By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

The Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milberger, Kansas was built in 1887. The
church was moved from the unincorporated community in south Russell County to
south Hoisington in 1971. Mostly unused for decades, Debbie Deutsch has had her
eye on the structure for years.

Deutsch opened the Corinthians Hill Event
Center, just north of Great Bend and Barton Community College, in 2020 with the
idea to have a church on site for wedding ceremonies and receptions.


"This was always the vision," said Deutsch. "I wanted to be able to offer weddings that can be done in a church as well as for inclement weather. Rather than having to sit at a table to watch a bride and groom when it's pouring outside. You can at least go inside a church while it's pouring. It was always the plan."

With more than 40 years of interior design experience, Deutsch operates
Cornerstone Interiors in Great Bend, and eventually started decorating for
people’s weddings. 


Along with a house and venues on site for receptions and events, Deutsch hired
a moving company to haul the church Wednesday morning from its location near Hoisington
to the foundation installed at Corinthians Hill.


"I have wanted this church for about 10 years," said Deutsch. "Probably five years ago, I approached the owner and asked him if he would be willing to sell it. He said yes. I wasn't quite ready for it. When I was ready for it about a month ago, I approached him again. We made a deal, and the movers had availability."

Deutsch said the church is roughly 61 feet long by 32 feet wide and was listed
to fit “300 souls” inside. Renovations to the church will get started soon in
its new location.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

"I have a vision for the whole thing," added Deutsch. "I'm not done, trust me."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744218088588.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milberger, Kansas was built in 1887. The
church was moved from the unincorporated community in south Russell County to
south Hoisington in 1971. Mostly unused for decades, Debbie Deutsch has had her
eye on the structure for years.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DFjBjgl076Q?si=_ttp4d6RoSmjnAK9&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Deutsch opened the Corinthians Hill Event
Center, just north of Great Bend and Barton Community College, in 2020 with the
idea to have a church on site for wedding ceremonies and receptions.
"This was always the vision," said Deutsch. "I wanted to be able to offer weddings that can be done in a church as well as for inclement weather. Rather than having to sit at a table to watch a bride and groom when it's pouring outside. You can at least go inside a church while it's pouring. It was always the plan."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744218056494.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>With more than 40 years of interior design experience, Deutsch operates
Cornerstone Interiors in Great Bend, and eventually started decorating for
people’s weddings. 
Along with a house and venues on site for receptions and events, Deutsch hired
a moving company to haul the church Wednesday morning from its location near Hoisington
to the foundation installed at Corinthians Hill.
"I have wanted this church for about 10 years," said Deutsch. "Probably five years ago, I approached the owner and asked him if he would be willing to sell it. He said yes. I wasn't quite ready for it. When I was ready for it about a month ago, I approached him again. We made a deal, and the movers had availability."Deutsch said the church is roughly 61 feet long by 32 feet wide and was listed
to fit “300 souls” inside. Renovations to the church will get started soon in
its new location.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;"I have a vision for the whole thing," added Deutsch. "I'm not done, trust me."

🎥Historic Kansas church moved a second time

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30 a.m. Thursday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Peterbilt semi driven by Eugene Merrell, 48, Tonganoxie, was northbound on U.S. 69 just north of 270th Street&nbsp;n the number two lane.

The semi traveled off the road to the right, struck the bridge rail over 207th street, crossed into the number one lane, traveled off the road to the left, entered the median and overturned in the median. Vehicle one came to rest in the Southbound lanes facing East. The semi's water tank came to rest in the median approximately 50 feet north of the vehicle.

Merrell was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Johnson County Medical Examiners Office.&nbsp; EMS transported a passenger Colin&nbsp;Cowdin, 28, Ottawa, to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. They were both properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744314060936.png" alt="Image of the crash scene KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>Image of the crash scene KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30 a.m. Thursday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Peterbilt semi driven by Eugene Merrell, 48, Tonganoxie, was northbound on U.S. 69 just north of 270th Street&nbsp;n the number two lane.The semi traveled off the road to the right, struck the bridge rail over 207th street, crossed into the number one lane, traveled off the road to the left, entered the median and overturned in the median. Vehicle one came to rest in the Southbound lanes facing East. The semi's water tank came to rest in the median approximately 50 feet north of the vehicle.Merrell was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Johnson County Medical Examiners Office.&nbsp; EMS transported a passenger Colin&nbsp;Cowdin, 28, Ottawa, to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. They were both properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

Kansas man dies when semi carrying water tank overturns

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dove Thursday and surrendered a chunk of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">historic gains</a>&nbsp;from the day before as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;trade war continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-pause-businesses-reaction-a61a1adcaf6332f6188ae1d70664b898">threaten the economy</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 tumbled 3.5%, slicing into Wednesday’s surge of 9.5% following Trump’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">pause many of his tariffs worldwide</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014 points, or 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 4.3%.

“Trump blinks,” UBS strategist Bhanu Baweja wrote in a report about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-one-week-liberation-day-1aad750dc90829f07473fe17f913b8ba">president’s decision on tariffs</a>, “but the damage isn’t all undone.”

Trump has focused more on China, raising tariffs on its products to well above 100%. Even if that were to get negotiated down to something like 50%, and even if only 10% tariffs remained on other countries, Baweja said the hit to the U.S. economy could still be large enough to hurt expected growth for upcoming U.S. corporate profits.

The losses for U.S. stocks accelerated Thursday after the White House clarified that the United States will tax Chinese imports at 145%, not the 125% rate that Trump had written about in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114309144289505174">his posting on Truth Social Wednesday</a>, once other previously announced tariffs were included. The drop for the S&amp;P 500 exceeded 6% at one point.

“Everything is still very volatile, because with Donald Trump, you don’t know what to expect,” said Francis Lun, chief executive of Geo Securities. “This is really big uncertainty in the market. The threat of recession has not faded.”

China, meanwhile, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-negotiations-f5acfd1ef8f3573f92e8963a8150bdfb">reached out to other countries</a>&nbsp;around the world in apparent hopes of forming a united front against Trump. The world's second-largest economy is also ramping up its own countermeasures to Trump's tariffs.

The stock price of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company behind “A Minecraft Movie,” dropped 12.5% for one of Wall Street’s sharpest losses after China said Thursday it will “appropriately reduce the number of imported U.S. films.” The Walt Disney Co.’s stock sank 6.8%

A spokesperson for the China Film Administration said it is “inevitable” that Chinese audiences would find American films less palatable given the “wrong move by the U.S. to wantonly implement tariffs on China.”

That was after Trump and his Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, sent a clear message to other countries Wednesday after announcing their pause on tariffs for most countries: “Do not retaliate, and you will be rewarded.”

The European Union said Thursday it will put its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-tariffs-retaliation-trade-eu-vdl-ad6cde9920b6336789b9e2e9935c69fb">trade retaliation measures on hold</a>&nbsp;for 90 days and leave room for a negotiated solution.

Thursday’s swings also hit the bond market, which had been showing encouraging signals earlier in the day that stress may be easing.

The bond market has historically played the role of enforcer against politicians and economic policies it deemed imprudent. It helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/liz-truss-economy-book-donald-trump-bbd694da6150d6f851af805b462e92fb">topple the United Kingdom’s Liz Truss</a>&nbsp;in 2022, for example, whose 49 days made her Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister. James Carville, adviser to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, also famously said he’d like to be reincarnated as the bond market because of how much power it wields.

Earlier this week, big jumps for U.S. Treasury yields had rattled the market, so much that Trump said Wednesday he had been watching how investors were “getting a little queasy.”

Several reasons could have been behind the sharp, sudden rise in yields. Hedge funds may have sold Treasurys in order to raise cash, and investors outside the United States may be dumping their U.S. government bonds because of the trade war. Regardless of the reasons behind it, higher Treasury yields crank up pressure on the stock market and push rates higher for mortgages and other loans for U.S. households and businesses.

The 10-year Treasury yield had calmed following Trump’s U-turn on tariffs, dropping all the way back to 4.30% shortly after the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-964784cc5697c2f0df5bb79806392e3c">better-than-expected report on inflation</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning. That’s after it had shot up to nearly 4.50% Wednesday morning from just 4.01% at the end of last week.

As Thursday progressed, though, the 10-year Treasury yield climbed once again and reached 4.40%.

It all demonstrates why many on Wall Street are preparing for more swings in markets, after the S&amp;P 500 at one point nearly dropped into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bear-market-stocks-market-tariffs-trump-sp-500-c5d106a80666c0ff4f0e71624d525158">“bear market”</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">almost closing 20% below its record</a>.

Often, the market’s whipsaw moves have come not just day to day but also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-nikkei-tariffs-trump-76d0de278a6cad291ace624a74a6a1b6">hour to hour</a>. The S&amp;P 500 still remains below where it was when Trump announced his sweeping set of tariffs last week on “Liberation Day.”

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 188.85 points Thursday to 5,268.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014.79 to 39,593.66, and the Nasdaq composite sank 737.66 to 16,387.31.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rallied across Europe and Asia in their first chances to trade following Trump’s pause on many of his tariffs. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 9.1%, South Korea’s Kospi leaped 6.6% and Germany’s DAX returned 4.5%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722962507580.png" alt="File (AP Photo/Richard Drew)" />
 <figcaption>File (AP Photo/Richard Drew)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dove Thursday and surrendered a chunk of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">historic gains</a>&nbsp;from the day before as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;trade war continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-pause-businesses-reaction-a61a1adcaf6332f6188ae1d70664b898">threaten the economy</a>.The S&amp;P 500 tumbled 3.5%, slicing into Wednesday’s surge of 9.5% following Trump’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">pause many of his tariffs worldwide</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014 points, or 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 4.3%.“Trump blinks,” UBS strategist Bhanu Baweja wrote in a report about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-one-week-liberation-day-1aad750dc90829f07473fe17f913b8ba">president’s decision on tariffs</a>, “but the damage isn’t all undone.”Trump has focused more on China, raising tariffs on its products to well above 100%. Even if that were to get negotiated down to something like 50%, and even if only 10% tariffs remained on other countries, Baweja said the hit to the U.S. economy could still be large enough to hurt expected growth for upcoming U.S. corporate profits.The losses for U.S. stocks accelerated Thursday after the White House clarified that the United States will tax Chinese imports at 145%, not the 125% rate that Trump had written about in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114309144289505174">his posting on Truth Social Wednesday</a>, once other previously announced tariffs were included. The drop for the S&amp;P 500 exceeded 6% at one point.“Everything is still very volatile, because with Donald Trump, you don’t know what to expect,” said Francis Lun, chief executive of Geo Securities. “This is really big uncertainty in the market. The threat of recession has not faded.”China, meanwhile, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-negotiations-f5acfd1ef8f3573f92e8963a8150bdfb">reached out to other countries</a>&nbsp;around the world in apparent hopes of forming a united front against Trump. The world's second-largest economy is also ramping up its own countermeasures to Trump's tariffs.The stock price of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company behind “A Minecraft Movie,” dropped 12.5% for one of Wall Street’s sharpest losses after China said Thursday it will “appropriately reduce the number of imported U.S. films.” The Walt Disney Co.’s stock sank 6.8%A spokesperson for the China Film Administration said it is “inevitable” that Chinese audiences would find American films less palatable given the “wrong move by the U.S. to wantonly implement tariffs on China.”That was after Trump and his Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, sent a clear message to other countries Wednesday after announcing their pause on tariffs for most countries: “Do not retaliate, and you will be rewarded.”The European Union said Thursday it will put its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-tariffs-retaliation-trade-eu-vdl-ad6cde9920b6336789b9e2e9935c69fb">trade retaliation measures on hold</a>&nbsp;for 90 days and leave room for a negotiated solution.Thursday’s swings also hit the bond market, which had been showing encouraging signals earlier in the day that stress may be easing.The bond market has historically played the role of enforcer against politicians and economic policies it deemed imprudent. It helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/liz-truss-economy-book-donald-trump-bbd694da6150d6f851af805b462e92fb">topple the United Kingdom’s Liz Truss</a>&nbsp;in 2022, for example, whose 49 days made her Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister. James Carville, adviser to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, also famously said he’d like to be reincarnated as the bond market because of how much power it wields.Earlier this week, big jumps for U.S. Treasury yields had rattled the market, so much that Trump said Wednesday he had been watching how investors were “getting a little queasy.”Several reasons could have been behind the sharp, sudden rise in yields. Hedge funds may have sold Treasurys in order to raise cash, and investors outside the United States may be dumping their U.S. government bonds because of the trade war. Regardless of the reasons behind it, higher Treasury yields crank up pressure on the stock market and push rates higher for mortgages and other loans for U.S. households and businesses.The 10-year Treasury yield had calmed following Trump’s U-turn on tariffs, dropping all the way back to 4.30% shortly after the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-964784cc5697c2f0df5bb79806392e3c">better-than-expected report on inflation</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning. That’s after it had shot up to nearly 4.50% Wednesday morning from just 4.01% at the end of last week.As Thursday progressed, though, the 10-year Treasury yield climbed once again and reached 4.40%.It all demonstrates why many on Wall Street are preparing for more swings in markets, after the S&amp;P 500 at one point nearly dropped into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bear-market-stocks-market-tariffs-trump-sp-500-c5d106a80666c0ff4f0e71624d525158">“bear market”</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">almost closing 20% below its record</a>.Often, the market’s whipsaw moves have come not just day to day but also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-nikkei-tariffs-trump-76d0de278a6cad291ace624a74a6a1b6">hour to hour</a>. The S&amp;P 500 still remains below where it was when Trump announced his sweeping set of tariffs last week on “Liberation Day.”All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 188.85 points Thursday to 5,268.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014.79 to 39,593.66, and the Nasdaq composite sank 737.66 to 16,387.31.In stock markets abroad, indexes rallied across Europe and Asia in their first chances to trade following Trump’s pause on many of his tariffs. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 9.1%, South Korea’s Kospi leaped 6.6% and Germany’s DAX returned 4.5%.

US stocks dive as euphoria on Wall Street reverts to fear about US-China trade war

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Indiana health officials announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles outbreak</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, with six cases that have no known links to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the outbreaks in several other states</a>.

The U.S. has more than double the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles cases</a>&nbsp;it saw in all of 2024.

Texas is reporting the majority of them with 505. The cases include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two young elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;who were not vaccinated and died from measles-related illnesses near the epicenter of the outbreak in rural Texas, which led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;to visit the community on Sunday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities. The third person who died was an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated.

The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. The World Health Organization has said cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;are linked to the Texas outbreak.

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

Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?

Texas' outbreak began in late January. State health officials said Tuesday there were 24 new cases of measles since Friday, bringing the total to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">505 across 21 counties</a>&nbsp;— most of them in West Texas. The state also logged one new hospitalization, for a total of 57 throughout the outbreak.

Sixty-five percent of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus stated spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county now has logged 328 cases since late January — just over 1% of the county's residents.

Thursday's death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Kennedy. Health officials in Texas said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February — Kennedy said age 6.

New Mexico announced two new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 56. State health officials say the cases are linked to Texas’ outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, two are in Eddy County and Chaves County was new to the list Tuesday with one case.

New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;on March 6.

<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has 32 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday. Two of the counties, Finney and Ford, are new on the list and are major population centers in that part of the state. Haskell has the most with eight cases, Stevens County has seven, Kiowa County has six, and the rest have five or fewer.

The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.

Cases in Oklahoma remained steady Tuesday: eight confirmed and two probable cases. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said.

A state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Tulsa and Rogers counties, but wouldn't say which counties had cases.

Ohio reported one new measles case Thursday in west-central Allen County. Last week, there were 10 in Ashtabula County in the northeast corner of the state. The first case was in an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.

In central Ohio, Knox County officials reported two new measles cases in international visitors, for three cases in international visitors total. Those cases are not included in the state’s official count because they are not in Ohio residents. A measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85 in 2022.

Indiana confirmed six connected cases of measles in Allen County in the northeast part of the state — four are unvaccinated minors and two are adults whose vaccination status is unknown.

The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health said Wednesday. The first case was confirmed Monday.

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

Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The agency counted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">six clusters</a>&nbsp;that qualified as outbreaks in 2025 as of Friday.

In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. So far in 2025, the CDC's count is 607.

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

People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.

A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.

People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.

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

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

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

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

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Indiana health officials announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles outbreak</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, with six cases that have no known links to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the outbreaks in several other states</a>.The U.S. has more than double the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles cases</a>&nbsp;it saw in all of 2024.Texas is reporting the majority of them with 505. The cases include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two young elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;who were not vaccinated and died from measles-related illnesses near the epicenter of the outbreak in rural Texas, which led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;to visit the community on Sunday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities. The third person who died was an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated.The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. The World Health Organization has said cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;are linked to the Texas outbreak.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?</h2>Texas' outbreak began in late January. State health officials said Tuesday there were 24 new cases of measles since Friday, bringing the total to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">505 across 21 counties</a>&nbsp;— most of them in West Texas. The state also logged one new hospitalization, for a total of 57 throughout the outbreak.Sixty-five percent of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus stated spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county now has logged 328 cases since late January — just over 1% of the county's residents.Thursday's death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Kennedy. Health officials in Texas said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February — Kennedy said age 6.New Mexico announced two new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 56. State health officials say the cases are linked to Texas’ outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, two are in Eddy County and Chaves County was new to the list Tuesday with one case.New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;on March 6.<h2>How many cases are there in Kansas?</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744217094136.png" alt="Outbreak counties in yellow-KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Outbreak counties in yellow-KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has 32 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday. Two of the counties, Finney and Ford, are new on the list and are major population centers in that part of the state. Haskell has the most with eight cases, Stevens County has seven, Kiowa County has six, and the rest have five or fewer.The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.<h2>How many cases are there in Oklahoma?</h2>Cases in Oklahoma remained steady Tuesday: eight confirmed and two probable cases. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said.A state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Tulsa and Rogers counties, but wouldn't say which counties had cases.<h2>How many cases are there in Ohio?</h2>Ohio reported one new measles case Thursday in west-central Allen County. Last week, there were 10 in Ashtabula County in the northeast corner of the state. The first case was in an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.In central Ohio, Knox County officials reported two new measles cases in international visitors, for three cases in international visitors total. Those cases are not included in the state’s official count because they are not in Ohio residents. A measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85 in 2022.<h2>How many cases are there in Indiana?</h2>Indiana confirmed six connected cases of measles in Allen County in the northeast part of the state — four are unvaccinated minors and two are adults whose vaccination status is unknown.The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health said Wednesday. The first case was confirmed Monday.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The agency counted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">six clusters</a>&nbsp;that qualified as outbreaks in 2025 as of Friday.In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. So far in 2025, the CDC's count is 607.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>

Another state joins list of those with more cases of measles

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly’s flurry of last-minute vetoes Wednesday night aimed to eliminate legislation that would trigger income tax cuts that favor higher-wage earners and corporations, empower the attorney general to block local government from suing big businesses, and force school children to watch videos of developing fetuses.

Those vetoes, along with ones involving&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/09/kansas-governor-vetoes-fetal-personhood-bill-allows-experimental-drug-treatment-passage/">health care overreach</a>&nbsp;and line items in the state budget, set the scene for the Legislature’s return Thursday. GOP leaders have promised to override a number of the governor’s vetoes, a process that requires the support of two-thirds of both chambers.

The Democratic governor said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb269/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 269</a>&nbsp;would “put the state back on the path toward the failed” tax experiment of former Gov. Sam Brownback. The legislation would&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/26/kansas-house-passes-bill-to-trigger-income-tax-cuts-as-long-as-state-has-surplus-funds/">lower the corporate tax rate</a>&nbsp;and flatten individual income tax brackets over time, based on how much money is in the state’s rainy day fund.

The tax cuts could amount to $1.3 billion annually, Kelly said, while the state is already forecast to have a budget shortfall within three years.

“I have proposed and supported tax cuts when they are implemented responsibly and benefit the people of Kansas, especially those who need it most,” Kelly said. “This bill ignores Kansas families at a time of rising costs and inflation in favor of hundreds of millions of dollars in giveaways to corporations and the wealthy.”

In a joint statement, Senate President Ty Masterson, of Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, of Wichita, said “Republicans stand with taxpayers” and would work to override the veto.

The governor said she vetoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2228/" target="_blank">House Bill 2228</a>&nbsp;because she is “a strong supporter of local control.”

The legislation would restrict cities and counties from entering into lawsuits with contingency agreements, in which attorneys work for free in exchange for a cut of the settlement if they win. The local government would have to hold a public meeting on the nature of the lawsuit and receive the attorney general’s approval.

The bill was a response to lawsuits like the one&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/12/12/kansas-county-sues-plastic-companies-over-recycling-alleging-fraud-and-deception/">Ford County filed</a>&nbsp;late last year that alleges ExxonMobil, Chevron and the American Chemistry Council of “a decades-long campaign of fraud and deception” about recycling plastics. HB 2228 would retroactively apply to July 1, 2024.

During a Senate debate on the bill last month, Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican, said the bill’s restrictions on such lawsuits “continues our strong tradition here in Kansas of being pro business and getting things done for our state.”

“More and more frequently, we’ve seen local government joining class action lawsuits for issues such as projects attributed to climate change, data privacy breaches, vehicle theft and other kind of piecemeal litigation that’s really a broad statewide level issue,” Warren said.

Sen. Ethan Corson, a Fairway Democrat, said Attorney General Kris Kobach “just didn’t like the substance” of several lawsuits that had been filed.

“This is really an impediment upon local control, gives the AG an ideological veto and really attempts to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” Corson said.

Kelly also vetoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2382/" target="_blank">House Bill 2382</a>, which merged legislation that would provide for a pay raise for Kansas State Board of Education members with an anti-abortion policy that requires children as young as 5 to watch a high-definition ultrasound of a fetus or a video that shows early human fetal development.

The governor said the bill was “convoluted, manipulative and wrong.”

“This bill fails to establish standards to ensure the information included in the program is evidence-based,” Kelly said. “But it is not surprising, as the goal of this bill is not to educate developing and impressionable young minds — it is to push a specific agenda without proper research to back it up.

“As policy makers and parents, we should demand that our children are provided with high-quality, relevant, researched, and age-appropriate educational experiences free from ideological prejudice.”

The governor also vetoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2028/" target="_blank">House Bill 2028</a>, which alters the cost of hunting and fishing licenses and restricts out-of-state residents from hunting migratory waterfowl on public lands, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb18/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 18</a>, which authorizes a Hunter Nation distinctive license plate.

Kelly also allowed two bills to become law without her signature:

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2056/" target="_blank">House Bill 2056,</a>&nbsp;which Kelly said “cleans up some of the ambiguity and uncertainty regarding the crime of impersonating an election official,” but still leaves uncertainty about what actions are prohibited.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2263/" target="_blank">House Bill 2263</a>, which designates memorial highways, including a portion of Kansas Highway 5 for former Rep. Marvin S. Robinson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744301961589.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly on Jan. 15, 2025, prepares to enter the Kansas House chamber to deliver her State of the State address Wednesday at the Capitol. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly on Jan. 15, 2025, prepares to enter the Kansas House chamber to deliver her State of the State address Wednesday at the Capitol. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly’s flurry of last-minute vetoes Wednesday night aimed to eliminate legislation that would trigger income tax cuts that favor higher-wage earners and corporations, empower the attorney general to block local government from suing big businesses, and force school children to watch videos of developing fetuses.Those vetoes, along with ones involving&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/09/kansas-governor-vetoes-fetal-personhood-bill-allows-experimental-drug-treatment-passage/">health care overreach</a>&nbsp;and line items in the state budget, set the scene for the Legislature’s return Thursday. GOP leaders have promised to override a number of the governor’s vetoes, a process that requires the support of two-thirds of both chambers.The Democratic governor said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb269/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 269</a>&nbsp;would “put the state back on the path toward the failed” tax experiment of former Gov. Sam Brownback. The legislation would&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/26/kansas-house-passes-bill-to-trigger-income-tax-cuts-as-long-as-state-has-surplus-funds/">lower the corporate tax rate</a>&nbsp;and flatten individual income tax brackets over time, based on how much money is in the state’s rainy day fund.The tax cuts could amount to $1.3 billion annually, Kelly said, while the state is already forecast to have a budget shortfall within three years.“I have proposed and supported tax cuts when they are implemented responsibly and benefit the people of Kansas, especially those who need it most,” Kelly said. “This bill ignores Kansas families at a time of rising costs and inflation in favor of hundreds of millions of dollars in giveaways to corporations and the wealthy.”In a joint statement, Senate President Ty Masterson, of Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, of Wichita, said “Republicans stand with taxpayers” and would work to override the veto.The governor said she vetoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2228/" target="_blank">House Bill 2228</a>&nbsp;because she is “a strong supporter of local control.”The legislation would restrict cities and counties from entering into lawsuits with contingency agreements, in which attorneys work for free in exchange for a cut of the settlement if they win. The local government would have to hold a public meeting on the nature of the lawsuit and receive the attorney general’s approval.The bill was a response to lawsuits like the one&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/12/12/kansas-county-sues-plastic-companies-over-recycling-alleging-fraud-and-deception/">Ford County filed</a>&nbsp;late last year that alleges ExxonMobil, Chevron and the American Chemistry Council of “a decades-long campaign of fraud and deception” about recycling plastics. HB 2228 would retroactively apply to July 1, 2024.During a Senate debate on the bill last month, Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican, said the bill’s restrictions on such lawsuits “continues our strong tradition here in Kansas of being pro business and getting things done for our state.”“More and more frequently, we’ve seen local government joining class action lawsuits for issues such as projects attributed to climate change, data privacy breaches, vehicle theft and other kind of piecemeal litigation that’s really a broad statewide level issue,” Warren said.Sen. Ethan Corson, a Fairway Democrat, said Attorney General Kris Kobach “just didn’t like the substance” of several lawsuits that had been filed.“This is really an impediment upon local control, gives the AG an ideological veto and really attempts to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” Corson said.Kelly also vetoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2382/" target="_blank">House Bill 2382</a>, which merged legislation that would provide for a pay raise for Kansas State Board of Education members with an anti-abortion policy that requires children as young as 5 to watch a high-definition ultrasound of a fetus or a video that shows early human fetal development.The governor said the bill was “convoluted, manipulative and wrong.”“This bill fails to establish standards to ensure the information included in the program is evidence-based,” Kelly said. “But it is not surprising, as the goal of this bill is not to educate developing and impressionable young minds — it is to push a specific agenda without proper research to back it up.“As policy makers and parents, we should demand that our children are provided with high-quality, relevant, researched, and age-appropriate educational experiences free from ideological prejudice.”The governor also vetoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2028/" target="_blank">House Bill 2028</a>, which alters the cost of hunting and fishing licenses and restricts out-of-state residents from hunting migratory waterfowl on public lands, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb18/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 18</a>, which authorizes a Hunter Nation distinctive license plate.Kelly also allowed two bills to become law without her signature:<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2056/" target="_blank">House Bill 2056,</a>&nbsp;which Kelly said “cleans up some of the ambiguity and uncertainty regarding the crime of impersonating an election official,” but still leaves uncertainty about what actions are prohibited.<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2263/" target="_blank">House Bill 2263</a>, which designates memorial highways, including a portion of Kansas Highway 5 for former Rep. Marvin S. Robinson.

Kansas governor vetoes flat tax, restriction on local lawsuits, anti-abortion videos in schools

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

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SARAH%20RAZA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A gas explosion leveled a home on Wednesday evening in a Kansas City suburb after a gas main was damaged.

City officials in Lexington, Missouri, said there were injuries to the family who lived in the home but would not specify the extent of the injuries or if anyone died. More details will be given after the family can inform relatives, Lexington city administrator Shawnna Funderburk said at a press conference Thursday morning.

The explosion happened about 7:45 p.m. after a subcontractor hit a gas main while installing a fiber optic cable, the city said in a social media post.

The explosion caused a fire in the home and, multiple structures nearby also were damaged, Funderburk said.

Liberty Utilities shut off gas to the town of 4,500 people following the incident and is still investigating the cause, the company's director of operations, Jeff McChristian, said during the press conference. Repairs are ongoing, and he could not specify when gas service would be restored to the town.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744302842121.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SARAH%20RAZA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By SARAH RAZA&nbsp;</a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SARAH%20RAZA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A gas explosion leveled a home on Wednesday evening in a Kansas City suburb after a gas main was damaged.City officials in Lexington, Missouri, said there were injuries to the family who lived in the home but would not specify the extent of the injuries or if anyone died. More details will be given after the family can inform relatives, Lexington city administrator Shawnna Funderburk said at a press conference Thursday morning.The explosion happened about 7:45 p.m. after a subcontractor hit a gas main while installing a fiber optic cable, the city said in a social media post.The explosion caused a fire in the home and, multiple structures nearby also were damaged, Funderburk said.Liberty Utilities shut off gas to the town of 4,500 people following the incident and is still investigating the cause, the company's director of operations, Jeff McChristian, said during the press conference. Repairs are ongoing, and he could not specify when gas service would be restored to the town.

Gas explosion levels a home in a Kansas City suburb after a gas main is hit

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans narrowly approved their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">budget framework</a>&nbsp;Thursday, a political turnaround after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;worked into the night to satisfy GOP holdouts who had refused to advance trillions of dollars in tax breaks without deeper spending cuts.

Johnson stood with Senate Majority Leader John Thune early in the morning at the Capitol and said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;“big, beautiful bill,” which seeks as much as $1.5 trillion in cuts to federal programs and services, was on track. The speaker had abruptly halted voting Wednesday night.

“I believe we have the votes,” said Johnson, R-La. “We’ll take the next big step.”

Thune, R-S.D., also tried to assure House conservatives that many GOP senators are aligned with their pursuit of spending reductions.

“We certainly are going to do everything we can,” Thune said.

The 216-214 vote pushed the budget plan forward, one more milestone for Johnson, and the next step in a lengthy process to unlock the centerpiece to the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-9-2025">domestic agenda</a>&nbsp;of tax cuts,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-deportation-salvador-maryland-40136c5aa844b6c12ba20ee67ab4df9a">mass deportations</a>&nbsp;and a smaller federal government. Kansas GOP members of the House Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Derek Schmitt voted with the majority. Kansas Democrat Congresswoman Sharice Davids voted against the bill.

A failed vote, particularly as the economy was convulsing over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/stock-market-economy-tariffs-updates-4-9-2025">Trump’s trade wars</a>, would have been a major setback for the party in power in Washington. Two conservative Republicans voted against it, as did all Democrats.

Trump, at a black-tie fundraising dinner this week, had admonished Republicans to "stop grandstanding” on the budget.

By Thursday morning, Trump had shifted his tone, posting on social media that it's “coming along really well."

“Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!! Getting close,” Trump said.

The House action still leaves weeks, if not months, ahead, on a final product, with more votes in Congress. Johnson could lose only a few detractors from his slim Republican majority. Democrats, in the minority, lack the votes to stop the package, but they have warned against it.

But by Wednesday afternoon, the outcome was in flux. At least a dozen conservative Republicans, if not more, were firmly against the plan. Several of them, including members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, made the unusual move of walking across the Capitol to meet privately with Senate GOP leaders to insist on deeper cuts.

As night fell, Johnson pulled a group of Republicans into a private meeting room as House proceedings came to a standstill. They stayed into the night hashing out alternatives, and were back at it in the morning.

Johnson said he spoke with Trump for about five minutes while the GOP meeting was taking place. The speaker said they were trying to figure out the minimal number of cuts and savings “that will satisfy everyone.”

“The president is very anxious for us to get this done,” Johnson said.

But House GOP conservatives, including several of those who met with Trump this week, were concerned that the Senate GOP's blueprint,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-tax-cuts-trump-485845a9c0b7dfc5d2194d4c1e4723ae">approved last weekend</a>, did not cut spending to the level they believe necessary to help prevent soaring deficits.

“The Math Does Not Add Up,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, had posted earlier on social media.

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the Freedom Caucus chair, led others to met with the senators.

“All we can do is make sure that they understand where we’re coming from and how close we want to work with them to get to the final product,” Thune said afterward.

But he panned the idea of the House sending back an amended version, which would require another potential all-night voting session like the one senators endured last weekend. “We can’t do that,” Thune said.

In the end, Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted “no.”

The House and Senate are at the beginning phase of a process that will take weeks, if not months, as they turn their budget resolutions into legislative text — a final product with more votes ahead later this spring or summer.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the budget plan is reckless and callous, proposing cuts to give tax breaks to the wealthy.

“We’re here to make it clear,” Jeffries said. “Hands off everyday Americans struggling to make ends meet.”

Central to the budget framework is the Republican effort to preserve the tax breaks approved in 2017, during Trump's first term, while potentially adding the new ones he promised during his 2024 campaign. That includes no taxes on tipped wages, Social Security income and others, ballooning the price tag to some $7 trillion over the decade.

The package also allows for budget increases with some $175 billion to pay for Trump's deportation operation and as much for the Defense Department to bolster military spending.

It would be partly paid for with deep cuts to domestic programs, including health care, as part of the $2 trillion in reductions outlined in the House version. Several Republican senators have signaled they are not willing to go that far.

To clip costs, the Senate is using an unusual accounting method that does not count the costs of preserving the 2017 tax cuts, some $4.5 trillion, as new spending, another factor that is enraging the House conservatives.

Two Republican senators voted “no” last weekend. Maine Sen. Susan Collins objected to Medicaid cuts in the House's framework, while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul argued the whole package relied on “fishy” math that would add to the debt.

The plan would also raise the nation's debt limit to allow more borrowing to pay the bills. Trump had wanted lawmakers to take the politically difficult issue off the table. With debt now at $36 trillion, the Treasury Department has said it will run out of funds by August.

But the House and Senate need to resolve their differences on the debt limit, as well. The House GOP increases the debt limit by $4 trillion, but the Senate lifted it to $5 trillion so Congress would not have to revisit the issue again until after the midterm elections in November 2026.

With Trump's trade wars hovering over the debate, House Republicans tucked a provision into a procedural vote that would prevent House action — as the Senate has taken — to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taxes-tariffs-house-speaker-johnson-trump-da4af55882f7cb185da57ed0c80479aa">disapprove of Trump’s tariffs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744299694388.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune during the press briefing ahead of the vote -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune during the press briefing ahead of the vote -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans narrowly approved their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">budget framework</a>&nbsp;Thursday, a political turnaround after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;worked into the night to satisfy GOP holdouts who had refused to advance trillions of dollars in tax breaks without deeper spending cuts.Johnson stood with Senate Majority Leader John Thune early in the morning at the Capitol and said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;“big, beautiful bill,” which seeks as much as $1.5 trillion in cuts to federal programs and services, was on track. The speaker had abruptly halted voting Wednesday night.“I believe we have the votes,” said Johnson, R-La. “We’ll take the next big step.”Thune, R-S.D., also tried to assure House conservatives that many GOP senators are aligned with their pursuit of spending reductions.“We certainly are going to do everything we can,” Thune said.The 216-214 vote pushed the budget plan forward, one more milestone for Johnson, and the next step in a lengthy process to unlock the centerpiece to the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-9-2025">domestic agenda</a>&nbsp;of tax cuts,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-deportation-salvador-maryland-40136c5aa844b6c12ba20ee67ab4df9a">mass deportations</a>&nbsp;and a smaller federal government. Kansas GOP members of the House Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Derek Schmitt voted with the majority. Kansas Democrat Congresswoman Sharice Davids voted against the bill.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to my good friends <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepArrington?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepArrington</a> for getting the budget resolution across the finish line. Congress is united in advancing President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s America First Agenda to lower taxes, save American taxpayer dollars, and unleash America’s…&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1910358127284834520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A failed vote, particularly as the economy was convulsing over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/stock-market-economy-tariffs-updates-4-9-2025">Trump’s trade wars</a>, would have been a major setback for the party in power in Washington. Two conservative Republicans voted against it, as did all Democrats.Trump, at a black-tie fundraising dinner this week, had admonished Republicans to "stop grandstanding” on the budget.By Thursday morning, Trump had shifted his tone, posting on social media that it's “coming along really well."“Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!! Getting close,” Trump said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 NEW from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: <a href="https://t.co/Alk5zCmypH">pic.twitter.com/Alk5zCmypH</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1910354658641461724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The House action still leaves weeks, if not months, ahead, on a final product, with more votes in Congress. Johnson could lose only a few detractors from his slim Republican majority. Democrats, in the minority, lack the votes to stop the package, but they have warned against it.But by Wednesday afternoon, the outcome was in flux. At least a dozen conservative Republicans, if not more, were firmly against the plan. Several of them, including members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, made the unusual move of walking across the Capitol to meet privately with Senate GOP leaders to insist on deeper cuts.As night fell, Johnson pulled a group of Republicans into a private meeting room as House proceedings came to a standstill. They stayed into the night hashing out alternatives, and were back at it in the morning.Johnson said he spoke with Trump for about five minutes while the GOP meeting was taking place. The speaker said they were trying to figure out the minimal number of cuts and savings “that will satisfy everyone.”“The president is very anxious for us to get this done,” Johnson said.But House GOP conservatives, including several of those who met with Trump this week, were concerned that the Senate GOP's blueprint,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-tax-cuts-trump-485845a9c0b7dfc5d2194d4c1e4723ae">approved last weekend</a>, did not cut spending to the level they believe necessary to help prevent soaring deficits.“The Math Does Not Add Up,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, had posted earlier on social media.Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the Freedom Caucus chair, led others to met with the senators.“All we can do is make sure that they understand where we’re coming from and how close we want to work with them to get to the final product,” Thune said afterward.But he panned the idea of the House sending back an amended version, which would require another potential all-night voting session like the one senators endured last weekend. “We can’t do that,” Thune said.In the end, Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted “no.”The House and Senate are at the beginning phase of a process that will take weeks, if not months, as they turn their budget resolutions into legislative text — a final product with more votes ahead later this spring or summer.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the budget plan is reckless and callous, proposing cuts to give tax breaks to the wealthy.“We’re here to make it clear,” Jeffries said. “Hands off everyday Americans struggling to make ends meet.”Central to the budget framework is the Republican effort to preserve the tax breaks approved in 2017, during Trump's first term, while potentially adding the new ones he promised during his 2024 campaign. That includes no taxes on tipped wages, Social Security income and others, ballooning the price tag to some $7 trillion over the decade.The package also allows for budget increases with some $175 billion to pay for Trump's deportation operation and as much for the Defense Department to bolster military spending.It would be partly paid for with deep cuts to domestic programs, including health care, as part of the $2 trillion in reductions outlined in the House version. Several Republican senators have signaled they are not willing to go that far.To clip costs, the Senate is using an unusual accounting method that does not count the costs of preserving the 2017 tax cuts, some $4.5 trillion, as new spending, another factor that is enraging the House conservatives.Two Republican senators voted “no” last weekend. Maine Sen. Susan Collins objected to Medicaid cuts in the House's framework, while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul argued the whole package relied on “fishy” math that would add to the debt.The plan would also raise the nation's debt limit to allow more borrowing to pay the bills. Trump had wanted lawmakers to take the politically difficult issue off the table. With debt now at $36 trillion, the Treasury Department has said it will run out of funds by August.But the House and Senate need to resolve their differences on the debt limit, as well. The House GOP increases the debt limit by $4 trillion, but the Senate lifted it to $5 trillion so Congress would not have to revisit the issue again until after the midterm elections in November 2026.With Trump's trade wars hovering over the debate, House Republicans tucked a provision into a procedural vote that would prevent House action — as the Senate has taken — to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taxes-tariffs-house-speaker-johnson-trump-da4af55882f7cb185da57ed0c80479aa">disapprove of Trump’s tariffs</a>.___

Kan. GOP lawmakers help House pass budget plan with Trump tax cuts

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in the theft of a priceless fixture in a Wichita community park made his first court appearance Tuesday.

Gordon Pierce III, 37 of Wichita, was charged with theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, and possession of paraphernalia for use, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

On April 3, police were notified of the theft of a decorative cannon from the Spanish American War Memorial in Riverside Park in Wichita, according to Officer Brad Wright.

Wichita Police immediately notified&nbsp; Patrol Officers, Property Crimes Task Force Officers and Detectives. Around 5:00pm police located the cannon at a residence in the 2000 Block of N Woodland. The cannon was significantly damaged.&nbsp;&nbsp;This cannon was gifted to the City in 1900 and is a priceless fixture in the community. 

The investigation led to the identification of a 37-year-old male suspect identified as Pierce who was arrested in the 2300 block of N Amidon without incident.&nbsp;

Pierce remains in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $200,000 bond. His is scheduled to return to court on April 21, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743766394986.png" alt="Pierce photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Pierce photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in the theft of a priceless fixture in a Wichita community park made his first court appearance Tuesday.Gordon Pierce III, 37 of Wichita, was charged with theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, and possession of paraphernalia for use, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;On April 3, police were notified of the theft of a decorative cannon from the Spanish American War Memorial in Riverside Park in Wichita, according to Officer Brad Wright.Wichita Police immediately notified&nbsp; Patrol Officers, Property Crimes Task Force Officers and Detectives. Around 5:00pm police located the cannon at a residence in the 2000 Block of N Woodland. The cannon was significantly damaged.&nbsp;&nbsp;This cannon was gifted to the City in 1900 and is a priceless fixture in the community. The investigation led to the identification of a 37-year-old male suspect identified as Pierce who was arrested in the 2300 block of N Amidon without incident.&nbsp;Pierce remains in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $200,000 bond. His is scheduled to return to court on April 21, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

Kan. man in theft of priceless war memorial cannon goes to court

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JON%20GAMBRELL%20and%20DASHA%20LITVINOVA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JON GAMBRELL and DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press</a>

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Russia freed a Russian American&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-dual-national-treason-conviction-387878027e295f3e61fcc912413be0b4">convicted of treason</a>&nbsp;on Thursday in exchange for a Russian-German man jailed on smuggling charges in the U.S., a prisoner swap that comes as the two countries work to repair ties.

Ksenia Karelina, also identified in the media as Ksenia Khavana, is “on a plane back home to the United States,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on social media platform X. She was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg in February 2024 and convicted of treason on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. American authorities have called the case “absolutely ludicrous.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-charges-russian-military-exports-cdfc2e040da2c0f8b60f1f612e7f345d">Arthur Petrov</a>&nbsp;was released as part of a swap in Abu Dhabi, United Araba Emirates, according to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia's main security and counterespionage agency. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 at the request of the U.S. on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia and extradited to the U.S. a year later.

Karelina was among a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-fogel-americans-custody-95c0f57a55d5253bd89340f6f1e2546c">growing number of Americans arrested in Russia</a>&nbsp;in recent years as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the war in Ukraine. Her release is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the United States carried out in the last three years — and the second since President Donald Trump took office and reversed Washington's policy of isolating Russia in an effort to end the war in Ukraine.

Russian and U.S. diplomats are sitting down Thursday for another round of talks in Istanbul on improving diplomatic ties.

In February, Russia released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-20ab40d17f8a9b4abf9b3498da979859">American teacher Marc Fogel</a>, imprisoned on drug charges, in a swap that the White House described as part of a diplomatic thaw that could advance peace negotiations. That same month, Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-american-arrested-drug-smuggling-released-7a6fa0b4e307f46ee1b8ab7c0817e7fa">released another American</a>&nbsp;just days after arresting him on drug smuggling charges.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prosecutors-sentence-russian-american-woman-treason-trial-ec73cd9f37db440addae365dd1466fe4">Karelina</a>, a former ballet dancer, reportedly obtained U.S. citizenship after marrying an American and moving to Los Angeles. She was arrested when she returned to Russia to visit her family last year.

The FSB accused her of “proactively" collecting money for a Ukrainian organization that was supplying gear to Kyiv's forces. The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a U.S. charity aiding Ukraine.

Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said on Instagram that she had been in touch with her family since her release.

“I am overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia,” Karelina’s fiancé, Chris van Heerden, said in a statement. “She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her. Our dog, Boots, is also eagerly awaiting her return.”

He thanked Trump and his envoys, as well as prominent public figures who had championed her case.

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on X that “President Trump and his administration continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families.”

The exchange was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Karelina was headed to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss her case.

The United Arab Emirates' state-run WAM news agency released photos of Karelina boarding a plane and one of her standing next to Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the U.S.

The FSB, which said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had pardoned Karelina before the swap, released a video that showed her being escorted to a plane somewhere in Russia. The footage then featured of what appeared to be the scene of exchange at the Abu Dhabi airport, with Petrov walking off a plane and shaking hands with Russian officials on the tarmac.

The same video showed Petrov undergoing medical checkups on a flight to Russia. “I have no particular complaints, just a bit tired,” he said.

Petrov was accused by the U.S. Justice Department of involvement in a scheme to procure microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of a Russia-based supplier of critical electronic components for the country's weapons industries. He was facing a 20-year prison term in the U.S.

Abu Dhabi was the scene of another high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. In December 2022, American basketball&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">star Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;was traded for the notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/viktor-bout">Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>.

The UAE has been a mediator in prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, while the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai has become home to many Russians and Ukrainian who fled there after the start of Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744289638352.png" alt="This photo released by the state-run WAM news agency shows Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the U.S., left, standing next to U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina after her release at an airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (WAM via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This photo released by the state-run WAM news agency shows Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the U.S., left, standing next to U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina after her release at an airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (WAM via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JON%20GAMBRELL%20and%20DASHA%20LITVINOVA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JON GAMBRELL and DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press</a>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Russia freed a Russian American&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-dual-national-treason-conviction-387878027e295f3e61fcc912413be0b4">convicted of treason</a>&nbsp;on Thursday in exchange for a Russian-German man jailed on smuggling charges in the U.S., a prisoner swap that comes as the two countries work to repair ties.Ksenia Karelina, also identified in the media as Ksenia Khavana, is “on a plane back home to the United States,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on social media platform X. She was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg in February 2024 and convicted of treason on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. American authorities have called the case “absolutely ludicrous.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-charges-russian-military-exports-cdfc2e040da2c0f8b60f1f612e7f345d">Arthur Petrov</a>&nbsp;was released as part of a swap in Abu Dhabi, United Araba Emirates, according to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia's main security and counterespionage agency. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 at the request of the U.S. on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia and extradited to the U.S. a year later.Karelina was among a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-fogel-americans-custody-95c0f57a55d5253bd89340f6f1e2546c">growing number of Americans arrested in Russia</a>&nbsp;in recent years as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the war in Ukraine. Her release is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the United States carried out in the last three years — and the second since President Donald Trump took office and reversed Washington's policy of isolating Russia in an effort to end the war in Ukraine.Russian and U.S. diplomats are sitting down Thursday for another round of talks in Istanbul on improving diplomatic ties.In February, Russia released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-20ab40d17f8a9b4abf9b3498da979859">American teacher Marc Fogel</a>, imprisoned on drug charges, in a swap that the White House described as part of a diplomatic thaw that could advance peace negotiations. That same month, Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-american-arrested-drug-smuggling-released-7a6fa0b4e307f46ee1b8ab7c0817e7fa">released another American</a>&nbsp;just days after arresting him on drug smuggling charges.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prosecutors-sentence-russian-american-woman-treason-trial-ec73cd9f37db440addae365dd1466fe4">Karelina</a>, a former ballet dancer, reportedly obtained U.S. citizenship after marrying an American and moving to Los Angeles. She was arrested when she returned to Russia to visit her family last year.The FSB accused her of “proactively" collecting money for a Ukrainian organization that was supplying gear to Kyiv's forces. The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a U.S. charity aiding Ukraine.Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said on Instagram that she had been in touch with her family since her release.“I am overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia,” Karelina’s fiancé, Chris van Heerden, said in a statement. “She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her. Our dog, Boots, is also eagerly awaiting her return.”He thanked Trump and his envoys, as well as prominent public figures who had championed her case.White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on X that “President Trump and his administration continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families.”The exchange was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.Karelina was headed to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss her case.The United Arab Emirates' state-run WAM news agency released photos of Karelina boarding a plane and one of her standing next to Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the U.S.The FSB, which said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had pardoned Karelina before the swap, released a video that showed her being escorted to a plane somewhere in Russia. The footage then featured of what appeared to be the scene of exchange at the Abu Dhabi airport, with Petrov walking off a plane and shaking hands with Russian officials on the tarmac.The same video showed Petrov undergoing medical checkups on a flight to Russia. “I have no particular complaints, just a bit tired,” he said.Petrov was accused by the U.S. Justice Department of involvement in a scheme to procure microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of a Russia-based supplier of critical electronic components for the country's weapons industries. He was facing a 20-year prison term in the U.S.Abu Dhabi was the scene of another high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. In December 2022, American basketball&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">star Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;was traded for the notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/viktor-bout">Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>.The UAE has been a mediator in prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, while the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai has become home to many Russians and Ukrainian who fled there after the start of Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.___

Russian-American ballerina released in prisoner swap with Moscow

MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating the meth overdose involving a toddler.

Just before noon Wednesday, police were dispatched to 320 Pacific Avenue in Osawatomie for a 2-year-old inn medical distress, according to a media release from police.

First responders were informed the girl was having a seizure due to ingesting an unknown amount of methamphetamine. When police arrived the child was in critical condition. Miami County EMS transported the child to Children's Mercy Hospiital.

During the investigation, officers applied for and received a search warrant for the home, and found a small amount of marijuana along with meth and marijuana paraphernalia.

Police also learned that, in fear of getting in trouble, the biological mother of the child never called for medical attention for the child. The woman did destroy, "flush" evidence of the meth and the child's overdose.&nbsp; A grandparent contacted police about what actually happened, according to Chief of Police David Stuteville.&nbsp;

Police took 34-year-old Jacci Marie Hays into custody on requested charges of aggravated child endangerment, interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

Stuteville asked the community to keep the child and first responders who worked the case in your thoughts and prayers. "Cases like this take a toll on everyone involved."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744281009009.png" alt="Hays photo from her drug arrest in Sept. 2024 in Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Hays photo from her drug arrest in Sept. 2024 in Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating the meth overdose involving a toddler.Just before noon Wednesday, police were dispatched to 320 Pacific Avenue in Osawatomie for a 2-year-old inn medical distress, according to a media release from police.First responders were informed the girl was having a seizure due to ingesting an unknown amount of methamphetamine. When police arrived the child was in critical condition. Miami County EMS transported the child to Children's Mercy Hospiital.During the investigation, officers applied for and received a search warrant for the home, and found a small amount of marijuana along with meth and marijuana paraphernalia.Police also learned that, in fear of getting in trouble, the biological mother of the child never called for medical attention for the child. The woman did destroy, "flush" evidence of the meth and the child's overdose.&nbsp; A grandparent contacted police about what actually happened, according to Chief of Police David Stuteville.&nbsp;Police took 34-year-old Jacci Marie Hays into custody on requested charges of aggravated child endangerment, interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.Stuteville asked the community to keep the child and first responders who worked the case in your thoughts and prayers. "Cases like this take a toll on everyone involved."

Kansas mom jailed after 2-year-old overdoses on meth

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Democrat praises investment in economy, water policy; blasts K-12 decisions

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly made an end-of-session plea to the Kansas Legislature after signing a massive state budget bill investing in economic development, water resources and disability services while triggering more than 35 vetoes of provisions labeled as unwarranted earmarks, power grabs or financial gaffes.

Kelly, who has leaned on her veto pen in disputes with House and Senate Republicans since taking office in 2019, said she was concerned the budget endangered the state’s long-term fiscal health and could jeopardize funding for essential programs and services that mattered the most to Kansans. She said it was folly for GOP leadership in the Legislature to adjourn the annual session before release of updated revenue reports evaluating financial implications of the budget.

“This budget will put Kansas in the red by fiscal year 2028,” Kelly said Wednesday in a message to the Legislature. “Given the ongoing economic uncertainty we are experiencing, I urge the Legislature to seriously consider revisiting this budget.”

She said Kansas demonstrated financial resilience during the past seven years after enduring damaging tax and spending decisions under a previous governor. She repeated a warning to not ignore the history of careless decisions leading deep cuts, unnecessary debt and higher taxes.

“We risk losing all of that progress and returning to the dark days of four-day school weeks and crumbling roads and bridges if we don’t correct the structural imbalance we are currently facing,” the governor said.

Kelly said she was enthusiastic about portions of Senate Bill 125 that provided $6 million to safeguard Kansas’ water supply, a $1.75 million increase in matching funds for local conservation districts and $3 million for a pilot project to manage sedimentation in John Redmond Reservoir.

She thanked the Legislature for $50 million invested in the state’s aviation industry because those commitments would continue “the state’s historic success” in economy development. She praised lawmakers for allocating $1 million to create rural remote workspaces as well as investments to attract innovative businesses in cybersecurity and biotechnology.

The budget appropriately invested in early childhood education while adding $10 million for special education programs in the state’s K-12 public education system, Kelly said. There was $1.25 million to expand rural child care, she said. The governor appreciated $14 million to help 200 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities move off the state’s waiting list for services.

However, the governor said it was troubling the Legislature didn’t address rising health costs by expanding eligibility for Medicaid. Forty states and the District of Columbia have opened that door to billions of dollars in federal funding aimed at lower-income residents without quality, affordable health care.

“Not only will expanding Medicaid make it easier and more affordable for Kansas families to access health care,” she said, “it would also have substantial economic benefits for Kansans.”

She line-item vetoed a provision requiring the state to unenroll and reenroll people in the Medicaid program at an annual cost of $3.5 million to $4.3 million. She said federal regulations forbid caregivers and parents from being denied Medicaid health care coverage without an individual review. In addition, the governor said, the concept was a “highly inefficient, administratively burdensome, costly process.”

Kelly, known as a public education advocate as governor and during her 14-year tour in the Kansas Senate, said she was disappointed with a collection of budget decisions regarding K-12 schools. She was critical of the elimination of funding for teacher professional development programs and literacy training for teachers.

She objected to the “extremely troubling” decision by the Legislature to finance grants for emergency medical equipment in private schools with money that should be applied to public schools. She suggested the maneuver raised questions about whether lawmakers were challenging Kansas Supreme Court rulings in the Gannon v. State school finance lawsuit that concluded the Legislature violated the Kansas Constitution by inadequately funding schools.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744278649866.jpeg" alt="emocratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed the Republican-led Legislature's large budget bill after issuing dozens of line-item vetoes and recommending lawmaker revisit the blueprint before adjourning the 2025 session. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>emocratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed the Republican-led Legislature's large budget bill after issuing dozens of line-item vetoes and recommending lawmaker revisit the blueprint before adjourning the 2025 session. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Democrat praises investment in economy, water policy; blasts K-12 decisions</h2>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly made an end-of-session plea to the Kansas Legislature after signing a massive state budget bill investing in economic development, water resources and disability services while triggering more than 35 vetoes of provisions labeled as unwarranted earmarks, power grabs or financial gaffes.Kelly, who has leaned on her veto pen in disputes with House and Senate Republicans since taking office in 2019, said she was concerned the budget endangered the state’s long-term fiscal health and could jeopardize funding for essential programs and services that mattered the most to Kansans. She said it was folly for GOP leadership in the Legislature to adjourn the annual session before release of updated revenue reports evaluating financial implications of the budget.“This budget will put Kansas in the red by fiscal year 2028,” Kelly said Wednesday in a message to the Legislature. “Given the ongoing economic uncertainty we are experiencing, I urge the Legislature to seriously consider revisiting this budget.”She said Kansas demonstrated financial resilience during the past seven years after enduring damaging tax and spending decisions under a previous governor. She repeated a warning to not ignore the history of careless decisions leading deep cuts, unnecessary debt and higher taxes.“We risk losing all of that progress and returning to the dark days of four-day school weeks and crumbling roads and bridges if we don’t correct the structural imbalance we are currently facing,” the governor said.<h2>Good news … right thing</h2>Kelly said she was enthusiastic about portions of Senate Bill 125 that provided $6 million to safeguard Kansas’ water supply, a $1.75 million increase in matching funds for local conservation districts and $3 million for a pilot project to manage sedimentation in John Redmond Reservoir.She thanked the Legislature for $50 million invested in the state’s aviation industry because those commitments would continue “the state’s historic success” in economy development. She praised lawmakers for allocating $1 million to create rural remote workspaces as well as investments to attract innovative businesses in cybersecurity and biotechnology.The budget appropriately invested in early childhood education while adding $10 million for special education programs in the state’s K-12 public education system, Kelly said. There was $1.25 million to expand rural child care, she said. The governor appreciated $14 million to help 200 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities move off the state’s waiting list for services.However, the governor said it was troubling the Legislature didn’t address rising health costs by expanding eligibility for Medicaid. Forty states and the District of Columbia have opened that door to billions of dollars in federal funding aimed at lower-income residents without quality, affordable health care.“Not only will expanding Medicaid make it easier and more affordable for Kansas families to access health care,” she said, “it would also have substantial economic benefits for Kansans.”She line-item vetoed a provision requiring the state to unenroll and reenroll people in the Medicaid program at an annual cost of $3.5 million to $4.3 million. She said federal regulations forbid caregivers and parents from being denied Medicaid health care coverage without an individual review. In addition, the governor said, the concept was a “highly inefficient, administratively burdensome, costly process.”<h2>Education, ‘falls short’</h2>Kelly, known as a public education advocate as governor and during her 14-year tour in the Kansas Senate, said she was disappointed with a collection of budget decisions regarding K-12 schools. She was critical of the elimination of funding for teacher professional development programs and literacy training for teachers.She objected to the “extremely troubling” decision by the Legislature to finance grants for emergency medical equipment in private schools with money that should be applied to public schools. She suggested the maneuver raised questions about whether lawmakers were challenging Kansas Supreme Court rulings in the Gannon v. State school finance lawsuit that concluded the Legislature violated the Kansas Constitution by inadequately funding schools.“While I have corrected this via a line-item veto, I remain extremely concerned about the future of education funding in Kansas,” Kelly said. “The Legislature must stop playing games with school finance, especially when it underfunds our public schools and could land the state back in court, relitigating issues we’ve worked to solve in a bipartisan manner.”The governor also vetoed a budget item that directed school districts to adopt an online curriculum not vetted by the Kansas Board of Education. Constitutional authority for curriculum decisions rested with the elected 10-member state Board of Education, she said.<h2>Power grabs</h2>Kelly used a veto pen to dispatch the appropriation of $3 million to the state treasurer, rather than to an executive branch agency, for operation of the “pregnancy compassion awareness” program. Her veto message recalled the August 2022 statewide vote that defeated a proposed amendment to the Constitution reversing a state Supreme Court decision that women had a basic constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.“I continue to believe that housing the pregnancy crisis center program in the office of the state treasurer is inappropriate and simply politically motivated,” the governor said. “Kansas women facing unplanned pregnancies deserve meaningful support from medical professionals who can provide evidence-based guidance, not from largely unregulated pregnancy resource centers.”In addition, Kelly vetoed creation of an “unvetted program with no guardrails” in the office of state treasurer that would help expand the state’s workforce. She said it was inefficient for the Legislature to defund an existing workforce program, “Love, Kansas,” in the Kansas Department of Commerce.Kelly vetoed a provision in the budget that would have increased the cost of office space for journalists in the Capitol.“This item appears to be targeted at the Kansas Capitol press corps to stymie their ability to effectively report on the actions occurring in the people’s house,” the governor said. “Provisions like this set a dangerous precedent and undermine one of the core principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.”<h2>Special-interest earmarks</h2>Kelly said she couldn’t allow the Legislature to approve a no-bid $1 million earmark for the O’Connell Children’s Shelter in Lawrence. She said the expenditure circumvented established methods of awarding grants that would include rigorous review of qualified applicants.“We have made great progress towards eliminating no-bid contracts recently,” Kelly said. “We should not take an unnecessary step backwards.”Kelly vetoed a directive that the state Department of Commerce devote $500,000 to Wichita State University’s aviation research institute to work on unmanned aircraft systems and $500,000 to the Salina campus of Kansas State University for development of a commercial credentialing process for drones.“The Department of Commerce did not request this item and it did not go through the agency vetting process,” she said. “I cannot ignore the deficiencies in the process that led to this being included in the budget.”The governor vetoed a $750,000 earmark for a feasibility study on launching a dental school at Wichita State. She urged higher education and dentistry professionals to collaborate on a strategy for starting the school and present it to the 2026 Legislature.Meanwhile, Kelly vetoed $500,000 to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for a forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis system to identify human remains. The KBI didn’t request the funding through the normal appropriations process, the governor said.Kelly deleted a plan calling on the Kansas Highway Patrol to collaborate with a third-party entity to build an aviation hangar in Wichita that would be leased by the state.She also vetoed “poorly written” provisos directing the state Department of Health and Environment to spend not less than $250,000 on preventing transmission of tuberculosis and a separate requirement that KDHE spend up to $96,000 to control tuberculosis. A $263,000 earmark for cerebral palsy research, not requested by KDHE, was vetoed because “intent behind this budget proviso is unclear,” the governor said.