after a deadly midair collision in January between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter killed 67 people in the skies over Washington, D.C. Several other crashes this year also put pressure on officials to act.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738800637991.jpg" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By JOSH FUNK <br>Associated Press</p><p>Air traffic controllers in Denver had to scramble to use backup frequencies after their main communications lines went down for 90 seconds earlier this week in the latest Federal Aviation Administration equipment failure. The FAA's head of air traffic control, Frank McIntosh, said during a House hearing Thursday that the outage in Denver happened Monday afternoon but its radar remained online. This communications failure follows two high-profile outages of radar and communications in the past 2 1/2 weeks at a facility that directs planes in and out of the Newark, New Jersey, airport. The FAA said in a statement the Denver facility lost communications for approximately 90 seconds, but controllers used another frequency to communicate and the planes remained a safe distance apart.</p><p>Air traffic controllers in Denver lost communications with planes around that major airport for 90 seconds earlier this week and had to scramble to use backup frequencies in the latest Federal Aviation Administration equipment failure.</p><p>The outage at Denver International Airport happened Monday afternoon and affected communications, not radar, the FAA's head of air traffic control, Frank McIntosh, said during a House hearing Thursday. This communications failure follows two high-profile outages of radar and communications in the past 2 1/2 weeks at a facility that directs planes in and out of the Newark, New Jersey, airport.</p><p>The FAA said in a statement that the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center lost communications for approximately 90 seconds. McIntosh said both the primary and main backup frequencies went down, so the controllers had to turn to an emergency frequency to communicate.</p><p>"Controllers used another frequency to relay instructions to pilots. Aircraft remained safely separated and there were no impacts to operations," the FAA said.</p><p>Rep. Robert Garcia of California told McIntosh during the hearing that "anytime there's these outages which are happening now more regularly, it's very concerning."</p><p>"We know that there are staffing and equipment problems at air traffic control," Garcia said. "We know that the problems have gone back decades in some cases, but it's still an absolutely shocking system failure and we need immediate solutions."</p><p>The Denver communications failure is the latest troubling equipment failure in the system that keeps planes safe. Last week, the Trump administration announced a multibillion-dollar plan to overhaul an air traffic control system that relies on antiquated equipment.</p><p>The Newark airport has generally led the nation in flight cancellations and delays ever since its first radar outage on April 28 that also lasted about 90 seconds. A second outage happened on May 9. In both those instances controllers lost both radar and communications.</p><p>The FAA was in the middle of a second day Thursday of meetings with the airlines that fly out of Newark about cutting flights because there aren't enough controllers to handle all the flights on the schedule now. More than 100 flights have been canceled at Newark Thursday.</p><p>Officials developed the plan to upgrade the system after a deadly midair collision in January between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter killed 67 people in the skies over Washington, D.C. Several other crashes this year also put pressure on officials to act.</p>

Denver air traffic controllers scramble after losing communications 

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, which became the nation's largest retailer by making low prices a priority, has found itself in a place it's rarely been: Warning customers that prices will rise for goods ranging from bananas to car seats.

Executives at the $750 billion company told industry analysts Thursday that they are doing everything in their power to absorb the higher costs from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-businesses-us-tariffs-pause-trade-ee5de150ac4ea36852c11bb6ab21af39">tariffs</a>&nbsp;ordered by President Donald Trump.

Given the magnitude of the duties, however, the highest since the 1930s, higher prices are unavoidable and they will hurt Walmart customers already buffeted by inflation over the past three years.

Trump’s threatened 145% import taxes on Chinese goods were reduced to 30% in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">deal announced Monday</a>, with some of the higher tariffs on pause for 90 days.

Those higher prices began to appear on Walmart shelves in late April and accelerated this month, Walmart executives said Thursday. However, a larger sting will be felt in June and July when the back-to-school shopping season goes into high gear.

“We're wired to keep prices low, but there’s a limit to what we can bear, or any retailer for that matter,” Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told The Associated Press on Thursday after the company reported strong first quarter sales.

Rainey emphasized that prices are rising not just for discretionary items such as patio furniture and trendy fashions, but for basic necessities as well. The price of bananas, imported from Costa Rica, rose from 50 cents per pound, to 54 cents. He thinks car seats made in China that currently sell for $350 at Walmart will likely cost customers another $100. Baby strollers are also sourced from China, Rainey said.

Higher prices arrive as many Americans pull back on spending as they grow increasingly uneasy about the economy.

Government data Thursday revealed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-spending-tariffs-retail-2849f1fae55a1da5907aaab1b9941972">slowing sales growth</a>&nbsp;for retailers. Walmart says that its consumers have become cautious and selective.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-tariffs-us-trump-150fab3a44ec055845e47c82bde544c2">Tariffs on China</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-reciprocal-imports-tax-trade-economy-54c0a26687dc96157d96229068894720">other countries</a>&nbsp;are threatening the low-price model at the core of Walmart’s success.

Retailers and importers had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-economy-recession-china-imports-trade-8d90bb37735e833c43a7b7a9d5a0b9a2">largely halted shipments</a>&nbsp;of shoes, clothes, toys, and other items due to new tariffs, but many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-business-reaction-0c12feba442877de63d5009c2c300f55">are resuming imports</a>&nbsp;from China in the narrow window that opened during the temporary “truce” this week, hoping to avoid sparse shelves this fall. Yet retailers, already operating on thin margins, say they have no choice but to raise prices to offset higher costs from tariffs. And they are also bracing for higher shipping costs fueled by a surge of companies scrambling to get their goods on ships to the U.S.

Rainey told The Associated Press that the retailer did not pause shipments from China as a result of the tariffs like others because it didn't want to hurt its suppliers and wanted to keep merchandise flowing. It has built in hedges against some tariff threats. Two-thirds of Walmart’s merchandise is sourced in the U.S., with groceries now accounting for roughly 60% of Walmart’s U.S. business.

CEO Doug McMillon told analysts Thursday that Walmart imports general merchandise from dozens of countries. But China, in particular, represents a big chunk of volume in certain categories like electronics and toys.

Tariffs on countries like Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia are raising costs on groceries like avocados, coffee and roses, in addition to bananas, company executives said. Walmart is absorbing costs on general merchandise within departments and has yet to pass along rising costs in some cases.

Walmart is also asking suppliers to swap input materials for components if possible, for example, using fiberglass instead of aluminum, which Trump hit with tariffs in early March.

“We're very dependent upon imports for these types of products,” Rainey told The Associated Press.

He said there are some goods for which Walmart simply can't shift production or produce easily in the United States.

Walmart earned $4.45 billion, or 56 cents per share, in the quarter ended April 30, down from $5.10 billion, or 63 cents per share, in the same period last year.

Adjusted earnings per share were 61 cents, exceeding the 58 cent projections from industry analysts, according to FactSet.

Revenue rose 2.5% to $165.61 billion, just short of analyst estimates.

Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales — those from established physical stores and online channels — rose 4.5% in the second quarter, though that’s slowed from a 4.6% bump in the previous quarter, and a 5.3% increase in the third quarter of 2024. .

Business was fueled by health and wellness items as well as groceries. Sales were weaker in home and sporting good, which was offset by robust sales of toys, automotive goods and kid’s clothing, the company said.

Global e-commerce sales rose 22%, up from 16% in the previous quarter.

Walmart said it expects sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% in the second quarter.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747332038494.png" alt="Google image" />
                        <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, which became the nation's largest retailer by making low prices a priority, has found itself in a place it's rarely been: Warning customers that prices will rise for goods ranging from bananas to car seats.</p><p>Executives at the $750 billion company told industry analysts Thursday that they are doing everything in their power to absorb the higher costs from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-businesses-us-tariffs-pause-trade-ee5de150ac4ea36852c11bb6ab21af39">tariffs</a>&nbsp;ordered by President Donald Trump.</p><p>Given the magnitude of the duties, however, the highest since the 1930s, higher prices are unavoidable and they will hurt Walmart customers already buffeted by inflation over the past three years.</p><p>Trump’s threatened 145% import taxes on Chinese goods were reduced to 30% in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">deal announced Monday</a>, with some of the higher tariffs on pause for 90 days.</p><p>Those higher prices began to appear on Walmart shelves in late April and accelerated this month, Walmart executives said Thursday. However, a larger sting will be felt in June and July when the back-to-school shopping season goes into high gear.</p><p>“We're wired to keep prices low, but there’s a limit to what we can bear, or any retailer for that matter,” Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told The Associated Press on Thursday after the company reported strong first quarter sales.</p><p>Rainey emphasized that prices are rising not just for discretionary items such as patio furniture and trendy fashions, but for basic necessities as well. The price of bananas, imported from Costa Rica, rose from 50 cents per pound, to 54 cents. He thinks car seats made in China that currently sell for $350 at Walmart will likely cost customers another $100. Baby strollers are also sourced from China, Rainey said.</p><p>Higher prices arrive as many Americans pull back on spending as they grow increasingly uneasy about the economy.</p><p>Government data Thursday revealed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-spending-tariffs-retail-2849f1fae55a1da5907aaab1b9941972">slowing sales growth</a>&nbsp;for retailers. Walmart says that its consumers have become cautious and selective.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-tariffs-us-trump-150fab3a44ec055845e47c82bde544c2">Tariffs on China</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-reciprocal-imports-tax-trade-economy-54c0a26687dc96157d96229068894720">other countries</a>&nbsp;are threatening the low-price model at the core of Walmart’s success.</p><p>Retailers and importers had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-economy-recession-china-imports-trade-8d90bb37735e833c43a7b7a9d5a0b9a2">largely halted shipments</a>&nbsp;of shoes, clothes, toys, and other items due to new tariffs, but many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-business-reaction-0c12feba442877de63d5009c2c300f55">are resuming imports</a>&nbsp;from China in the narrow window that opened during the temporary “truce” this week, hoping to avoid sparse shelves this fall. Yet retailers, already operating on thin margins, say they have no choice but to raise prices to offset higher costs from tariffs. And they are also bracing for higher shipping costs fueled by a surge of companies scrambling to get their goods on ships to the U.S.</p><p>Rainey told The Associated Press that the retailer did not pause shipments from China as a result of the tariffs like others because it didn't want to hurt its suppliers and wanted to keep merchandise flowing. It has built in hedges against some tariff threats. Two-thirds of Walmart’s merchandise is sourced in the U.S., with groceries now accounting for roughly 60% of Walmart’s U.S. business.</p><p>Still, Walmart isn’t immune.</p><p>CEO Doug McMillon told analysts Thursday that Walmart imports general merchandise from dozens of countries. But China, in particular, represents a big chunk of volume in certain categories like electronics and toys.</p><p>Tariffs on countries like Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia are raising costs on groceries like avocados, coffee and roses, in addition to bananas, company executives said. Walmart is absorbing costs on general merchandise within departments and has yet to pass along rising costs in some cases.</p><p>Walmart is also asking suppliers to swap input materials for components if possible, for example, using fiberglass instead of aluminum, which Trump hit with tariffs in early March.</p><p>“We're very dependent upon imports for these types of products,” Rainey told The Associated Press.</p><p>He said there are some goods for which Walmart simply can't shift production or produce easily in the United States.</p><p>Walmart earned $4.45 billion, or 56 cents per share, in the quarter ended April 30, down from $5.10 billion, or 63 cents per share, in the same period last year.</p><p>Adjusted earnings per share were 61 cents, exceeding the 58 cent projections from industry analysts, according to FactSet.</p><p>Revenue rose 2.5% to $165.61 billion, just short of analyst estimates.</p><p>Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales — those from established physical stores and online channels — rose 4.5% in the second quarter, though that’s slowed from a 4.6% bump in the previous quarter, and a 5.3% increase in the third quarter of 2024. .</p><p>Business was fueled by health and wellness items as well as groceries. Sales were weaker in home and sporting good, which was offset by robust sales of toys, automotive goods and kid’s clothing, the company said.</p><p>Global e-commerce sales rose 22%, up from 16% in the previous quarter.</p><p>Walmart said it expects sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% in the second quarter.</p>

A rare warning from Walmart during a US trade war

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Kansas City, Missouri identified the victim as 17-year-old Matim Nunley, according to KCPD Captain Jacob Becchina.

Just after 2p.m. May 10, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store.

There they located a victim identified Thursday morning as Nunley  suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported Nunley to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and Nunley being struck. Police have reported an arrest or additional details.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746924246378.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Kansas City, Missouri identified the victim as 17-year-old Matim Nunley, according to KCPD Captain Jacob Becchina.</p><p>Just after 2p.m. May 10, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store.</p><p>There they located a victim identified Thursday morning as Nunley  suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported Nunley to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and Nunley being struck. Police have reported an arrest or additional details.</p>

KCPD: Homicide victim found in store parking lot was 17-year-old

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/casey-means-surgeon-general-podcasts-health-care-9eaa4341a62a0762fe827f459e9b1415">new pick for surgeon general</a>&nbsp;wrote in a recent book that people should consider using unproven psychedelic drugs as therapy and in a newsletter suggested her use of mushrooms helped her find a romantic partner.

Dr. Casey Means’ recommendation to consider guided psilocybin-assisted therapy is notable because psilocybin is illegal under federal law. It’s listed as a Schedule 1 drug, defined as a substance “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Oregon and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-psilocybin-psychedelic-therapy-legal-ptsd-veterans-99fc5a0703d85daa0903d5a2b2acc9be">Colorado</a>&nbsp;have legalized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microdosing-lsd-mushrooms-psychedelic-psilocybin-390c99ba54ef9d75727f39e2ec78fb34">psychedelic therapy</a>, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-psilocybin-psychedelic-mushrooms-ban-9c73a25986171b41bb162100d54d2217">several cities in Oregon</a>&nbsp;have since banned it.

The surgeon general’s job is to provide Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury. Past surgeons general have used their position to educate Americans about health problems like AIDS and suicide prevention. The surgeon general’s warning in 1964 about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/smoking-vaping-surgeon-general-db81e873c256e38433734e86d6a50f7e">the dangers of smoking</a>&nbsp;helped change the course of America’s health.

Some, like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d5fa02d63d474102b8c05cd82eab4a50">Dr. C. Everett Koop</a>, surgeon general under President Ronald Reagan, became widely known with substantial impact on policy, and others slipped easily from memory.

Means’ nomination follows a pattern from Trump to select people known for their public personas more than their policy positions. In the case of Means, the Republican president said he chose her solely on the recommendation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-hhs-senate-vaccines-layoffs-measles-8c99853031507ecb5408b4132329cdea">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;“Bobby thought she was fantastic,” Trump said, adding that he did not know her.

Means, who received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford University, began a medical residency in Oregon but did not complete it. Her medical license is listed as inactive. Contacted by phone, Means declined to comment on the record.

She made the recommendation about psychedelics in her 2024 book, “Good Energy,” which she wrote with her brother, Calley Means, an entrepreneur who now works in the Trump administration as a health adviser and who has said he invested in biopharmaceutical companies that specialize in psychedelics.

Much of the book focuses on metabolic health, what Casey Means calls “good energy.” She suggests a number of strategies to help people “manage and heal the stressors, traumas, and thought patterns that limit us and contribute to our poor metabolic health and thriving.”

One such strategy is to “consider psilocybin-assisted therapy,” referring to the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. She details her thinking on the subject in a 750-word passage.

“If you feel called, I also encourage you to explore intentional, guided psilocybin therapy,” she wrote. “Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me.”

Though there have been some studies suggesting benefits from psychedelics, it has not been shown that benefits outweigh the risks. Psilocybin can cause hours of hallucinations that can be pleasant or terrifying. When paired with talk therapy, it has been studied as a treatment for psychiatric conditions and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mushroom-psychedelic-alcoholism-study-a3b6692ae7590de9fd09a7cac271a199">alcoholism</a>, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microdosing-lsd-mushrooms-psychedelic-psilocybin-390c99ba54ef9d75727f39e2ec78fb34">very little research</a>&nbsp;has been done in healthy people. Side effects can include increased heart rate, nausea and headaches. Taking it unsupervised can be dangerous. Hallucinations could cause a user to walk into traffic or take other risks.

Means wrote that psilocybin and other psychedelics have been stigmatized. She touted the benefits of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, for helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The Food and Drug Administration last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mdma-psychedelic-drug-fda-ptsd-lykos-709b23613031fb11d3dc5228c8476a39">declined to approve the use of MDMA</a>&nbsp;as a therapy for PTSD after a panel of advisers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mdma-psychedelics-fda-ptsd-ecstasy-molly-1f3753324fa7f91821c9ee6246fa18e1">found the research was flawed</a>&nbsp;and there were significant risks in using it.

Means refers to psychedelics in her book as “plant medicine.” She describes how she took mushrooms for the first time around Jan. 1, 2021, after she was inspired by “an internal voice that whispered: it’s time to prepare.”

“I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,” she wrote, adding that in her experience “psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history.”

In a newsletter she published in October, Means said she had also used psychedelics to help her make “space to find love at 35.” She wrote that she “did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides” to become ready for partnership, punctuating the line with a mushroom emoji. She noted she was not necessarily making recommendations that others do the same.

In a post this month about her White House health policy wish list, Means said she wanted more nutritious food served in schools, suggested putting warning labels on ultra-processed foods, called for investigations into vaccine safety and said she wanted to remove conflicts of interest. She did not specifically mention psychedelics but said that researchers have little incentive to study “generic, natural, and non-patentable drugs and therapies” and that a portion of research budgets should be devoted to alternative approaches to health.

Calley Means has also advocated for the use of psychedelic drugs, writing in a 2021 blog post that he first tried psilocybin during a challenging time in his life and “it was the single most meaningful experience of my life — personally, professionally, and spiritually.” He said in 2022 that he had “sold all of my 401k” and bought stocks in two companies that are developing and researching psychedelics. He did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Casey Means’ confirmation hearing has not been scheduled.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-surgeon-general-laura-loomer-794da62da02d5699683e3b1540b8a31f">Trump chose Means</a>&nbsp;after questions were raised about the resume of his first pick for surgeon general, former Fox News medical contributor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-trump-marty-makary-34424f5fefcbbc334c1983b025523aad">Janette Nesheiwat</a>, and he withdrew her nomination.

Associated Press Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson in Washington state and AP writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746656010439.png" alt="Dr. Casey Means from her Instagram page" />
                        <figcaption>Dr. Casey Means from her Instagram page</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/casey-means-surgeon-general-podcasts-health-care-9eaa4341a62a0762fe827f459e9b1415">new pick for surgeon general</a>&nbsp;wrote in a recent book that people should consider using unproven psychedelic drugs as therapy and in a newsletter suggested her use of mushrooms helped her find a romantic partner.</p><p>Dr. Casey Means’ recommendation to consider guided psilocybin-assisted therapy is notable because psilocybin is illegal under federal law. It’s listed as a Schedule 1 drug, defined as a substance “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Oregon and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-psilocybin-psychedelic-therapy-legal-ptsd-veterans-99fc5a0703d85daa0903d5a2b2acc9be">Colorado</a>&nbsp;have legalized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microdosing-lsd-mushrooms-psychedelic-psilocybin-390c99ba54ef9d75727f39e2ec78fb34">psychedelic therapy</a>, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-psilocybin-psychedelic-mushrooms-ban-9c73a25986171b41bb162100d54d2217">several cities in Oregon</a>&nbsp;have since banned it.</p><p>The surgeon general’s job is to provide Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury. Past surgeons general have used their position to educate Americans about health problems like AIDS and suicide prevention. The surgeon general’s warning in 1964 about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/smoking-vaping-surgeon-general-db81e873c256e38433734e86d6a50f7e">the dangers of smoking</a>&nbsp;helped change the course of America’s health.</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; 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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>Some, like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d5fa02d63d474102b8c05cd82eab4a50">Dr. C. Everett Koop</a>, surgeon general under President Ronald Reagan, became widely known with substantial impact on policy, and others slipped easily from memory.</p><p>Means’ nomination follows a pattern from Trump to select people known for their public personas more than their policy positions. In the case of Means, the Republican president said he chose her solely on the recommendation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-hhs-senate-vaccines-layoffs-measles-8c99853031507ecb5408b4132329cdea">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;“Bobby thought she was fantastic,” Trump said, adding that he did not know her.</p><p>Means, who received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford University, began a medical residency in Oregon but did not complete it. Her medical license is listed as inactive. Contacted by phone, Means declined to comment on the record.</p><p>She made the recommendation about psychedelics in her 2024 book, “Good Energy,” which she wrote with her brother, Calley Means, an entrepreneur who now works in the Trump administration as a health adviser and who has said he invested in biopharmaceutical companies that specialize in psychedelics.</p><p>Much of the book focuses on metabolic health, what Casey Means calls “good energy.” She suggests a number of strategies to help people “manage and heal the stressors, traumas, and thought patterns that limit us and contribute to our poor metabolic health and thriving.”</p><p>One such strategy is to “consider psilocybin-assisted therapy,” referring to the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. She details her thinking on the subject in a 750-word passage.</p><p>“If you feel called, I also encourage you to explore intentional, guided psilocybin therapy,” she wrote. “Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me.”</p><p>Though there have been some studies suggesting benefits from psychedelics, it has not been shown that benefits outweigh the risks. Psilocybin can cause hours of hallucinations that can be pleasant or terrifying. When paired with talk therapy, it has been studied as a treatment for psychiatric conditions and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mushroom-psychedelic-alcoholism-study-a3b6692ae7590de9fd09a7cac271a199">alcoholism</a>, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microdosing-lsd-mushrooms-psychedelic-psilocybin-390c99ba54ef9d75727f39e2ec78fb34">very little research</a>&nbsp;has been done in healthy people. Side effects can include increased heart rate, nausea and headaches. Taking it unsupervised can be dangerous. Hallucinations could cause a user to walk into traffic or take other risks.</p><p>Means wrote that psilocybin and other psychedelics have been stigmatized. She touted the benefits of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, for helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The Food and Drug Administration last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mdma-psychedelic-drug-fda-ptsd-lykos-709b23613031fb11d3dc5228c8476a39">declined to approve the use of MDMA</a>&nbsp;as a therapy for PTSD after a panel of advisers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mdma-psychedelics-fda-ptsd-ecstasy-molly-1f3753324fa7f91821c9ee6246fa18e1">found the research was flawed</a>&nbsp;and there were significant risks in using it.</p><p>Means refers to psychedelics in her book as “plant medicine.” She describes how she took mushrooms for the first time around Jan. 1, 2021, after she was inspired by “an internal voice that whispered: it’s time to prepare.”</p><p>“I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,” she wrote, adding that in her experience “psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history.”</p><p>In a newsletter she published in October, Means said she had also used psychedelics to help her make “space to find love at 35.” She wrote that she “did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides” to become ready for partnership, punctuating the line with a mushroom emoji. She noted she was not necessarily making recommendations that others do the same.</p><p>In a post this month about her White House health policy wish list, Means said she wanted more nutritious food served in schools, suggested putting warning labels on ultra-processed foods, called for investigations into vaccine safety and said she wanted to remove conflicts of interest. She did not specifically mention psychedelics but said that researchers have little incentive to study “generic, natural, and non-patentable drugs and therapies” and that a portion of research budgets should be devoted to alternative approaches to health.</p><p>Calley Means has also advocated for the use of psychedelic drugs, writing in a 2021 blog post that he first tried psilocybin during a challenging time in his life and “it was the single most meaningful experience of my life — personally, professionally, and spiritually.” He said in 2022 that he had “sold all of my 401k” and bought stocks in two companies that are developing and researching psychedelics. He did not respond to messages seeking comment.</p><p>Casey Means’ confirmation hearing has not been scheduled.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-surgeon-general-laura-loomer-794da62da02d5699683e3b1540b8a31f">Trump chose Means</a>&nbsp;after questions were raised about the resume of his first pick for surgeon general, former Fox News medical contributor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-trump-marty-makary-34424f5fefcbbc334c1983b025523aad">Janette Nesheiwat</a>, and he withdrew her nomination.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson in Washington state and AP writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.</p>

Trump surgeon general pick said mushrooms helped her find love

DAVIESS COUNTY —A juvenile was injured in an accident just before 7p.m. Wednesday in Daviess County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Jeep Wrangler driven by an 18-year-old Gallatin woman was eastbound on MO 6 at 330th two miles east of Jamesport. The Jeep struck a horse ridden by a 5-year-old Jamesport boy.&nbsp; The boy was ejected from the horse.

 Life Flight airlifted the boy to Children's Mercy. The teen driver was not injured and properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.&nbsp; The Patrol confirmed late Thursday morning that the horse died from injuries in the accident.

 Jamesport is located approximately 80 miles north of Kansas City.

<p>Update 11a.m. Thursday</p><p>DAVIESS COUNTY —A juvenile was injured in an accident just before 7p.m. Wednesday in Daviess County, Missouri.</p><p>The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Jeep Wrangler driven by an 18-year-old Gallatin woman was eastbound on MO 6 at 330th two miles east of Jamesport. The Jeep struck a horse ridden by a 5-year-old Jamesport boy.&nbsp; The boy was ejected from the horse.</p><p> Life Flight airlifted the boy to Children's Mercy. The teen driver was not injured and properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.&nbsp; The Patrol confirmed late Thursday morning that the horse died from injuries in the accident.</p><p> Jamesport is located approximately 80 miles north of Kansas City.</p>

Update: 5-year-old airlifted to hospital after Jeep strikes a horse

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has heard its first set of Trump-related arguments in the second Trump presidency. 

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/supreme-court-hears-birthright-citizenship-case/659342">Click here to listen to a replay of the oral argument</a>

The case stems from the executive order President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office that would deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. The executive order marks a major change to the provision of the 14th Amendment that grants citizenship to people born in the United States, with just a couple of exceptions.

On Thursday, the high court heard from three attorneys: Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who represents the Trump administration; New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum is arguing against Trump’s order on behalf of several states; and Kelsi Corkran, who is representing pregnant women and immigrant rights groups.

Federal judges have uniformly cast doubt on Trump’s reading of the Citizenship Clause. Three judges have blocked the order from taking effect anywhere in the U.S., including U.S. District Judge John Coughenour. “I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” Coughenour said at a hearing in his Seattle courtroom.

The Supreme Court took up emergency appeals filed by the Trump administration asking to be able to enforce the executive order in most of the country, at least while lawsuits over the order proceed. The constitutionality of the order is not before the court just yet. Instead, the justices are looking at potentially limiting the authority of individual judges to issue rulings that apply throughout the United States. These are known as nationwide, or universal, injunctions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;seemed intent on keeping a block on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship Thursday while still looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders. It was not immediately clear what such a decision might look like, but a majority of the court expressed concerns about what would happen if the administration were allowed, even temporarily, to deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the country illegally.

Democratic attorneys general said Thursday that the case before the court goes beyond birthright citizenship.

“It’s about whether the rule of law and … whether the president can act like a king,” said New Jersey attorney general Matthew Platkin.

He spoke outside the Supreme Court accompanied by other Democratic attorneys general who have filed dozens of lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies in court. The Supreme Court will determine whether the Trump administration can partially enforce the president’s order on birthright citizenship.

The court could also narrow the power of other federal judges to make decisions that affect the entire country and potentially restrain the states’ ability to score victories against the administration court.

Would the Trump administration follow court rulings?

An underlying issue that did seem to be on the minds of several of the justices was judicial authority and whether the Trump administration would follow it. At least six of them questioned Sauer on the authority of the courts, including their own.

Justice Kavanaugh asked directly if the administration would follow an adverse ruling in the case while reading from government court filings on following Supreme Court precedents.

Sauer ran into another moment when he would not commit to respecting the decisions of a circuit court, saying administrations had generally followed rulings. Justice Coney Barrett responded tersely with, “Really?”

After a short rebuttal from Sauer, arguments are now complete after more than two hours. The Supreme Court typically rules in all its argued cases by the end of June and this one shouldn’t be any different. After oral arguments today,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-nationwide-injunctions-2c495cddc1436e21a9fa976d295dc292">it’s not out of the question</a>&nbsp;that the court could make a decision on this quickly, but we can’t know for sure.

Although the Supreme Court case talked of birthright citizenship, a subject that could have huge implications for millions of people, the courtroom was sparse when it came to seeing anyone who might be impacted by the ruling. Most attendees appeared to be lawyers, with a few general visitors.

Despite the seriousness of the subject, the hearing had moments of laughter throughout the courtroom as justices quipped with attorneys or laughed with one another.

At one point, Justice Neil Gorsuch brought laughter when he responded to New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum’s offer of an amicus brief with “I need all the amici I can get.” More laughter came when Justice Kagan told U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, “let’s just assume you’re dead wrong” as she set up a scenario for him to address. Justices Alito and Kagan also shared a private laugh when Alito began to ask a question but changed his mind and leaned back in his chair.

Kagan rolled over and whispered in his ear, and both laughed.

The attorney representing private individuals and immigrants makes their case

After the states finished their case, Kelsi Corkran, the attorney for pregnant women and immigrant-rights groups fighting Trump’s executive order, used her 15 minutes to make her case. Corkran said every judge who has considered the issue has found Trump’s order is “blatantly unlawful” and asked the justices to block the effort to begin enforcing it.

Kavanaugh suggested that people who want to challenge the birthright citizenship order might not need nationwide injunctions.

Instead, they could bind together and file class-action lawsuits. “That seems to solve the issue for preliminary relief,” he said. Corkran pushes back. “That is not actually addressing the court’s emergency docket. It’s just now we’re slapping a label of class certification on it,” she said.

A series of questions from Alito at one point seemed to hint at the many other cases the Trump administration is now appealing to the Supreme Court on an emergency basis. Lower-court judges can be “vulnerable to an occupational disease,” of believing they can do whatever they want, he said.

Even if their decisions are wrong, he said, appeals courts can be reluctant to act quickly to block them. He seemed to suggest that includes his own colleagues on the Supreme Court.

“How do we deal with that practical problem?” he said.

Corkran argues it wouldn’t. The government hasn’t said how they would enforce the order against everyone except the handful of people who sued, much less how they would filter out parents who are part of the groups that have sued, she argued.

Even if there were a way, it would likely mean the government would be able to identify the women as non-citizens. That would put many at risk for potential deportation, she said.