WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced plans for sweeping tariffs Wednesday, saying “our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” by other nations.

The aggressive rhetoric came as Trump showed a willingness to dismantle a global economic system that the United States helped to build after World War II. Trump held up a chart while speaking, showing the United States would charge a 34% tax on imports from China, a 20% tax on imports from the European Union, 25% on South Korea, 24% on Japan and 32% on Taiwan.

“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” Trump said in remarks at the White House. “But it is not going to happen anymore.”

The president has promised that factory jobs will return back to the United States as a result of the taxes, but his policies risk causing a sudden economic slowdown as consumers and businesses could face sharp price hikes on autos, clothes and other goods.

The tariffs are expected to follow similar recent announcements of 25% taxes on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autos-tariffs-trump-tax-imports-ford-gm-e53823ef7bbb7b3c46d11eca90aaa638">auto imports</a>; levies against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">China, Canada and Mexico;</a>&nbsp;and expanded trade penalties on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-aluminum-steel-e5a6295577275045db3484b71c979bfb">steel and aluminum</a>. Trump has also imposed tariffs on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-venezuela-oil-gas-tax-9197d606dea29caed6a7a79dd358d26a">countries that import oil from Venezuela</a>&nbsp;and he plans separate import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips.

None of the warning signs about a falling stock market or consumer sentiment turning morose has caused the administration to publicly second-guess its strategy.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has suggested the new tariffs would raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-tariffs-liberation-day-import-taxes-118d73f50e5133ef3d9598aed6661a6c">$600 billion annually</a>, which would be the largest tax increase since World War II. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers the tariffs would be capped and could be negotiated downward by other countries, according to the office of Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla.

Importers would likely pass along some of the cost of the taxes on to consumers. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates that a 20% universal tariff would cost the average household an additional $3,400 to $4,200.

The Republican administration's premise is that manufacturers will quickly increase domestic production and create factory jobs.

Based on the possibility of broad 20% tariffs that have been floated by some White House aides, most analyses see an economy tarnished by higher prices and stagnation. U.S. economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product, would be roughly a percentage point lower, and clothing, oil, automobiles, housing, groceries and even insurance would cost more, the Budget Lab analysis found.

Trump would be applying these tariffs on his own; he has ways of doing so without congressional approval. That makes it easy for Democratic lawmakers and policymakers to criticize the administration if the uncertainty expressed by businesses and declining consumer sentiment are signs of trouble to come.

Heather Boushey, a member of the Biden White House's Council of Economic Advisers, noted that the less aggressive tariffs Trump imposed during his first term failed to stir the manufacturing renaissance he promised voters.

“We are not seeing indications of the boom that the president promised," Boushey said. “It's a failed strategy.”

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said the tariffs are “part of the chaos and dysfunction” being generated across the Trump administration. The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee stressed that Trump should not have the sole authority to raise taxes as he intends without getting lawmakers' approval, saying that Republicans so far have been “blindly loyal.”

“The president shouldn’t be able to do that," DelBene said. "This is a massive tax increase on American families, and it’s without a vote in Congress ... President Trump promised on the campaign trail that he would lower costs on day one. Now he says he doesn’t care if prices go up — he’s broken his promise.”

Even Republicans who trust Trump's instincts have acknowledged that the tariffs could disrupt an economy with an otherwise healthy 4.1 % unemployment rate.

“We’ll see how it all develops,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “It may be rocky in the beginning. But I think that this will make sense for Americans and help all Americans.”

Longtime trading partners are preparing their own countermeasures. Canada has imposed some in response to the 25% tariffs that Trump tied to the trafficking of fentanyl. The European Union, in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs, put taxes on 26 billion euros' worth ($28 billion) of U.S. goods, including on bourbon, which prompted Trump to threaten a 200% tariff on European alcohol.

Many allies feel they have been reluctantly drawn into a confrontation by Trump, who routinely says America's friends and foes have essentially ripped off the United States with a mix of tariffs and other trade barriers.

The flip side is that Americans also have the incomes to choose to buy designer gowns by French fashion houses and autos from German manufacturers, whereas&nbsp;<a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true">World Bank data</a>&nbsp;show the EU has lower incomes per capita than the U.S.

“Europe has not started this confrontation,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We do not necessarily want to retaliate but, if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it.”

Italy’s premier, Giorgia Meloni, on Wednesday reiterated her call to avoid an EU-US trade war, saying it would harm both sides and would have “heavy” consequences for her country's economy.

Because Trump has hyped his tariffs without providing specifics, he has provided a deeper sense of uncertainty for the world, a sign that the economic slowdown could possibly extend beyond U.S. borders to other nations that would see one person to blame.

Ray Sparnaay, general manager of JE Fixture &amp; Tool, a Canadian tool and die business that sits across the Detroit River, said the uncertainty has crushed his company's ability to make plans.

“There’s going to be tariffs implemented. We just don’t know at this point,” he said Monday. “That’s one of the biggest problems we’ve had probably the last — well, since November — is the uncertainty. It’s basically slowed all of our quoting processes, business that we hope to secure has been stalled.”

Leavitt is among three administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

<figure>
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 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced plans for sweeping tariffs Wednesday, saying “our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” by other nations.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;Effective at midnight, we will impose a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Foh06KH9Wg">pic.twitter.com/Foh06KH9Wg</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1907538646590189948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;With today&#39;s actions, we&#39;re also standing up for our great farmers and ranchers who are brutalized by nations all over the world. Canada imposes a 250-300% tariff on many of our dairy products... Australia bans American beef. Yet, we imported $3B of Australian beef just… <a href="https://t.co/6xG6b4IKFw">pic.twitter.com/6xG6b4IKFw</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1907531382555029592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: The United States can no longer produce enough antibiotics to treat our sick. We import virtually all of our computers, phones, televisions, and electronics. A single shipyard in China now produces more ships in one year than all the American shipyards combined. Chronic… <a href="https://t.co/CVR7VhBaYY">pic.twitter.com/CVR7VhBaYY</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1907532241925722350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The aggressive rhetoric came as Trump showed a willingness to dismantle a global economic system that the United States helped to build after World War II. Trump held up a chart while speaking, showing the United States would charge a 34% tax on imports from China, a 20% tax on imports from the European Union, 25% on South Korea, 24% on Japan and 32% on Taiwan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Foreign nations will finally be asked to pay for the privilege of access to our market — the biggest market in the world.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GPbf7oITnX">pic.twitter.com/GPbf7oITnX</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1907532847704924329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” Trump said in remarks at the White House. “But it is not going to happen anymore.”The president has promised that factory jobs will return back to the United States as a result of the taxes, but his policies risk causing a sudden economic slowdown as consumers and businesses could face sharp price hikes on autos, clothes and other goods.<figure>
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 </figure>The tariffs are expected to follow similar recent announcements of 25% taxes on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autos-tariffs-trump-tax-imports-ford-gm-e53823ef7bbb7b3c46d11eca90aaa638">auto imports</a>; levies against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-643086a6dc7ff716d876b3c83e3255b0">China, Canada and Mexico;</a>&nbsp;and expanded trade penalties on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-aluminum-steel-e5a6295577275045db3484b71c979bfb">steel and aluminum</a>. Trump has also imposed tariffs on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-venezuela-oil-gas-tax-9197d606dea29caed6a7a79dd358d26a">countries that import oil from Venezuela</a>&nbsp;and he plans separate import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips.None of the warning signs about a falling stock market or consumer sentiment turning morose has caused the administration to publicly second-guess its strategy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> lists some of the investments pouring into the United States under his leadership MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY AGAIN! 🔥🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/gTe8IfWNRQ">pic.twitter.com/gTe8IfWNRQ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1907535556436766950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has suggested the new tariffs would raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-tariffs-liberation-day-import-taxes-118d73f50e5133ef3d9598aed6661a6c">$600 billion annually</a>, which would be the largest tax increase since World War II. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers the tariffs would be capped and could be negotiated downward by other countries, according to the office of Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla.Importers would likely pass along some of the cost of the taxes on to consumers. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates that a 20% universal tariff would cost the average household an additional $3,400 to $4,200.The Republican administration's premise is that manufacturers will quickly increase domestic production and create factory jobs.Based on the possibility of broad 20% tariffs that have been floated by some White House aides, most analyses see an economy tarnished by higher prices and stagnation. U.S. economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product, would be roughly a percentage point lower, and clothing, oil, automobiles, housing, groceries and even insurance would cost more, the Budget Lab analysis found.Trump would be applying these tariffs on his own; he has ways of doing so without congressional approval. That makes it easy for Democratic lawmakers and policymakers to criticize the administration if the uncertainty expressed by businesses and declining consumer sentiment are signs of trouble to come.Heather Boushey, a member of the Biden White House's Council of Economic Advisers, noted that the less aggressive tariffs Trump imposed during his first term failed to stir the manufacturing renaissance he promised voters.“We are not seeing indications of the boom that the president promised," Boushey said. “It's a failed strategy.”Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said the tariffs are “part of the chaos and dysfunction” being generated across the Trump administration. The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee stressed that Trump should not have the sole authority to raise taxes as he intends without getting lawmakers' approval, saying that Republicans so far have been “blindly loyal.”“The president shouldn’t be able to do that," DelBene said. "This is a massive tax increase on American families, and it’s without a vote in Congress ... President Trump promised on the campaign trail that he would lower costs on day one. Now he says he doesn’t care if prices go up — he’s broken his promise.”Even Republicans who trust Trump's instincts have acknowledged that the tariffs could disrupt an economy with an otherwise healthy 4.1 % unemployment rate.“We’ll see how it all develops,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “It may be rocky in the beginning. But I think that this will make sense for Americans and help all Americans.”Longtime trading partners are preparing their own countermeasures. Canada has imposed some in response to the 25% tariffs that Trump tied to the trafficking of fentanyl. The European Union, in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs, put taxes on 26 billion euros' worth ($28 billion) of U.S. goods, including on bourbon, which prompted Trump to threaten a 200% tariff on European alcohol.Many allies feel they have been reluctantly drawn into a confrontation by Trump, who routinely says America's friends and foes have essentially ripped off the United States with a mix of tariffs and other trade barriers.The flip side is that Americans also have the incomes to choose to buy designer gowns by French fashion houses and autos from German manufacturers, whereas&nbsp;<a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true">World Bank data</a>&nbsp;show the EU has lower incomes per capita than the U.S.“Europe has not started this confrontation,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We do not necessarily want to retaliate but, if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it.”Italy’s premier, Giorgia Meloni, on Wednesday reiterated her call to avoid an EU-US trade war, saying it would harm both sides and would have “heavy” consequences for her country's economy.Because Trump has hyped his tariffs without providing specifics, he has provided a deeper sense of uncertainty for the world, a sign that the economic slowdown could possibly extend beyond U.S. borders to other nations that would see one person to blame.Ray Sparnaay, general manager of JE Fixture &amp; Tool, a Canadian tool and die business that sits across the Detroit River, said the uncertainty has crushed his company's ability to make plans.“There’s going to be tariffs implemented. We just don’t know at this point,” he said Monday. “That’s one of the biggest problems we’ve had probably the last — well, since November — is the uncertainty. It’s basically slowed all of our quoting processes, business that we hope to secure has been stalled.”Leavitt is among three administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

See the full list of Trump’s just announced reciprocal tariffs

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged identity theft and have made an arrest.

Just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for forgery, attempted unlawful obtaining a prescription drug and identity theft in the 500 block of 3rd Pl in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity re port,

&nbsp;A 30-year-old woman and a 50-year-old woman were reported a 35-year-old woman used the victim’s information to attempt to obtain a prescription drug. 

Marijke Torres, 35, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of attempted unlawful obtaining a prescription drug, forgery and 3 counts of identity theft. Torres was issued a total bond of $14,000 and is no longer in custody, according to the RCPD.&nbsp;&nbsp;

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged identity theft and have made an arrest.Just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for forgery, attempted unlawful obtaining a prescription drug and identity theft in the 500 block of 3rd Pl in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity re port,&nbsp;A 30-year-old woman and a 50-year-old woman were reported a 35-year-old woman used the victim’s information to attempt to obtain a prescription drug. Marijke Torres, 35, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of attempted unlawful obtaining a prescription drug, forgery and 3 counts of identity theft. Torres was issued a total bond of $14,000 and is no longer in custody, according to the RCPD.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas woman accused of forgery, ID theft

WASHINGTON (AP) —Amazon has put in a bid to buy TikTok — an 11th hour pitch that comes as a U.S. ban on the platform is set to take effect Saturday, a Trump administration official said Wednesday.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the Amazon bid was made in an offer letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

The New York Times first reported on the bid earlier Wednesday.

On Inauguration Day, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-executive-order-trump-0bbae2d2d6f102944f41bb75ad40ce69">gave the platform a reprieve</a>, barreling past a law that was passed by Congress and upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court that said the ban was necessary for national security.

Under the law, TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance is required to sell the platform to an approved buyer or take it offline in the U.S.

Trump has suggested he could further extend the pause on the ban, but he has also said he expects a deal to be struck by Saturday.

By Aamer MadhaniWASHINGTON (AP) —Amazon has put in a bid to buy TikTok — an 11th hour pitch that comes as a U.S. ban on the platform is set to take effect Saturday, a Trump administration official said Wednesday.The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the Amazon bid was made in an offer letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.The New York Times first reported on the bid earlier Wednesday.On Inauguration Day, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-executive-order-trump-0bbae2d2d6f102944f41bb75ad40ce69">gave the platform a reprieve</a>, barreling past a law that was passed by Congress and upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court that said the ban was necessary for national security.Under the law, TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance is required to sell the platform to an approved buyer or take it offline in the U.S.Trump has suggested he could further extend the pause on the ban, but he has also said he expects a deal to be struck by Saturday.

Amazon wants to buy TikTok

WASHINGTON (AP) — The problems for Head Start began days after President Donald Trump took office.

Trump’s administration announced it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-grants-pause-freeze-e5f512ae6f1212f621d5fa9bbec95e08">freeze federal grants</a>&nbsp;— the primary funding for the early education program that serves more than half a million low-income children. Then came glitches with the funding website that forced nearly two dozen Head Start centers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/head-start-blackouts-trump-6e7655e56c0b451092411e7fdd1def2e">close temporarily</a>.

Even after the funding freeze was aborted — and the website was restored — those who run the programs remained on edge. On Tuesday, the administration gave them another reason to worry:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-human-services-layoffs-restructuring-rfk-jr-ec4d7731695e4204970c7eab953b2289">mass layoffs</a>.

Scores of government employees who help administer Head Start, which is federally funded but run by schools and nonprofits, have been put on leave. Preschool operators say they have received no communication from the Office of Head Start and don’t know who to turn to if they have questions about grants or need the office to sign off on equipment expenditures.

They fear the program, which serves some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/this-preschool-in-alaska-changed-lives-for-parents-and-kids-alike-why-did-it-have-to-close/" target="_blank">nation’s neediest kids and families</a>, could fall victim to the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts.

Head Start was started six decades ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. While the early childhood program has enjoyed bipartisan support since then, some Republicans have emphasized its shortcomings and criticized efforts to increase funding. And Project 2025, the policy blueprint created by the conservative Heritage Foundation, called for eliminating Head Start altogether.

Joel Ryan, head of the Washington State Association of Head Start, said he is worried the administration is slowly dismantling the program without outright eliminating it. “It doesn’t have to be from an act of Congress,” Ryan said. “You can kneecap programs simply by cutting significant numbers of their workforce.”

Head Start operates in all 50 states, helping families who are homeless or are in poverty. Parents who otherwise would not be able to afford child care rely on it when they work or go to school. Supporters say that underscores the importance of Head Start to the economy and at-risk children alike.

At least five of the 12 regional offices for Head Start were closed Tuesday as part of layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the National Head Start Association. While individual preschools’ funding remains unchanged, the association’s statement said the cuts happened without a “clear plan for how the administration intends on supporting Head Start.”

Some worry Head Start will become partisan.

“What I don’t want Head Start to be is a political football,” said Rhett Cecil, executive director of the Indiana Head Start Association. “Because a Republican household, a Democratic household, a libertarian household could be a Head Start household.”

In mid-March, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees Head Start, visited a Head Start in Alexandria, Virginia, praising the program and its staff.

“I had a very inspiring tour,” Kennedy said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hhsgov/reel/DHZvNP0MQEF/" target="_blank">a video</a>&nbsp;on his department’s Instagram account. “They’re getting the kind of education socialization and education that they need.”

Still, advocates worry the GOP’s efforts to slash the federal budget will ensnare programs like Head Start.

Already, the staff layoffs have caused concerns. Head Start preschools in Washington state had been awaiting approval to replace downed fencing around a playground and to purchase a refrigerator for a center. Ryan said he fears some operators will lose funding because grant applications won’t get processed.

The preschools are deeply reliant on federal money. During the brief hold on federal grants, no program was impacted more immediately. Unable to make payroll the day of the freeze, several Head Start centers temporarily closed — cutting off child care for low-income families, for whom a day without work is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/daycare-child-care-college-degree-moms-ac72f1227844eae0281305835e07273b">often a day without pay</a>.

The news about the funding freeze emerged in January as Head Start leaders from across the country were together at the Capital Hilton, a few blocks away from the White House, preparing to meet with Congress members. Gathered in a conference room, many leaders simultaneously realized they were locked out of their funds.

“You could almost feel ... the wave of panic all over the room when I think we all realized at the same time that everyone was locked out of that payment management system,” said Chanda Hillman, executive director of Early Flowers Learning. The group operates 17 Head Start campuses in rural parts of southwestern Michigan.

A few hours later, Hillman had to make the call: She would shut down the Early Flowers Learning campuses.

Kahli Lorenz, whose daughter attends Early Flowers, had traveled with Hillman to D.C. as part of a parent advisory council. She had been reeling at the possibility her daughter would have no place to go the following day — or that her beloved preschool would close. So when Lorenz heard Hillman make the announcement, she fell apart.

Both she and her husband work — and she was out of town. Without Head Start the next day, he would miss half of his shift — and half of his pay — at the factory where he works. But she thought of all of her daughter’s classmates, and all the parents like her who might not be able to work without Head Start.

“That meant all of the families were not going to have anywhere to have their kids,” she said.

Halfway across the country, Cecil of the Indiana Head Start Association learned about the reported freeze from a Head Start director, and immediately began to fret. The closure of Head Start centers across the state would leave families in a pinch. But he also worried about those who would be furloughed — Head Start is Indiana’s 78th largest employer with nearly 4,000 staff.

Not long after came another confusing piece of news: Head Start was never supposed to be a part of the funding freeze. So why, Head Start directors wondered, had they been shut out of the funding portal? Asked about the pause, the Department of Health and Human Services responded with an automatic message that said it was freezing all communication.

Even after the freeze was aborted and the Head Start portal was supposed to be fixed, many centers discovered they still could not access their funds. A week later, at least 45 grant recipients across the country were still locked out, and many were on the verge of closure. In Waukesha, Wisconsin, Head Start programs shut their doors and furloughed most of their staff. The programs would not reopen until the following week when their leaders could access the funds.

Unable to make payroll, two Head Start centers that served rural communities in western New York shut their doors, laying off 84 employees and leaving the families of more than 200 children without care. They would not reopen until Feb. 10, when they were finally able to draw down funds.

Head Start leaders said members of Congress from both parties were in touch during the crisis, working to get them answers.

For Hillman, it raised hope that Head Start will continue to enjoy bipartisan support — even if some conservatives oppose it.

Cheyanne Mumphrey contributed reporting from Phoenix, Arizona.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Five regional offices for Head Start were closed Tuesday as part of a workforce reduction at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the National Head Start Association.

Head Start is a preschool program that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/this-preschool-in-alaska-changed-lives-for-parents-and-kids-alike-why-did-it-have-to-close/">serves some of the nation’s neediest families</a>&nbsp;and children. Parents who otherwise would not be able to afford child care often rely on the program when they go to work or school.

The association’s statement said the move was taken without a “clear plan for how the administration intends on supporting Head Start.”

The Office of Head Start had 12 regional offices to provide oversight and support administration of grants. It was not immediately clear which regional offices were closed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The problems for Head Start began days after President Donald Trump took office.Trump’s administration announced it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-grants-pause-freeze-e5f512ae6f1212f621d5fa9bbec95e08">freeze federal grants</a>&nbsp;— the primary funding for the early education program that serves more than half a million low-income children. Then came glitches with the funding website that forced nearly two dozen Head Start centers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/head-start-blackouts-trump-6e7655e56c0b451092411e7fdd1def2e">close temporarily</a>.Even after the funding freeze was aborted — and the website was restored — those who run the programs remained on edge. On Tuesday, the administration gave them another reason to worry:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-human-services-layoffs-restructuring-rfk-jr-ec4d7731695e4204970c7eab953b2289">mass layoffs</a>.Scores of government employees who help administer Head Start, which is federally funded but run by schools and nonprofits, have been put on leave. Preschool operators say they have received no communication from the Office of Head Start and don’t know who to turn to if they have questions about grants or need the office to sign off on equipment expenditures.They fear the program, which serves some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/this-preschool-in-alaska-changed-lives-for-parents-and-kids-alike-why-did-it-have-to-close/" target="_blank">nation’s neediest kids and families</a>, could fall victim to the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts.Head Start was started six decades ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. While the early childhood program has enjoyed bipartisan support since then, some Republicans have emphasized its shortcomings and criticized efforts to increase funding. And Project 2025, the policy blueprint created by the conservative Heritage Foundation, called for eliminating Head Start altogether.Joel Ryan, head of the Washington State Association of Head Start, said he is worried the administration is slowly dismantling the program without outright eliminating it. “It doesn’t have to be from an act of Congress,” Ryan said. “You can kneecap programs simply by cutting significant numbers of their workforce.”<h2>Preschools say they need federal staff</h2>Head Start operates in all 50 states, helping families who are homeless or are in poverty. Parents who otherwise would not be able to afford child care rely on it when they work or go to school. Supporters say that underscores the importance of Head Start to the economy and at-risk children alike.At least five of the 12 regional offices for Head Start were closed Tuesday as part of layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the National Head Start Association. While individual preschools’ funding remains unchanged, the association’s statement said the cuts happened without a “clear plan for how the administration intends on supporting Head Start.”Some worry Head Start will become partisan.“What I don’t want Head Start to be is a political football,” said Rhett Cecil, executive director of the Indiana Head Start Association. “Because a Republican household, a Democratic household, a libertarian household could be a Head Start household.”In mid-March, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees Head Start, visited a Head Start in Alexandria, Virginia, praising the program and its staff.“I had a very inspiring tour,” Kennedy said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hhsgov/reel/DHZvNP0MQEF/" target="_blank">a video</a>&nbsp;on his department’s Instagram account. “They’re getting the kind of education socialization and education that they need.”Still, advocates worry the GOP’s efforts to slash the federal budget will ensnare programs like Head Start.Already, the staff layoffs have caused concerns. Head Start preschools in Washington state had been awaiting approval to replace downed fencing around a playground and to purchase a refrigerator for a center. Ryan said he fears some operators will lose funding because grant applications won’t get processed.<h2>Panic, then closures</h2>The preschools are deeply reliant on federal money. During the brief hold on federal grants, no program was impacted more immediately. Unable to make payroll the day of the freeze, several Head Start centers temporarily closed — cutting off child care for low-income families, for whom a day without work is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/daycare-child-care-college-degree-moms-ac72f1227844eae0281305835e07273b">often a day without pay</a>.The news about the funding freeze emerged in January as Head Start leaders from across the country were together at the Capital Hilton, a few blocks away from the White House, preparing to meet with Congress members. Gathered in a conference room, many leaders simultaneously realized they were locked out of their funds.“You could almost feel ... the wave of panic all over the room when I think we all realized at the same time that everyone was locked out of that payment management system,” said Chanda Hillman, executive director of Early Flowers Learning. The group operates 17 Head Start campuses in rural parts of southwestern Michigan.A few hours later, Hillman had to make the call: She would shut down the Early Flowers Learning campuses.Kahli Lorenz, whose daughter attends Early Flowers, had traveled with Hillman to D.C. as part of a parent advisory council. She had been reeling at the possibility her daughter would have no place to go the following day — or that her beloved preschool would close. So when Lorenz heard Hillman make the announcement, she fell apart.Both she and her husband work — and she was out of town. Without Head Start the next day, he would miss half of his shift — and half of his pay — at the factory where he works. But she thought of all of her daughter’s classmates, and all the parents like her who might not be able to work without Head Start.“That meant all of the families were not going to have anywhere to have their kids,” she said.<h2>‘They cannot go to work’</h2>Halfway across the country, Cecil of the Indiana Head Start Association learned about the reported freeze from a Head Start director, and immediately began to fret. The closure of Head Start centers across the state would leave families in a pinch. But he also worried about those who would be furloughed — Head Start is Indiana’s 78th largest employer with nearly 4,000 staff.Not long after came another confusing piece of news: Head Start was never supposed to be a part of the funding freeze. So why, Head Start directors wondered, had they been shut out of the funding portal? Asked about the pause, the Department of Health and Human Services responded with an automatic message that said it was freezing all communication.Even after the freeze was aborted and the Head Start portal was supposed to be fixed, many centers discovered they still could not access their funds. A week later, at least 45 grant recipients across the country were still locked out, and many were on the verge of closure. In Waukesha, Wisconsin, Head Start programs shut their doors and furloughed most of their staff. The programs would not reopen until the following week when their leaders could access the funds.Unable to make payroll, two Head Start centers that served rural communities in western New York shut their doors, laying off 84 employees and leaving the families of more than 200 children without care. They would not reopen until Feb. 10, when they were finally able to draw down funds.Head Start leaders said members of Congress from both parties were in touch during the crisis, working to get them answers.For Hillman, it raised hope that Head Start will continue to enjoy bipartisan support — even if some conservatives oppose it.<h2>____</h2>Cheyanne Mumphrey contributed reporting from Phoenix, Arizona.WASHINGTON (AP) —Five regional offices for Head Start were closed Tuesday as part of a workforce reduction at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the National Head Start Association.Head Start is a preschool program that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/this-preschool-in-alaska-changed-lives-for-parents-and-kids-alike-why-did-it-have-to-close/">serves some of the nation’s neediest families</a>&nbsp;and children. Parents who otherwise would not be able to afford child care often rely on the program when they go to work or school.The association’s statement said the move was taken without a “clear plan for how the administration intends on supporting Head Start.”The Office of Head Start had 12 regional offices to provide oversight and support administration of grants. It was not immediately clear which regional offices were closed.

After layoffs and funding problems, future of Head Start in doubt

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health reported only one new case of measles over the past week in the state. This was in a child under the age of four, according to the the KDHE's online reportable infections disease web site

Kansas has 24 cases in six counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday. Kiowa and Stevens counties have six cases each, while Grant, Morton, Haskell and Gray counties have five or fewer.

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

Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. Since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743609889238.png" alt="KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health reported only one new case of measles over the past week in the state. This was in a child under the age of four, according to the the KDHE's online reportable infections disease web siteKansas has 24 cases in six counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday. Kiowa and Stevens counties have six cases each, while Grant, Morton, Haskell and Gray counties have five or fewer.The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743609969085.png" alt="KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">Other states with outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Ohio and Oklahoma. Since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;are linked to the Texas outbreak.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

KDHE has good news on number of measles cases in the state

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– An Airman assigned to McConnell Air Force Base pleaded guilty to three specifications of domestic violence and was sentenced during a general court-martial at the base on Tuesday, according to a media release from the air base.

Tech. Sgt. Jacob Frye, 722nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, pleaded guilty to three violations of Article 128b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which describes acts of violence against an intimate partner.&nbsp;

The presiding military judge sentenced Frye to 12 months in confinement, a reprimand, and a reduction in rank to airman basic. He will be confined in a military facility, with location to be determined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743558923030.png" alt="Frye photo McConnell AFB" />
 <figcaption>Frye photo McConnell AFB</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– An Airman assigned to McConnell Air Force Base pleaded guilty to three specifications of domestic violence and was sentenced during a general court-martial at the base on Tuesday, according to a media release from the air base.Tech. Sgt. Jacob Frye, 722nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, pleaded guilty to three violations of Article 128b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which describes acts of violence against an intimate partner.&nbsp;The presiding military judge sentenced Frye to 12 months in confinement, a reprimand, and a reduction in rank to airman basic. He will be confined in a military facility, with location to be determined.

Court-Martial: Kan. airman admits to 3 instances of domestic violence

KEARNY COUNTY —Aviation and ground resources from Kansas Forest Service and surrounding areas assisted in fighting a wildfire in Kearny County on Tuesday. The fire started approximately 6 miles west of Lakin. and was rapidly moving north and east toward Highway 50. Wind gusts over 30 mph are made fighting the fire very difficult, according to a social media report from the Forest Service.&nbsp; U.S. 50 was temporarily closed in the area due to the smoke.&nbsp;

Fire crews were able to stop the spread of the fire but firefighters worked overnight to actively monitor hot spots. Significant heat still remains within the fire area, posing concerns due to the weather forecast for Wednesday. 

&nbsp;Air tankers dropped 59 loads—approximately 34,200 gallons of water fighting the fire, according to the Kansas Forest Service. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743595253093.png" alt="Photo Kansas Forest Service." />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Forest Service.</figcaption>
 </figure>KEARNY COUNTY —Aviation and ground resources from Kansas Forest Service and surrounding areas assisted in fighting a wildfire in Kearny County on Tuesday. The fire started approximately 6 miles west of Lakin. and was rapidly moving north and east toward Highway 50. Wind gusts over 30 mph are made fighting the fire very difficult, according to a social media report from the Forest Service.&nbsp; U.S. 50 was temporarily closed in the area due to the smoke.&nbsp;Fire crews were able to stop the spread of the fire but firefighters worked overnight to actively monitor hot spots. Significant heat still remains within the fire area, posing concerns due to the weather forecast for Wednesday. &nbsp;Air tankers dropped 59 loads—approximately 34,200 gallons of water fighting the fire, according to the Kansas Forest Service. There were no injuries reported.

Forest Service air tankers dropped 59 loads of water on SW Kansas fire

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;says Wednesday will be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTbmv2krDbM">“Liberation Day"</a>&nbsp;— a moment when he plans to roll out a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-timeline-trade-war-trump-canada-mexico-china-a9d714eea677488ef9397547d838dbd0">set of tariffs</a>&nbsp;that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods.

The details of Trump's next round of import taxes are still sketchy. Most economic analyses say average U.S. families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes.

It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them.

“I’m certainly open to it, if we can do something," Trump told reporters. "We’ll get something for it.”

At stake are family budgets, America's prominence as the world's leading financial power and the structure of the global economy.

Here's what you should know about the impending trade penalties:

He wants to announce import taxes, including “reciprocal” tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil and India, among other countries.

As he announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-auto-industry-tariffs-imports-prices-car-buyers-2315fed0a166d37b1a88c2d375d5553a">25% auto tariffs</a>&nbsp;last week, he alleged that America has been ripped off because it imports more goods than it exports.

“This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America,” Trump said. “We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years. They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe.”

In an interview Saturday with NBC News, Trump said it did not bother him if tariffs caused vehicle prices to rise because autos with more U.S. content could possibly be more competitively priced.

"I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars," Trump said. “I couldn’t care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.”

Trump has also suggested that he will be flexible with his tariffs, saying he will treat other nations better than they treated the United States. But he still has plenty of other taxes coming on imports.

The Republican president plans to tax imported pharmaceutical drugs, copper and lumber. He has put forth a 25% tariff on any country that imports oil from Venezuela, even though the United States also does so. Imports from China are being charged an additional 20% tax because of its role in fentanyl production. Trump has imposed separate tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for the stated reason of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Trump also expanded his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs to 25% on all imports.

Some aides suggest the tariffs are tools for negotiation on trade and border security; others say the revenues will help reduce the federal budget deficit. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says they will force other nations to show Trump “respect.”

Nothing good, according to most economists. They say the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for autos, groceries, housing and other goods. Corporate profits could be lower and growth more sluggish. Trump maintains that more companies would open factories to avoid the taxes, though that process could take three years or more.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-art-laffer-auto-tariff-warning-ba62f55af070e40e9d6eddf5d8433ad1">Economist Art Laffer estimates</a>&nbsp;the tariffs on autos, if fully implemented, could increase per vehicle costs by $4,711, though he said he views Trump as a smart and savvy negotiator. The investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates the economy will grow this quarter at an annual rate of just 0.6%, down from a rate of 2.4% at the end of last year.

Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, said on Friday that tariffs could increase the median cost of a home by $21,000, making affordability more of an obstacle because building materials would cost more.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told “Fox News Sunday” that the auto tariffs would raise $100 billion annually and the other tariffs would bring in about $600 million per year, or about $6 trillion over 10 years. As a share of the economy, that would be the largest tax increase since World War II, according to Jessica Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that tariffs would be a one-time price adjustment, rather than the start of an inflationary spiral. But Bessent's conclusion rests on tariffs being brief or contained, rather than leading other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs or seeping into other sectors of the economy.

“There is a chance tariffs on goods begin to filter through to the pricing of services,” said Samuel Rines, a strategist at WisdomTree. “Auto parts get move expensive, then auto repair gets more expensive, then auto insurance feels the pressure. While goods are the focus, tariffs could have a longer-term effect on inflation.”

How are other nations thinking about the new tariffs?

Most foreign leaders see the tariffs as destructive for the global economy, even if they are prepared to impose their own countermeasures.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump's tariff threats had ended the partnership between his country and the United States, even as the president on Friday talked about his phone call with Carney in relatively positive terms. Canada already has announced retaliatory tariffs.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the tariffs were “not coherent” and would mean "breaking value chains, creating inflation in the short term and destroying jobs. It’s not good for the American economy, nor for the European, Canadian or Mexican economies.” Yet Macron said his nation would defend itself with the goal of dismantling the tariffs.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided the tit-for-tat responses on tariffs, but she sees it as critical to defend jobs in her country.

The Chinese government said Trump's tariffs would harm the global trading system and would not fix the economic challenges identified by Trump.

“There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and no country’s development and prosperity are achieved through imposing tariffs,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

Based off Trump's public statements, April 2 is at least the third “liberation day” that he has identified.

At a rally last year in Nevada, he said the day of the presidential election, Nov. 5, would be “Liberation Day in America.” He later gave his inauguration the same label, declaring in his address: “For American citizens, Jan. 20, 2025, is Liberation Day.”

His repeated designation of the term is a sign of just how much importance Trump places on tariffs, an obsession of his since the 1980s. Dozens of other countries recognize their own form of liberation days to recognize events such as overcoming Nazi Germany or the end of a previous political regime deemed oppressive.

Trump sees his tariffs as providing national redemption, but the slumping consumer confidence and stock market indicate that much of the public believes the U.S. economy will pay the price for his ambitions.

“I don’t see anything positive about Liberation Day," said Phillip Braun, a finance professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. “It’s going to hurt the U.S. economy. Other countries are going to retaliate.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742003336478.png" alt="File photo President Donald Trump -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Donald Trump -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;says Wednesday will be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTbmv2krDbM">“Liberation Day"</a>&nbsp;— a moment when he plans to roll out a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-timeline-trade-war-trump-canada-mexico-china-a9d714eea677488ef9397547d838dbd0">set of tariffs</a>&nbsp;that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods.The details of Trump's next round of import taxes are still sketchy. Most economic analyses say average U.S. families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes.It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them.“I’m certainly open to it, if we can do something," Trump told reporters. "We’ll get something for it.”At stake are family budgets, America's prominence as the world's leading financial power and the structure of the global economy.Here's what you should know about the impending trade penalties:<h2>What exactly does Trump plan to do?</h2>He wants to announce import taxes, including “reciprocal” tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil and India, among other countries.As he announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-auto-industry-tariffs-imports-prices-car-buyers-2315fed0a166d37b1a88c2d375d5553a">25% auto tariffs</a>&nbsp;last week, he alleged that America has been ripped off because it imports more goods than it exports.“This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America,” Trump said. “We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years. They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe.”In an interview Saturday with NBC News, Trump said it did not bother him if tariffs caused vehicle prices to rise because autos with more U.S. content could possibly be more competitively priced."I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars," Trump said. “I couldn’t care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.”Trump has also suggested that he will be flexible with his tariffs, saying he will treat other nations better than they treated the United States. But he still has plenty of other taxes coming on imports.The Republican president plans to tax imported pharmaceutical drugs, copper and lumber. He has put forth a 25% tariff on any country that imports oil from Venezuela, even though the United States also does so. Imports from China are being charged an additional 20% tax because of its role in fentanyl production. Trump has imposed separate tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for the stated reason of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Trump also expanded his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs to 25% on all imports.Some aides suggest the tariffs are tools for negotiation on trade and border security; others say the revenues will help reduce the federal budget deficit. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says they will force other nations to show Trump “respect.”<h2>What could tariffs do to the US economy?</h2>Nothing good, according to most economists. They say the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for autos, groceries, housing and other goods. Corporate profits could be lower and growth more sluggish. Trump maintains that more companies would open factories to avoid the taxes, though that process could take three years or more.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-art-laffer-auto-tariff-warning-ba62f55af070e40e9d6eddf5d8433ad1">Economist Art Laffer estimates</a>&nbsp;the tariffs on autos, if fully implemented, could increase per vehicle costs by $4,711, though he said he views Trump as a smart and savvy negotiator. The investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates the economy will grow this quarter at an annual rate of just 0.6%, down from a rate of 2.4% at the end of last year.Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, said on Friday that tariffs could increase the median cost of a home by $21,000, making affordability more of an obstacle because building materials would cost more.White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told “Fox News Sunday” that the auto tariffs would raise $100 billion annually and the other tariffs would bring in about $600 million per year, or about $6 trillion over 10 years. As a share of the economy, that would be the largest tax increase since World War II, according to Jessica Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that tariffs would be a one-time price adjustment, rather than the start of an inflationary spiral. But Bessent's conclusion rests on tariffs being brief or contained, rather than leading other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs or seeping into other sectors of the economy.“There is a chance tariffs on goods begin to filter through to the pricing of services,” said Samuel Rines, a strategist at WisdomTree. “Auto parts get move expensive, then auto repair gets more expensive, then auto insurance feels the pressure. While goods are the focus, tariffs could have a longer-term effect on inflation.”<h2>How are other nations thinking about the new tariffs?</h2>Most foreign leaders see the tariffs as destructive for the global economy, even if they are prepared to impose their own countermeasures.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump's tariff threats had ended the partnership between his country and the United States, even as the president on Friday talked about his phone call with Carney in relatively positive terms. Canada already has announced retaliatory tariffs.French President Emmanuel Macron said the tariffs were “not coherent” and would mean "breaking value chains, creating inflation in the short term and destroying jobs. It’s not good for the American economy, nor for the European, Canadian or Mexican economies.” Yet Macron said his nation would defend itself with the goal of dismantling the tariffs.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided the tit-for-tat responses on tariffs, but she sees it as critical to defend jobs in her country.The Chinese government said Trump's tariffs would harm the global trading system and would not fix the economic challenges identified by Trump.“There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and no country’s development and prosperity are achieved through imposing tariffs,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.<h2>How did Trump land on it being called</h2><h2>‘Liberation Day’?</h2>Based off Trump's public statements, April 2 is at least the third “liberation day” that he has identified.At a rally last year in Nevada, he said the day of the presidential election, Nov. 5, would be “Liberation Day in America.” He later gave his inauguration the same label, declaring in his address: “For American citizens, Jan. 20, 2025, is Liberation Day.”His repeated designation of the term is a sign of just how much importance Trump places on tariffs, an obsession of his since the 1980s. Dozens of other countries recognize their own form of liberation days to recognize events such as overcoming Nazi Germany or the end of a previous political regime deemed oppressive.Trump sees his tariffs as providing national redemption, but the slumping consumer confidence and stock market indicate that much of the public believes the U.S. economy will pay the price for his ambitions.“I don’t see anything positive about Liberation Day," said Phillip Braun, a finance professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. “It’s going to hurt the U.S. economy. Other countries are going to retaliate.”

What Trump's promised 'Liberation Day' of tariffs could mean for you

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Law enforcement are investigating a series of homicides in Kansas City since last Friday.

Just after 11pm Monday, police were dispatched to a medical call in the 3000 block of Mersington, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp; First responders found a man later identified as 51-year-old Eric Stennis unresponsive in the street with unknown significant injuries. EMS treated him but ultimately declared him deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Based on preliminary information from people who were at the scene when officers arrived Stennis had an interaction with unknown subject(s) nearby that led to him being injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;Through investigation, detectives&nbsp; identified a subject of interest, an adult male, and he is in custody, according to Becchina.

Just before 2p.m. Monday, police were called to report of a shooting in the 9800 block of Marsh, according to KCPD Officer Phil DiMartino. First responders located two shooting victims, a man and woman later identified as 32-year-old&nbsp;Derrick D. Rhodes and 30-year-old&nbsp;Aminah C. Johnson, in the front of a residence there.

 Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. EMS transported both victims to the hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries. Initial responding officers took one adult male subject of interest into custody for further investigation. Late Monday afternoon detectives were notified that both Rhodes and Johnson were declared deceased at the hospital.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance took place at the residence, between multiple subjects known to each other, which escalated into gunfire that struck both the deceased victims.

Just before 7p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 5600 block of E 29th Street on a reported shooting. Upon arrival officers were directed to the front yard of a residence on 29th street. They located a Ahmed suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel responded and pronounced her deceased on scene.

Police have not reported an arrest or suspect details.

Just before 4a.m. Saturday, police responded to the 4300 block of North Corrington regarding a follow up to a missing persons investigation, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino. First respondes were directed to a motel room where they located a man and woman. Both were suffering from gun shot wounds and were pronounced deceased on scene. Police have not reported an arrest.

Just after 8:30p.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Park in Kansas City on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. First responders found a man lying in the roadway suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics responded and pronounced the victim deceased.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest in this case.

Just before&nbsp;7:30p.m. March 26, patrol&nbsp;officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;3700&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte. First responders were directed to the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;a convenience&nbsp;store at the corner&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John&nbsp;and Monroe. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. They immediately began performing life saving measures and summoned emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victim deceased on scene.

This is being investigated as a homicide. Police have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743107951249.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation March 26-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation March 26-photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Law enforcement are investigating a series of homicides in Kansas City since last Friday.Just after 11pm Monday, police were dispatched to a medical call in the 3000 block of Mersington, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp; First responders found a man later identified as 51-year-old Eric Stennis unresponsive in the street with unknown significant injuries. EMS treated him but ultimately declared him deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Based on preliminary information from people who were at the scene when officers arrived Stennis had an interaction with unknown subject(s) nearby that led to him being injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;Through investigation, detectives&nbsp; identified a subject of interest, an adult male, and he is in custody, according to Becchina.Just before 2p.m. Monday, police were called to report of a shooting in the 9800 block of Marsh, according to KCPD Officer Phil DiMartino. First responders located two shooting victims, a man and woman later identified as 32-year-old&nbsp;Derrick D. Rhodes and 30-year-old&nbsp;Aminah C. Johnson, in the front of a residence there. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. EMS transported both victims to the hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries. Initial responding officers took one adult male subject of interest into custody for further investigation. Late Monday afternoon detectives were notified that both Rhodes and Johnson were declared deceased at the hospital.Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance took place at the residence, between multiple subjects known to each other, which escalated into gunfire that struck both the deceased victims.Just before 7p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 5600 block of E 29th Street on a reported shooting. Upon arrival officers were directed to the front yard of a residence on 29th street. They located a Ahmed suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel responded and pronounced her deceased on scene.Police have not reported an arrest or suspect details.Just before 4a.m. Saturday, police responded to the 4300 block of North Corrington regarding a follow up to a missing persons investigation, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino. First respondes were directed to a motel room where they located a man and woman. Both were suffering from gun shot wounds and were pronounced deceased on scene. Police have not reported an arrest.Just after 8:30p.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Park in Kansas City on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. First responders found a man lying in the roadway suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics responded and pronounced the victim deceased.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest in this case.Just before&nbsp;7:30p.m. March 26, patrol&nbsp;officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;3700&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte. First responders were directed to the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;a convenience&nbsp;store at the corner&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John&nbsp;and Monroe. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. They immediately began performing life saving measures and summoned emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victim deceased on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide. Police have not reported an arrest.

8 homicide victims in Kansas City over the past week

WASHINGTON (AP) — The final U.S. soldier who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lithuania-pabrade-us-soldiers-military-training-c89957fc6a62da8624202095920630e1">went missing in Lithuania</a>&nbsp;has been found dead, bringing to an end a massive weeklong search for the four service members whose armored vehicle was pulled from a swampy training area, the U.S. military said Tuesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-us-soldiers-lithuania-armored-vehicle-pabrade-452f254b648ff36d3bc7b155ba705144">The bodies of the three other soldiers</a>&nbsp;were recovered Monday after U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and authorities dug the M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė.

The Army released the identities of the three soldiers recovered Monday, but the fourth soldier’s name has not been made public as family notifications continue. They were Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.

The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing a week ago, the Army said.

“This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier,” Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement Tuesday. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.”

Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-us-soldiers-swamp-lithuania-drain-f82b38c4598044f2b7f3800ad17013f7">took part in the search</a>&nbsp;through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. The 63-ton (126,000-pound) armored vehicle was discovered March 26 submerged in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water, but it took days to pull it out of the bog.

Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and search and rescue personnel. They brought in additional excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to help the recovery.

Navy divers maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay and sediment with zero visibility to reach the vehicle Sunday evening and attach steel cables so it could be pulled out. When just three of the four bodies were found, the divers began a search of the bog area for the fourth.

Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, expressed gratitude to the U.S. allies who sent troops and equipment to help in the search and recovery.

“I can’t say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies — and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers — have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers,” Donahue said in the statement. “This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends.”

According to the 3rd Infantry Division, Duenez was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer and had served more than seven years in the Army. He deployed to Poland in 2021 and Germany in 2022, and he was currently serving in the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.

“Sgt. Jose Duenez will always hold a special place in our hearts. As both a leader and a soldier, he set an example every day — always the first to arrive and the last to leave, greeting every challenge with a smile and a readiness to support anyone who required assistance,” said Capt. Madyson K. Wellens, a commander in his squadron.

Franco was also an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who had been in the Army for more than six years. He deployed to Korea in 2020 and Germany in 2022.

Wellens said Franco’s “infectious smile and genuine joy in being with his team were matched only by the tenacity and drive. He never asked more of his soldiers than he was willing to give himself — a true testament to his character.”

Taitano was also an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer. He had been in the Army for nearly two years, and this was his first deployment.

Cpt. Matthew Lund, another 5th Squadron commander, said “Taitano will always be remembered as the spark of the team. He wore a smile on his face no matter the environment or task and constantly brought the team together with his charisma and laughter.”

Approximately 3,500 soldiers from the brigade deployed in January to locations across Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which supports NATO allies and partners following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“This loss is simply devastating,” said Norrie, the 3rd Infantry Division commander. “We are wrapping our arms around the families and loved ones of our Soldiers” during this difficult time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743588047163.png" alt="This combination of images shows from left, Army Pfc. Dante D. Tatiana, 21, of Dededo, Guam, Sgt. Edwin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, Calif., and Sgt. Jose Duenez, 25, of Joliet, Ill., three of the four soldiers who were killed in a training accident near Pabradė, Lithuania, in March 2025.(Department of Defense via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This combination of images shows from left, Army Pfc. Dante D. Tatiana, 21, of Dededo, Guam, Sgt. Edwin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, Calif., and Sgt. Jose Duenez, 25, of Joliet, Ill., three of the four soldiers who were killed in a training accident near Pabradė, Lithuania, in March 2025.(Department of Defense via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The final U.S. soldier who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lithuania-pabrade-us-soldiers-military-training-c89957fc6a62da8624202095920630e1">went missing in Lithuania</a>&nbsp;has been found dead, bringing to an end a massive weeklong search for the four service members whose armored vehicle was pulled from a swampy training area, the U.S. military said Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-us-soldiers-lithuania-armored-vehicle-pabrade-452f254b648ff36d3bc7b155ba705144">The bodies of the three other soldiers</a>&nbsp;were recovered Monday after U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and authorities dug the M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė.The Army released the identities of the three soldiers recovered Monday, but the fourth soldier’s name has not been made public as family notifications continue. They were Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing a week ago, the Army said.“This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier,” Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement Tuesday. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.”Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-us-soldiers-swamp-lithuania-drain-f82b38c4598044f2b7f3800ad17013f7">took part in the search</a>&nbsp;through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. The 63-ton (126,000-pound) armored vehicle was discovered March 26 submerged in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water, but it took days to pull it out of the bog.Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and search and rescue personnel. They brought in additional excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to help the recovery.Navy divers maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay and sediment with zero visibility to reach the vehicle Sunday evening and attach steel cables so it could be pulled out. When just three of the four bodies were found, the divers began a search of the bog area for the fourth.Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, expressed gratitude to the U.S. allies who sent troops and equipment to help in the search and recovery.“I can’t say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies — and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers — have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers,” Donahue said in the statement. “This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends.”According to the 3rd Infantry Division, Duenez was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer and had served more than seven years in the Army. He deployed to Poland in 2021 and Germany in 2022, and he was currently serving in the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.“Sgt. Jose Duenez will always hold a special place in our hearts. As both a leader and a soldier, he set an example every day — always the first to arrive and the last to leave, greeting every challenge with a smile and a readiness to support anyone who required assistance,” said Capt. Madyson K. Wellens, a commander in his squadron.Franco was also an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who had been in the Army for more than six years. He deployed to Korea in 2020 and Germany in 2022.Wellens said Franco’s “infectious smile and genuine joy in being with his team were matched only by the tenacity and drive. He never asked more of his soldiers than he was willing to give himself — a true testament to his character.”Taitano was also an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer. He had been in the Army for nearly two years, and this was his first deployment.Cpt. Matthew Lund, another 5th Squadron commander, said “Taitano will always be remembered as the spark of the team. He wore a smile on his face no matter the environment or task and constantly brought the team together with his charisma and laughter.”Approximately 3,500 soldiers from the brigade deployed in January to locations across Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which supports NATO allies and partners following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“This loss is simply devastating,” said Norrie, the 3rd Infantry Division commander. “We are wrapping our arms around the families and loved ones of our Soldiers” during this difficult time.

Fourth US soldier found deceased in Lithuania after vehicle sank in swamp

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

Just before 11a.m. Tuesday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 3000 block of York in Kansas City, Mo., according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First arriving crews reported smoke and fire showing from a single story home.&nbsp; Searches of the structure came back all clear for human life. Occupants were able to escape. One dog was rescued and one dog was removed but did not survive. There were no other injuries. Officials have not released a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743535140411.png" alt="Photo KDFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KDFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.Just before 11a.m. Tuesday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 3000 block of York in Kansas City, Mo., according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.First arriving crews reported smoke and fire showing from a single story home.&nbsp; Searches of the structure came back all clear for human life. Occupants were able to escape. One dog was rescued and one dog was removed but did not survive. There were no other injuries. Officials have not released a damage estimate.

Family pet dies in Kansas City house fire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in "Top Gun," donned a voluminous cape as Batman in "Batman Forever" and portrayed Jim Morrison in "The Doors," has died. He was 65.

Kilmer died Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said in an email to The Associated Press. The Times was the first to report his death on Tuesday.

Val Kilmer died from pneumonia. He had recovered after a 2014 throat cancer diagnosis that required two tracheotomies.

"I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed," he says toward the end of "Val," the 2021 documentary on his career. "And I am blessed."

Kilmer, the youngest actor ever accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School at the time he attended, experienced the ups and downs of fame more dramatically than most. His break came in 1984's spy spoof "Top Secret!" followed by the comedy "Real Genius" in 1985. Kilmer would later show his comedy chops again in films including "MacGruber" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."

His movie career hit its zenith in the early 1990s as he made a name for himself as a dashing leading man, starring alongside Kurt Russell and Bill Paxton in 1993's "Tombstone," as Elvis' ghost in "True Romance" and as a bank-robbing demolition expert in Michael Mann's 1995 film "Heat" with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

"While working with Val on 'Heat' I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val's possessing and expressing character," director Michael Mann said in a statement Tuesday night.

Actor Josh Brolin, a friend of Kilmer, was among others paying tribute.

"You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker," Brolin wrote on Instagram. "There's not a lot left of those."

Kilmer — who took part in the Method branch of Suzuki arts training — threw himself into parts. When he played Doc Holliday in "Tombstone," he filled his bed with ice for the final scene to mimic the feeling of dying from tuberculosis. To play Morrison, he wore leather pants all the time, asked castmates and crew to only refer to him as Jim Morrison and blasted The Doors for a year.

That intensity also gave Kilmer a reputation that he was difficult to work with, something he grudgingly agreed with later in life, but always defending himself by emphasizing art over commerce.

"In an unflinching attempt to empower directors, actors and other collaborators to honor the truth and essence of each project, an attempt to breathe Suzukian life into a myriad of Hollywood moments, I had been deemed difficult and alienated the head of every major studio," he wrote in his memoir, "I'm Your Huckleberry."

One of his more iconic roles — hotshot pilot Tom "Iceman" Kazansky opposite Tom Cruise — almost didn't happen. Kilmer was courted by director Tony Scott for "Top Gun" but initially balked. "I didn't want the part. I didn't care about the film. The story didn't interest me," he wrote in his memoir. He agreed after being promised that his role would improve from the initial script. He would reprise the role in the film's 2022 sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick."

One career nadir was playing Batman in Joel Schumacher's goofy, garish "Batman Forever" with Nicole Kidman and opposite Chris O'Donnell's Robin — before George Clooney took up the mantle for 1997's "Batman &amp; Robin" and after Michael Keaton played the Dark Knight in 1989's "Batman" and 1992's "Batman Returns."

Janet Maslin in The New York Times said Kilmer was "hamstrung by the straight-man aspects of the role," while Roger Ebert deadpanned that he was a "completely acceptable" substitute for Keaton. Kilmer, who was one and done as Batman, blamed much of his performance on the suit.

"When you're in it, you can barely move and people have to help you stand up and sit down," Kilmer said in "Val," in lines spoken by his son Jack, who voiced the part of his father in the film because of his inability to speak. "You also can't hear anything and after a while people stop talking to you, it's very isolating. It was a struggle for me to get a performance past the suit, and it was frustrating until I realized that my role in the film was just to show up and stand where I was told to."

His next projects were the film version of the 1960s TV series "The Saint" — fussily putting on wigs, accents and glasses — and "The Island of Dr. Moreau" with Marlon Brando, which became one of the decade's most infamously cursed productions.

David Gregory's 2014 documentary "Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau," described a cursed set that included a hurricane, Kilmer bullying director Richard Stanley, the firing of Stanley via fax (who sneaked back on set as an extra with a mask on) and extensive rewrites by Kilmer and Brando. The older actor told the younger at one point: "'It's a job now, Val. A lark. We'll get through it.' I was as sad as I've ever been on a set," Kilmer wrote in his memoir.

In 1996, Entertainment Weekly ran a cover story about Kilmer titled "The Man Hollywood Loves to Hate." The directors Schumacher and John Frankenheimer, who finished "The Island of Dr. Moreau," said he was difficult. Frankenheimer said there were two things he would never do: "Climb Mount Everest and work with Val Kilmer again."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743586690530.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in "Top Gun," donned a voluminous cape as Batman in "Batman Forever" and portrayed Jim Morrison in "The Doors," has died. He was 65.Kilmer died Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said in an email to The Associated Press. The Times was the first to report his death on Tuesday.Val Kilmer died from pneumonia. He had recovered after a 2014 throat cancer diagnosis that required two tracheotomies."I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed," he says toward the end of "Val," the 2021 documentary on his career. "And I am blessed."Kilmer, the youngest actor ever accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School at the time he attended, experienced the ups and downs of fame more dramatically than most. His break came in 1984's spy spoof "Top Secret!" followed by the comedy "Real Genius" in 1985. Kilmer would later show his comedy chops again in films including "MacGruber" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."His movie career hit its zenith in the early 1990s as he made a name for himself as a dashing leading man, starring alongside Kurt Russell and Bill Paxton in 1993's "Tombstone," as Elvis' ghost in "True Romance" and as a bank-robbing demolition expert in Michael Mann's 1995 film "Heat" with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro."While working with Val on 'Heat' I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val's possessing and expressing character," director Michael Mann said in a statement Tuesday night.Actor Josh Brolin, a friend of Kilmer, was among others paying tribute."You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker," Brolin wrote on Instagram. "There's not a lot left of those."Kilmer — who took part in the Method branch of Suzuki arts training — threw himself into parts. When he played Doc Holliday in "Tombstone," he filled his bed with ice for the final scene to mimic the feeling of dying from tuberculosis. To play Morrison, he wore leather pants all the time, asked castmates and crew to only refer to him as Jim Morrison and blasted The Doors for a year.That intensity also gave Kilmer a reputation that he was difficult to work with, something he grudgingly agreed with later in life, but always defending himself by emphasizing art over commerce."In an unflinching attempt to empower directors, actors and other collaborators to honor the truth and essence of each project, an attempt to breathe Suzukian life into a myriad of Hollywood moments, I had been deemed difficult and alienated the head of every major studio," he wrote in his memoir, "I'm Your Huckleberry."One of his more iconic roles — hotshot pilot Tom "Iceman" Kazansky opposite Tom Cruise — almost didn't happen. Kilmer was courted by director Tony Scott for "Top Gun" but initially balked. "I didn't want the part. I didn't care about the film. The story didn't interest me," he wrote in his memoir. He agreed after being promised that his role would improve from the initial script. He would reprise the role in the film's 2022 sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick."One career nadir was playing Batman in Joel Schumacher's goofy, garish "Batman Forever" with Nicole Kidman and opposite Chris O'Donnell's Robin — before George Clooney took up the mantle for 1997's "Batman &amp; Robin" and after Michael Keaton played the Dark Knight in 1989's "Batman" and 1992's "Batman Returns."Janet Maslin in The New York Times said Kilmer was "hamstrung by the straight-man aspects of the role," while Roger Ebert deadpanned that he was a "completely acceptable" substitute for Keaton. Kilmer, who was one and done as Batman, blamed much of his performance on the suit."When you're in it, you can barely move and people have to help you stand up and sit down," Kilmer said in "Val," in lines spoken by his son Jack, who voiced the part of his father in the film because of his inability to speak. "You also can't hear anything and after a while people stop talking to you, it's very isolating. It was a struggle for me to get a performance past the suit, and it was frustrating until I realized that my role in the film was just to show up and stand where I was told to."His next projects were the film version of the 1960s TV series "The Saint" — fussily putting on wigs, accents and glasses — and "The Island of Dr. Moreau" with Marlon Brando, which became one of the decade's most infamously cursed productions.David Gregory's 2014 documentary "Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau," described a cursed set that included a hurricane, Kilmer bullying director Richard Stanley, the firing of Stanley via fax (who sneaked back on set as an extra with a mask on) and extensive rewrites by Kilmer and Brando. The older actor told the younger at one point: "'It's a job now, Val. A lark. We'll get through it.' I was as sad as I've ever been on a set," Kilmer wrote in his memoir.In 1996, Entertainment Weekly ran a cover story about Kilmer titled "The Man Hollywood Loves to Hate." The directors Schumacher and John Frankenheimer, who finished "The Island of Dr. Moreau," said he was difficult. Frankenheimer said there were two things he would never do: "Climb Mount Everest and work with Val Kilmer again."Other artists came to his defense, like D. J. Caruso, who directed Kilmer in "The Salton Sea" and said the actor simply liked to talk out scenes and enjoyed having a director's attention."Val needs to immerse himself in a character. I think what happened with directors like Frankenheimer and Schumacher is that Val would ask a lot of questions, and a guy like Schumacher would say, 'You're Batman! Just go do it,'" Caruso told The New York Times in 2002.After "The Island of Dr. Moreau," the movies were smaller, like David Mamet human-trafficking thriller "Spartan"; "Joe the King" in 1999, in which he played a paunchy, abusive alcoholic; and playing the doomed '70s porn star John Holmes in 2003's "Wonderland." He also threw himself into his one-man stage show "Citizen Twain," in which he played Mark Twain."I enjoy the depth and soul the piece has that Twain had for his fellow man and America," he told Variety in 2018. "And the comedy that's always so close to the surface, and how valuable his genius is for us today."Kilmer spent his formative years in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles. He attended Chatsworth High School alongside future Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and future Emmy winner Mare Winningham. At 17, he was the youngest drama student ever admitted at the Juilliard School in 1981.Shortly after he left for Juilliard, his younger brother, 15-year-old Wesley, suffered an epileptic seizure in the family's Jacuzzi and died on the way to the hospital. Wesley was an aspiring filmmaker when he died."I miss him and miss his things. I have his art up. I like to think about what he would have created. I'm still inspired by him," Kilmer told the Times.While still at Juilliard, Kilmer co-wrote and appeared in the play "How It All Began" and later turned down a role in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders" for the Broadway play, "Slab Boys," alongside Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn.Kilmer published two books of poetry (including "My Edens After Burns") and was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for spoken word album for "The Mark of Zorro." He was also a visual artist and a lifelong Christian Scientist.He dated Cher, married and divorced actor Joanne Whalley. He is survived by their two children, Mercedes and Jack."I have no regrets," Kilmer told the AP in 2021. "I've witness and experienced miracles."____Kennedy reported from New York.