VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Leo XIV&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-digital-influencer-leo-7be275fe3bdee00075d650f7a2448726">surprised tens of thousands</a>&nbsp;of young people at a recent Holy Year celebration with an impromptu popemobile romp around St. Peter’s Square, it almost seemed as if some of the informal spontaneity that characterized Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy had returned to the Vatican.

But the message Leo delivered that night was all his own: In seamless English, Spanish and Italian, Leo told the young people that they were the “salt of the Earth, the light of the world.” He urged them to spread their hope, faith in Christ and their cries of peace wherever they go.

As Robert Prevost marks his 100th day as Pope Leo this weekend, the contours of his pontificate have begun to come into relief, primarily where he shows continuity with Francis and where he signals change. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that after 12 sometimes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pope-francis-vatican-catholic-9e873fd69bf46a25f16a431a0fca6dcd">turbulent years</a>&nbsp;under Francis, a certain calm and reserve have returned to the papacy.

Leo seems eager above all to avoid polemics or making the papacy about himself, and wants instead to focus on Christ and peace.

That seems exactly what many Catholic faithful want, and may respond to what today's church needs.

“He’s been very direct and forthright … but he’s not doing spontaneous press hits,” said Kevin Hughes, chair of theology and religious studies at Leo’s alma mater, Villanova University. Leo has a different style than Francis, and that has brought relief to many, Hughes said in a telephone interview.

“Even those who really loved Pope Francis always kind of held their breath a little bit: You didn’t know what was going to come out next or what he was going to do,” Hughes said.

Leo has certainly gone out of his way in his first 100 days to try to heal divisions that deepened during Francis’ pontificate, offering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-leo-xiv-installation-mass-b210865c4f0ed422ae74702c6eea1a93">messages of unity</a>&nbsp;and avoiding controversy at almost every turn. Even his signature issue — confronting the promise and peril posed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-vision-papacy-artificial-intelligence-36d29e37a11620b594b9b7c0574cc358">artificial intelligence</a>— is something that conservatives and progressives alike agree is important. Francis' emphasis on caring for the environment and migrants often alienated conservatives.

Closer to home, Leo offered the Holy See bureaucracy a reassuring, conciliatory message after Francis’ occasionally authoritarian style rubbed some in the Vatican the wrong way.

“Popes come and go, but the Curia remains,” Leo told Vatican officials soon after his May 8 election.

Continuity with Francis is still undeniable

Leo, though, has cemented Francis’ environmental legacy by celebrating the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-green-mass-climate-justice-4a65f5d0897016d654589439032433b3">ecologically inspired Mass.</a>&nbsp;He has furthered that legacy by giving the go-ahead for the Vatican to turn a 430-hectare (1,000-acre) field north of Rome into a vast solar farm that should generate enough electricity to meet Vatican City’s needs and turn it into the world’s first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-green-mass-climate-justice-4a65f5d0897016d654589439032433b3">carbon-neutral state.</a>

He has fine-tuned financial transparency regulations that Francis initiated, tweaked some other decrees to give them consistency and logic, and confirmed Francis in deciding to declare one of the 19th century’s most influential saints,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-honor-doctor-john-henry-newman-vatican-457b952840a1f979db3c6980ecf0e79e">John Henry Newman</a>, a “doctor” of the church.

But he hasn’t granted any sit-down, tell-all interviews or made headline-grabbing, off-the-cuff comments like his predecessor did. He hasn’t made any major appointments, including to fill his old job, or taken any big trips.

In marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki last week, he had a chance to match Francis’ novel declaration that the mere possession of nuclear weapons was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc54b85007614cd283b3eb23f32ab6a0">“immoral.”</a>&nbsp;But he didn’t.

Compared to President Donald Trump, the other American world leader who took office in 2025 with a flurry of Sharpie-penned executive decrees, Leo has eased into his new job slowly, deliberately and quietly, almost trying not to draw attention to himself.

At 69, he seems to know that he has time on his side, and that after Francis’ revolutionary papacy, the church might need a bit of a breather. One Vatican official who knows Leo said he expects his papacy will have the effect of a “calming rain” on the church.

Maria Isabel Ibarcena Cuarite, a Peruvian member of a Catholic charismatic group, said it was precisely Leo’s quiet emphasis on church traditions, its sacraments and love of Christ, that drew her and upward of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-youth-leo-pope-pilgrims-jubilee-a988921aab57f3cfc05d5213d58b358c">1 million young people</a>&nbsp;to Rome for a special Jubilee week this month.

Ibarcena said Francis had confused young people like herself with his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and approval of blessings for same-sex couples. Such gestures went beyond what a pope was supposed to do and what the church taught, she thought.

Leo, she said, has emphasized that marriage is a sacrament between men and woman. “Francis was ambiguous, but he is firm,” she said.

From his very first appearance on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo has insisted he is first and foremost a “son of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-new-pope-leo-xiv-robert-prevost-order-st-augustine-d803636fad69fe4d4c919181fc5ad5c1">St. Augustine.</a>&nbsp;” It was a reference to the fifth century theological and devotional giant of early Christianity, St. Augustine of Hippo, who inspired the 13th century religious Augustinian order as a community of “mendicant” friars.

Like the other big mendicant orders of the early church — the Franciscans, Dominicans and Carmelites — the Augustinians spread across Christian Europe over the centuries. Today, Augustinian spirituality is rooted in a deep interior life of prayer, living in community, and journeying together in search of truth in God.

In nearly every speech or homily since his May 8 election, Leo has cited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-xiv-vatican-augustine-34a27b6bea9e3d48010acb2fbdad6046">Augustine</a>&nbsp;in one way or another.

“I see a kind of Augustinian flavor in the way that he’s presenting all these things,” said Hughes, the theology professor who is an Augustine scholar.

Leo joined the Augustinians after graduating from Augustinian-run Villanova, outside Philadelphia, and was twice elected its prior general. He has visited the Augustinian headquarters outside St. Peter's a few times since his election, and some wonder if he will invite some brothers to live with him in the Apostolic Palace to recreate the spirit of Augustinian community life there.

A missionary pope in the image of Francis

Leo is also very much a product of the Francis papacy. Francis named Prevost bishop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peru-pope-leo-chiclayo-vatican-prevost-0f99859e5749decadade2d24ba7811dd">Chiclayo, Peru,</a>&nbsp;in 2014 and then moved him to head one of the most important Vatican jobs in 2023 — vetting bishop nominations. In retrospect, it seems Francis had his eye on Prevost as a possible successor.

Given&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0d2ce8c37582475bb5065b16caca6c3b">Francis’ stump speech</a>&nbsp;before the 2013 conclave that elected him pope, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio essentially described Prevost in identifying the church's mission today: He said the church was "called to go outside of itself and go to the peripheries, not just geographic but also the existential peripheries.”

Prevost, who hails from Chicago, spent his adult life as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming bishop of Chiclayo.

“He is the incarnation of the ‘unity of difference,’ because he comes from the center, but he lives in the peripheries,” said Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Cuda said during a recent conference hosted by Georgetown University that Leo encapsulated in “word and gesture” the type of missionary church Francis promoted.

That said, for all Leo owes to Bergoglio, the two didn’t necessarily get along.

Prevost has recounted that at one point when he was the Augustinian superior, the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires expressed interest in assigning an Augustinian priest to a specific job in his archdiocese.

“And I, as prior general, said ‘I understand, Your Eminence, but he’s got to do something else’ and so I transferred him somewhere else,” Prevost told parishioners in his home state of Illinois in 2024.

Prevost said he “naively” thought the Francis wouldn’t remember him after his 2013 election, and that regardless “he’ll never appoint me bishop” due to the disagreement.

Bergoglio not only made him bishop, he laid the groundwork for Prevost to succeed him as pope, the first North American pope following the first South American.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746737123268.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICOLE WINFIELD&nbsp;Associated PressVATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Leo XIV&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-digital-influencer-leo-7be275fe3bdee00075d650f7a2448726">surprised tens of thousands</a>&nbsp;of young people at a recent Holy Year celebration with an impromptu popemobile romp around St. Peter’s Square, it almost seemed as if some of the informal spontaneity that characterized Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy had returned to the Vatican.But the message Leo delivered that night was all his own: In seamless English, Spanish and Italian, Leo told the young people that they were the “salt of the Earth, the light of the world.” He urged them to spread their hope, faith in Christ and their cries of peace wherever they go.As Robert Prevost marks his 100th day as Pope Leo this weekend, the contours of his pontificate have begun to come into relief, primarily where he shows continuity with Francis and where he signals change. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that after 12 sometimes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pope-francis-vatican-catholic-9e873fd69bf46a25f16a431a0fca6dcd">turbulent years</a>&nbsp;under Francis, a certain calm and reserve have returned to the papacy.Leo seems eager above all to avoid polemics or making the papacy about himself, and wants instead to focus on Christ and peace.That seems exactly what many Catholic faithful want, and may respond to what today's church needs.“He’s been very direct and forthright … but he’s not doing spontaneous press hits,” said Kevin Hughes, chair of theology and religious studies at Leo’s alma mater, Villanova University. Leo has a different style than Francis, and that has brought relief to many, Hughes said in a telephone interview.“Even those who really loved Pope Francis always kind of held their breath a little bit: You didn’t know what was going to come out next or what he was going to do,” Hughes said.<h2>An effort to avoid polemics</h2>Leo has certainly gone out of his way in his first 100 days to try to heal divisions that deepened during Francis’ pontificate, offering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-leo-xiv-installation-mass-b210865c4f0ed422ae74702c6eea1a93">messages of unity</a>&nbsp;and avoiding controversy at almost every turn. Even his signature issue — confronting the promise and peril posed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-vision-papacy-artificial-intelligence-36d29e37a11620b594b9b7c0574cc358">artificial intelligence</a>— is something that conservatives and progressives alike agree is important. Francis' emphasis on caring for the environment and migrants often alienated conservatives.Closer to home, Leo offered the Holy See bureaucracy a reassuring, conciliatory message after Francis’ occasionally authoritarian style rubbed some in the Vatican the wrong way.“Popes come and go, but the Curia remains,” Leo told Vatican officials soon after his May 8 election.<h2>Continuity with Francis is still undeniable</h2>Leo, though, has cemented Francis’ environmental legacy by celebrating the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-green-mass-climate-justice-4a65f5d0897016d654589439032433b3">ecologically inspired Mass.</a>&nbsp;He has furthered that legacy by giving the go-ahead for the Vatican to turn a 430-hectare (1,000-acre) field north of Rome into a vast solar farm that should generate enough electricity to meet Vatican City’s needs and turn it into the world’s first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-green-mass-climate-justice-4a65f5d0897016d654589439032433b3">carbon-neutral state.</a>He has fine-tuned financial transparency regulations that Francis initiated, tweaked some other decrees to give them consistency and logic, and confirmed Francis in deciding to declare one of the 19th century’s most influential saints,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-honor-doctor-john-henry-newman-vatican-457b952840a1f979db3c6980ecf0e79e">John Henry Newman</a>, a “doctor” of the church.But he hasn’t granted any sit-down, tell-all interviews or made headline-grabbing, off-the-cuff comments like his predecessor did. He hasn’t made any major appointments, including to fill his old job, or taken any big trips.In marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki last week, he had a chance to match Francis’ novel declaration that the mere possession of nuclear weapons was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc54b85007614cd283b3eb23f32ab6a0">“immoral.”</a>&nbsp;But he didn’t.Compared to President Donald Trump, the other American world leader who took office in 2025 with a flurry of Sharpie-penned executive decrees, Leo has eased into his new job slowly, deliberately and quietly, almost trying not to draw attention to himself.At 69, he seems to know that he has time on his side, and that after Francis’ revolutionary papacy, the church might need a bit of a breather. One Vatican official who knows Leo said he expects his papacy will have the effect of a “calming rain” on the church.Maria Isabel Ibarcena Cuarite, a Peruvian member of a Catholic charismatic group, said it was precisely Leo’s quiet emphasis on church traditions, its sacraments and love of Christ, that drew her and upward of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-youth-leo-pope-pilgrims-jubilee-a988921aab57f3cfc05d5213d58b358c">1 million young people</a>&nbsp;to Rome for a special Jubilee week this month.Ibarcena said Francis had confused young people like herself with his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and approval of blessings for same-sex couples. Such gestures went beyond what a pope was supposed to do and what the church taught, she thought.Leo, she said, has emphasized that marriage is a sacrament between men and woman. “Francis was ambiguous, but he is firm,” she said.<h2>An Augustinian pope</h2>From his very first appearance on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo has insisted he is first and foremost a “son of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-new-pope-leo-xiv-robert-prevost-order-st-augustine-d803636fad69fe4d4c919181fc5ad5c1">St. Augustine.</a>&nbsp;” It was a reference to the fifth century theological and devotional giant of early Christianity, St. Augustine of Hippo, who inspired the 13th century religious Augustinian order as a community of “mendicant” friars.Like the other big mendicant orders of the early church — the Franciscans, Dominicans and Carmelites — the Augustinians spread across Christian Europe over the centuries. Today, Augustinian spirituality is rooted in a deep interior life of prayer, living in community, and journeying together in search of truth in God.In nearly every speech or homily since his May 8 election, Leo has cited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-xiv-vatican-augustine-34a27b6bea9e3d48010acb2fbdad6046">Augustine</a>&nbsp;in one way or another.“I see a kind of Augustinian flavor in the way that he’s presenting all these things,” said Hughes, the theology professor who is an Augustine scholar.Leo joined the Augustinians after graduating from Augustinian-run Villanova, outside Philadelphia, and was twice elected its prior general. He has visited the Augustinian headquarters outside St. Peter's a few times since his election, and some wonder if he will invite some brothers to live with him in the Apostolic Palace to recreate the spirit of Augustinian community life there.<h2>A missionary pope in the image of Francis</h2>Leo is also very much a product of the Francis papacy. Francis named Prevost bishop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peru-pope-leo-chiclayo-vatican-prevost-0f99859e5749decadade2d24ba7811dd">Chiclayo, Peru,</a>&nbsp;in 2014 and then moved him to head one of the most important Vatican jobs in 2023 — vetting bishop nominations. In retrospect, it seems Francis had his eye on Prevost as a possible successor.Given&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0d2ce8c37582475bb5065b16caca6c3b">Francis’ stump speech</a>&nbsp;before the 2013 conclave that elected him pope, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio essentially described Prevost in identifying the church's mission today: He said the church was "called to go outside of itself and go to the peripheries, not just geographic but also the existential peripheries.”Prevost, who hails from Chicago, spent his adult life as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming bishop of Chiclayo.“He is the incarnation of the ‘unity of difference,’ because he comes from the center, but he lives in the peripheries,” said Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.Cuda said during a recent conference hosted by Georgetown University that Leo encapsulated in “word and gesture” the type of missionary church Francis promoted.That said, for all Leo owes to Bergoglio, the two didn’t necessarily get along.Prevost has recounted that at one point when he was the Augustinian superior, the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires expressed interest in assigning an Augustinian priest to a specific job in his archdiocese.“And I, as prior general, said ‘I understand, Your Eminence, but he’s got to do something else’ and so I transferred him somewhere else,” Prevost told parishioners in his home state of Illinois in 2024.Prevost said he “naively” thought the Francis wouldn’t remember him after his 2013 election, and that regardless “he’ll never appoint me bishop” due to the disagreement.Bergoglio not only made him bishop, he laid the groundwork for Prevost to succeed him as pope, the first North American pope following the first South American.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

100 days of Pope Leo XIV: A calm papacy that avoids polemics is coming into focus

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a double homicide in Kansas City, Kansas.

Just after 7p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp; 1600 block of Washington Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

First responders located two men and one woman with gunshot wounds. One man was pronounced dead on at the scene and the other two victims were transported to a local hospital where the second man was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The woman sustained non-life threatening injuries. 

The suspect fled prior to officers' arrival. Police have not released names of the victims.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a double homicide in Kansas City, Kansas.Just after 7p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp; 1600 block of Washington Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.First responders located two men and one woman with gunshot wounds. One man was pronounced dead on at the scene and the other two victims were transported to a local hospital where the second man was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The woman sustained non-life threatening injuries. The suspect fled prior to officers' arrival. Police have not released names of the victims.

Police: 2 men dead, woman wounded in Kansas shooting

A partisan move by Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819">redraw its congressional maps</a>&nbsp;in an unusually timed effort to secure five more GOP seats in the U.S. House before the 2026 elections has set off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-redistricting-gerrymandering-texas-democrats-cc0ae7f8e41528fd25a3cb11d86008f2">clamor to replicate</a>&nbsp;the effort in statehouses controlled by both parties.

So far, only California has taken steps toward redistricting.

Changing congressional maps in a bid to ensure one party’s victory over another — called gerrymandering — has typically been done more furtively. But President Donald Trump's call for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-congress-california-27ec262acd96e2ec60636c47db1a0b0e">Texas to redraw the maps</a>&nbsp;to better ensure that Republicans retain control of the House has blown the lid off the practice. Trump is trying to avoid losing control of Congress and, with it, prospects for his policy goals in the latter part of his term.

Here is a rundown of what states are doing.

Kansas Republicans haven’t ruled out redistricting

Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson didn’t rule out trying to redraw the state’s four congressional districts, one of which is held by the state's sole Democrat House representative.

The Legislature's GOP-supermajority could do so early next year, which would put the new lines in place before the June 1 candidate filing deadline.

Texas kicked it off, then Democrats left the state

Democratic lawmakers who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">left Texas</a>&nbsp;have scuttled a special session on redistricting but appear set to end their standoff after nearly two weeks.

The Republican majority adjourned their special session Friday morning in Austin. Gov. Greg Abbott quickly called another, though there still were not enough Democrats present. The minority caucus members have said they would return to Texas provided California Democrats move forward with their own new maps.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">Past efforts</a>&nbsp;by Democrats to abscond and deny Republicans a quorum similarly only delayed the passage of bills, but didn’t quash them. Abbott has said he will keep calling new special sessions, if necessary.

State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, a Democrat from Houston, told The Associated Press this week that their protest was about raising awareness.

“They may still pass these maps, but we’re going to do everything we can to awaken America,” he said.

In response to Texas, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-newsom-redistricting-texas-trump-5ccb3de37f6d3ec803ac24ad363018fa">will move forward</a>&nbsp;with redrawing congressional maps meant to put five more Democrats into the U.S. House.

A proposal released Friday by the campaign arm of House Democrats — the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — calls for the reshaping of House district lines to strengthen the Democratic advantage in an attempt to counterbalance Texas’ and Trump’s plan to add five Republican seats.

Newsom has been outspoken about retaliating if Texas’s redistricting takes effect, telling Trump this week in a letter that the president was “playing with fire.”

Unlike Texas, however, California has an independent commission that handles redistricting after the census each decade, which is typically when districts are reshaped to account for population shifts. Any changes would first need the approval of state lawmakers and voters.

State lawmakers plan to officially declare a special election next week.

Missouri Republicans take steps toward redistricting

At Trump's urging and partly in response to California's threats, Missouri's Republican majority is preparing for a special session on congressional redistricting

A document obtained by The Associated Press shows the state Senate has received a $46,000 invoice for software licenses and staff training for redistricting.

While Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe hasn't officially announced a special session, Republican House Majority Leader Alex Riley told the AP it is “pretty likely” to happen. Riley added that he has had discussions with White House staff about it.

Republicans hold six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats. The party could target a Democratic-held district in Kansas City to pick up another seat.

In justifying the redistricting, Missouri Republicans accused neighboring Illinois of rigging its maps and pointed to a draft proposal circulating in California.

New York Democrats try to change state law

New York, similar to California, has an independent commission that changes the political maps only after every census. But state Democrats introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting.

Democratic Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819">Kathy Hochul said</a>&nbsp;that if Texas proceeds, “we must do the same.”

But the soonest new maps could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters.

Wisconsin Democrats take a different tack

While Republicans control the Legislature, Democrats turned to the courts to try to force a redrawing of congressional district boundary lines before the 2026 midterms.

Two lawsuits were filed in July after the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court — without explanation — previously declined to hear challenges directly.

Maryland Democrats promise a response to Texas

Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon, a Democrat, says he will sponsor legislation to trigger redistricting if Texas or any other state holds redistricting ahead of the census.

Florida's governor hints at support for redistricting

Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-indiana-redistricting-donald-trump-fafc5bd34f741b3886913e792ab33048">will take up redistricting</a>&nbsp;this year through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has told the public to “stay tuned” and has reiterated his support for the state joining the redistricting fray.

Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms

A law in Republican-led Ohio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-ohio-state-government-01117758be7ece7ce12ebc04baa0ce05">requires new political maps before the 2026</a>&nbsp;midterm elections. The GOP holds 10 of its 15 House seats already and could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-trump-redistricting-census-california-republicans-constitutional-1c6287fc23214548be734bbbf7056117">try to expand that edge.</a>

Indiana's governor spoke with the vice president

Vice President JD Vance said he spoke with Republican Gov. Mike Braun last week, as the redistricting melee intensified, but both politicians remained mum about the discussions.

Braun, who would have to call a special session to draw new maps, has said he expects a “broad conversation” with legislative leaders on the move’s constitutionality and said no commitments have been made.

Republicans face more limited possibilities of squeezing out another GOP seat in Indiana. Republican U.S. representatives outnumber Democrats 7-2 in the state already.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755376975176.png" alt="Image Kansas Secretary of State" />
 <figcaption>Image Kansas Secretary of State</figcaption>
 </figure>By JESSE BEDAYN&nbsp;Associated PressA partisan move by Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819">redraw its congressional maps</a>&nbsp;in an unusually timed effort to secure five more GOP seats in the U.S. House before the 2026 elections has set off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-redistricting-gerrymandering-texas-democrats-cc0ae7f8e41528fd25a3cb11d86008f2">clamor to replicate</a>&nbsp;the effort in statehouses controlled by both parties.So far, only California has taken steps toward redistricting.Changing congressional maps in a bid to ensure one party’s victory over another — called gerrymandering — has typically been done more furtively. But President Donald Trump's call for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-congress-california-27ec262acd96e2ec60636c47db1a0b0e">Texas to redraw the maps</a>&nbsp;to better ensure that Republicans retain control of the House has blown the lid off the practice. Trump is trying to avoid losing control of Congress and, with it, prospects for his policy goals in the latter part of his term.Here is a rundown of what states are doing.<h2>Kansas Republicans haven’t ruled out redistricting</h2>Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson didn’t rule out trying to redraw the state’s four congressional districts, one of which is held by the state's sole Democrat House representative.The Legislature's GOP-supermajority could do so early next year, which would put the new lines in place before the June 1 candidate filing deadline.<h2>Texas kicked it off, then Democrats left the state</h2>Democratic lawmakers who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">left Texas</a>&nbsp;have scuttled a special session on redistricting but appear set to end their standoff after nearly two weeks.The Republican majority adjourned their special session Friday morning in Austin. Gov. Greg Abbott quickly called another, though there still were not enough Democrats present. The minority caucus members have said they would return to Texas provided California Democrats move forward with their own new maps.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">Past efforts</a>&nbsp;by Democrats to abscond and deny Republicans a quorum similarly only delayed the passage of bills, but didn’t quash them. Abbott has said he will keep calling new special sessions, if necessary.State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, a Democrat from Houston, told The Associated Press this week that their protest was about raising awareness.“They may still pass these maps, but we’re going to do everything we can to awaken America,” he said.<h2>California Democrats propose retaliation</h2>In response to Texas, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-newsom-redistricting-texas-trump-5ccb3de37f6d3ec803ac24ad363018fa">will move forward</a>&nbsp;with redrawing congressional maps meant to put five more Democrats into the U.S. House.A proposal released Friday by the campaign arm of House Democrats — the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — calls for the reshaping of House district lines to strengthen the Democratic advantage in an attempt to counterbalance Texas’ and Trump’s plan to add five Republican seats.Newsom has been outspoken about retaliating if Texas’s redistricting takes effect, telling Trump this week in a letter that the president was “playing with fire.”Unlike Texas, however, California has an independent commission that handles redistricting after the census each decade, which is typically when districts are reshaped to account for population shifts. Any changes would first need the approval of state lawmakers and voters.State lawmakers plan to officially declare a special election next week.<h2>Missouri Republicans take steps toward redistricting</h2>At Trump's urging and partly in response to California's threats, Missouri's Republican majority is preparing for a special session on congressional redistrictingA document obtained by The Associated Press shows the state Senate has received a $46,000 invoice for software licenses and staff training for redistricting.While Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe hasn't officially announced a special session, Republican House Majority Leader Alex Riley told the AP it is “pretty likely” to happen. Riley added that he has had discussions with White House staff about it.Republicans hold six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats. The party could target a Democratic-held district in Kansas City to pick up another seat.In justifying the redistricting, Missouri Republicans accused neighboring Illinois of rigging its maps and pointed to a draft proposal circulating in California.<h2>New York Democrats try to change state law</h2>New York, similar to California, has an independent commission that changes the political maps only after every census. But state Democrats introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting.Democratic Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819">Kathy Hochul said</a>&nbsp;that if Texas proceeds, “we must do the same.”But the soonest new maps could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters.<h2>Wisconsin Democrats take a different tack</h2>While Republicans control the Legislature, Democrats turned to the courts to try to force a redrawing of congressional district boundary lines before the 2026 midterms.Two lawsuits were filed in July after the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court — without explanation — previously declined to hear challenges directly.<h2>Maryland Democrats promise a response to Texas</h2>Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon, a Democrat, says he will sponsor legislation to trigger redistricting if Texas or any other state holds redistricting ahead of the census.<h2>Florida's governor hints at support for redistricting</h2>Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-indiana-redistricting-donald-trump-fafc5bd34f741b3886913e792ab33048">will take up redistricting</a>&nbsp;this year through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has told the public to “stay tuned” and has reiterated his support for the state joining the redistricting fray.<h2>Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms</h2>A law in Republican-led Ohio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-ohio-state-government-01117758be7ece7ce12ebc04baa0ce05">requires new political maps before the 2026</a>&nbsp;midterm elections. The GOP holds 10 of its 15 House seats already and could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-trump-redistricting-census-california-republicans-constitutional-1c6287fc23214548be734bbbf7056117">try to expand that edge.</a><h2>Indiana's governor spoke with the vice president</h2>Vice President JD Vance said he spoke with Republican Gov. Mike Braun last week, as the redistricting melee intensified, but both politicians remained mum about the discussions.Braun, who would have to call a special session to draw new maps, has said he expects a “broad conversation” with legislative leaders on the move’s constitutionality and said no commitments have been made.Republicans face more limited possibilities of squeezing out another GOP seat in Indiana. Republican U.S. representatives outnumber Democrats 7-2 in the state already.____

What Kan. and other states are doing in the battle over congressional maps 

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.

Just after 7p.m. Saturday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported&nbsp;house&nbsp;fire in the 1100 block of West 76th&nbsp;Street in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

&nbsp;The first company on scene reported heavy fire from a 2-story&nbsp;home&nbsp;and initiated an offensive fire attack. Crews advanced 2 hose lines to extinguish the flames, and searches throughout the structure came back "all clear". 

The fire was reported under control at 7:28 p.m. Companies continued with overhaul operations to expose and extinguish hot spots prior to returning to service. &nbsp;Dangerous buildings was ordered and the Red Cross was ordered for 2 adults. There were no injuries &nbsp;reported, according to Nolan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755395379957.png" alt="Photos Kansas City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Kansas City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.Just after 7p.m. Saturday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported&nbsp;house&nbsp;fire in the 1100 block of West 76th&nbsp;Street in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755395360525.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;The first company on scene reported heavy fire from a 2-story&nbsp;home&nbsp;and initiated an offensive fire attack. Crews advanced 2 hose lines to extinguish the flames, and searches throughout the structure came back "all clear". The fire was reported under control at 7:28 p.m. Companies continued with overhaul operations to expose and extinguish hot spots prior to returning to service. &nbsp;Dangerous buildings was ordered and the Red Cross was ordered for 2 adults. There were no injuries &nbsp;reported, according to Nolan.

Cause of Kansas City house fire under investigation 

JOHNSON COUNTY — A suspect admitted his role in a deadly shooting that occurred in Kansas earlier this year.

On Monday, 25, year-old &nbsp;Armando Javier Guerrero, pleased guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of 21-year-old Landen Roggenkamp, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

On March 25, &nbsp;police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of East Mart-Way Circle in Olathe and found Roggenkamp with multiple wounds, according to a statement from police. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was was pronounced deceased.

The Olathe Police Department took Guerrero into custody, and officers said they believed he and Roggenkamp knew each other.&nbsp;

Guerrero is scheduled for sentencing on September 25.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743418050944.png" alt="Guerrero -photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Guerrero -photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY — A suspect admitted his role in a deadly shooting that occurred in Kansas earlier this year.On Monday, 25, year-old &nbsp;Armando Javier Guerrero, pleased guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of 21-year-old Landen Roggenkamp, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.On March 25, &nbsp;police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of East Mart-Way Circle in Olathe and found Roggenkamp with multiple wounds, according to a statement from police. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was was pronounced deceased.The Olathe Police Department took Guerrero into custody, and officers said they believed he and Roggenkamp knew each other.&nbsp;Guerrero is scheduled for sentencing on September 25.

Suspect admits killing 21-year-old Kansas man

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

On August 14, deputies with the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ryan Matthew Roth, 38, of Enterprise, Kansas on a warrant for aggravated internet trading in child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In April, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.&nbsp; During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at a residence in the 500 Block of Court Street, Enterprise, Kansas. &nbsp;Additional search warrants were executed and the warrant was then issued for the arrest of Roth.&nbsp; Roth is being held on a $250,000 bond in the Dickinson County Detention Facility, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755281097517.png" alt="Roth photo Dickinson County" />
 <figcaption>Roth photo Dickinson County</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.On August 14, deputies with the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ryan Matthew Roth, 38, of Enterprise, Kansas on a warrant for aggravated internet trading in child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In April, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.&nbsp; During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at a residence in the 500 Block of Court Street, Enterprise, Kansas. &nbsp;Additional search warrants were executed and the warrant was then issued for the arrest of Roth.&nbsp; Roth is being held on a $250,000 bond in the Dickinson County Detention Facility, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused of trading child porn online

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/melania-trump">Melania Trump</a>&nbsp;took the unique step of crafting a letter that calls for peace in Ukraine, having her husband President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;hand-deliver it to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their Friday meeting in Alaska.

The letter did not specifically name Ukraine, which Putin’s forces invaded in 2022, but beseeched him to think of children and “an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology.” Nor did the American first lady discuss the fighting other than to say to Putin that he could “singlehandedly restore” the “melodic laughter” of children who have been caught in the conflict.

“In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity itself,” she wrote on White House stationery.

A copy of the letter was first obtained by Fox News Digital and later posted on social media by supporters of the U.S. president, including Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The first lady said that Putin could help these children with the stroke of a pen.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukrainian-children-russia-7493cb22c9086c6293c1ac7986d85ef6">taking Ukrainian children</a>&nbsp;out of their country so that they can be raised as Russian. The Associated Press documented the grabbing of Ukrainian children in 2022, after which the International Criminal Court said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/icc-putin-war-crimes-ukraine-9857eb68d827340394960eccf0589253">had issued an arrest warrant</a>&nbsp;for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741143400386.png" alt="First Lady Melania Trump-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>First Lady Melania Trump-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/melania-trump">Melania Trump</a>&nbsp;took the unique step of crafting a letter that calls for peace in Ukraine, having her husband President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;hand-deliver it to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their Friday meeting in Alaska.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755386458134.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The letter did not specifically name Ukraine, which Putin’s forces invaded in 2022, but beseeched him to think of children and “an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology.” Nor did the American first lady discuss the fighting other than to say to Putin that he could “singlehandedly restore” the “melodic laughter” of children who have been caught in the conflict.“In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you serve humanity itself,” she wrote on White House stationery.A copy of the letter was first obtained by Fox News Digital and later posted on social media by supporters of the U.S. president, including Attorney General Pam Bondi.The first lady said that Putin could help these children with the stroke of a pen.Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukrainian-children-russia-7493cb22c9086c6293c1ac7986d85ef6">taking Ukrainian children</a>&nbsp;out of their country so that they can be raised as Russian. The Associated Press documented the grabbing of Ukrainian children in 2022, after which the International Criminal Court said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/icc-putin-war-crimes-ukraine-9857eb68d827340394960eccf0589253">had issued an arrest warrant</a>&nbsp;for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Read the letter the First Lady had the President deliver to Putin

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem used social media on Thursday to congratulate the men and women of the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

Troopers in South Dakota this week made &nbsp;the largest meth bust in state history — 207 pounds worth $12 Million. &nbsp;

Noem, who served as South Dakota governor from 2019-2025 wrote, "This criminal, an illegal alien from Mexico, is now in immigration proceedings. Justice will be served."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755117198647.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem used social media on Thursday to congratulate the men and women of the South Dakota Highway Patrol.Troopers in South Dakota this week made &nbsp;the largest meth bust in state history — 207 pounds worth $12 Million. &nbsp;Noem, who served as South Dakota governor from 2019-2025 wrote, "This criminal, an illegal alien from Mexico, is now in immigration proceedings. Justice will be served."

Patrol seized 207 pounds of meth worth $12 million

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday refused for now to block enforcement of a Mississippi law aimed at regulating the use of social media by children, an issue of growing national concern.

The justices rejected an emergency appeal from a tech industry group representing major platforms like Facebook, X and YouTube.

NetChoice is challenging laws passed in Mississippi and other states that require social media users to verify their ages, and asked the court to keep the measure on hold while a lawsuit plays out.

There were no noted dissents from the brief, unsigned order. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that there's a good chance NetChoice will eventually succeed in showing that the law is unconstitutional, but hadn't shown it must be blocked while the lawsuit unfolds.

NetChoice argues that the Mississippi law threatens privacy rights and unconstitutionally restricts the free expression of users of all ages.

A federal judge agreed and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-social-media-lawsuit-age-verification-6332003bf2431bb848166ba2b9b290cd">prevented the 2024 law</a>&nbsp;from taking effect. But a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in July that the law could be enforced while the lawsuit proceeds.

It’s the latest legal development as court challenges play out against similar laws in states across the country.

Parents and even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-teens-mental-health-5d6bcdccd154acd631ab09023e81b369">some teenagers</a>&nbsp;are growing increasingly concerned about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatbot-ai-lawsuit-suicide-teen-artificial-intelligence-9d48adc572100822fdbc3c90d1456bd0">the effects of social media use</a>&nbsp;on young people. Supporters of the new laws have said they are needed to help curb the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teenagers-social-media-internet-pew-survey-02defc5b53dc4216da1efa63c82a30af">explosive use of social media</a>&nbsp;among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-mental-health-advice-620e277528728498c1202690d0512f85">young people</a>, and what researchers say is an associated increase in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-teens-mental-health-e32f82d46ea74b807c9099d61aec25d5">depression and anxiety</a>.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch told the justices that age verification could help protect young people from “sexual abuse, trafficking, physical violence, sextortion and more,” activities that Fitch noted are not protected by the First Amendment.

NetChoice represents some of the country’s most high-profile technology companies, including Google, which owns YouTube; Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. NetChoice has filed similar lawsuits in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-social-media-parents-consent-kids-64db48ec94517911a4d2498f60841500">Arkansas</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-social-media-ban-minors-lawsuit-678e71c6c6183b87435b7f51feb71fbe">Florida</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-social-media-age-verification-law-lawsuit-51b4ce108f0d22adadc50d50e0392dd4">Georgia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-kids-ohio-netchoice-lawsuit-513f74ba71efb7b38dada637b0f53e6f">Ohio</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-tiktok-social-media-youth-b678ed7c9bcc1ea0b72f8b320b5f26fa">Utah</a>.

Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, called the decision "an unfortunate procedural delay.”

“Although we’re disappointed with the Court’s decision, Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence makes clear that NetChoice will ultimately succeed in defending the First Amendment — not just in this case but across all NetChoice’s ID-for-Speech lawsuits," he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday refused for now to block enforcement of a Mississippi law aimed at regulating the use of social media by children, an issue of growing national concern.The justices rejected an emergency appeal from a tech industry group representing major platforms like Facebook, X and YouTube.NetChoice is challenging laws passed in Mississippi and other states that require social media users to verify their ages, and asked the court to keep the measure on hold while a lawsuit plays out.There were no noted dissents from the brief, unsigned order. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that there's a good chance NetChoice will eventually succeed in showing that the law is unconstitutional, but hadn't shown it must be blocked while the lawsuit unfolds.NetChoice argues that the Mississippi law threatens privacy rights and unconstitutionally restricts the free expression of users of all ages.A federal judge agreed and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-social-media-lawsuit-age-verification-6332003bf2431bb848166ba2b9b290cd">prevented the 2024 law</a>&nbsp;from taking effect. But a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in July that the law could be enforced while the lawsuit proceeds.It’s the latest legal development as court challenges play out against similar laws in states across the country.Parents and even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-teens-mental-health-5d6bcdccd154acd631ab09023e81b369">some teenagers</a>&nbsp;are growing increasingly concerned about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatbot-ai-lawsuit-suicide-teen-artificial-intelligence-9d48adc572100822fdbc3c90d1456bd0">the effects of social media use</a>&nbsp;on young people. Supporters of the new laws have said they are needed to help curb the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teenagers-social-media-internet-pew-survey-02defc5b53dc4216da1efa63c82a30af">explosive use of social media</a>&nbsp;among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-mental-health-advice-620e277528728498c1202690d0512f85">young people</a>, and what researchers say is an associated increase in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-teens-mental-health-e32f82d46ea74b807c9099d61aec25d5">depression and anxiety</a>.Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch told the justices that age verification could help protect young people from “sexual abuse, trafficking, physical violence, sextortion and more,” activities that Fitch noted are not protected by the First Amendment.NetChoice represents some of the country’s most high-profile technology companies, including Google, which owns YouTube; Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. NetChoice has filed similar lawsuits in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-social-media-parents-consent-kids-64db48ec94517911a4d2498f60841500">Arkansas</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-social-media-ban-minors-lawsuit-678e71c6c6183b87435b7f51feb71fbe">Florida</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-social-media-age-verification-law-lawsuit-51b4ce108f0d22adadc50d50e0392dd4">Georgia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-kids-ohio-netchoice-lawsuit-513f74ba71efb7b38dada637b0f53e6f">Ohio</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-tiktok-social-media-youth-b678ed7c9bcc1ea0b72f8b320b5f26fa">Utah</a>.Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, called the decision "an unfortunate procedural delay.”“Although we’re disappointed with the Court’s decision, Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence makes clear that NetChoice will ultimately succeed in defending the First Amendment — not just in this case but across all NetChoice’s ID-for-Speech lawsuits," he said.

Supreme Court allows required age verification on social media 

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Monday in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has shifted to saying an overall peace agreement – and not a ceasefire -- was the next step in ending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine#">the 3 1/2-year-old war.</a>

Trump’s abrupt reversal, aligning himself with a position held by Russian President Vladimir Putin, came in a social media post on Saturday, hours after they concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">a summit in Alaska</a>&nbsp;that produced no agreement to halt the fighting. Putin has long said that Moscow is not interested in a temporary truce, and instead is seeking a long-term settlement that takes the Kremlin’s interests into account.

After calls with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump posted that “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

In a statement after the Trump call, the European leaders did not address whether a peace deal was preferable to a ceasefire, saying they “welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.”

Trump and Ukraine’s European allies had been calling for a ceasefire ahead of any negotiations.

Trump’s statement that a peace agreement should be reached before a ceasefire appears to indicate Trump’s thinking is “shifting towards Putin,” an approach that would allow Moscow to keep fighting while negotiating, said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London.

Zelenskyy, who was not invited to Alaska for the summit, said he had a “long and substantive” conversation with Trump early Saturday. He said they would “discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war” on Monday.

It will be Zelenskyy’s first visit to the U.S. since Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">berated him publicly for being “disrespectful”</a>&nbsp;during an extraordinary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-ukraine-russia-blowup-8aa63e55c859e8fea963911478c376ee">Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 28.

Trump, who also held calls with European leaders Saturday, confirmed the White House meeting and said that “if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.”

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-greeting-adc0e52a159bbf21dd582e101b5257db">rolled out the red carpet</a>&nbsp;on Friday for Putin, who was in the U.S. for the first time in a decade and since the start of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But he gave little concrete detail afterward of what was discussed. On Saturday, he posted on social media that it “went very well.”

Trump had warned ahead of the summit of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-8-13-2025">“very severe consequences”</a>&nbsp;for Russia if Putin doesn’t agree to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>.

Zelenskyy reiterated the importance of involving European leaders, who also were not at the summit.

“It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America,” he said. “We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security.”

He didn’t elaborate, but Zelenskyy previously has said that European partners put on hold a proposal to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-willing-force-trump-ukraine-russia-0c0261cc370c8c0157d03d01fdfe6be2">foreign troop presence</a>&nbsp;in Ukraine to deter Russian aggression because it lacked an American backstop.

Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump one-on-one and then in a call with other European leaders. In total, the conversations lasted over 90 minutes.

Trump said in Alaska that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”

During an interview with Fox News Channel before returning to Washington, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy “to get it done,” but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.

In their statement after speaking to Trump, major European leaders said they were ready to work with Trump and Zelenskyy toward “a trilateral summit with European support.”

The statement from French, German, Italian, British, Finnish, Polish and European Union said that “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees” and welcomed U.S. readiness to provide them.

“It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory,” they said. “International borders must not be changed by force.”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said “the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon,” noting that Moscow launched new attacks on Ukraine even as the delegations met.

“Putin continues to drag out negotiations and hopes he gets away with it. He left Anchorage without making any commitments to end the killing,” she said.

Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Since spring, Russian troops have accelerated their gains, capturing the most territory since the opening stages of the war.

“Vladimir Putin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war,” said Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute. “He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished.”

Zelenskyy voiced support for Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Russia. He said that “key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.”

But Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian state television Saturday that a possible three-way meeting “has not been touched upon yet” in U.S.-Russia discussions.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that he told Trump that "sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war.“

Russian officials and media struck a largely positive tone, with some describing Friday’s meeting as a symbolic end to Putin’s isolation in the West.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, praised the summit as a breakthrough in restoring high-level dialogue between Moscow and Washington, describing the talks as “calm, without ultimatums and threats.”

Putin has “broken out of international isolation” and back on the world stage as one of two global leaders, and “wasn’t in the least challenged” by Trump, who also ignored an arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court, said Laurie Bristow, who was British ambassador to Russia from 2016 to 2020.

“Unless Mr. Putin is absolutely convinced that he cannot win militarily, the fighting is not going to stop," Bristow told The Associated Press. “That’s the big takeaway from the Anchorage summit.”

Russian attacks on Ukraine continued overnight, using one ballistic missile and 85 Shahed drones, 61 of which were shot down, Ukraine’s air force said. Front-line areas of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Chernihiv were attacked.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 29 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Sea of Azov overnight.

Morton reported from London. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Emma Burrows in London contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755292993508.png" alt="Photo courtesy&nbsp; White House" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy&nbsp; White House</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Monday in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has shifted to saying an overall peace agreement – and not a ceasefire -- was the next step in ending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine#">the 3 1/2-year-old war.</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/RtC9wBBtim">pic.twitter.com/RtC9wBBtim</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956718970951635391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump’s abrupt reversal, aligning himself with a position held by Russian President Vladimir Putin, came in a social media post on Saturday, hours after they concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">a summit in Alaska</a>&nbsp;that produced no agreement to halt the fighting. Putin has long said that Moscow is not interested in a temporary truce, and instead is seeking a long-term settlement that takes the Kremlin’s interests into account.After calls with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump posted that “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”In a statement after the Trump call, the European leaders did not address whether a peace deal was preferable to a ceasefire, saying they “welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.”Trump and Ukraine’s European allies had been calling for a ceasefire ahead of any negotiations.Trump’s statement that a peace agreement should be reached before a ceasefire appears to indicate Trump’s thinking is “shifting towards Putin,” an approach that would allow Moscow to keep fighting while negotiating, said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London.Zelenskyy, who was not invited to Alaska for the summit, said he had a “long and substantive” conversation with Trump early Saturday. He said they would “discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war” on Monday.It will be Zelenskyy’s first visit to the U.S. since Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">berated him publicly for being “disrespectful”</a>&nbsp;during an extraordinary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-ukraine-russia-blowup-8aa63e55c859e8fea963911478c376ee">Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 28.Trump, who also held calls with European leaders Saturday, confirmed the White House meeting and said that “if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.”Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-greeting-adc0e52a159bbf21dd582e101b5257db">rolled out the red carpet</a>&nbsp;on Friday for Putin, who was in the U.S. for the first time in a decade and since the start of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But he gave little concrete detail afterward of what was discussed. On Saturday, he posted on social media that it “went very well.”Trump had warned ahead of the summit of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-8-13-2025">“very severe consequences”</a>&nbsp;for Russia if Putin doesn’t agree to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>.<h2>Zelenskyy seeks European involvement</h2>Zelenskyy reiterated the importance of involving European leaders, who also were not at the summit.“It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America,” he said. “We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security.”He didn’t elaborate, but Zelenskyy previously has said that European partners put on hold a proposal to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-willing-force-trump-ukraine-russia-0c0261cc370c8c0157d03d01fdfe6be2">foreign troop presence</a>&nbsp;in Ukraine to deter Russian aggression because it lacked an American backstop.Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump one-on-one and then in a call with other European leaders. In total, the conversations lasted over 90 minutes.<h2>Trump puts onus on Zelenskyy and Europe</h2>Trump said in Alaska that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”During an interview with Fox News Channel before returning to Washington, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy “to get it done,” but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.In their statement after speaking to Trump, major European leaders said they were ready to work with Trump and Zelenskyy toward “a trilateral summit with European support.”The statement from French, German, Italian, British, Finnish, Polish and European Union said that “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees” and welcomed U.S. readiness to provide them.“It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory,” they said. “International borders must not be changed by force.”EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said “the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon,” noting that Moscow launched new attacks on Ukraine even as the delegations met.“Putin continues to drag out negotiations and hopes he gets away with it. He left Anchorage without making any commitments to end the killing,” she said.Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Since spring, Russian troops have accelerated their gains, capturing the most territory since the opening stages of the war.“Vladimir Putin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war,” said Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute. “He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished.”<h2>Questions on a trilateral meeting</h2>Zelenskyy voiced support for Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Russia. He said that “key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.”But Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian state television Saturday that a possible three-way meeting “has not been touched upon yet” in U.S.-Russia discussions.Zelenskyy wrote on X that he told Trump that "sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war.“Russian officials and media struck a largely positive tone, with some describing Friday’s meeting as a symbolic end to Putin’s isolation in the West.Former President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, praised the summit as a breakthrough in restoring high-level dialogue between Moscow and Washington, describing the talks as “calm, without ultimatums and threats.”Putin has “broken out of international isolation” and back on the world stage as one of two global leaders, and “wasn’t in the least challenged” by Trump, who also ignored an arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court, said Laurie Bristow, who was British ambassador to Russia from 2016 to 2020.“Unless Mr. Putin is absolutely convinced that he cannot win militarily, the fighting is not going to stop," Bristow told The Associated Press. “That’s the big takeaway from the Anchorage summit.”Russian attacks on Ukraine continued overnight, using one ballistic missile and 85 Shahed drones, 61 of which were shot down, Ukraine’s air force said. Front-line areas of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Chernihiv were attacked.Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 29 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Sea of Azov overnight.___Morton reported from London. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Emma Burrows in London contributed.

President Trump explains next steps after meeting with Putin

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/sejal-govindarao">SEJAL GOVINDARAO</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mead-gruver">MEAD GRUVER</a>Associated Press

Health officials are working to alert hundreds of people in dozens of states and several countries who may have been exposed to rabies in bat-infested cabins in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park over the past few months.

As of Friday, none of the bats found in some of the eight linked cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge had tested positive for rabies.

But the handful of dead bats found and sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie for testing were probably only a small sample of the likely dozens that colonized the attic above the row of cabins, Wyoming State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said.

Other bats weren’t killed but got shooed out through cabin doors and windows. Meanwhile, the vast majority never flapped down from the attic into living spaces.

Health officials thus deemed it better safe than sorry to alert everybody who has stayed in the cabins recently that they might have been exposed by being bitten or scratched. Especially when people are sleeping, a bat bite or scratch can go unseen and unnoticed.

“What we’re really concerned about is people who saw bats in their rooms and people who might have had direct contact with a bat,” Harrist said Friday.

The cabins have been unoccupied, with no plans to reopen, since concessionaire Grand Teton Lodge Company discovered the bat problem July 27.

Bats are a frequent vector of the rabies virus. Once symptoms occur — muscle aches, vomiting, itching, to name a few — rabies is almost always fatal in humans.

The good news is a five-shot prophylactic regimen over a two-week period soon after exposure is highly effective in preventing illness, Harrist noted.

The cabins opened for the summer season in May after being vacant over the winter. Based on the roughly 250 reservations through late July, health officials estimated that up to 500 people had stayed in the cabins.

They were trying to reach people in 38 states and seven countries through those states’ health agencies and, in the case of foreign visitors, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Others who have not been alerted yet but stayed in cabins 516, 518, 520, 522, 524, 526, 528 and 530 this year should tell health officials or a doctor immediately, Harrist said.

Health officials were recommending prophylactic shots for people who fit certain criteria, such as deep sleepers who found a bat in their room, and children too young to say that they had seen a bat.&nbsp;

The Wyoming Department of Health had no ongoing concern about visitor safety at the Jackson Lake Lodge area. That includes a Federal Reserve economic policy symposium Aug. 21-23 that takes place at Jackson Lake Lodge every summer.

“The lodge company has done a fantastic job of doing their due diligence of making sure everyone that is coming in for that, and for all other visits this year, are going to be as safe as possible,” said Emily Curren, Wyoming’s public health veterinarian.

“Three or four” dead bats from the cabins tested negative and one that was mangled did not have enough brain tissue to be testable, Curren said.

All were brown bats, which come in two species: “little” and “big,” with the larger ones more than twice as big. Officials were unsure which species these were, but both are common in Wyoming.

They typically live in colonies of 30 to 100 individuals, Curren said.

“That’s a lot of bats that we cannot rule out a risk of rabies being in,” Curren said. “There’s no way for us to know for certain about every single bat that got into these rooms.”

There are no plans to exterminate the bats, Grand Teton National Park spokesperson Emily Davis said. Devices fitted to the building were keeping the bats from getting back in after flying out in pursuit of insects to eat, they said.

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/sejal-govindarao">SEJAL GOVINDARAO</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mead-gruver">MEAD GRUVER</a>Associated PressHealth officials are working to alert hundreds of people in dozens of states and several countries who may have been exposed to rabies in bat-infested cabins in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park over the past few months.As of Friday, none of the bats found in some of the eight linked cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge had tested positive for rabies.But the handful of dead bats found and sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie for testing were probably only a small sample of the likely dozens that colonized the attic above the row of cabins, Wyoming State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said.Other bats weren’t killed but got shooed out through cabin doors and windows. Meanwhile, the vast majority never flapped down from the attic into living spaces.Health officials thus deemed it better safe than sorry to alert everybody who has stayed in the cabins recently that they might have been exposed by being bitten or scratched. Especially when people are sleeping, a bat bite or scratch can go unseen and unnoticed.“What we’re really concerned about is people who saw bats in their rooms and people who might have had direct contact with a bat,” Harrist said Friday.The cabins have been unoccupied, with no plans to reopen, since concessionaire Grand Teton Lodge Company discovered the bat problem July 27.Bats are a frequent vector of the rabies virus. Once symptoms occur — muscle aches, vomiting, itching, to name a few — rabies is almost always fatal in humans.The good news is a five-shot prophylactic regimen over a two-week period soon after exposure is highly effective in preventing illness, Harrist noted.The cabins opened for the summer season in May after being vacant over the winter. Based on the roughly 250 reservations through late July, health officials estimated that up to 500 people had stayed in the cabins.They were trying to reach people in 38 states and seven countries through those states’ health agencies and, in the case of foreign visitors, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Others who have not been alerted yet but stayed in cabins 516, 518, 520, 522, 524, 526, 528 and 530 this year should tell health officials or a doctor immediately, Harrist said.Health officials were recommending prophylactic shots for people who fit certain criteria, such as deep sleepers who found a bat in their room, and children too young to say that they had seen a bat.&nbsp;The Wyoming Department of Health had no ongoing concern about visitor safety at the Jackson Lake Lodge area. That includes a Federal Reserve economic policy symposium Aug. 21-23 that takes place at Jackson Lake Lodge every summer.“The lodge company has done a fantastic job of doing their due diligence of making sure everyone that is coming in for that, and for all other visits this year, are going to be as safe as possible,” said Emily Curren, Wyoming’s public health veterinarian.“Three or four” dead bats from the cabins tested negative and one that was mangled did not have enough brain tissue to be testable, Curren said.All were brown bats, which come in two species: “little” and “big,” with the larger ones more than twice as big. Officials were unsure which species these were, but both are common in Wyoming.They typically live in colonies of 30 to 100 individuals, Curren said.“That’s a lot of bats that we cannot rule out a risk of rabies being in,” Curren said. “There’s no way for us to know for certain about every single bat that got into these rooms.”There are no plans to exterminate the bats, Grand Teton National Park spokesperson Emily Davis said. Devices fitted to the building were keeping the bats from getting back in after flying out in pursuit of insects to eat, they said.

Hundreds may have been exposed to rabies at bat-infested cabins at National Park

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage shooting and have made an arrest.

Just before 5p.m. Friday, police &nbsp;Grain Valley Police officers were dispatched to a report of road rage on Main Street south of 40 Highway in Grain Valley, according to a media release.&nbsp;

 Responding officers determined a suspect had fired a weapon at another driver. There were no injuries were reported. The suspect fled the scene but was quickly located at a residence and taken into custody without incident. Police have not released the suspect's name or additional details.

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage shooting and have made an arrest.Just before 5p.m. Friday, police &nbsp;Grain Valley Police officers were dispatched to a report of road rage on Main Street south of 40 Highway in Grain Valley, according to a media release.&nbsp; Responding officers determined a suspect had fired a weapon at another driver. There were no injuries were reported. The suspect fled the scene but was quickly located at a residence and taken into custody without incident. Police have not released the suspect's name or additional details.

Suspect jailed after alleged KC area road rage shooting

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alex-veiga">ALEX VEIGA</a>

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in nearly 10 months, giving prospective homebuyers a sorely needed boost in purchasing power that could help inject life into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-64769d50ce9c16dee9ffb90c01735071">stagnant housing market.</a>

The long-term rate fell to 6.58% from 6.63% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.49%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also fell. The average rate dropped to 5.71% from 5.75% last week. A year ago, it was 5.66%, Freddie Mac said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659001075252.jpeg" alt="AP photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>AP photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alex-veiga">ALEX VEIGA</a>The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in nearly 10 months, giving prospective homebuyers a sorely needed boost in purchasing power that could help inject life into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-64769d50ce9c16dee9ffb90c01735071">stagnant housing market.</a>The long-term rate fell to 6.58% from 6.63% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.49%.Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also fell. The average rate dropped to 5.71% from 5.75% last week. A year ago, it was 5.66%, Freddie Mac said.Elevated mortgage rates have helped keep the U.S. housing market in a sales slump since early 2022, when rates started to climb from the rock-bottom lows they reached during the pandemic.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">Home sales sank last year</a>&nbsp;to their lowest level in nearly 30 years.This is the fourth week in a row that rates have come down. The latest average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now at its lowest level since Oct. 24, when it averaged 6.54%.Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.The main barometer is the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The yield was at 4.29% at midday Thursday, up slightly from 4.24% late Wednesday.The yield has come down the last couple of weeks after weaker-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-trump-federal-reserve-68a15f89d68793a6cf88a522ff33246c">July U.S. job market data</a>&nbsp;fueled speculation that the Fed will cut its main short-term interest rate next month.A Fed rate cut could give the job market and overall economy a boost, but it could also fuel inflation just as President Trump’s tariff policies risk raising prices for U.S. consumers.Meanwhile, a new inflation report Thursday showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/producer-prices-inflation-trump-tariffs-economy-0f6613cc6f9e1b76939fdcf2c9ad8d03">prices at the U.S. wholesale level jumped 3.3% last month from a year earlier.</a>&nbsp;That’s was well above the 2.5% rate that economists had forecast, and it could hint at higher inflation ahead.Earlier this week, the Labor Department said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-consumer-prices-jerome-powell-fed-interest-rates-7956da9c097730929b12c269f8c08399">consumer prices rose 2.7% in July from a year earlier</a>, unchanged from June.Higher inflation could push bond yields higher, driving mortgage rates upward in turn, even if the Fed cuts its key rate.Economists generally expect the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain above 6% this year. Recent forecasts by Realtor.com and Fannie Mae project the average rate will ease to around 6.4% by the end of this year.That may not be low enough to make a difference. While trends like declining home listing prices and more properties on the market in the Sunbelt and West now favor buyers, affordability remains a major hurdle for many aspiring homeowners.Home price growth has slowed nationally, but the median sales price of a previously occupied U.S. home still climbed to an all-time high of $435,300 in June.“Homebuyers who have been relegated to the sidelines by high financing costs got some encouragement in the past two weeks, but it remains to be seen if it’s enough to get more of them back in the game,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.The recent drop in mortgage rates has spurred many homeowners to refinance, however.Mortgage applications jumped 10.9% last week from the previous week as rates eased, boosted by homeowners seeking to refinance, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.Home loan refinance applications made up nearly 47% of all mortgage applications. Refi loan applications jumped 23% from a week earlier -- the strongest showing since April.Meanwhile, applications for adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, soared 25% to their highest level since 2022, MBA said.Many homeowners aren’t waiting for rates to ease further before refinancing.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-equity-refinance-mortgage-rates-housing-a4cf2e131f7b4ad6224d1f5e363ed78c">Cash-out home refinancing activity surged to a nearly three-year high in the April-June quarter</a>, as homeowners tapped some of the equity gains built up after years of soaring home prices.