KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging five former U.S. Postal Service employees with stealing mail, according to the United State's Attorney.

The defendants all charged with one count of conspiracy to steal mail and one count of theft of mail are: Terrence Luster, 49, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri;&nbsp; Laura Dantzler, 64, of Kansas City, Kansas; Arthur Hook, 49, of Lathrop, Missouri; Craig Roland, 54, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Cheryl Wankum, 60, of Overland Park, Kansas.

The defendants, who were employees at a post office on North 51st Street, are accused of stealing Amazon return packages, mail, and other items of value for their own personal use between early 2023 and mid-October 2023.

The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging five former U.S. Postal Service employees with stealing mail, according to the United State's Attorney.The defendants all charged with one count of conspiracy to steal mail and one count of theft of mail are: Terrence Luster, 49, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri;&nbsp; Laura Dantzler, 64, of Kansas City, Kansas; Arthur Hook, 49, of Lathrop, Missouri; Craig Roland, 54, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Cheryl Wankum, 60, of Overland Park, Kansas.The defendants, who were employees at a post office on North 51st Street, are accused of stealing Amazon return packages, mail, and other items of value for their own personal use between early 2023 and mid-October 2023.The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case.

Indictment: Kan. postal service employees stole Amazon return packages

SALINE COUNTY —Two men were hospitalized after an argument over a puppy turned violent in Salina.

On May 6, police responded to a home in the 700 block of N. 8th Street in. Salina, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.

A 34-year old man reported that he and his roommate identified as 33-year-old Jeramy Hassler, got into an argument over the care of puppy.

The 34-year old told police the argument became violent, when Hassler took him to the ground and started to impede his breathing by applying pressure to his neck. The man was able to grab a nearby rubber mallet and used it to strike Hassler in the head, which allowed to escape.

Afterwards, the 34-year old man called police and upon arrival both men were transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of minor injuries.&nbsp;

Further investigation determined that Hassler would be booked into the Saline County Jail on a requested charge of Aggravated Domestic Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746626102022.jpeg" alt="Hassler photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Hassler photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Two men were hospitalized after an argument over a puppy turned violent in Salina.On May 6, police responded to a home in the 700 block of N. 8th Street in. Salina, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.A 34-year old man reported that he and his roommate identified as 33-year-old Jeramy Hassler, got into an argument over the care of puppy.The 34-year old told police the argument became violent, when Hassler took him to the ground and started to impede his breathing by applying pressure to his neck. The man was able to grab a nearby rubber mallet and used it to strike Hassler in the head, which allowed to escape.Afterwards, the 34-year old man called police and upon arrival both men were transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of minor injuries.&nbsp;Further investigation determined that Hassler would be booked into the Saline County Jail on a requested charge of Aggravated Domestic Battery.

Kansas man jailed after roommate fight over care for a puppy

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a reported&nbsp; bomb threat in Topeka.

Just after 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from an individual reporting that he had left an explosive device inside the Walmart, 1501 SW Wanamaker,&nbsp;according to Topeka Police LT Kerry Connell.

The business was evacuated, and members from the Topeka Police Department’s Bomb Unit and K9 Unit, along with the Shawnee County Sheriff's K9 Unit responded to the scene.

Just after 4p.m. Saturday police reported the store was safe and investigators found&nbsp;no devices. The Walmart is open and has resumed normal operations.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746912432395.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a reported&nbsp; bomb threat in Topeka.Just after 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from an individual reporting that he had left an explosive device inside the Walmart, 1501 SW Wanamaker,&nbsp;according to Topeka Police LT Kerry Connell.The business was evacuated, and members from the Topeka Police Department’s Bomb Unit and K9 Unit, along with the Shawnee County Sheriff's K9 Unit responded to the scene.Just after 4p.m. Saturday police reported the store was safe and investigators found&nbsp;no devices. The Walmart is open and has resumed normal operations.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Police evacuate store after bomb threat in Topeka

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ALEXA%20ST.%20JOHN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ALEXA ST. JOHN &nbsp;Associated Press</a>

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change.

NOAA falls under the U.S. Department of Commerce and is tasked with daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring. It is also parent to the National Weather Service.

The agency said its National Centers for Environmental Information would no longer update its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database beyond 2024, and that its information — going as far back as 1980 — would be archived.

For decades, it has tracked hundreds of major events across the country, including destructive hurricanes, hail storms, droughts and freezes that have totaled trillions of dollars in damage.

The database uniquely pulls information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s assistance data, insurance organizations, state agencies and more to estimate overall losses from individual disasters.

NOAA Communications Director Kim Doster said in a statement that the change was “in alignment with evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes.”

Scientists say these&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/climate-extreme-weather/weather/">weather events</a>&nbsp;are becoming increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-extremes-drought-flood-rain-hydrological-cycle-b1f3e71ec6bac03f7c72a16be2739b01">more frequent</a>, costly and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-extreme-weather-events-climate-change-169250036362">severe with climate change</a>. Experts have attributed the growing intensity of recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/heat-wave-climate-change-worsen-hotter-797aae046df8165f5f8be7d3f40a8b74">debilitating heat</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-climate-change-greenhouse-gases-fossil-fuels-aa1c971c228feb9da6f36fb9cc46ee81">Hurricane Milton</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfire-climate-change-burn-devastation-warming-1429ef7c613a0d97fc156068215571d2">Southern California wildfires</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-wild-weather-extremes-fires-california-blizzard-snow-polar-vortex-30860f82a23c010758502fd3871d287a">blasts of cold</a>&nbsp;to climate change.

Assessing the impact of weather events fueled by the planet's warming is key as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeowners-insurance-climate-change-wildfire-disasters-9c7129881f12ec478386e4b47c1acbbc">insurance premiums hike</a>, particularly in communities more prone to flooding, storms and fires. Climate change has wrought havoc on the insurance industry, and homeowners are at risk of skyrocketing rates.

One limitation is that the dataset estimated only the nation's most costly weather events.

The information is generally seen as standardized and unduplicable, given the agency's access to nonpublic data, and other private databases would be more limited in scope and likely not shared as widespread for proprietary reasons. Other datasets, however, also track death estimates from these disasters.

Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections, pointed to substitutes from insurance brokers and the international disaster database as alternative sources of information.

Still, “The NOAA database is the gold standard we use to evaluate the costs of extreme weather,” Masters said, “and it’s a major loss, since it comes at a time when we need to better understand how much climate change is increasing disaster losses.”

These moves also don’t “change the fact that these disasters are escalating year over year,” Kristina Dahl, vice president of science at nonprofit climate organization Climate Central. “Extreme weather events that cause a lot of damage are one of the primary ways that the public sees that climate change is happening and is affecting people."

“It’s critical that we highlight those events when they’re happening,” she added. “All of these changes will make Americans less safe in the face of climate change.”

The move, reported Thursday by CNN, is yet another of President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove references to climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the weather from the federal government’s lexicon and documents.

Trump has instead prioritized allies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-ai-data-centers-energy-dominance-693e2604785c07ff790d9afd2e06d543">polluting coal, oil and gas industries</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-liability-lawsuits-damage-trillions-5ad21e47b2aa16cc90cb7669f56297f1">studies say are linked or traced to climate damage</a>.

The change also marks the administration's latest hit overall to the weather, ocean and fisheries agency.

The Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-weather-service-layoffs-trump-doge-a65360a1eb2500b7d47c9c966e383f4a">fired hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal NOAA employees</a>&nbsp;on probationary status in February, part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency efforts to downsize the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-weather-cuts-tornado-dangerous-staff-warnings-aa7db3e0d0009d99c143742ab722c40a">federal government workforce</a>. It began a second round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-job-cuts-weather-forecasts-trump-doge-musk-7e35e9d5d757d8fc3f0f50b2bd71c87d">more than 1,000 cuts at the agency in March</a>, more than 10% of its workforce at the time.

At the time, insiders said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-doge-federal-cuts-musk-weather-danger-6f60e7c511989aeff8930ae87c9a5ee8">massive firings and changes to the agency</a>&nbsp;would risk lives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/fired-noaa-fisheries-scientists-worry-about-the-future-of-marine-conservation-6c014d170404419b870fea6a9d041692">negatively impact the U.S. economy</a>. Experts also noted fewer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-forecasts-worsen-doge-trump-cuts-tornado-da573a044916c06cebcdb92b1f1452e6">vital weather balloon launches under NOAA would worsen U.S. weather forecasts</a>.

More changes to the agency are expected, which could include some of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-cuts-climate-environment-diversity-fa707f35307c6c74fbd02a38b4841f32">those proposed in the president's preliminary budget</a>.

The agency's weather service also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-spanish-translation-noaa-nws-trump-71c727dbe2e4956247c9d9152494f1dc">paused providing language translations</a>&nbsp;of its products last month — though it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-service-spanish-translations-noaa-trump-0753d36b7dd1724898eef86ebf3a920b">resumed those translations</a>&nbsp;just weeks later.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714352043261.png" alt="April 2024 tornado damage in Oklahoma&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>April 2024 tornado damage in Oklahoma&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ALEXA%20ST.%20JOHN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ALEXA ST. JOHN &nbsp;Associated Press</a>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change.NOAA falls under the U.S. Department of Commerce and is tasked with daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring. It is also parent to the National Weather Service.The agency said its National Centers for Environmental Information would no longer update its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database beyond 2024, and that its information — going as far back as 1980 — would be archived.For decades, it has tracked hundreds of major events across the country, including destructive hurricanes, hail storms, droughts and freezes that have totaled trillions of dollars in damage.The database uniquely pulls information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s assistance data, insurance organizations, state agencies and more to estimate overall losses from individual disasters.NOAA Communications Director Kim Doster said in a statement that the change was “in alignment with evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes.”Scientists say these&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/climate-extreme-weather/weather/">weather events</a>&nbsp;are becoming increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-extremes-drought-flood-rain-hydrological-cycle-b1f3e71ec6bac03f7c72a16be2739b01">more frequent</a>, costly and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-extreme-weather-events-climate-change-169250036362">severe with climate change</a>. Experts have attributed the growing intensity of recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/heat-wave-climate-change-worsen-hotter-797aae046df8165f5f8be7d3f40a8b74">debilitating heat</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-climate-change-greenhouse-gases-fossil-fuels-aa1c971c228feb9da6f36fb9cc46ee81">Hurricane Milton</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfire-climate-change-burn-devastation-warming-1429ef7c613a0d97fc156068215571d2">Southern California wildfires</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-wild-weather-extremes-fires-california-blizzard-snow-polar-vortex-30860f82a23c010758502fd3871d287a">blasts of cold</a>&nbsp;to climate change.Assessing the impact of weather events fueled by the planet's warming is key as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeowners-insurance-climate-change-wildfire-disasters-9c7129881f12ec478386e4b47c1acbbc">insurance premiums hike</a>, particularly in communities more prone to flooding, storms and fires. Climate change has wrought havoc on the insurance industry, and homeowners are at risk of skyrocketing rates.One limitation is that the dataset estimated only the nation's most costly weather events.The information is generally seen as standardized and unduplicable, given the agency's access to nonpublic data, and other private databases would be more limited in scope and likely not shared as widespread for proprietary reasons. Other datasets, however, also track death estimates from these disasters.Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections, pointed to substitutes from insurance brokers and the international disaster database as alternative sources of information.Still, “The NOAA database is the gold standard we use to evaluate the costs of extreme weather,” Masters said, “and it’s a major loss, since it comes at a time when we need to better understand how much climate change is increasing disaster losses.”These moves also don’t “change the fact that these disasters are escalating year over year,” Kristina Dahl, vice president of science at nonprofit climate organization Climate Central. “Extreme weather events that cause a lot of damage are one of the primary ways that the public sees that climate change is happening and is affecting people."“It’s critical that we highlight those events when they’re happening,” she added. “All of these changes will make Americans less safe in the face of climate change.”The move, reported Thursday by CNN, is yet another of President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove references to climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the weather from the federal government’s lexicon and documents.Trump has instead prioritized allies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-ai-data-centers-energy-dominance-693e2604785c07ff790d9afd2e06d543">polluting coal, oil and gas industries</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-liability-lawsuits-damage-trillions-5ad21e47b2aa16cc90cb7669f56297f1">studies say are linked or traced to climate damage</a>.The change also marks the administration's latest hit overall to the weather, ocean and fisheries agency.The Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-weather-service-layoffs-trump-doge-a65360a1eb2500b7d47c9c966e383f4a">fired hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal NOAA employees</a>&nbsp;on probationary status in February, part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency efforts to downsize the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-weather-cuts-tornado-dangerous-staff-warnings-aa7db3e0d0009d99c143742ab722c40a">federal government workforce</a>. It began a second round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-job-cuts-weather-forecasts-trump-doge-musk-7e35e9d5d757d8fc3f0f50b2bd71c87d">more than 1,000 cuts at the agency in March</a>, more than 10% of its workforce at the time.At the time, insiders said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-doge-federal-cuts-musk-weather-danger-6f60e7c511989aeff8930ae87c9a5ee8">massive firings and changes to the agency</a>&nbsp;would risk lives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/fired-noaa-fisheries-scientists-worry-about-the-future-of-marine-conservation-6c014d170404419b870fea6a9d041692">negatively impact the U.S. economy</a>. Experts also noted fewer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-forecasts-worsen-doge-trump-cuts-tornado-da573a044916c06cebcdb92b1f1452e6">vital weather balloon launches under NOAA would worsen U.S. weather forecasts</a>.More changes to the agency are expected, which could include some of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-cuts-climate-environment-diversity-fa707f35307c6c74fbd02a38b4841f32">those proposed in the president's preliminary budget</a>.The agency's weather service also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-spanish-translation-noaa-nws-trump-71c727dbe2e4956247c9d9152494f1dc">paused providing language translations</a>&nbsp;of its products last month — though it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-service-spanish-translations-noaa-trump-0753d36b7dd1724898eef86ebf3a920b">resumed those translations</a>&nbsp;just weeks later.

US will stop tracking the costs of extreme weather fueled by climate change

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/christopher-rugaber">CHRISTOPHER RUGABER</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">a trade deal with the United Kingdom</a>&nbsp;Thursday in grandiose terms, but with only limited details about what it will achieve.

The agreement will open up the British market to American beef, ethanol, and other agricultural products, the White House said. It will also allow British cars and steel better access to U.S. consumers.

The pact provides some support for President Donald Trump’s arguments that his steep tariffs could lead to agreements that open up overseas markets. But economists’ initial reactions were cool, with many noting that the United Kingdom isn’t a large enough trading partner for the U.S. to really move the needle for the U.S. economy.

“It’s more symbolic than economic,” Beata Caranci, chief economist at the bank TD Economics, said in an email. “What we have learned is that these initial announcements are going to be more fine-tuning around the edges and easing of pain points, rather than an end to the trade war.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ed-martin-white-house-justice-department-thom-tillis-cecf801799faa2b56fd1bb4fac48379e">Trump</a>&nbsp;said in the Oval Office Thursday that additional details will be worked out in the “coming weeks.” But in a fact sheet the administration said the deal is “historic” and “a great deal for America.”

U.K. Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">Keir Starmer</a>&nbsp;has said the deal would protect thousands of auto jobs and stressed the importance of the relationship between the two countries.

The U.K. is the United States’ fourth largest export market, though has received just 4.5% of U.S. exports this year.

—The United States will maintain the 10% duty on nearly all imports from the U.K., which Trump imposed April 2. Many economists had hoped that the tariff would be dropped as part of any trade deal, but Trump suggested that the 10% universal duty was likely to be a floor in any future talks with other countries.

—The U.S. will cut its tariffs on car imports from the U.K. to 10% from 27.5%, according to the U.K. government, but only up to 100,000 cars. The U.K. exported 92,000 cars to the U.S. in 2024, which means the U.K. auto industry won’t be able to boost its shipments without paying higher duties.

—U.K. steel exports will enter the U.S. duty-free, rather than face the 25% tariff the White House has placed on imported steel.

—The two countries have agreed to greater market access for each other’s beef, with both nations able to export 13,000 metric tons of beef to each others’ countries.

—The U.K. will eliminate its tariff on ethanol from the U.S., up to 1.4 billion liters.

—The U.S. will lift all duties on airplane engines and other aerospace parts from the U.K.'s Rolls Royce. In return, a U.K. airline will soon announce the purchase of $10 billion in planes from Boeing.

—The U.K. will reduce its average tariff on U.S. goods to 1.8%, which would amount to a $200 million cut in duties, the British government said. The U.K. will also lower import taxes on about 2,500 U.S. products including olive oil, wine and sports equipment.

—The U.K. will “reduce or eliminate” non-tariff barriers to U.S. exports, the White House said, though it did not provide details. The agreement creates opportunities for $5 billion in new exports of U.S. agricultural and other goods, according to the administration’s fact sheet.

What’s not in the deal, at least not yet

—The agreement does not provide U.S. companies any additional access to the U.K.'s government-run national health service.

—There also aren’t any changes on the U.K.'s digital services tax, which hits U.S. tech giants such as Amazon, Alphabet’s Google, and Facebook parent Meta. Trump has strongly criticized the tax. The U.K. government said, however, that the two nations have agreed to negotiate on a digital trade deal.

—Trump said the deal did not exempt the U.K. from the 100% tariffs on foreign-made films he has proposed.

—Negotiations are still ongoing in areas such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, critical minerals, copper and lumber, a British trade official said.

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/christopher-rugaber">CHRISTOPHER RUGABER</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">a trade deal with the United Kingdom</a>&nbsp;Thursday in grandiose terms, but with only limited details about what it will achieve.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">After decades of politicians putting American Workers last, <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is delivering UNPRECEDENTED wins 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/MCi09W3TAy">https://t.co/MCi09W3TAy</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ybm3NHztE5">pic.twitter.com/Ybm3NHztE5</a>&mdash; U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/USDOL/status/1920536350744301696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The agreement will open up the British market to American beef, ethanol, and other agricultural products, the White House said. It will also allow British cars and steel better access to U.S. consumers.The pact provides some support for President Donald Trump’s arguments that his steep tariffs could lead to agreements that open up overseas markets. But economists’ initial reactions were cool, with many noting that the United Kingdom isn’t a large enough trading partner for the U.S. to really move the needle for the U.S. economy.“It’s more symbolic than economic,” Beata Caranci, chief economist at the bank TD Economics, said in an email. “What we have learned is that these initial announcements are going to be more fine-tuning around the edges and easing of pain points, rather than an end to the trade war.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ed-martin-white-house-justice-department-thom-tillis-cecf801799faa2b56fd1bb4fac48379e">Trump</a>&nbsp;said in the Oval Office Thursday that additional details will be worked out in the “coming weeks.” But in a fact sheet the administration said the deal is “historic” and “a great deal for America.”U.K. Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">Keir Starmer</a>&nbsp;has said the deal would protect thousands of auto jobs and stressed the importance of the relationship between the two countries.The U.K. is the United States’ fourth largest export market, though has received just 4.5% of U.S. exports this year.<h2>What’s in the deal:</h2>—The United States will maintain the 10% duty on nearly all imports from the U.K., which Trump imposed April 2. Many economists had hoped that the tariff would be dropped as part of any trade deal, but Trump suggested that the 10% universal duty was likely to be a floor in any future talks with other countries.—The U.S. will cut its tariffs on car imports from the U.K. to 10% from 27.5%, according to the U.K. government, but only up to 100,000 cars. The U.K. exported 92,000 cars to the U.S. in 2024, which means the U.K. auto industry won’t be able to boost its shipments without paying higher duties.—U.K. steel exports will enter the U.S. duty-free, rather than face the 25% tariff the White House has placed on imported steel.—The two countries have agreed to greater market access for each other’s beef, with both nations able to export 13,000 metric tons of beef to each others’ countries.—The U.K. will eliminate its tariff on ethanol from the U.S., up to 1.4 billion liters.—The U.S. will lift all duties on airplane engines and other aerospace parts from the U.K.'s Rolls Royce. In return, a U.K. airline will soon announce the purchase of $10 billion in planes from Boeing.—The U.K. will reduce its average tariff on U.S. goods to 1.8%, which would amount to a $200 million cut in duties, the British government said. The U.K. will also lower import taxes on about 2,500 U.S. products including olive oil, wine and sports equipment.—The U.K. will “reduce or eliminate” non-tariff barriers to U.S. exports, the White House said, though it did not provide details. The agreement creates opportunities for $5 billion in new exports of U.S. agricultural and other goods, according to the administration’s fact sheet.<h2>What’s not in the deal, at least not yet</h2>—The agreement does not provide U.S. companies any additional access to the U.K.'s government-run national health service.—There also aren’t any changes on the U.K.'s digital services tax, which hits U.S. tech giants such as Amazon, Alphabet’s Google, and Facebook parent Meta. Trump has strongly criticized the tax. The U.K. government said, however, that the two nations have agreed to negotiate on a digital trade deal.—Trump said the deal did not exempt the U.K. from the 100% tariffs on foreign-made films he has proposed.—Negotiations are still ongoing in areas such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, critical minerals, copper and lumber, a British trade official said.

What’s included in the US-UK trade deal? 

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Kansas City.

A bicycle was&nbsp; northbound on Flora Avenue and failed to stop for the posted stop sign at 31st Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The blue Schwinn entered the intersection. An eastbound white Honda Civic struck the bicycle. EMS transported he bicyclist to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased by hospital staff shortly after arrival. 

The driver of the Honda stopped immediately, cooperated with the investigation and was not injured in the collision. This is fatality #23 compared to #39 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to DiMartino.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the bicyclisst.

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Kansas City.A bicycle was&nbsp; northbound on Flora Avenue and failed to stop for the posted stop sign at 31st Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The blue Schwinn entered the intersection. An eastbound white Honda Civic struck the bicycle. EMS transported he bicyclist to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased by hospital staff shortly after arrival. The driver of the Honda stopped immediately, cooperated with the investigation and was not injured in the collision. This is fatality #23 compared to #39 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to DiMartino.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the bicyclisst.

Police: Bicyclist struck and killed at Kansas City intersection

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and local health departments continue to respond to measles cases in Kansas. KDHE is notifying the public of a possible measles exposure so that the public may take the appropriate steps to protect their health and limit the spread of measles. The risk of exposure to measles is limited only to the location, date, and times below.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The measles virus can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. Because the measles virus is highly contagious, anyone who was inside Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport on the evening of May 2 from 6:15 pm - 9:00 pm,&nbsp;may have been exposed to measles and should take the following steps:&nbsp;&nbsp;

Reminder, that this possible measles exposure is limited only to those who were at the airport on Friday, May 2nd from 6:15 pm - 9:00 pm.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus. It spreads easily when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs. People who are not vaccinated or lack immunity are especially at risk of becoming infected. Symptoms of measles typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a skin rash develops and usually starts on the face and spreads down to the neck, trunk, arms and legs.&nbsp;

The best way to prevent measles is to get the MMR vaccine. If you have had measles or have been vaccinated, your risk of contracting the disease is very low. However, a few people (about three out of 100) can still get measles even after two MMR vaccine doses if they are near someone who is sick.&nbsp;

For questions, contact the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline by phone at 877-427-7317 (option 5) or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kdhe.epihotline@ks.gov">kdhe.epihotline@ks.gov</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information about measles, how to find your vaccine records, and answers to common questions, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Measles Resource Hub at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.kdhe.ks.gov%2Fmeasles%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000196bab66071-265dded3-852b-4d34-80ea-a195df30b371-000000/27ODBlJLudr7cQfILpYMRWb24mslz8GtUAsUmquBqac=404">www.kdhe.ks.gov/measles</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741908251964.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and local health departments continue to respond to measles cases in Kansas. KDHE is notifying the public of a possible measles exposure so that the public may take the appropriate steps to protect their health and limit the spread of measles. The risk of exposure to measles is limited only to the location, date, and times below.&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Location:&nbsp;Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, 2277 Eisenhower Airport Pkwy, Wichita on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 6:15 p.m. until 9 p.m.&nbsp;</li><li>Hutchinson Public Library,&nbsp;901 N Main St, Hutchinson, KS 67501  on Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. </li>
 </ul>The measles virus can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. Because the measles virus is highly contagious, anyone who was inside Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport on the evening of May 2 from 6:15 pm - 9:00 pm,&nbsp;may have been exposed to measles and should take the following steps:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Understand if you are susceptible to infection.&nbsp;Check if you’ve received a measles-containing vaccine, like the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, have medical documentation of past measles infection, or have laboratory evidence of immunity. People who are not vaccinated and have not previously had measles are especially vulnerable to becoming infected. People born before 1957, or have had measles disease in the past, or have had at least one MMR dose are considered immune.&nbsp;</li><li>Watch for symptoms. Monitor yourself for 21 days after your exposure. Look out for any symptoms—especially a fever and a new or unexplained skin rash—and contact your healthcare provider or local health department if symptoms develop.</li><li>If you were at the&nbsp;Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport&nbsp;on the evening of May 2, watch for symptoms of measles up until the end of Friday, May 23.</li><li>Avoid high-risk settings. If you are not immune, consider staying home to prevent the spread of measles. If you cannot remain home, stay away from large gatherings and people that might be susceptible to measles, including those who are unvaccinated, pregnant women, infants, or people who are immunocompromised. If you need medical care, call your provider ahead of time and let them know you may have been exposed to measles so they can take any necessary steps to protect others from potential measles exposure.</li><li>Call a healthcare provider. If you have any questions about your health or your immunity status, contact your healthcare provider. If you need to see your healthcare provider or visit an emergency room, please call ahead and notify staff that you may have been exposed to measles. If you are not immune to measles and have symptoms, a healthcare provider can determine whether you need testing and treatment to help prevent or lessen the severity of infection.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Reminder, that this possible measles exposure is limited only to those who were at the airport on Friday, May 2nd from 6:15 pm - 9:00 pm.Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus. It spreads easily when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs. People who are not vaccinated or lack immunity are especially at risk of becoming infected. Symptoms of measles typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a skin rash develops and usually starts on the face and spreads down to the neck, trunk, arms and legs.&nbsp;The best way to prevent measles is to get the MMR vaccine. If you have had measles or have been vaccinated, your risk of contracting the disease is very low. However, a few people (about three out of 100) can still get measles even after two MMR vaccine doses if they are near someone who is sick.&nbsp;For questions, contact the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline by phone at 877-427-7317 (option 5) or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kdhe.epihotline@ks.gov">kdhe.epihotline@ks.gov</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;For more information about measles, how to find your vaccine records, and answers to common questions, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Measles Resource Hub at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.kdhe.ks.gov%2Fmeasles%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000196bab66071-265dded3-852b-4d34-80ea-a195df30b371-000000/27ODBlJLudr7cQfILpYMRWb24mslz8GtUAsUmquBqac=404">www.kdhe.ks.gov/measles</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KDHE: Potential measles exposures at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police ID woman struck and killed by pickup on Kansas roadway

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man convicted of killing a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper in 1978 has been granted parole after having past requests rejected, inspiring criticism and prompting the governor on Friday to call for reconsidering the decision.

Jimmie K. Nelms and another man, both from Tulsa, Oklahoma, were sentenced to serve two life sentences for the aggravated kidnapping and murder of&nbsp;<a href="https://kansashighwaypatrol.gov/end-of-watch/trooper-conroy-g-obrien/">Trooper Conroy O'Brien</a>&nbsp;following a traffic stop on the Kansas Turnpike about 55 miles (89 kilometers) northeast of Wichita. Nelms' codefendant, Walter Myrick, died in prison in 2009.

In Kansas, killing a law enforcement officer now can be punished by death, with the only other possible sentence in a capital case being life in prison without parole. But in 1978, Kansas had no death penalty, and Nelms was eligible for parole after 30 years in 2008. He sought parole in 2011 and 2021.

A date for Nelms' release hasn't been set. His release was approved by the Prisoner Review Board, comprised of three veteran state Department of Corrections employees appointed by its top administrator. Department spokesman David Thompson said the decision came several weeks after a March 6 hearing.

“The Kansas Prisoner Review Board believes that Mr. Nelms is able and willing to fulfill the obligations of a law-abiding citizen and is of the opinion that there is reasonable probability that Mr. Nelms can be released without detriment to the community or to himself,” Thompson said in a statement.

A decision becomes public when it's criticized

The decision didn't become public until the Kansas State Troopers Association condemned it as “disgraceful and disgusting” in a statement Thursday. Under Kansas law, it appears unlikely that critics can prevent Nelms' release.

“Those who murder law enforcement officers should expect to receive the death penalty, not to be walking free on the streets of KS,” state Attorney General Kris Kobach said in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KrisKobach1787/status/1920623287995916337">a post</a>&nbsp;on the social platform X.

The Kansas Legislature's top leaders, Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, called the parole decision “unconscionable” Friday.

They and Kobach are Republicans; the Department of Corrections is under Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat. But Kelly wants the board to consider reversing the decision “if legally possible," spokesperson Grace Hoge said.

“The facts of this case demonstrate a brutal and intentional killing of a law enforcement officer,” Hoge said in an email. “There is no justification for this decision.”

According to court records and news reports, O'Brien stopped Nelms' car for speeding about 2 miles south of a turnpike service area. Myrick was driving.

As O'Brien wrote a ticket in his patrol car, Nelms approached the driver's side with a gun, according to authorities. Nelms forced O'Brien to get out of the car and told him to lie down in a ditch. Authorities said Nelms took O'Brien's gun, struck the trooper with it, and, when O'Brien fell to the ground, shot him twice in the head.

O'Brien was 26 with a pregnant wife. Nelms was 31 and Myrick, 25. A 21-year-old man was also in the car with Nelms and Myrick, but he pleaded guilty to lesser charges and provided crucial testimony against Nelms.

The men fled in Nelms' car, left the turnpike, and eventually drove north, where another patrol trooper spotted the car about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of where O'Brien died. Nelms' car and the trooper's collided in a pasture, and a gun battle ensued.

Nelms denied he was the shooter, but jurors convicted him and Myrick of murder, aggravated kidnapping and other charges during a joint trial.

Nelms served most of his sentence in maximum-security prisons but was transferred to a lower-security facility in 2023. Online Department of Corrections records show four disciplinary reports against him from 1996 to 2017, the last for disobeying orders. Thompson said Nelms works in the prison laundry.

Kansas changes how parole decisions are made

When Nelms sought parole in 2011, decisions were made by a three-member parole board appointed by the governor, subject to state Senate confirmation. That same year, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback issued an executive order abolishing the parole board in favor of a panel of Department of Corrections employees.

Brownback said the move would save the state $500,000 a year, and sentencing laws after 1993 limited parole. Critics worried that the department's board would release inmates just to avoid prison overcrowding, and Kelly, then a state senator, called the change “a really bad idea.”

Masterson, the current Senate president, backed the change in 2011 but said Friday that it “has not functioned as intended" and that he would work for changes to see that the review board members “rightly answer to the people of Kansas.”

Democratic state Rep. Tom Sawyer, who reviewed Nelms' case as a parole board member from 2009 through June 2011, said the board sometimes rejected parole when corrections officials recommended. Now, he said, the process is “all in-house.”

As for Nelms, Sawyer said, “I think it’s highly unlikely the parole board would have let him go, based on my experience.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746748524625.png" alt="Nelms photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Nelms photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man convicted of killing a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper in 1978 has been granted parole after having past requests rejected, inspiring criticism and prompting the governor on Friday to call for reconsidering the decision.Jimmie K. Nelms and another man, both from Tulsa, Oklahoma, were sentenced to serve two life sentences for the aggravated kidnapping and murder of&nbsp;<a href="https://kansashighwaypatrol.gov/end-of-watch/trooper-conroy-g-obrien/">Trooper Conroy O'Brien</a>&nbsp;following a traffic stop on the Kansas Turnpike about 55 miles (89 kilometers) northeast of Wichita. Nelms' codefendant, Walter Myrick, died in prison in 2009.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746744841747.jpeg" alt="Conroy O'Brien courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Conroy O'Brien courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>In Kansas, killing a law enforcement officer now can be punished by death, with the only other possible sentence in a capital case being life in prison without parole. But in 1978, Kansas had no death penalty, and Nelms was eligible for parole after 30 years in 2008. He sought parole in 2011 and 2021.A date for Nelms' release hasn't been set. His release was approved by the Prisoner Review Board, comprised of three veteran state Department of Corrections employees appointed by its top administrator. Department spokesman David Thompson said the decision came several weeks after a March 6 hearing.“The Kansas Prisoner Review Board believes that Mr. Nelms is able and willing to fulfill the obligations of a law-abiding citizen and is of the opinion that there is reasonable probability that Mr. Nelms can be released without detriment to the community or to himself,” Thompson said in a statement.<h2>A decision becomes public when it's criticized</h2>The decision didn't become public until the Kansas State Troopers Association condemned it as “disgraceful and disgusting” in a statement Thursday. Under Kansas law, it appears unlikely that critics can prevent Nelms' release.“Those who murder law enforcement officers should expect to receive the death penalty, not to be walking free on the streets of KS,” state Attorney General Kris Kobach said in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KrisKobach1787/status/1920623287995916337">a post</a>&nbsp;on the social platform X.The Kansas Legislature's top leaders, Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, called the parole decision “unconscionable” Friday.They and Kobach are Republicans; the Department of Corrections is under Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat. But Kelly wants the board to consider reversing the decision “if legally possible," spokesperson Grace Hoge said.“The facts of this case demonstrate a brutal and intentional killing of a law enforcement officer,” Hoge said in an email. “There is no justification for this decision.”<h2>A traffic stop turns deadly in 1978</h2>According to court records and news reports, O'Brien stopped Nelms' car for speeding about 2 miles south of a turnpike service area. Myrick was driving.As O'Brien wrote a ticket in his patrol car, Nelms approached the driver's side with a gun, according to authorities. Nelms forced O'Brien to get out of the car and told him to lie down in a ditch. Authorities said Nelms took O'Brien's gun, struck the trooper with it, and, when O'Brien fell to the ground, shot him twice in the head.O'Brien was 26 with a pregnant wife. Nelms was 31 and Myrick, 25. A 21-year-old man was also in the car with Nelms and Myrick, but he pleaded guilty to lesser charges and provided crucial testimony against Nelms.The men fled in Nelms' car, left the turnpike, and eventually drove north, where another patrol trooper spotted the car about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of where O'Brien died. Nelms' car and the trooper's collided in a pasture, and a gun battle ensued.Nelms denied he was the shooter, but jurors convicted him and Myrick of murder, aggravated kidnapping and other charges during a joint trial.Nelms served most of his sentence in maximum-security prisons but was transferred to a lower-security facility in 2023. Online Department of Corrections records show four disciplinary reports against him from 1996 to 2017, the last for disobeying orders. Thompson said Nelms works in the prison laundry.<h2>Kansas changes how parole decisions are made</h2>When Nelms sought parole in 2011, decisions were made by a three-member parole board appointed by the governor, subject to state Senate confirmation. That same year, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback issued an executive order abolishing the parole board in favor of a panel of Department of Corrections employees.Brownback said the move would save the state $500,000 a year, and sentencing laws after 1993 limited parole. Critics worried that the department's board would release inmates just to avoid prison overcrowding, and Kelly, then a state senator, called the change “a really bad idea.”Masterson, the current Senate president, backed the change in 2011 but said Friday that it “has not functioned as intended" and that he would work for changes to see that the review board members “rightly answer to the people of Kansas.”Democratic state Rep. Tom Sawyer, who reviewed Nelms' case as a parole board member from 2009 through June 2011, said the board sometimes rejected parole when corrections officials recommended. Now, he said, the process is “all in-house.”As for Nelms, Sawyer said, “I think it’s highly unlikely the parole board would have let him go, based on my experience.”

Kan. governor wants board to reconsider parole granted to a state trooper's convicted killer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Judge pauses Trump's mass layoffs at government agencies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in pedestrian accident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His sharing of critiques dates back nearly a decade

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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