LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.

Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.

Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.

Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;

Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.

Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748365013935.png" alt="Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

Police:  Kansas homicide victim had been living under an alias for years

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-chickening-out-taco-trade-tariff-chinau-69569d771c28ef972f80b87bac0d54d6">imposing sweeping tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">an emergency-powers law</a>.

The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority, left U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims and unleashed economic chaos.

“The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs," the court wrote, referring to the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The Trump administration is expected to appeal.

At least seven lawsuits are challenging the levies, the centerpiece of Trump’s trade policy.

Tariffs must typically be approved by Congress, but Trump says he has the power to act because the country’s trade deficits amount to a national emergency. He imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world at one point, sending markets reeling.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-lawsuits-supreme-court-national-emergency-6f5fa2daee0e1519035391328b456a9a">The plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;argued that the emergency powers law does not authorize the use of tariffs, and even if it did, the trade deficit does not meet the law’s requirement that an emergency be triggered only by an "unusual and extraordinary threat." The U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 consecutive years.

Trump imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world in an effort to reverse America’s massive and longstanding trade deficits. He earlier plastered levies on imports from Canada, China and Mexico to combat the illegal flow of immigrants and the synthetic opioids across the U.S. border.

His administration argues that courts approved then-President Richard Nixon’s emergency use of tariffs in 1971, and that only Congress, and not the courts, can determine the "political" question of whether the president’s rationale for declaring an emergency complies with the law.

Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs shook global financial markets and led many economists to downgrade the outlook for U.S. economic growth. So far, though, the tariffs appear to have had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-inflation-economy-prices-eaf0b00bbdfa50c694590c70467a6cd4">little impact on the world’s largest economy</a>.

The lawsuit was filed by a group of small businesses, including a wine importer, V.O.S. Selections, whose owner has said the tariffs are having a major impact and his company may not survive.

A dozen states also filed suit, led by Oregon. “This ruling reaffirms that our laws matter, and that trade decisions can’t be made on the president’s whim,” Attorney General Dan Rayfield said.

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Paul Wiseman contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743626000304.png" alt="File photo White House image" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-chickening-out-taco-trade-tariff-chinau-69569d771c28ef972f80b87bac0d54d6">imposing sweeping tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">an emergency-powers law</a>.The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority, left U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims and unleashed economic chaos.“The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs," the court wrote, referring to the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The Trump administration is expected to appeal.At least seven lawsuits are challenging the levies, the centerpiece of Trump’s trade policy.Tariffs must typically be approved by Congress, but Trump says he has the power to act because the country’s trade deficits amount to a national emergency. He imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world at one point, sending markets reeling.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-lawsuits-supreme-court-national-emergency-6f5fa2daee0e1519035391328b456a9a">The plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;argued that the emergency powers law does not authorize the use of tariffs, and even if it did, the trade deficit does not meet the law’s requirement that an emergency be triggered only by an "unusual and extraordinary threat." The U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 consecutive years.Trump imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world in an effort to reverse America’s massive and longstanding trade deficits. He earlier plastered levies on imports from Canada, China and Mexico to combat the illegal flow of immigrants and the synthetic opioids across the U.S. border.His administration argues that courts approved then-President Richard Nixon’s emergency use of tariffs in 1971, and that only Congress, and not the courts, can determine the "political" question of whether the president’s rationale for declaring an emergency complies with the law.Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs shook global financial markets and led many economists to downgrade the outlook for U.S. economic growth. So far, though, the tariffs appear to have had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-inflation-economy-prices-eaf0b00bbdfa50c694590c70467a6cd4">little impact on the world’s largest economy</a>.The lawsuit was filed by a group of small businesses, including a wine importer, V.O.S. Selections, whose owner has said the tariffs are having a major impact and his company may not survive.A dozen states also filed suit, led by Oregon. “This ruling reaffirms that our laws matter, and that trade decisions can’t be made on the president’s whim,” Attorney General Dan Rayfield said.___Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Paul Wiseman contributed to this story.

Court blocks Trump from imposing tariffs under emergency powers law

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.

Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case. 

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case.

Kansas farmer accused of defrauding federal government 

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;is leaving his government role as a top adviser to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.

His departure, announced Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped.

He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals. Sometimes he clashed with other top members of Trump's administration, who chafed at the newcomer's efforts to reshape their departments, and he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-doge-tesla-d1206a96983b30b9cef7b18eaa8c48a7">fierce political blowback</a>&nbsp;for his efforts.

Musk's role working for Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-tesla-government-cuts-c47211544c5382a6207779ee95c6060b">always intended to be temporary</a>, and he had recently signaled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.

But administration officials were often vague about when Musk would step back from his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and he abruptly revealed that he was leaving in a post on X, his social media website.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed Musk's departure.

Musk announced his decision one day after CBS released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbx2PJ4pqE">part of an interview</a>&nbsp;in which he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda by saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-cuts-medicaid-00ce1ff8a7b7fea7a894d38398748c6b">“big beautiful bill.”</a>

The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement. Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.

“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”

Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation.

“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said.

Trump also suggested that more changes could be made.

“We’re going to see what happens,” he said. “It’s got a way to go.”

Republicans recently pushed the measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tax-cuts-trump-f2c60ae5c7c1313de69446f9ac7176e6">through the House</a>&nbsp;and are debating it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-medicaid-congress-senate-trump-bill-2825f8fa0e96a00cf72a6de6a5a88a25">in the Senate</a>.

Musk's concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers. “I sympathize with Elon being discouraged,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.

Speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event on Wednesday, Johnson added that he was “pretty confident” there was enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious” about reducing spending. He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change his position.

Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes. The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill.

On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised to pursue more spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on DOGE’s findings.”

The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorized spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify some of DOGE’s cuts. A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said the package will include $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance.

Musk occasionally seemed chastened by his experience working in government.

“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”

He also recently said that he'll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-campaign-donations-ff47d9b4cf02b2e63633edf37823c8ff">reduce his political spending</a>, because “I think I’ve done enough.”

Musk had previously been energized by the opportunity to reshape Washington. After putting at least $250 million behind Trump's candidacy, he wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis. He often tended to be effusive in his praise of Trump.

“The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,” Musk said in February. “Frankly, I love him.”

Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk as “a truly great American.” When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">a makeshift showroom</a>&nbsp;to illustrate his support.

It's unclear what, if any, impact that Musk's comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate, especially given his departure from the administration. During the transition period, when his influence was on the rise,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">he helped whip up opposition</a>&nbsp;to a spending measure as the country stood on the brink of a federal government shutdown.

His latest criticism could embolden Republicans who want bigger spending cuts. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted a Fox News story about Musk's interview while also adding his own take on the measure, saying there was “still time to fix it.”

“The Senate version will be more aggressive,” Lee said. “It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won’t pass.”

Only two Republicans — Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted against the bill when the House took up the measure last week.

Davidson took note of Musk’s comments on social media.

“Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,” he wrote. “Don’t hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.”

The Congressional Budget Office, in a preliminary estimate, said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-trump-tax-cuts-bill-1e2b12a91a3d12ceb0420ce7053de58e">changes to Medicaid</a>, food stamps and other services would reduce spending by slightly more than $1 trillion over the same period.

House Republican leaders say increased economic growth would allow the bill to be deficit-neutral or deficit-reducing, but outside watchdogs are skeptical. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the bill would add $3 trillion to the debt, including interest, over the next decade.

___ Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Milwaukee, and Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741607065509.png" alt="File photo Elon Musk image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>File photo Elon Musk image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;is leaving his government role as a top adviser to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGE</a> mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>His departure, announced Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped.He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals. Sometimes he clashed with other top members of Trump's administration, who chafed at the newcomer's efforts to reshape their departments, and he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-doge-tesla-d1206a96983b30b9cef7b18eaa8c48a7">fierce political blowback</a>&nbsp;for his efforts.Musk's role working for Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-tesla-government-cuts-c47211544c5382a6207779ee95c6060b">always intended to be temporary</a>, and he had recently signaled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.But administration officials were often vague about when Musk would step back from his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and he abruptly revealed that he was leaving in a post on X, his social media website.“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed Musk's departure.Musk announced his decision one day after CBS released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbx2PJ4pqE">part of an interview</a>&nbsp;in which he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda by saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-cuts-medicaid-00ce1ff8a7b7fea7a894d38398748c6b">“big beautiful bill.”</a>The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement. Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation.“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said.Trump also suggested that more changes could be made.“We’re going to see what happens,” he said. “It’s got a way to go.”Republicans recently pushed the measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tax-cuts-trump-f2c60ae5c7c1313de69446f9ac7176e6">through the House</a>&nbsp;and are debating it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-medicaid-congress-senate-trump-bill-2825f8fa0e96a00cf72a6de6a5a88a25">in the Senate</a>.Musk's concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers. “I sympathize with Elon being discouraged,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.Speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event on Wednesday, Johnson added that he was “pretty confident” there was enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious” about reducing spending. He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change his position.Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes. The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill.On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised to pursue more spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on DOGE’s findings.”The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorized spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify some of DOGE’s cuts. A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said the package will include $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance.Musk occasionally seemed chastened by his experience working in government.“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”He also recently said that he'll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-campaign-donations-ff47d9b4cf02b2e63633edf37823c8ff">reduce his political spending</a>, because “I think I’ve done enough.”Musk had previously been energized by the opportunity to reshape Washington. After putting at least $250 million behind Trump's candidacy, he wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis. He often tended to be effusive in his praise of Trump.“The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,” Musk said in February. “Frankly, I love him.”Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk as “a truly great American.” When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">a makeshift showroom</a>&nbsp;to illustrate his support.It's unclear what, if any, impact that Musk's comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate, especially given his departure from the administration. During the transition period, when his influence was on the rise,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">he helped whip up opposition</a>&nbsp;to a spending measure as the country stood on the brink of a federal government shutdown.His latest criticism could embolden Republicans who want bigger spending cuts. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted a Fox News story about Musk's interview while also adding his own take on the measure, saying there was “still time to fix it.”“The Senate version will be more aggressive,” Lee said. “It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won’t pass.”Only two Republicans — Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted against the bill when the House took up the measure last week.Davidson took note of Musk’s comments on social media.“Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,” he wrote. “Don’t hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.”The Congressional Budget Office, in a preliminary estimate, said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-trump-tax-cuts-bill-1e2b12a91a3d12ceb0420ce7053de58e">changes to Medicaid</a>, food stamps and other services would reduce spending by slightly more than $1 trillion over the same period.House Republican leaders say increased economic growth would allow the bill to be deficit-neutral or deficit-reducing, but outside watchdogs are skeptical. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the bill would add $3 trillion to the debt, including interest, over the next decade.___ Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Milwaukee, and Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

Elon Musk is leaving Trump admin. after leading effort to slash federal government

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22CARLA%20K.%20JOHNSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-variant-omicron-deaths-wuhan-lab-1ae8a7b3e6e034e03722f17e7aad34cb">COVID-19 cases</a>&nbsp;are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON572">the rise in cases</a>&nbsp;is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.

Airport screening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-masks-anniversary-34f2fb0ea729e71c0809295d3e62744b">in the United States</a>&nbsp;has detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.

The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the United States’ official stance on COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-pregnant-women-children-70c358cad726e57d680234c3ecdec926">announced</a>&nbsp;that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts.

The new variant, increasing globally, had by mid-May reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a “variant under monitoring” and considers the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/epp/tracking-sars-cov-2/23052025_nb.1.8.1_ire.pdf">public health risk low at the global level</a>&nbsp;with current vaccines expected to remain effective.

The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there’s nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants.

The variant called LP.8.1 is currently the dominant version in the U.S. and globally. ___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22CARLA%20K.%20JOHNSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-variant-omicron-deaths-wuhan-lab-1ae8a7b3e6e034e03722f17e7aad34cb">COVID-19 cases</a>&nbsp;are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON572">the rise in cases</a>&nbsp;is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.Airport screening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-masks-anniversary-34f2fb0ea729e71c0809295d3e62744b">in the United States</a>&nbsp;has detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the United States’ official stance on COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-pregnant-women-children-70c358cad726e57d680234c3ecdec926">announced</a>&nbsp;that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts.The new variant, increasing globally, had by mid-May reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a “variant under monitoring” and considers the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/epp/tracking-sars-cov-2/23052025_nb.1.8.1_ire.pdf">public health risk low at the global level</a>&nbsp;with current vaccines expected to remain effective.The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there’s nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants.The variant called LP.8.1 is currently the dominant version in the U.S. and globally. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

WHO: New variant of COVID may be driving up cases in parts of the world

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A registered Kansas violent offender accused of attacking two woman in downtown Wichita earlier this month made his first court appearance for the crime on Tuesday.

Ishara Samson, 34 of Wichita, is charged with two counts of battery and&nbsp; an offender registration violation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On May 3, two women reported a suspect, later identified as Samson, attacked them while they were walking near Douglas and St. Francis in downtown Wichita, according to police.&nbsp; Samson was was arrested at a homeless shelter.

He has been listed as a registered violent offender in Kansas since October 2022 after conviction on charges of&nbsp; Aggravated battery; Knowingly use weapon cause great body harm/disfigure/death after an&nbsp;attack with a sword.&nbsp;

He’s being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $100,000 bond and is due back in court on June 9, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748381720990.png" alt="Samson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Samson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A registered Kansas violent offender accused of attacking two woman in downtown Wichita earlier this month made his first court appearance for the crime on Tuesday.Ishara Samson, 34 of Wichita, is charged with two counts of battery and&nbsp; an offender registration violation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On May 3, two women reported a suspect, later identified as Samson, attacked them while they were walking near Douglas and St. Francis in downtown Wichita, according to police.&nbsp; Samson was was arrested at a homeless shelter.He has been listed as a registered violent offender in Kansas since October 2022 after conviction on charges of&nbsp; Aggravated battery; Knowingly use weapon cause great body harm/disfigure/death after an&nbsp;attack with a sword.&nbsp;He’s being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $100,000 bond and is due back in court on June 9, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas registered offender back in jail after alleged attack

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed pardons for reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley, who have been serving federal prison sentences since being convicted three years ago of bank fraud and tax evasion.

Trump's pardons pave the way for the couple best known for the TV series “Chrisley Knows Best” to be freed from prison. Todd Chrisley, 57, has been incarcerated at a minimum security prison camp in Pensacola, Florida. Julie Chrisley, 52, was imprisoned at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Chrisleys' TV show portrayed them as a tight-knit family with an extravagant lifestyle. Prosecutors at the couple’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-julie-chrisley-todd-atlanta-business-994090f5f18e0dd2bfd1e95c3521c85f">2022 trial</a>&nbsp;said the couple spent lavishly on high-priced cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel after taking out fraudulent bank loans worth millions of dollars and hiding their earnings from tax authorities.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-julie-todd-chrisley-reality-tv-2f79831f142de44b36922ebdbc959f04">announced</a>&nbsp;his intention to pardon the Chrisleys on Tuesday, saying the celebrity couple had been “given a pretty harsh treatment based on what I’m hearing.” It was another example of the president, himself a former reality TV star, pardoning high-profile friends, supporters, donors and former staffers.

The Chrisleys’ attorney, Alex Little, said Tuesday that Trump’s pardon “corrects a deep injustice” in which the celebrity couple were “targeted because of their conservative values and high profile.”

Before she was pardoned, Julie Chrisley had been scheduled for release in January 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Todd Chrisley was to remain imprisoned until September 2032.

During the couple’s trial, prosecutors said the Chrisleys hadn’t yet become TV stars when they and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain fraudulent loans. New loans were taken out to pay off the old ones, according to prosecutors, until Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy, walking away from more than $20 million in unpaid loans.

The Chrisleys’ defense attorneys had argued that an IRS officer gave false testimony at their trial and that prosecutors lacked evidence to support convictions.

A panel of judges of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Chrisleys’ convictions last year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669079805529.png" alt="File Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>File Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed pardons for reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley, who have been serving federal prison sentences since being convicted three years ago of bank fraud and tax evasion.Trump's pardons pave the way for the couple best known for the TV series “Chrisley Knows Best” to be freed from prison. Todd Chrisley, 57, has been incarcerated at a minimum security prison camp in Pensacola, Florida. Julie Chrisley, 52, was imprisoned at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">BREAKING! President Trump calls <a href="https://twitter.com/_ItsSavannah_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_ItsSavannah_</a> to inform her that he will be granting full pardons to her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley! Trump Knows Best! <a href="https://t.co/j5WPMOOQ7L">pic.twitter.com/j5WPMOOQ7L</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1927470034688839944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Chrisleys' TV show portrayed them as a tight-knit family with an extravagant lifestyle. Prosecutors at the couple’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-julie-chrisley-todd-atlanta-business-994090f5f18e0dd2bfd1e95c3521c85f">2022 trial</a>&nbsp;said the couple spent lavishly on high-priced cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel after taking out fraudulent bank loans worth millions of dollars and hiding their earnings from tax authorities.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-julie-todd-chrisley-reality-tv-2f79831f142de44b36922ebdbc959f04">announced</a>&nbsp;his intention to pardon the Chrisleys on Tuesday, saying the celebrity couple had been “given a pretty harsh treatment based on what I’m hearing.” It was another example of the president, himself a former reality TV star, pardoning high-profile friends, supporters, donors and former staffers.The Chrisleys’ attorney, Alex Little, said Tuesday that Trump’s pardon “corrects a deep injustice” in which the celebrity couple were “targeted because of their conservative values and high profile.”Before she was pardoned, Julie Chrisley had been scheduled for release in January 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Todd Chrisley was to remain imprisoned until September 2032.During the couple’s trial, prosecutors said the Chrisleys hadn’t yet become TV stars when they and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain fraudulent loans. New loans were taken out to pay off the old ones, according to prosecutors, until Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy, walking away from more than $20 million in unpaid loans.The Chrisleys’ defense attorneys had argued that an IRS officer gave false testimony at their trial and that prosecutors lacked evidence to support convictions.A panel of judges of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Chrisleys’ convictions last year.

It's official: Trump pardons reality TV stars convicted of fraud and tax evasion

Bayer is reportedly considering dropping signature product as litigation costs mount and company fails in effort to obtain legal shelter from lawmakers

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

German chemical giant Bayer received no relief from runaway litigation costs associated with Roundup herbicide Tuesday when the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a $611 million judgment that its product causes cancer.

The decision, in a case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP" target="_blank">involving three plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00043&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">sued in Cole County</a>, is one of the reasons the company, which acquired Roundup as a product when it merged with Monsanto, in 2018, is considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.producer.com/news/bayer-says-it-could-halt-roundup-weedkiller-sales-over-legal-risks/" target="_blank">dropping the product entirely</a>. The company faces 67,000 lawsuits claiming the main ingredient, glyphosate, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with many of those cases awaiting trial in St. Louis County, where the company has its Bayer Crop Science headquarters.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/18/missouri-house-debate-shows-gop-split-over-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">failed to win passage</a>&nbsp;of a bill intended to shield it from litigation in Missouri. The bill narrowly passed the House but lobbying missteps, including a campaign targeting some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">most conservative members</a>&nbsp;of the state Senate, doomed it. The company did win passage of similar legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/04/14/bill-protecting-pesticide-availability-prevails-in-north-dakota-senate/" target="_blank">in North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXrKePs5Wk" target="_blank">in Georgia</a>.

In November 2023, a Cole County jury awarded $1.6 billion to three plaintiffs who claimed their cancer was caused by glyphosate exposure while using Roundup. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green reduced the $500 million punitive damages awarded to each plaintiff, instead reducing each award by varying amounts.

Green did not change the amounts awarded for actual damages, which ranged from $5.6 million to $38 million and totaled $61.1 million.

With post-judgment interest, the total Bayer owes is now in excess of $700 million.

“We’re certainly pleased with the court of appeals decision that vindicates the jury’s verdict and the trial court’s judgment,” said attorney Matthew Clement of Jefferson City, who represented the plaintiffs in the case. “We’re happy that nothing happened in the legislature, this year at least, that will affect future cases and and will continue to litigate our cases like we had been.”

In a statement issued through Bayer spokesman Brian Leake, the company said it would continue to appeal the case.

“We continue to believe that the trial court committed significant errors by allowing inadmissible and prejudicial testimony into the courtroom which poisoned the jury against the company,” the statement read.

Bayer is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take its appeal of a 2024 Missouri case awarding $1.25 million in damages to John Durnell of St. Louis. The Eastern District Court of Appeals upheld that decision in February and on April 1 the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.

The U.S. Supreme Court has given parties until June 9 to file arguments on whether it should accept the case.

“The overwhelming weight of science as well as the assessments of the EPA and leading health regulators and scientists worldwide that support the safety and non-carcinogenicity of Roundup and we will continue to defend our products in court,” the company stated.

Bayer has paid out at least $10 billion for jury awards and settlements and earlier this year said it had an additional $6 billion set aside. That fund will be depleted quickly if decisions like the one upheld Tuesday are allowed to stand and the company suffers more losses like a&nbsp; $2.1 billion judgment handed down in March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/georgia-jury-orders-monsanto-parent-to-pay-nearly-2-1-billion-in-roundup-weedkiller-lawsuit#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,to%20attorneys%20representing%20the%20plaintiff." target="_blank">by a jury in Georgia</a>.&nbsp;

According to a report from Reuters, Roundup produced $2.8 billion in revenue for Bayer in 2024.

The bill protecting glyphosate from litigation passed the Georgia legislature a few weeks after the $2.1 billion award.

Gov. Mike Kehoe, at a news conference after lawmakers adjourned earlier this month, blamed defeat of the Missouri legislation on trial attorneys who have made “tens of millions of dollars” off the lawsuits.

“If, for some reason, that particular product is not produced anymore in the United States, farmers are still going to need that type of product, that type of weed control, and so that, glyphosate I think is what it’s called, will be produced somewhere,” Kehoe said. “And if it is, it won’t be produced in this country, and farmers will not have the same protections and liability recourse back on the companies who make it, if it’s made in China or somewhere overseas.”

Bayer is also being sued by shareholders in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/05/investors-awarded-class-action-status-in-new-bayer-lawsuit/" target="_blank">class action lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over its decision to spend $68 billion to acquire Monsanto in 2018. The lawsuit alleges Bayer misled investors over the risks of the acquisition and failed to properly perform due diligence before buying Monsanto,

When Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018, its stock price was about $30 a share. On Tuesday afternoon, the company’s shares were selling for $7 apiece.

In the appeal of the Cole County decision, Bayer argued that Green made numerous errors in the trial and in rulings on post-trial motions. The company’s lawyers’ main points challenged the admissibility of testimony about a case over EPA evaluations of glyphosate; surprise findings from an expert; the use made of medical billing records; and whether the punitive damages were unconstitutionally duplicative.

At the heart of most glyphosate cases, and the target of legislation, is the label and whether it includes a proper notice that glyphosate may cause cancer.

“The misconduct complained about in the complaints in the three California cases Monsanto relies on, and in (one plaintiff’s) petition, includes allegations that despite scientific evidence that Roundup was carcinogenic, Monsanto continued to sell Roundup, and that Monsanto failed to warn of the dangerous effects of using Roundup,” Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the Western District opinion delivered Tuesday.

In a discussion of whether the punitive damage award should have been reduced more, Martin wrote that “Monsanto’s degree of reprehensibility was high.”

Martin noted that the evidence shows that while the EPA has registered Roundup “for sale since 1974, Monsanto has been aware since 1985 that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has the potential to cause cancer.”

Each of the plaintiffs suffered damages because Monsanto sold a product that was “unreasonably dangerous when used as reasonably anticipated” without altering the labeling to provide a warning.

“Monsanto’s awareness,” Martin wrote, “of studies demonstrating the possibility of a causal relationship between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and cancer, particularly NHL, and then its decision to double down on its defense of Roundup in lieu of changing the product’s formulation or adding a warning label regarding the risk posed by Roundup demonstrates, at best, Monsanto’s indifference to or reckless disregard of the health of its customers.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="Post File photo" />
 <figcaption>Post File photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Bayer is reportedly considering dropping signature product as litigation costs mount and company fails in effort to obtain legal shelter from lawmakers</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>German chemical giant Bayer received no relief from runaway litigation costs associated with Roundup herbicide Tuesday when the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a $611 million judgment that its product causes cancer.The decision, in a case&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP" target="_blank">involving three plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00043&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">sued in Cole County</a>, is one of the reasons the company, which acquired Roundup as a product when it merged with Monsanto, in 2018, is considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.producer.com/news/bayer-says-it-could-halt-roundup-weedkiller-sales-over-legal-risks/" target="_blank">dropping the product entirely</a>. The company faces 67,000 lawsuits claiming the main ingredient, glyphosate, causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with many of those cases awaiting trial in St. Louis County, where the company has its Bayer Crop Science headquarters.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/18/missouri-house-debate-shows-gop-split-over-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">failed to win passage</a>&nbsp;of a bill intended to shield it from litigation in Missouri. The bill narrowly passed the House but lobbying missteps, including a campaign targeting some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">most conservative members</a>&nbsp;of the state Senate, doomed it. The company did win passage of similar legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/04/14/bill-protecting-pesticide-availability-prevails-in-north-dakota-senate/" target="_blank">in North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXrKePs5Wk" target="_blank">in Georgia</a>.In November 2023, a Cole County jury awarded $1.6 billion to three plaintiffs who claimed their cancer was caused by glyphosate exposure while using Roundup. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green reduced the $500 million punitive damages awarded to each plaintiff, instead reducing each award by varying amounts.Green did not change the amounts awarded for actual damages, which ranged from $5.6 million to $38 million and totaled $61.1 million.With post-judgment interest, the total Bayer owes is now in excess of $700 million.“We’re certainly pleased with the court of appeals decision that vindicates the jury’s verdict and the trial court’s judgment,” said attorney Matthew Clement of Jefferson City, who represented the plaintiffs in the case. “We’re happy that nothing happened in the legislature, this year at least, that will affect future cases and and will continue to litigate our cases like we had been.”In a statement issued through Bayer spokesman Brian Leake, the company said it would continue to appeal the case.“We continue to believe that the trial court committed significant errors by allowing inadmissible and prejudicial testimony into the courtroom which poisoned the jury against the company,” the statement read.Bayer is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take its appeal of a 2024 Missouri case awarding $1.25 million in damages to John Durnell of St. Louis. The Eastern District Court of Appeals upheld that decision in February and on April 1 the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.The U.S. Supreme Court has given parties until June 9 to file arguments on whether it should accept the case.“The overwhelming weight of science as well as the assessments of the EPA and leading health regulators and scientists worldwide that support the safety and non-carcinogenicity of Roundup and we will continue to defend our products in court,” the company stated.Bayer has paid out at least $10 billion for jury awards and settlements and earlier this year said it had an additional $6 billion set aside. That fund will be depleted quickly if decisions like the one upheld Tuesday are allowed to stand and the company suffers more losses like a&nbsp; $2.1 billion judgment handed down in March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/georgia-jury-orders-monsanto-parent-to-pay-nearly-2-1-billion-in-roundup-weedkiller-lawsuit#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,to%20attorneys%20representing%20the%20plaintiff." target="_blank">by a jury in Georgia</a>.&nbsp;According to a report from Reuters, Roundup produced $2.8 billion in revenue for Bayer in 2024.The bill protecting glyphosate from litigation passed the Georgia legislature a few weeks after the $2.1 billion award.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748460279946.png" alt=" State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Gov. Mike Kehoe, at a news conference after lawmakers adjourned earlier this month, blamed defeat of the Missouri legislation on trial attorneys who have made “tens of millions of dollars” off the lawsuits.“If, for some reason, that particular product is not produced anymore in the United States, farmers are still going to need that type of product, that type of weed control, and so that, glyphosate I think is what it’s called, will be produced somewhere,” Kehoe said. “And if it is, it won’t be produced in this country, and farmers will not have the same protections and liability recourse back on the companies who make it, if it’s made in China or somewhere overseas.”Bayer is also being sued by shareholders in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/05/investors-awarded-class-action-status-in-new-bayer-lawsuit/" target="_blank">class action lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over its decision to spend $68 billion to acquire Monsanto in 2018. The lawsuit alleges Bayer misled investors over the risks of the acquisition and failed to properly perform due diligence before buying Monsanto,When Bayer acquired Monsanto in June 2018, its stock price was about $30 a share. On Tuesday afternoon, the company’s shares were selling for $7 apiece.In the appeal of the Cole County decision, Bayer argued that Green made numerous errors in the trial and in rulings on post-trial motions. The company’s lawyers’ main points challenged the admissibility of testimony about a case over EPA evaluations of glyphosate; surprise findings from an expert; the use made of medical billing records; and whether the punitive damages were unconstitutionally duplicative.At the heart of most glyphosate cases, and the target of legislation, is the label and whether it includes a proper notice that glyphosate may cause cancer.“The misconduct complained about in the complaints in the three California cases Monsanto relies on, and in (one plaintiff’s) petition, includes allegations that despite scientific evidence that Roundup was carcinogenic, Monsanto continued to sell Roundup, and that Monsanto failed to warn of the dangerous effects of using Roundup,” Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the Western District opinion delivered Tuesday.In a discussion of whether the punitive damage award should have been reduced more, Martin wrote that “Monsanto’s degree of reprehensibility was high.”Martin noted that the evidence shows that while the EPA has registered Roundup “for sale since 1974, Monsanto has been aware since 1985 that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has the potential to cause cancer.”Each of the plaintiffs suffered damages because Monsanto sold a product that was “unreasonably dangerous when used as reasonably anticipated” without altering the labeling to provide a warning.“Monsanto’s awareness,” Martin wrote, “of studies demonstrating the possibility of a causal relationship between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and cancer, particularly NHL, and then its decision to double down on its defense of Roundup in lieu of changing the product’s formulation or adding a warning label regarding the risk posed by Roundup demonstrates, at best, Monsanto’s indifference to or reckless disregard of the health of its customers.”

Appeals court upholds $611M judgment in Roundup liability case

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Trump administration is taking the next step to solidify Elon Musk’s work on downsizing the federal government.

According to a White House official, the administration is sending proposed rescissions to Congress. Rescissions are used to cancel funding that was already approved.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity before a formal announcement. The step was previously reported by Politico.

It’s unclear how extensive the rescissions will be, but it’s expected to be a modest package.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.277463/gov.uscourts.dcd.277463.93.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">refused to throw out</a>&nbsp;a lawsuit that accuses billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;and the Department of Government Efficiency of illegally accessing government data systems, canceling government contracts and firing federal employees.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled Tuesday that 14 states can proceed with their claims against Musk and DOGE. The states, through their attorneys general, sued in February over the defendants’ alleged constitutional violations.

The states had asked Chutkan to temporarily block DOGE from accessing any data systems or terminating any federal employees. But the judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-layoffs-government-data-13653c59c1f6fa0c5ae551f821faafb7">denied that request</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 18. She found that there were legitimate questions about Musk’s authority but said there weren’t grounds to justify a temporary restraining order.

Chutkan agreed Tuesday to dismiss President Donald Trump as a defendant in the lawsuit, but she refused to dismiss the claims against Musk and DOGE.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Musk’s actions, including those carried out at his direction by DOGE personnel, are unconstitutional because he hasn’t been legally appointed.

Chutkan wrote: “The Constitution does not permit the Executive to commandeer the entire appointments power by unilaterally creating a federal agency pursuant to Executive Order and insulating its principal officer from the Constitution as an ‘advisor’ in name only. This is precisely what Plaintiffs claim the Executive has done.”

The Trump administration has maintained that layoffs are coming from agency heads and insisted that Musk hasn’t been running DOGE’s day-to-day operations.

Chutkan, who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, previously oversaw the now-dismissed criminal election interference case against Trump in Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1746034653882.png" alt="File photo Elon Musk during a President Trump Cabinet meeting-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>File photo Elon Musk during a President Trump Cabinet meeting-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Trump administration is taking the next step to solidify Elon Musk’s work on downsizing the federal government.According to a White House official, the administration is sending proposed rescissions to Congress. Rescissions are used to cancel funding that was already approved.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ElonMusk</a> and the entire <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGE</a> team have done INCREDIBLE work exposing waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government - from the insanity of USAID’s spending to finding over 12 million people on Social Security who were over 120 years old. The House is eager and ready…&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1927749395363045819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The official spoke on the condition of anonymity before a formal announcement. The step was previously reported by Politico.It’s unclear how extensive the rescissions will be, but it’s expected to be a modest package.------------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.277463/gov.uscourts.dcd.277463.93.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">refused to throw out</a>&nbsp;a lawsuit that accuses billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;and the Department of Government Efficiency of illegally accessing government data systems, canceling government contracts and firing federal employees.U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled Tuesday that 14 states can proceed with their claims against Musk and DOGE. The states, through their attorneys general, sued in February over the defendants’ alleged constitutional violations.The states had asked Chutkan to temporarily block DOGE from accessing any data systems or terminating any federal employees. But the judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-layoffs-government-data-13653c59c1f6fa0c5ae551f821faafb7">denied that request</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 18. She found that there were legitimate questions about Musk’s authority but said there weren’t grounds to justify a temporary restraining order.Chutkan agreed Tuesday to dismiss President Donald Trump as a defendant in the lawsuit, but she refused to dismiss the claims against Musk and DOGE.The plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Musk’s actions, including those carried out at his direction by DOGE personnel, are unconstitutional because he hasn’t been legally appointed.Chutkan wrote: “The Constitution does not permit the Executive to commandeer the entire appointments power by unilaterally creating a federal agency pursuant to Executive Order and insulating its principal officer from the Constitution as an ‘advisor’ in name only. This is precisely what Plaintiffs claim the Executive has done.”The Trump administration has maintained that layoffs are coming from agency heads and insisted that Musk hasn’t been running DOGE’s day-to-day operations.Chutkan, who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, previously oversaw the now-dismissed criminal election interference case against Trump in Washington.

White House wants to turn DOGE cuts into law

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department has halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-visas-terminated-trump-sevis-9f85c3c58a4b74c354df0d7d993cf34c">foreign students</a>&nbsp;hoping to study in the U.S. while it prepares to expand the screening of their activity on social media, officials said.

A U.S. official said Tuesday the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa interviews. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration document.

A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press says the State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting.

“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity” until the guidance is issued, the cable says.

Asked about the suspension at a briefing Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. uses every available resource to vet people applying for visas.

“We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce said.

The move, first reported by Politico, is the latest in the Trump administration’s crackdown on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-visa-f1-travel-sevis-trump-3458f226541c08a693182798287bc8d7">international students</a>.

Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-foreign-student-457d07268fba9c1f6f7f32fe0424bc3b">enroll international students</a>, removing the college from the program that allows schools to sponsor foreign students for visas. That effort was quickly challenged in court and for now is blocked by a federal judge.

This spring the administration also revoked the legal status of thousands of international students already in the country, leading some to leave the U.S. out of fear of deportation. After many students filed successful legal challenges, the administration said it was restoring the students’ legal status. But the government also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-visa-f1-sevis-status-716ce8e67e2c3093eba4092e57ba1612">expanded the grounds</a>&nbsp;for terminating international students’ legal status going forward.

President Donald Trump’s previous administration stepped up scrutiny of all visa applicants, introducing reviews of their social media accounts. The policy remained during President Joe Biden’s administration.

An extended pause in scheduling student visas could lead to delays that may disrupt college, boarding-school or exchange students’ plans to enroll in summer and fall terms.

A downturn in enrollment of international students could hurt university budgets. To make up for cuts in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-federal-funding-trump-a236cc302fa773e5ddd91661f61593a9">federal research funding</a>, some colleges shifted to enrolling more international students, who often pay full tuition.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748393506198.png" alt="File photo Sec. of State Marco Rubio-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Sec. of State Marco Rubio-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department has halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-visas-terminated-trump-sevis-9f85c3c58a4b74c354df0d7d993cf34c">foreign students</a>&nbsp;hoping to study in the U.S. while it prepares to expand the screening of their activity on social media, officials said.A U.S. official said Tuesday the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa interviews. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration document.A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press says the State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting.“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity” until the guidance is issued, the cable says.Asked about the suspension at a briefing Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. uses every available resource to vet people applying for visas.“We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce said.The move, first reported by Politico, is the latest in the Trump administration’s crackdown on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-visa-f1-travel-sevis-trump-3458f226541c08a693182798287bc8d7">international students</a>.Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-foreign-student-457d07268fba9c1f6f7f32fe0424bc3b">enroll international students</a>, removing the college from the program that allows schools to sponsor foreign students for visas. That effort was quickly challenged in court and for now is blocked by a federal judge.This spring the administration also revoked the legal status of thousands of international students already in the country, leading some to leave the U.S. out of fear of deportation. After many students filed successful legal challenges, the administration said it was restoring the students’ legal status. But the government also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-visa-f1-sevis-status-716ce8e67e2c3093eba4092e57ba1612">expanded the grounds</a>&nbsp;for terminating international students’ legal status going forward.President Donald Trump’s previous administration stepped up scrutiny of all visa applicants, introducing reviews of their social media accounts. The policy remained during President Joe Biden’s administration.An extended pause in scheduling student visas could lead to delays that may disrupt college, boarding-school or exchange students’ plans to enroll in summer and fall terms.A downturn in enrollment of international students could hurt university budgets. To make up for cuts in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-federal-funding-trump-a236cc302fa773e5ddd91661f61593a9">federal research funding</a>, some colleges shifted to enrolling more international students, who often pay full tuition.___

US to expand social media vetting of foreign students

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported six new case of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 64 cases in 11 counties.

The U.S. saw a small increase in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shakira-measles-new-jersey-texas-mmr-25022a0b7c69a23c27b0ccdbf818ee86">measles cases</a>&nbsp;last week, an indicator that outbreaks are slowing down, though exposures at a busy airport in Colorado and a Shakira concert in New Jersey are keeping public health experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">on their toes</a>.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that there are 1,046 confirmed measles cases, up 22 from last week.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak raged during the late winter and spring, reported one</a>&nbsp;additional case on Tuesday for a total of 729.

There are three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">major outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in North America. One in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=323859266e21469b8b97a294d6c6f98e&amp;sc_lang=en">1,795 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through May 20, an increase of 173 cases in a week. Another in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">538 as of Thursday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 1,578 measles cases and three deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.

Since the outbreak in the southwest U.S. began,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">epicenter in West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;have died of measles. All were unvaccinated.

But that outbreak, which affects&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>, New Mexico and Oklahoma, appeared to be “leveling off" last week, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention incident manager Dr. Manisha Patel said on May 15. But she noted that it's still “travel season” and there is "a lot of global measles activity right now.”

Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Indiana's outbreak was declared over this week.

<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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>, 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>

<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has a total of 64 cases across 11 counties, with two hospitalizations. All but two of the cases are connected, and most of the cases are in Gray County.

How many measles cases are there in Texas?

There are a total of 729 cases across&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">34 counties, most of them in West Texas</a>, state health officials said Friday.

One more person was hospitalized, for 94 total throughout the outbreak.

<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025">State health officials estimated</a>&nbsp;less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious. Fifty-six percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 408 cases since late January — just over 1.7% of the county’s residents.

The April 3 death in Texas was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">8-year-old child,</a>&nbsp;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.

How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?

New Mexico added one new case since Friday for a total of 79.

Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Sandoval County near Albuquerque has six cases, Eddy County has three, Doña Ana County has two and Chaves and Curry counties have one each.

An unvaccinated adult died of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related illness March 6</a>. The person did not seek medical care.

Oklahoma held steady Friday with a total of 14 confirmed and three probable cases.

The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases.

All of Indiana's cases — eight — were in Allen County in the northeast part of the state. The county health department said the cases had no known link to other outbreaks, and there've been no new ones since April 21, leading officials declare the outbreak over.

Michigan has eight confirmed cases of measles, with an outbreak of four connected cases in Montcalm County in the western part of the state that health officials say is tied to the Ontario outbreak.

Montana has 10 measles cases as of Thursday. The state's only outbreak started in mid-April in southwestern Gallatin County — Montana’s first measles cases in 35 years.

Flathead and Hill counties also have one case each.

Health officials said there is no known local spread of measles, but did note the outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

How many cases are there in North Dakota?

North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, is up to 23 cases as of Monday. One person has been hospitalized, and all of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated.

There are 13 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border, and seven cases in Cass County on the eastern side of the state. Grand Forks County also has three cases.

Ohio remained steady Thursday at 34 measles cases and one hospitalization, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That count includes only Ohio residents.

The state has two outbreaks: Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases, and Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors.

Allen, Cuyahoga, Holmes and Defiance counties have one case each.

How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has 15 cases overall in 2025 as of May 16, including international travel-related cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/2025%20HAN/2025-787-3-13-ADV-%20Measles.pdf">Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia</a>.

The outbreak of eight measles cases in Erie County in far northwest Pennsylvania has remained steady since it began in mid-April.

Tennessee had six measles cases as of early May. Health department spokesman Bill Christian said all cases are the middle part of the state, and that “at least three of these cases are linked to each other” but declined to specify further. The state also did not say whether the cases were linked to other outbreaks or when Tennessee’s outbreak started.

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

Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC says more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year, and most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

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;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Getting another MMR shot as an adult 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 vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."

Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

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.

<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>TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported six new case of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 64 cases in 11 counties.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748448702371.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748448566253.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. saw a small increase in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shakira-measles-new-jersey-texas-mmr-25022a0b7c69a23c27b0ccdbf818ee86">measles cases</a>&nbsp;last week, an indicator that outbreaks are slowing down, though exposures at a busy airport in Colorado and a Shakira concert in New Jersey are keeping public health experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">on their toes</a>.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that there are 1,046 confirmed measles cases, up 22 from last week.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak raged during the late winter and spring, reported one</a>&nbsp;additional case on Tuesday for a total of 729.There are three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">major outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in North America. One in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=323859266e21469b8b97a294d6c6f98e&amp;sc_lang=en">1,795 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through May 20, an increase of 173 cases in a week. Another in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">538 as of Thursday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 1,578 measles cases and three deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.Since the outbreak in the southwest U.S. began,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">epicenter in West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;have died of measles. All were unvaccinated.But that outbreak, which affects&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>, New Mexico and Oklahoma, appeared to be “leveling off" last week, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention incident manager Dr. Manisha Patel said on May 15. But she noted that it's still “travel season” and there is "a lot of global measles activity right now.”Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Indiana's outbreak was declared over this week.<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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>, 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 cases are there in Kansas?</h2><a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has a total of 64 cases across 11 counties, with two hospitalizations. All but two of the cases are connected, and most of the cases are in Gray County.<h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas?</h2>There are a total of 729 cases across&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">34 counties, most of them in West Texas</a>, state health officials said Friday.One more person was hospitalized, for 94 total throughout the outbreak.<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025">State health officials estimated</a>&nbsp;less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious. Fifty-six percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 408 cases since late January — just over 1.7% of the county’s residents.The April 3 death in Texas was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">8-year-old child,</a>&nbsp;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.<h2>How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?</h2>New Mexico added one new case since Friday for a total of 79.Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Sandoval County near Albuquerque has six cases, Eddy County has three, Doña Ana County has two and Chaves and Curry counties have one each.An unvaccinated adult died of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related illness March 6</a>. The person did not seek medical care.<h2>How many cases are there in Oklahoma?</h2>Oklahoma held steady Friday with a total of 14 confirmed and three probable cases.The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases.<h2>How many cases are there in Indiana?</h2>All of Indiana's cases — eight — were in Allen County in the northeast part of the state. The county health department said the cases had no known link to other outbreaks, and there've been no new ones since April 21, leading officials declare the outbreak over.<h2>How many cases are there in Michigan?</h2>Michigan has eight confirmed cases of measles, with an outbreak of four connected cases in Montcalm County in the western part of the state that health officials say is tied to the Ontario outbreak.<h2>How many cases are there in Montana?</h2>Montana has 10 measles cases as of Thursday. The state's only outbreak started in mid-April in southwestern Gallatin County — Montana’s first measles cases in 35 years.Flathead and Hill counties also have one case each.Health officials said there is no known local spread of measles, but did note the outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.<h2>How many cases are there in North Dakota?</h2>North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, is up to 23 cases as of Monday. One person has been hospitalized, and all of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated.There are 13 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border, and seven cases in Cass County on the eastern side of the state. Grand Forks County also has three cases.<h2>How many cases are there in Ohio?</h2>Ohio remained steady Thursday at 34 measles cases and one hospitalization, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That count includes only Ohio residents.The state has two outbreaks: Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases, and Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors.Allen, Cuyahoga, Holmes and Defiance counties have one case each.<h2>How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?</h2>Pennsylvania has 15 cases overall in 2025 as of May 16, including international travel-related cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/2025%20HAN/2025-787-3-13-ADV-%20Measles.pdf">Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia</a>.The outbreak of eight measles cases in Erie County in far northwest Pennsylvania has remained steady since it began in mid-April.<h2>How many cases are there in Tennessee?</h2>Tennessee had six measles cases as of early May. Health department spokesman Bill Christian said all cases are the middle part of the state, and that “at least three of these cases are linked to each other” but declined to specify further. The state also did not say whether the cases were linked to other outbreaks or when Tennessee’s outbreak started.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC says more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year, and most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.<h2>What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?</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;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.Getting another MMR shot as an adult 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 vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.<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.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.