Wichita State University served as the host for 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at Intrust Bank Arena, in partnership with Visit Wichita, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita. Mayor Lilly Wu was pleased with the results.

Houston and Texas Tech won Saturday night's games in Wichita and advance to the Sweet-16.

The NCAA has not released official attendance figures for the first and second round games played in Wichita. The attendance was approximately 14,000 for each session.

Wichita State University served as the host for 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at Intrust Bank Arena, in partnership with Visit Wichita, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita. Mayor Lilly Wu was pleased with the results.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Congrats, Wichita! You showed well during the 1st &amp; 2nd rounds of <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarchMadnessMBB</a>. Thank you, first responders, multiple fan fest hosts, <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaState?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WichitaState</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/VisitWichita?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VisitWichita</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/INTRUSTarena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INTRUSTarena</a>, and every Wichitan who made this a very successful event.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ilovewichita?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ilovewichita</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/allforwichita?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#allforwichita</a> <a href="https://t.co/j8I1XkcfTe">pic.twitter.com/j8I1XkcfTe</a>&mdash; Lily Wu (@LilyWuKansas) <a href="https://twitter.com/LilyWuKansas/status/1903961129455362106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Houston and Texas Tech won Saturday night's games in Wichita and advance to the Sweet-16.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The NCAA March Madness tournament was a tremendous success, providing an excellent opportunity for WPD officers to engage with the local community and visitors from around the country. Our primary goal was to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for all attendees, and we… <a href="https://t.co/cXa2FCJfy6">pic.twitter.com/cXa2FCJfy6</a>&mdash; Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaPolice/status/1904187568809271611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The NCAA has not released official attendance figures for the first and second round games played in Wichita. The attendance was approximately 14,000 for each session.

Mayor: Congrats, Wichita! You showed well during MarchMadness

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;says he won’t resign his post, despite pressure from some in his party after he voted to move forward with a Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">spending bill</a>&nbsp;that avoided a government shutdown.

“Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. The New York senator said he knew voting for the bill backed by Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;would spark “a lot of controversy.”

“I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was,” he said. “People disagree.”

Democrats last week were confronted with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">two painful options</a>: allowing passage of a bill they believe gave Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or letting funding lapse. After Schumer said he’d vote to advance the spending measure, 10 Democrats supported breaking the party’s filibuster and allowing the bill to pass.

Schumer’s move has sparked outrage from some Democrats and progressive activists who protested at his office and called on him to resign his position. They said they’d like to see him face a primary challenge — perhaps from New York Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alexandria-ocasio-cortez">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a>.

The uproar prompted Schumer last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-schumer-senate-democrat-book-tour-spending-vote-afbfed35d906f9ad6c8e6e9114f8a431">to postpone</a>&nbsp;his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chuck-schumer-book-antisemitism-america-676fb58a6529429a88726a7233e85047">book tour</a>&nbsp;amid a series of planned progressive demonstrations.

Schumer isn’t up for reelection until 2028. He told NBC that the spending bill that funds the government through September was “certainly bad.”

But he argued that not voting to provide the funding would have been “15 or 20 times worse.” He called his action “a vote of principle,” arguing that “sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve.”

In an interview that also aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Vermont Democratic Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-c213d5ae42737c956d46f6f7f17e5abd">Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;criticized Schumer and other members of Democratic Senate leadership. But he abruptly ended the interview when asked about Ocasio-Cortez potentially being elected to the Senate.

“I don’t want to talk about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-cbc249cc4de978acb1333adae5735404">inside-the-beltway</a>&nbsp;stuff,” Sanders said.

Another outspoken progressive, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “There is no doubt that there is anger there, and people were very, very disappointed in the Senate.”

Khanna said the anger stemmed from Senate Democrats not seeking concessions for their support of the GOP-backed spending package — including possible limits on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-trump-administration-acfdd0d7a53b7e5a1b5105baa456c5d0">government spending and job cutting efforts</a>&nbsp;being led on Trump’s behalf by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>.

Asked if he’d support Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer during a 2028 Democratic Senate primary in New York, Khanna said the decision to run was up to the congresswoman.

“I haven’t talked to her directly,” Khanna said.

He added: “But here’s what I will say: The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668518697058.png" alt="Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;says he won’t resign his post, despite pressure from some in his party after he voted to move forward with a Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">spending bill</a>&nbsp;that avoided a government shutdown.“Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. The New York senator said he knew voting for the bill backed by Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;would spark “a lot of controversy.”“I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was,” he said. “People disagree.”Democrats last week were confronted with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234">two painful options</a>: allowing passage of a bill they believe gave Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or letting funding lapse. After Schumer said he’d vote to advance the spending measure, 10 Democrats supported breaking the party’s filibuster and allowing the bill to pass.Schumer’s move has sparked outrage from some Democrats and progressive activists who protested at his office and called on him to resign his position. They said they’d like to see him face a primary challenge — perhaps from New York Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alexandria-ocasio-cortez">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a>.The uproar prompted Schumer last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-schumer-senate-democrat-book-tour-spending-vote-afbfed35d906f9ad6c8e6e9114f8a431">to postpone</a>&nbsp;his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chuck-schumer-book-antisemitism-america-676fb58a6529429a88726a7233e85047">book tour</a>&nbsp;amid a series of planned progressive demonstrations.Schumer isn’t up for reelection until 2028. He told NBC that the spending bill that funds the government through September was “certainly bad.”But he argued that not voting to provide the funding would have been “15 or 20 times worse.” He called his action “a vote of principle,” arguing that “sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve.”In an interview that also aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Vermont Democratic Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-c213d5ae42737c956d46f6f7f17e5abd">Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;criticized Schumer and other members of Democratic Senate leadership. But he abruptly ended the interview when asked about Ocasio-Cortez potentially being elected to the Senate.“I don’t want to talk about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-bernie-sanders-democrats-trump-cbc249cc4de978acb1333adae5735404">inside-the-beltway</a>&nbsp;stuff,” Sanders said.Another outspoken progressive, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “There is no doubt that there is anger there, and people were very, very disappointed in the Senate.”Khanna said the anger stemmed from Senate Democrats not seeking concessions for their support of the GOP-backed spending package — including possible limits on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-trump-administration-acfdd0d7a53b7e5a1b5105baa456c5d0">government spending and job cutting efforts</a>&nbsp;being led on Trump’s behalf by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>.Asked if he’d support Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer during a 2028 Democratic Senate primary in New York, Khanna said the decision to run was up to the congresswoman.“I haven’t talked to her directly,” Khanna said.He added: “But here’s what I will say: The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal.”

Schumer rejects calls to step down as Senate Democratic leader

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing charges in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred last week.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2554/SAVAGE-COMPLAINT-Redacted">Theron Savage, 22, faces</a>&nbsp;2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Assault.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2553/Savage-PC-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police arrived at a residence on the 600 block of East Minor Drive on a reported disturbance. As officers moved toward the front door of the residence, the defendant opened the door holding a sharp-edged object and then shut the door on the officers. When the defendant opened the door again, officers deployed a less lethal bean bag round at the defendant, who then fled the scene from the back balcony.&nbsp;

Officers found two female victims inside the residence, one suffering from a stab wound and the other with a laceration to her chest, who died at an area hospital. The defendant was later located and taken into custody.&nbsp;

It’s reported that Savage is the boyfriend of the deceased victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742779749628.png" alt="Savage photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Savage photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing charges in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred last week.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2554/SAVAGE-COMPLAINT-Redacted">Theron Savage, 22, faces</a>&nbsp;2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Assault.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2553/Savage-PC-RED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police arrived at a residence on the 600 block of East Minor Drive on a reported disturbance. As officers moved toward the front door of the residence, the defendant opened the door holding a sharp-edged object and then shut the door on the officers. When the defendant opened the door again, officers deployed a less lethal bean bag round at the defendant, who then fled the scene from the back balcony.&nbsp;Officers found two female victims inside the residence, one suffering from a stab wound and the other with a laceration to her chest, who died at an area hospital. The defendant was later located and taken into custody.&nbsp;It’s reported that Savage is the boyfriend of the deceased victim.&nbsp;

Kansas City man accused in knife attack that killed his girlfriend 

Sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers was unveiled in the newly unredacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">John F. Kennedy assassination</a>&nbsp;documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">released this week</a>, and that is not sitting well with the people affected.

<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a>&nbsp;from the National Archives

Joseph diGenova, a former campaign lawyer for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>, was among those whose personal information was disclosed. He said he is planning to sue the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration for violating privacy laws and is concerned about identity theft.

“It should not have happened,” diGenova said in a phone interview Thursday. “I think it’s the result of incompetent people doing the reviewing. I don’t believe it had anything to do with rushing the process. The people who reviewed these documents did not do their job.”

His personal information was on documents relating to his work for a U.S. Senate select committee that investigated abuses of power by government officials in the 1970s, including the surveillance of U.S. citizens.

Officials at the White House said Thursday that a plan was in place to help those whose personal information was disclosed, including credit monitoring offered by the National Archives and a screening of the records that began Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers that were released. Officials also said new Social Security numbers will be issued to those affected.

The White House did not respond to questions about why the personal information was unredacted.

“President Trump delivered on his promise of maximum transparency by fully releasing the files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “At the request of the White House, the National Archives and the Social Security Administration immediately put together an action plan to proactively help individuals whose personal information was released in the files.”

The National Archives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">Trump ordered</a>&nbsp;the release of the remaining classified files relating to the 1963 assassination shortly after being sworn into office in January.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-release-trump-3e8f31e18468d96b53210572e0992c07">About 2,200 files</a>&nbsp;consisting of over 63,000 pages were posted on the National Archive’s website on Tuesday evening. Many of those pages revealed what had previously been redacted.

The vast majority of the National Archives’ more than 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination had previously been released.

The National Archives posted assessments of the newly released documents on its website, but noted that there wasn’t enough time as of Wednesday to review more than a small fraction of them. The documents released this week provided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-released-trump-4e82e40715312f68b4f1f0d0592a8c42">more details of Cold War-era covert U.S. operations</a>&nbsp;in other nations, but they didn’t initially lend credence to conspiracy theories about who killed Kennedy.

One of the newly unredacted documents, for example, discloses the Social Security numbers of more than two dozen people seeking security clearances in the 1990s to review JFK-related documents for the Assassination Records Review Board.

The National Archives began screening the documents on Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers in the assassination records, the White House said.

The National Archives will share those numbers with the Social Security Administration, which will identify the people who are living and issue them new numbers, according to the White House. The National Archive also will offer creditor monitoring services for affected people until they receive their new Social Security numbers, officials said.

Kennedy was killed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald,</a>&nbsp;a former Marine who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast live on television.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700660678254.png" alt="FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;DAVE COLLINSSensitive personal information including Social Security numbers was unveiled in the newly unredacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">John F. Kennedy assassination</a>&nbsp;documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">released this week</a>, and that is not sitting well with the people affected.<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a>&nbsp;from the National ArchivesJoseph diGenova, a former campaign lawyer for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>, was among those whose personal information was disclosed. He said he is planning to sue the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration for violating privacy laws and is concerned about identity theft.“It should not have happened,” diGenova said in a phone interview Thursday. “I think it’s the result of incompetent people doing the reviewing. I don’t believe it had anything to do with rushing the process. The people who reviewed these documents did not do their job.”His personal information was on documents relating to his work for a U.S. Senate select committee that investigated abuses of power by government officials in the 1970s, including the surveillance of U.S. citizens.Officials at the White House said Thursday that a plan was in place to help those whose personal information was disclosed, including credit monitoring offered by the National Archives and a screening of the records that began Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers that were released. Officials also said new Social Security numbers will be issued to those affected.The White House did not respond to questions about why the personal information was unredacted.“President Trump delivered on his promise of maximum transparency by fully releasing the files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “At the request of the White House, the National Archives and the Social Security Administration immediately put together an action plan to proactively help individuals whose personal information was released in the files.”The National Archives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">Trump ordered</a>&nbsp;the release of the remaining classified files relating to the 1963 assassination shortly after being sworn into office in January.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-release-trump-3e8f31e18468d96b53210572e0992c07">About 2,200 files</a>&nbsp;consisting of over 63,000 pages were posted on the National Archive’s website on Tuesday evening. Many of those pages revealed what had previously been redacted.The vast majority of the National Archives’ more than 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination had previously been released.The National Archives posted assessments of the newly released documents on its website, but noted that there wasn’t enough time as of Wednesday to review more than a small fraction of them. The documents released this week provided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-released-trump-4e82e40715312f68b4f1f0d0592a8c42">more details of Cold War-era covert U.S. operations</a>&nbsp;in other nations, but they didn’t initially lend credence to conspiracy theories about who killed Kennedy.One of the newly unredacted documents, for example, discloses the Social Security numbers of more than two dozen people seeking security clearances in the 1990s to review JFK-related documents for the Assassination Records Review Board.The National Archives began screening the documents on Wednesday to identify all the Social Security numbers in the assassination records, the White House said.The National Archives will share those numbers with the Social Security Administration, which will identify the people who are living and issue them new numbers, according to the White House. The National Archive also will offer creditor monitoring services for affected people until they receive their new Social Security numbers, officials said.Kennedy was killed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald,</a>&nbsp;a former Marine who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast live on television.

People named in JFK assassination docs not happy their personal info released

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest in Osage County.

Early March 19, deputies were investigating the report of a stolen camper trailer at 12544 S. Topeka Avenue, near Carbondale, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells. During the investigation, a woman was taken into custody on a Shawnee County arrest warrant. She was also in possession of Illegal narcotics, according to Wells.

Deputies transported Melinda J. Stafford, 44, of Topeka to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and a Shawnee County warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742568674891.png" alt="Stafford photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Stafford photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest in Osage County.Early March 19, deputies were investigating the report of a stolen camper trailer at 12544 S. Topeka Avenue, near Carbondale, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells. During the investigation, a woman was taken into custody on a Shawnee County arrest warrant. She was also in possession of Illegal narcotics, according to Wells.Deputies transported Melinda J. Stafford, 44, of Topeka to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and a Shawnee County warrant.

Stolen vehicle investigation led to Kan. woman's arrest

More are dying from flu as the Trump administration postpones planning for next fall.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Americans are facing the highest death toll from influenza since 2018, just as more people become vulnerable because of growing vaccine skepticism taking hold in statehouses and the Trump administration.

Flu-related deaths hit a seven-year high in January and February, the two months that usually account for the height of flu season, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary federal statistics. There were about 9,800 deaths across the country, up from 5,000 in the same period last year and the most since 2018, when there were about 10,800.

Despite that, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has canceled or postponed meetings to prepare for next fall’s flu vaccine, when experts talk about what influenza strains they expect they’ll be battling.

The cancellations raised protests from medical professionals and state and federal officials. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/amid-the-worst-influenza-season-in-a-decade-gillibrand-demands-answers-on-cancellation-and-postponement-of-advisory-committee-meetings-on-vaccinations/" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>&nbsp;that her state is having its worst flu season in at least 15 years, with more deaths from flu and other causes as the state’s health care system struggles under the strain of flu patients.

Some experts say putting off vaccine planning will only feed false narratives that discourage lifesaving vaccinations.

“These delays not only weaken pandemic preparedness but also undermine public confidence in vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Akram Khan, an Oregon pulmonologist and associate professor at Oregon Health &amp; Science University who has studied attitudes toward vaccines.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/health/rfk-jr-vaccines-autism-video.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s04.B7NS.rhrHUA_r4ZKf&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">expressed doubt</a>&nbsp;about the need for vaccines, including flu vaccines, despite evidence that they reduce deaths and hospitalizations.

Deaths fluctuate naturally from year to year depending on the severity of current flu strains and the effectiveness of that year’s vaccines. But some see a hesitancy to use any vaccine, fed by misinformation and political mistrust of government, already taking a toll on lives.

“It’s been a bad winter for viral respiratory infections, not just in the United States but across the Northern Hemisphere,” said Mark Doherty, a vaccine scholar and former manager for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, a vaccine manufacturer.

“The U.S. does appear to be hit a bit harder, and it’s possible lower vaccination coverage is contributing to that,” Doherty said.

Flu vaccine distribution in the United States has been declining in recent years, and as of the first week of 2025 was down 16% from 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/vaccine-doses-distributed.html" target="_blank">federal statistics</a>.

The flu was a factor in 9,800 deaths in January and February, according to the analysis, using provisional data collected by states and compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The highest death rates were in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Kentucky, all at about four deaths per 100,000 population so far this year. Some counties in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as Oklahoma and Kentucky, were even higher — at about six deaths per 100,000.

The highest rates have been among older people. Statistics show the deaths hit white people and American Indians especially hard.

Tragedies are happening across the country to people of all ages and races, however. A 43-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/jeff-gregorys-family?attribution_id=sl:b469a277-193c-47ae-92b7-1f10b7b2f863&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp13_c-amp14_t1&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">Indiana father</a>&nbsp;died after a brief bout of the flu, according to family members. After two 10-year-olds died in Prince George’s County, Maryland, area schools&nbsp;<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/flu-shot-student-deaths-prince-georges-county-madison-middle-school-hospitalized-fever-henos-eskender-public-schools-minka-greene" target="_blank">drew crowds</a>&nbsp;to vaccine clinics.

Doug Sides, a pastor at Yulee Baptist Church in northern Florida, has held funerals for three congregation members who died from flu — all within one month, all of them over 70 years old. That compares with only one victim of COVID-19 from his congregation during the pandemic, he said.

“Flu death is a reality,” Sides told Stateline on a phone call from a Jacksonville hospital, where he was visiting another 84-year-old congregation member who was rescued from her home with severe pneumonia from an unknown cause.

“I encourage my church members to keep their hands clean, use hand sanitizer and to stay home if they’re feeling sick,” he said. He said he hasn’t personally gotten a flu vaccine recently because he gets conflicting advice about it — some doctors tell him to avoid them because he and some family members have cancer, while another “rides me all the time about getting a flu shot.”

“We’re all getting conflicting advice. We’re living in strange-o times,” he said. (The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/infections/vaccination-during-cancer-treatment.html" target="_blank">American Cancer Society</a>&nbsp;says vaccination for people with cancer may or may not be recommended depending on individual circumstances.)

Many states are&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/02/28/vaccination-rates-are-declining-they-might-get-worse-as-states-relax-rules/">relaxing vaccine requirements</a>&nbsp;as public skepticism rises. But many are taking action to warn residents and reassure them that vaccinations are safe and can help prevent deaths, despite misinformation to the contrary.

Burlington County, New Jersey, has had the highest flu-associated death rate of any county this year, according to the analysis, with 31 deaths among fewer than 500,000 people. The county held 30 free vaccine clinics from September to January, then extended them into February because of the severity of the flu season, said Dave Levinsky, a spokesperson for the county health department.

In Oklahoma, death rates are&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/health-education/acute-disease-service/viral-view/influenza.html" target="_blank">highest in the eastern part of the state</a>&nbsp;where the Cherokee Nation is centered. A&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/services/personal-health/immunizations/fight-flu.html" target="_blank">state publicity campaign</a>&nbsp;stresses that flu shots are safe, effective and free at many community health centers. However, vaccination rates in the state are low compared with other states as of December, according to federal statistics: Only about 16% of Oklahoma residents had gotten flu vaccinations by then. Rates were even lower in Louisiana (just under 16%), Mississippi (12%) and Texas (10%).

States with the highest flu vaccination rates by December were Maine (37%), Connecticut and Vermont (33%), and Wisconsin and Minnesota (31%). But even those were down since 2022.

People have become less likely to get vaccinated in recent years, a phenomenon researchers call “vaccine hesitancy.”

A&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39569234/" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;published last year in the medical journal Cureus found three-quarters of patients in a rural New York state community refused flu vaccine with comments such as “I do not trust vaccines” or “I do not believe in vaccines.” The most common reasons cited were that earlier vaccinations made them feel sick, that they got the flu anyway, or that they thought they shouldn’t need a new shot every year. (Doctors recommend flu vaccinations annually and note that even vaccinated patients who get the flu usually face less severe forms.)

And in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X25001033" target="_blank">paper</a>&nbsp;published in February in the journal Vaccine, researchers found that people refuse flu vaccinations for many of the same reasons they refused COVID-19 shots: a feeling of “social vulnerability” that leads to distrust of government and medical guidance. One hopeful sign, the report noted, is that vaccine recommendations from trusted health care professionals can turn around such attitudes.

“Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy is deeply entangled with misinformation, political rhetoric and public distrust,” said Khan, the Oregon pulmonologist and the study’s author. “Scientific data alone may not be enough to shift public perceptions, as many vaccine decisions are driven by gut feelings and external influences rather than evidence.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742732863479.png" alt=" A woman receives a flu vaccination at a recent clinic in Cambridge, Mass., conducted by health care providers from the Cambridge Health Alliance. Flu-related deaths are at a seven-year high as vaccination levels fall, according to a Stateline analysis. (Courtesy of the City of Cambridge)" />
 <figcaption> A woman receives a flu vaccination at a recent clinic in Cambridge, Mass., conducted by health care providers from the Cambridge Health Alliance. Flu-related deaths are at a seven-year high as vaccination levels fall, according to a Stateline analysis. (Courtesy of the City of Cambridge)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>More are dying from flu as the Trump administration postpones planning for next fall.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>Americans are facing the highest death toll from influenza since 2018, just as more people become vulnerable because of growing vaccine skepticism taking hold in statehouses and the Trump administration.Flu-related deaths hit a seven-year high in January and February, the two months that usually account for the height of flu season, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary federal statistics. There were about 9,800 deaths across the country, up from 5,000 in the same period last year and the most since 2018, when there were about 10,800.Despite that, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has canceled or postponed meetings to prepare for next fall’s flu vaccine, when experts talk about what influenza strains they expect they’ll be battling.The cancellations raised protests from medical professionals and state and federal officials. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/amid-the-worst-influenza-season-in-a-decade-gillibrand-demands-answers-on-cancellation-and-postponement-of-advisory-committee-meetings-on-vaccinations/" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>&nbsp;that her state is having its worst flu season in at least 15 years, with more deaths from flu and other causes as the state’s health care system struggles under the strain of flu patients.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742732798762.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Some experts say putting off vaccine planning will only feed false narratives that discourage lifesaving vaccinations.“These delays not only weaken pandemic preparedness but also undermine public confidence in vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Akram Khan, an Oregon pulmonologist and associate professor at Oregon Health &amp; Science University who has studied attitudes toward vaccines.U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/health/rfk-jr-vaccines-autism-video.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s04.B7NS.rhrHUA_r4ZKf&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">expressed doubt</a>&nbsp;about the need for vaccines, including flu vaccines, despite evidence that they reduce deaths and hospitalizations.Deaths fluctuate naturally from year to year depending on the severity of current flu strains and the effectiveness of that year’s vaccines. But some see a hesitancy to use any vaccine, fed by misinformation and political mistrust of government, already taking a toll on lives.“It’s been a bad winter for viral respiratory infections, not just in the United States but across the Northern Hemisphere,” said Mark Doherty, a vaccine scholar and former manager for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, a vaccine manufacturer.“The U.S. does appear to be hit a bit harder, and it’s possible lower vaccination coverage is contributing to that,” Doherty said.Flu vaccine distribution in the United States has been declining in recent years, and as of the first week of 2025 was down 16% from 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/vaccine-doses-distributed.html" target="_blank">federal statistics</a>.The flu was a factor in 9,800 deaths in January and February, according to the analysis, using provisional data collected by states and compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The highest death rates were in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Kentucky, all at about four deaths per 100,000 population so far this year. Some counties in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as Oklahoma and Kentucky, were even higher — at about six deaths per 100,000.The highest rates have been among older people. Statistics show the deaths hit white people and American Indians especially hard.Tragedies are happening across the country to people of all ages and races, however. A 43-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/jeff-gregorys-family?attribution_id=sl:b469a277-193c-47ae-92b7-1f10b7b2f863&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp13_c-amp14_t1&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">Indiana father</a>&nbsp;died after a brief bout of the flu, according to family members. After two 10-year-olds died in Prince George’s County, Maryland, area schools&nbsp;<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/flu-shot-student-deaths-prince-georges-county-madison-middle-school-hospitalized-fever-henos-eskender-public-schools-minka-greene" target="_blank">drew crowds</a>&nbsp;to vaccine clinics.Doug Sides, a pastor at Yulee Baptist Church in northern Florida, has held funerals for three congregation members who died from flu — all within one month, all of them over 70 years old. That compares with only one victim of COVID-19 from his congregation during the pandemic, he said.“Flu death is a reality,” Sides told Stateline on a phone call from a Jacksonville hospital, where he was visiting another 84-year-old congregation member who was rescued from her home with severe pneumonia from an unknown cause.“I encourage my church members to keep their hands clean, use hand sanitizer and to stay home if they’re feeling sick,” he said. He said he hasn’t personally gotten a flu vaccine recently because he gets conflicting advice about it — some doctors tell him to avoid them because he and some family members have cancer, while another “rides me all the time about getting a flu shot.”“We’re all getting conflicting advice. We’re living in strange-o times,” he said. (The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/infections/vaccination-during-cancer-treatment.html" target="_blank">American Cancer Society</a>&nbsp;says vaccination for people with cancer may or may not be recommended depending on individual circumstances.)Many states are&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/02/28/vaccination-rates-are-declining-they-might-get-worse-as-states-relax-rules/">relaxing vaccine requirements</a>&nbsp;as public skepticism rises. But many are taking action to warn residents and reassure them that vaccinations are safe and can help prevent deaths, despite misinformation to the contrary.Burlington County, New Jersey, has had the highest flu-associated death rate of any county this year, according to the analysis, with 31 deaths among fewer than 500,000 people. The county held 30 free vaccine clinics from September to January, then extended them into February because of the severity of the flu season, said Dave Levinsky, a spokesperson for the county health department.In Oklahoma, death rates are&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/health-education/acute-disease-service/viral-view/influenza.html" target="_blank">highest in the eastern part of the state</a>&nbsp;where the Cherokee Nation is centered. A&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/services/personal-health/immunizations/fight-flu.html" target="_blank">state publicity campaign</a>&nbsp;stresses that flu shots are safe, effective and free at many community health centers. However, vaccination rates in the state are low compared with other states as of December, according to federal statistics: Only about 16% of Oklahoma residents had gotten flu vaccinations by then. Rates were even lower in Louisiana (just under 16%), Mississippi (12%) and Texas (10%).States with the highest flu vaccination rates by December were Maine (37%), Connecticut and Vermont (33%), and Wisconsin and Minnesota (31%). But even those were down since 2022.People have become less likely to get vaccinated in recent years, a phenomenon researchers call “vaccine hesitancy.”A&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39569234/" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;published last year in the medical journal Cureus found three-quarters of patients in a rural New York state community refused flu vaccine with comments such as “I do not trust vaccines” or “I do not believe in vaccines.” The most common reasons cited were that earlier vaccinations made them feel sick, that they got the flu anyway, or that they thought they shouldn’t need a new shot every year. (Doctors recommend flu vaccinations annually and note that even vaccinated patients who get the flu usually face less severe forms.)And in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X25001033" target="_blank">paper</a>&nbsp;published in February in the journal Vaccine, researchers found that people refuse flu vaccinations for many of the same reasons they refused COVID-19 shots: a feeling of “social vulnerability” that leads to distrust of government and medical guidance. One hopeful sign, the report noted, is that vaccine recommendations from trusted health care professionals can turn around such attitudes.“Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy is deeply entangled with misinformation, political rhetoric and public distrust,” said Khan, the Oregon pulmonologist and the study’s author. “Scientific data alone may not be enough to shift public perceptions, as many vaccine decisions are driven by gut feelings and external influences rather than evidence.”

Flu deaths rise as anti-vaccine disinformation takes root

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Cybertrucks set ablaze. Bullets and Molotov cocktails aimed at Tesla showrooms.

Attacks on property carrying the logo of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk's</a>&nbsp;electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.

There's been a clear uptick since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">slashing government spending</a>. Experts on domestic extremism say it's impossible to know yet if the spate of incidents will balloon into a long-term pattern.

In Trump’s first term, his properties in New York, Washington and elsewhere became a natural place for protest. In the early days of his second term, Tesla is filling that role.

“Tesla is an easy target,” said Randy Blazak, a sociologist who studies political violence. “They’re rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.”

Musk critics have organized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-protests-doge-3b3eba9313074ccf8e959a92486d900f">dozens of peaceful demonstrations</a>&nbsp;at Tesla dealerships and factories across North America and Europe. Some Tesla owners,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CaptMarkKelly/status/1900574148906086817">including a U.S. senator</a>&nbsp;who feuded with Musk, have vowed to sell their vehicles.

But the attacks are keeping law enforcement busy.

Prosecutors in Colorado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-colorado-dealership-vandalized-federal-charges-musk-d6aefe246624592ceff0b4e6ce6e57a1">charged a woman</a>&nbsp;last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-vandalism-arrest-colorado-musk-9b8019281d60825af8bac4a9c1df6255">Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles</a>&nbsp;and the words “Nazi cars” spray-painted on a building.

And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and DOGE in his bedroom and wallet.

“The statement made mention of sending a message based on these beliefs,” the agent wrote.

Some of the most prominent incidents have been reported in left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest, like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-race-and-ethnicity-id-state-wire-or-state-wire-b57315d97dd2146c4a89b4636faa7b70">Portland, Oregon</a>, and Seattle, where anti-Trump and anti-Musk sentiment runs high.

An Oregon man faces charges after allegedly throwing several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returning another day and shooting out windows. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, more than a dozen bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom last week, damaging vehicles and windows, the second time in a week that the store was targeted.

Four Cybertrucks were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-cybertruck-fire-seattle-7cd720096694b8455684db31159ed666">set on fire</a>&nbsp;in a Tesla lot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/authorities-investigate-after-tesla-cybertrucks-burn-in-seattle-5cc5926aad8741cabad6f4a908e5106d">in Seattle</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. On Friday, witnesses reported a man poured gasoline on an unoccupied Tesla Model S and started a fire on a Seattle street.

In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tesla service center where the word “resist” was also painted in red across the building’s front doors. Authorities said at least one person threw Molotov cocktails — crude bombs filled with gasoline or another flammable liquid — and fired several rounds from a weapon into the vehicles.

“Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think — the writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence,” Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said at a news conference. “None of those factors are lost on us.”

Tesla was once the darling of the left. Helped to viability by a $465 million federal loan during the Obama administration, the company popularized electric vehicles and proved, despite their early reputation, that they didn’t have to be small, stodgy, underpowered and limited in range.

More recently, though, Musk has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-congress-bipartisan-deal-320a3487d596ae0d2e1ffdc1e62054b3">allied himself</a>&nbsp;with the right. He bought the social network Twitter, renamed it X and erased restrictions that had infuriated conservatives. He spent an estimated $250 million to boost Trump’s 2024 Republican campaign, becoming by far his biggest benefactor.

Musk continues to run Tesla —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/x-cyber-attack-musk-trump-77f48ea813482de03272136121ea2f5c">as well as X</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-elon-musk-0c260a324f597a172300315c6486b9df">the rocket manufacturer SpaceX</a>&nbsp;— while also serving as Trump’s adviser.

Tesla stock doubled in value in the weeks after Trump’s election but has since shed all those gains.

Trump gave a boost to the company when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">turned the White House driveway</a>&nbsp;into an electric-vehicle showroom. He promoted the vehicles and said he would purchase an $80,000 Model S, eschewing his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-electric-vehicles-past-criticism-hoax-d58758e990f13482e0c6e3a79150abbe">fierce past criticism</a>&nbsp;of electric vehicles.

Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk briefly addressed the vandalism Monday during an appearance on Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast, saying “at least some of it is organized and paid for” by “left-wing organizations in America, funded by left-wing billionaires, essentially.”

“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1902025957646508355">wrote Tuesday</a>&nbsp;on X, sharing a video of burning Teslas in Las Vegas. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”

The progressive group Indivisible, which published a guide for supporters to organize “Musk Or Us” protests around the country, said in a statement that all of its guidance is publicly available and “it explicitly encourages peaceful protest and condemns any acts of violence or vandalism.”

Some Tesla owners have resorted to cheeky bumper stickers to distance themselves from their vehicle’s new stigma and perhaps deter would-be vandals. They say things like “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” or “I just wanted an electric car. Sorry guys.”

Prices for used Cybertrucks, Tesla’s most distinctive product, have dropped nearly 8% since Trump took office, according to CarGurus, which aggregates used-car vehicle listings. The market as a whole remained steady over the period.

The White House has thrown its weight behind Musk, the highest-profile member of Trump's administration and a key donor to committees promoting Trump's political interests. Trump has said Tesla vandalism amounts to “domestic terror,” and Trump has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are “going to go through hell.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’d opened an investigation “to see how is this being funded, who is behind this.”

“If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you,” Bondi said Friday on Fox Business Network. In a statement Tuesday, she vowed to “continue investigations that impose severe consequences,” including for “those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”

Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, said left-wing political violence tends to target property rather than people. He views the rise of neo-Nazi groups as a bigger security threat at this point.

“It’s not the type of act that I would prioritize,” Clarke said. “Not right now compared to all the other threats that are out there.”

Theresa Ramsdell is the president of the Tesla Owners of Washington state, a club for Tesla enthusiasts, and she and her husband own three of them.

“Hate on Elon and Trump all you want — that’s fine and dandy, it’s your choice,” she said. “It doesn’t justify ruining somebody’s property, vandalizing it, destroying it, setting it on fire. There’s other ways to get your voice heard that’s more effective.”

Someone recently slapped a “no Elon” sticker on the tailgate of her Cybertruck, but she said she doesn’t intend to stop driving her Teslas. Other club members have taken a similar view, she said.

“I love my car. It’s the safest car,” Ramsdell said. “I’m not going to let somebody else judge me for the car I drive.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742305766866.png" alt="-The cause of a fire at a Tesla dealership in Kansas City is under federal investigation- Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>-The cause of a fire at a Tesla dealership in Kansas City is under federal investigation- Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Cybertrucks set ablaze. Bullets and Molotov cocktails aimed at Tesla showrooms.Attacks on property carrying the logo of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk's</a>&nbsp;electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FBI Kansas City has released the following statement alongside <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFKansasCity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATFKansasCity</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kcpolice</a> regarding an overnight incident in South Kansas City. <a href="https://t.co/M2SZS6iWeQ">pic.twitter.com/M2SZS6iWeQ</a>&mdash; FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIKansasCity/status/1902048654795432263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>There's been a clear uptick since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">slashing government spending</a>. Experts on domestic extremism say it's impossible to know yet if the spate of incidents will balloon into a long-term pattern.In Trump’s first term, his properties in New York, Washington and elsewhere became a natural place for protest. In the early days of his second term, Tesla is filling that role.“Tesla is an easy target,” said Randy Blazak, a sociologist who studies political violence. “They’re rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.”Musk critics have organized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-protests-doge-3b3eba9313074ccf8e959a92486d900f">dozens of peaceful demonstrations</a>&nbsp;at Tesla dealerships and factories across North America and Europe. Some Tesla owners,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CaptMarkKelly/status/1900574148906086817">including a U.S. senator</a>&nbsp;who feuded with Musk, have vowed to sell their vehicles.But the attacks are keeping law enforcement busy.Prosecutors in Colorado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-colorado-dealership-vandalized-federal-charges-musk-d6aefe246624592ceff0b4e6ce6e57a1">charged a woman</a>&nbsp;last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-vandalism-arrest-colorado-musk-9b8019281d60825af8bac4a9c1df6255">Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles</a>&nbsp;and the words “Nazi cars” spray-painted on a building.And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and DOGE in his bedroom and wallet.“The statement made mention of sending a message based on these beliefs,” the agent wrote.Some of the most prominent incidents have been reported in left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest, like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-race-and-ethnicity-id-state-wire-or-state-wire-b57315d97dd2146c4a89b4636faa7b70">Portland, Oregon</a>, and Seattle, where anti-Trump and anti-Musk sentiment runs high.An Oregon man faces charges after allegedly throwing several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returning another day and shooting out windows. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, more than a dozen bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom last week, damaging vehicles and windows, the second time in a week that the store was targeted.Four Cybertrucks were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-cybertruck-fire-seattle-7cd720096694b8455684db31159ed666">set on fire</a>&nbsp;in a Tesla lot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/authorities-investigate-after-tesla-cybertrucks-burn-in-seattle-5cc5926aad8741cabad6f4a908e5106d">in Seattle</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. On Friday, witnesses reported a man poured gasoline on an unoccupied Tesla Model S and started a fire on a Seattle street.In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tesla service center where the word “resist” was also painted in red across the building’s front doors. Authorities said at least one person threw Molotov cocktails — crude bombs filled with gasoline or another flammable liquid — and fired several rounds from a weapon into the vehicles.“Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think — the writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence,” Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said at a news conference. “None of those factors are lost on us.”<h2>Tesla becomes a target for the left</h2>Tesla was once the darling of the left. Helped to viability by a $465 million federal loan during the Obama administration, the company popularized electric vehicles and proved, despite their early reputation, that they didn’t have to be small, stodgy, underpowered and limited in range.More recently, though, Musk has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-congress-bipartisan-deal-320a3487d596ae0d2e1ffdc1e62054b3">allied himself</a>&nbsp;with the right. He bought the social network Twitter, renamed it X and erased restrictions that had infuriated conservatives. He spent an estimated $250 million to boost Trump’s 2024 Republican campaign, becoming by far his biggest benefactor.Musk continues to run Tesla —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/x-cyber-attack-musk-trump-77f48ea813482de03272136121ea2f5c">as well as X</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-elon-musk-0c260a324f597a172300315c6486b9df">the rocket manufacturer SpaceX</a>&nbsp;— while also serving as Trump’s adviser.Tesla stock doubled in value in the weeks after Trump’s election but has since shed all those gains.Trump gave a boost to the company when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">turned the White House driveway</a>&nbsp;into an electric-vehicle showroom. He promoted the vehicles and said he would purchase an $80,000 Model S, eschewing his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-electric-vehicles-past-criticism-hoax-d58758e990f13482e0c6e3a79150abbe">fierce past criticism</a>&nbsp;of electric vehicles.Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk briefly addressed the vandalism Monday during an appearance on Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast, saying “at least some of it is organized and paid for” by “left-wing organizations in America, funded by left-wing billionaires, essentially.”“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1902025957646508355">wrote Tuesday</a>&nbsp;on X, sharing a video of burning Teslas in Las Vegas. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”The progressive group Indivisible, which published a guide for supporters to organize “Musk Or Us” protests around the country, said in a statement that all of its guidance is publicly available and “it explicitly encourages peaceful protest and condemns any acts of violence or vandalism.”Some Tesla owners have resorted to cheeky bumper stickers to distance themselves from their vehicle’s new stigma and perhaps deter would-be vandals. They say things like “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” or “I just wanted an electric car. Sorry guys.”Prices for used Cybertrucks, Tesla’s most distinctive product, have dropped nearly 8% since Trump took office, according to CarGurus, which aggregates used-car vehicle listings. The market as a whole remained steady over the period.<h2>The White House vows a crackdown</h2>The White House has thrown its weight behind Musk, the highest-profile member of Trump's administration and a key donor to committees promoting Trump's political interests. Trump has said Tesla vandalism amounts to “domestic terror,” and Trump has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are “going to go through hell.”Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’d opened an investigation “to see how is this being funded, who is behind this.”“If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you,” Bondi said Friday on Fox Business Network. In a statement Tuesday, she vowed to “continue investigations that impose severe consequences,” including for “those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, said left-wing political violence tends to target property rather than people. He views the rise of neo-Nazi groups as a bigger security threat at this point.“It’s not the type of act that I would prioritize,” Clarke said. “Not right now compared to all the other threats that are out there.”Theresa Ramsdell is the president of the Tesla Owners of Washington state, a club for Tesla enthusiasts, and she and her husband own three of them.“Hate on Elon and Trump all you want — that’s fine and dandy, it’s your choice,” she said. “It doesn’t justify ruining somebody’s property, vandalizing it, destroying it, setting it on fire. There’s other ways to get your voice heard that’s more effective.”Someone recently slapped a “no Elon” sticker on the tailgate of her Cybertruck, but she said she doesn’t intend to stop driving her Teslas. Other club members have taken a similar view, she said.“I love my car. It’s the safest car,” Ramsdell said. “I’m not going to let somebody else judge me for the car I drive.”___Cooper reported from Phoenix.

Attacks on Tesla dealerships spike as Musk takes prominent role in Trump White House

On Saturday, the Kansas Highway Patrol report how troopers rescued a 6-year-old kidnapping victim.

On their social media account, the Patrol reported, in February, a trooper assigned to the KHP criminal interdiction unit, stopped an SUV for a traffic violation.  During the traffic stop, it was discovered that the front seat passenger had a warrant for his arrest from another state for kidnapping a 6-year-old girl just over a month prior. 

 The trooper had observed a girl about that age in the vehicle with the two adult male occupants, both of whom were in their 60’s.  The driver had a criminal history to include homicide and numerous weapons violations over the years.

After the trooper and a deputy from a local sheriff’s office quickly secured both the driver and passenger, the trooper safely removed the little girl from the vehicle.

  This 6-year-old girl gave the trooper a false name and date of birth, after having been coached to do so, in an attempt to keep the adult out of jail.  Ultimately, our trooper calmed the girl down and got her to tell him her real name.  She was the kidnapping victim, who had been with this suspect for over a month on the run. Thankfully the girl was unharmed, and the men were taken into custody.

The patrol did not report the names of the suspects or where the arrest occurred.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742693842256.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>On Saturday, the Kansas Highway Patrol report how troopers rescued a 6-year-old kidnapping victim.On their social media account, the Patrol reported, in February, a trooper assigned to the KHP criminal interdiction unit, stopped an SUV for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, it was discovered that the front seat passenger had a warrant for his arrest from another state for kidnapping a 6-year-old girl just over a month prior. The trooper had observed a girl about that age in the vehicle with the two adult male occupants, both of whom were in their 60’s. The driver had a criminal history to include homicide and numerous weapons violations over the years.After the trooper and a deputy from a local sheriff’s office quickly secured both the driver and passenger, the trooper safely removed the little girl from the vehicle. This 6-year-old girl gave the trooper a false name and date of birth, after having been coached to do so, in an attempt to keep the adult out of jail. Ultimately, our trooper calmed the girl down and got her to tell him her real name. She was the kidnapping victim, who had been with this suspect for over a month on the run. Thankfully the girl was unharmed, and the men were taken into custody.The patrol did not report the names of the suspects or where the arrest occurred.

KHP reports saving 6-year-old kidnap victim

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

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dozens of Social Security Administration offices across the country are slated to close this year due to actions taken by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency as part of the Trump administration’s unprecedented effort to shrink the size of government.

DOGE has&nbsp;<a href="https://doge.gov/savings" target="_blank">published a list</a>&nbsp;of nearly 800 federal real estate leases that it is seeking to cancel. The Associated Press has obtained an internal planning document from the General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, which shows when nearly two-thirds of those cancellations are expected to go into effect.

The offices are closing despite a new requirement that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-fraud-waste-doge-elon-musk-212e3089951f731fd3f83443e104b315">tighter identity-proofing</a>&nbsp;measures be put in place to prevent fraud and abuse. These steps will require millions of recipients and applicants to visit agency field offices rather than interact with agency employees over the phone.

The AP also obtained more information about each lease on DOGE’s list through other publicly available datasets, including their addresses, the dates the leases had started and were originally expected to expire, and the landlords who own the properties.

Of the 47 Social Security Administration offices listed for closure, only some had anticipated dates for when those lease cancellations would take effect. Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of the 26 offices listed as expected to close this year, along with the termination date for each lease, according to the General Services data:

965 Holiday Drive, Forrest City: April 25

825 N. Crest Drive, Grand Junction: June 21

1865 W. City Drive, Elizabeth City: June 24

1122 N. University Drive, Nacogdoches: May 7

1103 George Kostas Drive, Logan: April 30

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/meg-kinnard">MEG KINNARD</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — Dozens of Social Security Administration offices across the country are slated to close this year due to actions taken by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency as part of the Trump administration’s unprecedented effort to shrink the size of government.DOGE has&nbsp;<a href="https://doge.gov/savings" target="_blank">published a list</a>&nbsp;of nearly 800 federal real estate leases that it is seeking to cancel. The Associated Press has obtained an internal planning document from the General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, which shows when nearly two-thirds of those cancellations are expected to go into effect.The offices are closing despite a new requirement that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-fraud-waste-doge-elon-musk-212e3089951f731fd3f83443e104b315">tighter identity-proofing</a>&nbsp;measures be put in place to prevent fraud and abuse. These steps will require millions of recipients and applicants to visit agency field offices rather than interact with agency employees over the phone.The AP also obtained more information about each lease on DOGE’s list through other publicly available datasets, including their addresses, the dates the leases had started and were originally expected to expire, and the landlords who own the properties.Of the 47 Social Security Administration offices listed for closure, only some had anticipated dates for when those lease cancellations would take effect. Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of the 26 offices listed as expected to close this year, along with the termination date for each lease, according to the General Services data:<h2>Alabama</h2>634 Broad St., Gadsden: Sept. 30<h2>Arkansas</h2>965 Holiday Drive, Forrest City: April 254083 Jefferson Ave., Texarkana: May 25<h2>Colorado</h2>825 N. Crest Drive, Grand Junction: June 21<h2>Florida</h2>4740 Dairy Road, Melbourne: May 16<h2>Georgia</h2>1338 Broadway, Columbus: Sept. 30<h2>Kentucky</h2>825 High St., Hazard: April 24<h2>Louisiana</h2>178 Civic Center Drive, Houma: April 25<h2>Mississippi</h2>4717 26th St., Meridian: June 1604 Yalobusha St., Greenwood: June 12383 Sunset Drive, Grenada: May 1<h2>Montana</h2>3701 American Way, Missoula: June 21<h2>North Carolina</h2>730 Roanoke Ave., Roanoke Rapids: Aug. 12123 Lakeside Drive, Franklin: June 232805 Charles Blvd., Greenville: June 241865 W. City Drive, Elizabeth City: June 24<h2>North Dakota</h2>1414 20th Ave. SW, Minot: June 21<h2>Nevada</h2>701 Bridger Ave., Las Vegas: June 1<h2>New York</h2>75 S. Broadway, White Plains: May 31332 Main St., Poughkeepsie: July 31<h2>Ohio</h2>30 N. Diamond St., Mansfield: May 17<h2>Oklahoma</h2>1610 SW Lee Blvd., Lawton: April 25<h2>Texas</h2>1122 N. University Drive, Nacogdoches: May 78208 NE Zac Lentz Parkway, May 25<h2>West Virginia</h2>1103 George Kostas Drive, Logan: April 30<h2>Wyoming</h2>79 Winston Drive, Rock Springs: June 20

List of the Social Security offices across the US expected to close 

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tb-who-tuberculosis-covid-c0fd5cc6542e7f9135833366b71546d2">Tuberculosis continued to rise</a>&nbsp;again in the U.S. last year, reaching its highest levels in more than a dozen years.

More than 10,300 cases were reported last year, an 8% increase from 2023 and the highest since 2011, according to preliminary&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb-data/2024-provisional/index.html#cdc_report_pub_study_section_2-provisional-data">data</a>&nbsp;posted this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both the number of cases and the rate of infections rose. Rates were up among all age groups, and 34 states reported an increase.

CDC officials say the rise is the mainly due to international travel and migration. The vast majority of U.S. TB cases are diagnosed in people born in other countries. Other illnesses that weaken the immune system and allow latent TB infections to emerge may also be at play.

Outbreaks in several states have contributed to recent TB trends, including a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberculosis-tb-outbreak-kansas-largest-b6b58f4f5461abb430745e3a8e7dc758">one in the Kansas City, Kansas area</a>. The Kansas TB rate jumped 148% last year, according to the new CDC data. Alaska and Hawaii continue to have the highest case rates.

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that usually attack the lungs, and is spread through the air when an infectious person coughs or sneezes. If not treated properly, it can be fatal. In the late 1800s, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe. But the development of antibiotics and public health efforts succeeded in treating infections and tracking down those they infected, leading to cases falling for decades.

The new CDC statistics are not a count of how many people were newly infected, but rather of how many people developed a cough or other symptoms and were diagnosed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707492278650.png" alt=" A digitally colorized scan of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause tuberculosis in human beings. Although tuberculosis cases have been rising, public health departments say they lack the resources to stop the disease from spreading (Courtesy of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)." />
 <figcaption> A digitally colorized scan of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause tuberculosis in human beings. Although tuberculosis cases have been rising, public health departments say they lack the resources to stop the disease from spreading (Courtesy of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases).</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tb-who-tuberculosis-covid-c0fd5cc6542e7f9135833366b71546d2">Tuberculosis continued to rise</a>&nbsp;again in the U.S. last year, reaching its highest levels in more than a dozen years.More than 10,300 cases were reported last year, an 8% increase from 2023 and the highest since 2011, according to preliminary&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb-data/2024-provisional/index.html#cdc_report_pub_study_section_2-provisional-data">data</a>&nbsp;posted this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Both the number of cases and the rate of infections rose. Rates were up among all age groups, and 34 states reported an increase.CDC officials say the rise is the mainly due to international travel and migration. The vast majority of U.S. TB cases are diagnosed in people born in other countries. Other illnesses that weaken the immune system and allow latent TB infections to emerge may also be at play.Outbreaks in several states have contributed to recent TB trends, including a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberculosis-tb-outbreak-kansas-largest-b6b58f4f5461abb430745e3a8e7dc758">one in the Kansas City, Kansas area</a>. The Kansas TB rate jumped 148% last year, according to the new CDC data. Alaska and Hawaii continue to have the highest case rates.Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that usually attack the lungs, and is spread through the air when an infectious person coughs or sneezes. If not treated properly, it can be fatal. In the late 1800s, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe. But the development of antibiotics and public health efforts succeeded in treating infections and tracking down those they infected, leading to cases falling for decades.The new CDC statistics are not a count of how many people were newly infected, but rather of how many people developed a cough or other symptoms and were diagnosed.___

Tuberculosis cases in Kan. and the US rose to highest levels in years

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police investigators are aware of an emerging scam targeting individuals who have lost a pet and have posted about it on social media platforms, such as Facebook, often offering a reward for the safe return of their pets, according to a social media statement from Wichita Police.

 Scammers are taking advantage of the emotions of pet owners by falsely claiming to have found their lost pet and requesting money before they will return it.

To help protect yourself from this type of scam, police encourage you to follow these precautions:

1. Never send money before reclaiming your pet. Legitimate individuals will not demand a reward in advance.

2. Verify the person's claim. Ask for detailed information or photos of your pet to confirm they genuinely have it.

3. Reclaim your pet safely. We recommend reclaiming your pet at your local police substation, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

4. Contact your local police department. If you suspect or you have fallen victim to fraudulent activity or feel uncertain about any communication.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police investigators are aware of an emerging scam targeting individuals who have lost a pet and have posted about it on social media platforms, such as Facebook, often offering a reward for the safe return of their pets, according to a social media statement from Wichita Police. Scammers are taking advantage of the emotions of pet owners by falsely claiming to have found their lost pet and requesting money before they will return it.To help protect yourself from this type of scam, police encourage you to follow these precautions:1. Never send money before reclaiming your pet. Legitimate individuals will not demand a reward in advance.2. Verify the person's claim. Ask for detailed information or photos of your pet to confirm they genuinely have it.3. Reclaim your pet safely. We recommend reclaiming your pet at your local police substation, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.4. Contact your local police department. If you suspect or you have fallen victim to fraudulent activity or feel uncertain about any communication.

Police: Scam targets owners who have lost a pet 

ROME (AP) — A weak and frail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;left the hospital Sunday after surviving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-hospitalizations-timeline-36392b07bd38d99f1b8c2475017199b7">five-week, life-threatening</a>&nbsp;bout of pneumonia, giving a thumbs up to an adoring crowd and taking a detour to go pray at a Rome-area church before returning home to the Vatican.

A motorcade carrying the 88-year-old pope wound its way through light Rome traffic Sunday morning and kept going after reaching Vatican City, where crowds of people had lined the streets to welcome him home. Francis later arrived across town at St. Mary Major basilica, where his favorite icon of the Madonna is located and where he always goes to pray after a foreign visit.

Before leaving Gemelli hospital, Francis gave a thumbs up and acknowledged the crowd after he was wheeled out onto the balcony overlooking the main entry. Hundreds of people had gathered on a brilliant Sunday morning to say goodbye.

“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava!” a tired and bloated-looking Francis said. He gave a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.

Chants of “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” erupted from the crowd, which included patients who had been wheeled outside just to catch his brief appearance.

Doctors, who announced his planned release at a Saturday evening news conference, said he should refrain from meeting with big groups of people or exerting himself, but that eventually he should be able to resume all his normal activities.

His return home, after the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-longest-hospitalizations-john-paul-ii-gemelli-619139a0ba7006b939816b50e31d1cdb">second-longest in recent papal history</a>, brought tangible relief to the Vatican and Catholic faithful who have been anxiously following 38 days of medical ups and downs and wondering if Francis would make it.

“Today I feel a great joy," said Dr. Rossella Russomando, a doctor from Salerno who didn't treat Francis but was at Gemelli on Sunday. “It is the demonstration that all our prayers, all the rosary prayers from all over the world, brought this grace.”

At the Vatican Sunday, pilgrims flocked as they have all year to St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the 2025 Holy Year. They swarmed St. Peter’s Square and progressed through the Holy Door in groups, while big TV screens in the square were turned on to broadcast Francis’ hospital greeting live.

No special arrangements have been made at the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel next to the basilica where Francis lives in a two-room suite on the second floor. Francis will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed, though his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said he hoped Francis would progressively need less and less assistance breathing as his lungs recover.

While the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue to take oral medication for quite some time to treat the fungal infection in his lungs and continue his respiratory and physical physiotherapy.

“For three or four days he’s been asking when he can go home, so he’s very happy,” Carbone said.

The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened.

Doctors first diagnosed a complex&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-illness-polymicrobial-infection-6638f63730046f420b4d0a6d364826f7">bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract infection</a>&nbsp;and soon thereafter, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anemia, low blood platelets and the onset of kidney failure, all of which later resolved after two blood transfusions.

The most serious setbacks began on Feb. 28, when Francis experienced an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-pneumonia-conclave-70907cdf66ec28e276133002987303de">acute coughing fit</a>&nbsp;and inhaled vomit, requiring the use of a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-pneumonia-65b0457c46d7de722305260079c3bb87">more respiratory crises</a>&nbsp;a few days later, which required doctors to manually aspirate “copious” amounts of mucus from his lungs, at which point he began sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear the accumulation of fluids.

He was never intubated and at no point lost consciousness. Doctors reported he always remained alert and cooperative, though they say he has probably lost a bit of weight given a natural loss of appetite.

“Unfortunately yes, there was a moment when many were saying that he might not make it. And it was painful for us," said Mario Balsamo, the owner of coffee shop in front of Gemelli. "Instead, today with the discharge, we are very happy that he is well and we hope he will recover soon and will recover his strength.”

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the medical and surgical chief at Gemelli who coordinated Francis’ medical team, stressed that not all patients who develop such a severe case of double pneumonia survive, much less are released from the hospital. He said Francis’ life was at risk twice, during the two acute respiratory crises, and that the pope at the time understandably lost his typical good sense of humor.

“But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and we asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive,’ we knew he was OK and had gotten his good humor back,” he said.

Alfieri confirmed that Francis was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. But he said such problems were normal, especially in older patients, and predicted his voice would eventually return to normal.

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-king-charles-37aa3c7107e481ae0a302a648688982f">scheduled audience</a>&nbsp;on April 8 with King Charles III or Francis’ participation in Easter services at the end of the month. But Carbone said he hoped Francis might be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in an important ecumenical anniversary.

Francis is also returning to the Vatican in the throes of a Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration scheduled to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome this year. The pope has already missed several Jubilee audiences and will presumably miss several more, but Vatican officials say his absence hasn't significantly impacted the numbers of expected pilgrims arriving.

Only St. John Paul II recorded a longer hospitalization in 1981, when he spent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-longest-hospitalizations-john-paul-ii-gemelli-619139a0ba7006b939816b50e31d1cdb">55 days at Gemelli</a>&nbsp;for minor surgery and treatment of an infection.

ROME (AP) — A weak and frail looking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;appeared on a hospital balcony Sunday to bless the crowd in his first public outing in five weeks and ahead of his release from the hospital after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.

The 88-year-old pope gave a thumbs up and acknowledged the crowd after he was wheeled out onto the balcony overlooking the main entry of Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where hundreds of people had gathered on a brilliant Sunday morning.

“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava!” a tired and bloated looking Francis said. He gave a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.

His blessing came before he was due to be released and return home to the Vatican for a two-month period of rest and convalescence.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742729302744.png" alt="Pope Francis thumbs up as he appears at a window of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025, where he has been treated for bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)" />
 <figcaption>Pope Francis thumbs up as he appears at a window of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025, where he has been treated for bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — A weak and frail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;left the hospital Sunday after surviving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-hospitalizations-timeline-36392b07bd38d99f1b8c2475017199b7">five-week, life-threatening</a>&nbsp;bout of pneumonia, giving a thumbs up to an adoring crowd and taking a detour to go pray at a Rome-area church before returning home to the Vatican.A motorcade carrying the 88-year-old pope wound its way through light Rome traffic Sunday morning and kept going after reaching Vatican City, where crowds of people had lined the streets to welcome him home. Francis later arrived across town at St. Mary Major basilica, where his favorite icon of the Madonna is located and where he always goes to pray after a foreign visit.Before leaving Gemelli hospital, Francis gave a thumbs up and acknowledged the crowd after he was wheeled out onto the balcony overlooking the main entry. Hundreds of people had gathered on a brilliant Sunday morning to say goodbye.“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava!” a tired and bloated-looking Francis said. He gave a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.Chants of “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” erupted from the crowd, which included patients who had been wheeled outside just to catch his brief appearance.Doctors, who announced his planned release at a Saturday evening news conference, said he should refrain from meeting with big groups of people or exerting himself, but that eventually he should be able to resume all his normal activities.His return home, after the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-longest-hospitalizations-john-paul-ii-gemelli-619139a0ba7006b939816b50e31d1cdb">second-longest in recent papal history</a>, brought tangible relief to the Vatican and Catholic faithful who have been anxiously following 38 days of medical ups and downs and wondering if Francis would make it.“Today I feel a great joy," said Dr. Rossella Russomando, a doctor from Salerno who didn't treat Francis but was at Gemelli on Sunday. “It is the demonstration that all our prayers, all the rosary prayers from all over the world, brought this grace.”<h2>Pope is happy to go home</h2>At the Vatican Sunday, pilgrims flocked as they have all year to St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the 2025 Holy Year. They swarmed St. Peter’s Square and progressed through the Holy Door in groups, while big TV screens in the square were turned on to broadcast Francis’ hospital greeting live.No special arrangements have been made at the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel next to the basilica where Francis lives in a two-room suite on the second floor. Francis will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed, though his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said he hoped Francis would progressively need less and less assistance breathing as his lungs recover.While the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue to take oral medication for quite some time to treat the fungal infection in his lungs and continue his respiratory and physical physiotherapy.“For three or four days he’s been asking when he can go home, so he’s very happy,” Carbone said.<h2>Two life-threatening crises</h2>The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened.Doctors first diagnosed a complex&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-illness-polymicrobial-infection-6638f63730046f420b4d0a6d364826f7">bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract infection</a>&nbsp;and soon thereafter, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anemia, low blood platelets and the onset of kidney failure, all of which later resolved after two blood transfusions.The most serious setbacks began on Feb. 28, when Francis experienced an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-pneumonia-conclave-70907cdf66ec28e276133002987303de">acute coughing fit</a>&nbsp;and inhaled vomit, requiring the use of a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-pneumonia-65b0457c46d7de722305260079c3bb87">more respiratory crises</a>&nbsp;a few days later, which required doctors to manually aspirate “copious” amounts of mucus from his lungs, at which point he began sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear the accumulation of fluids.He was never intubated and at no point lost consciousness. Doctors reported he always remained alert and cooperative, though they say he has probably lost a bit of weight given a natural loss of appetite.“Unfortunately yes, there was a moment when many were saying that he might not make it. And it was painful for us," said Mario Balsamo, the owner of coffee shop in front of Gemelli. "Instead, today with the discharge, we are very happy that he is well and we hope he will recover soon and will recover his strength.”<h2>‘I’m still alive!'</h2>Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the medical and surgical chief at Gemelli who coordinated Francis’ medical team, stressed that not all patients who develop such a severe case of double pneumonia survive, much less are released from the hospital. He said Francis’ life was at risk twice, during the two acute respiratory crises, and that the pope at the time understandably lost his typical good sense of humor.“But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and we asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive,’ we knew he was OK and had gotten his good humor back,” he said.Alfieri confirmed that Francis was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. But he said such problems were normal, especially in older patients, and predicted his voice would eventually return to normal.<h2>No confirmed appointments for now</h2>The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-king-charles-37aa3c7107e481ae0a302a648688982f">scheduled audience</a>&nbsp;on April 8 with King Charles III or Francis’ participation in Easter services at the end of the month. But Carbone said he hoped Francis might be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in an important ecumenical anniversary.Francis is also returning to the Vatican in the throes of a Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration scheduled to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome this year. The pope has already missed several Jubilee audiences and will presumably miss several more, but Vatican officials say his absence hasn't significantly impacted the numbers of expected pilgrims arriving.Only St. John Paul II recorded a longer hospitalization in 1981, when he spent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-longest-hospitalizations-john-paul-ii-gemelli-619139a0ba7006b939816b50e31d1cdb">55 days at Gemelli</a>&nbsp;for minor surgery and treatment of an infection.------------ROME (AP) — A weak and frail looking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;appeared on a hospital balcony Sunday to bless the crowd in his first public outing in five weeks and ahead of his release from the hospital after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.The 88-year-old pope gave a thumbs up and acknowledged the crowd after he was wheeled out onto the balcony overlooking the main entry of Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where hundreds of people had gathered on a brilliant Sunday morning.“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava!” a tired and bloated looking Francis said. He gave a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.Chants of “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” erupted from the crowd, which included patients who had been wheeled outside just to catch his brief appearance.His blessing came before he was due to be released and return home to the Vatican for a two-month period of rest and convalescence.Doctors, who announced his planned release at a Saturday evening news conference, said he should refrain from meeting with big groups of people or exerting himself, but that eventually he should be able to resume all his normal activities.His return home, after the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-longest-hospitalizations-john-paul-ii-gemelli-619139a0ba7006b939816b50e31d1cdb">second-longest in recent papal history</a>, brought tangible relief to the Vatican and Catholic faithful who have been anxiously following 38 days of medical ups and downs and wondering if Francis would make it.“Today I feel a great joy," said Dr. Rossella Russomando, a doctor from Salerno who didn't treat Francis but was at Gemelli on Sunday. “It is the demonstration that all our prayers, all the rosary prayers from all over the world, brought this grace.”<h2>Pope is happy to go home</h2>At the Vatican Sunday, pilgrims flocked as they have all year to St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the 2025 Holy Year. They swarmed St. Peter’s Square and progressed through the Holy Door in groups, while big TV screens in the square were turned on to broadcast Francis’ hospital greeting live.No special arrangements have been made at the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel next to the basilica where Francis lives in a two-room suite on the second floor. Francis will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed, though his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said he hoped Francis would progressively need less and less assistance breathing as his lungs recover.While the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue to take oral medication for quite some time to treat the fungal infection in his lungs and continue his respiratory and physical physiotherapy.“For three or four days he’s been asking when he can go home, so he’s very happy,” Carbone said.<h2>Two life-threatening crises</h2>The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened.Doctors first diagnosed a complex&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-illness-polymicrobial-infection-6638f63730046f420b4d0a6d364826f7">bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract infection</a>&nbsp;and soon thereafter, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anemia, low blood platelets and the onset of kidney failure, all of which later resolved after two blood transfusions.The most serious setbacks began on Feb. 28, when Francis experienced an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-pneumonia-conclave-70907cdf66ec28e276133002987303de">acute coughing fit</a>&nbsp;and inhaled vomit, requiring the use of a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-pneumonia-65b0457c46d7de722305260079c3bb87">more respiratory crises</a>&nbsp;a few days later, which required doctors to manually aspirate “copious” amounts of mucus from his lungs, at which point he began sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear the accumulation of fluids.He was never intubated and at no point lost consciousness. Doctors reported he always remained alert and cooperative, though they say he has probably lost a bit of weight given a natural loss of appetite.“Unfortunately yes, there was a moment when many were saying that he might not make it. And it was painful for us," said Mario Balsamo, the owner of coffee shop in front of Gemelli. "Instead, today with the discharge, we are very happy that he is well and we hope he will recover soon and will recover his strength.”<h2>‘I’m still alive!'</h2>Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the medical and surgical chief at Gemelli who coordinated Francis’ medical team, stressed that not all patients who develop such a severe case of double pneumonia survive, much less are released from the hospital. He said Francis’ life was at risk twice, during the two acute respiratory crises, and that the pope at the time understandably lost his typical good sense of humor.“But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and we asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive,’ we knew he was OK and had gotten his good humor back,” he said.Alfieri confirmed that Francis was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. But he said such problems were normal, especially in older patients, and predicted his voice would eventually return to normal.<h2>No confirmed appointments for now</h2>The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-king-charles-37aa3c7107e481ae0a302a648688982f">scheduled audience</a>&nbsp;on April 8 with King Charles III or Francis’ participation in Easter services at the end of the month. But Carbone said he hoped Francis might be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in an important ecumenical anniversary.Francis is also returning to the Vatican in the throes of a Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration scheduled to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome this year. The pope has already missed several Jubilee audiences and will presumably miss several more, but Vatican officials say his absence hasn't significantly impacted the numbers of expected pilgrims arriving.Only St. John Paul II recorded a longer hospitalization in 1981, when he spent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-longest-hospitalizations-john-paul-ii-gemelli-619139a0ba7006b939816b50e31d1cdb">55 days at Gemelli</a>&nbsp;for minor surgery and treatment of an infection.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope leaves hospital after surviving life-threatening bout of pneumonia,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday began sketching a roadmap for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">dismantling the Education Department</a>, with other agencies taking over responsibility for federal student loans and programs serving students with disabilities.

The executive order Trump signed Thursday to do away with the department did not offer a timeline or instructions, but his administration appears poised to carve away all but the department’s most vital operations.

The Republican president said during a White House event that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-repayment-trump-9fb6287fe52ed0be73719b53dd5bf90d">student loans</a>&nbsp;will be handled by the Small Business Administration, and “it will be serviced much better than it has in the past.” He also said programs involving students with disabilities would be shifted to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The decisions drew blowback from advocacy groups that fear disruptions will be inevitable. The Small Business Association announced Friday it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sba-small-business-loeffler-doge-ba0be2d55f65f9a3e0e453d4c72ce6ab">cut its staff by 43%</a>, raising questions about its ability to take on the Education Department’s $1.6 trillion loan portfolio.

“This can only result in borrowers experiencing erratic and inconsistent management of their federal student loans,” said Jessica Thompson, senior vice president of the Institute of College Access and Success. “Errors will prove costly to borrowers and ultimately, to taxpayers.”

Trump’s executive order said the student loan portfolio is too big for the Education Department to manage. After the SBA cuts, however, it will be left with fewer than 4,000 employees — about the size of the Education Department before it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">cut in half</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she is preparing to relocate the department’s core operations to other agencies and roll back federal regulations. In an opinion piece published Friday by Fox News Channel, she said abolishing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-trump-ab509ad5778497dfbd6d53b9eef692b5">the department</a>&nbsp;“will not happen tomorrow,” but she plans to pave the way.

“We will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies,” McMahon wrote.

The functions to be reassigned include the distribution of federal money to support low-income students and students with disabilities, the department’s management of student financial aid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-civil-rights-8cbf463cce765f497c10d688ab4d51e1">civil rights enforcement</a>&nbsp;and data collection, she wrote.

Some parent groups fear the reorganization could result in weaker protections for children with disabilities. The National Parents Union said families are anxious HHS might treat students’ learning disabilities as medical issues and make them subject to insurance claims.

″Do we really think they are going to pay for our kid’s reading interventions?” said Keri Rodrigues, the group’s president. “Our children are not sick. They are not broken. They are not insurance claims.”

Only Congress has the power to bring a full end to the Education Department. Republicans in Congress are planning legislation to eliminate the agency, though they face heavy opposition from Democrats.

Democrats on Friday said Trump does not have authority to move federal loans or disability services to other agencies. They noted federal law places those duties under the management of the Education Department, including in the Higher Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday began sketching a roadmap for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">dismantling the Education Department</a>, with other agencies taking over responsibility for federal student loans and programs serving students with disabilities.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 President Trump announces that the SBA will begin handling student loans -- and that HHS will handle the special needs and nutrition programs. &quot;Coming out of the Department of Education immediately.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2gbz2n2Q7s">pic.twitter.com/2gbz2n2Q7s</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1903109579895963703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The executive order Trump signed Thursday to do away with the department did not offer a timeline or instructions, but his administration appears poised to carve away all but the department’s most vital operations.The Republican president said during a White House event that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-repayment-trump-9fb6287fe52ed0be73719b53dd5bf90d">student loans</a>&nbsp;will be handled by the Small Business Administration, and “it will be serviced much better than it has in the past.” He also said programs involving students with disabilities would be shifted to the Department of Health and Human Services.The decisions drew blowback from advocacy groups that fear disruptions will be inevitable. The Small Business Association announced Friday it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sba-small-business-loeffler-doge-ba0be2d55f65f9a3e0e453d4c72ce6ab">cut its staff by 43%</a>, raising questions about its ability to take on the Education Department’s $1.6 trillion loan portfolio.“This can only result in borrowers experiencing erratic and inconsistent management of their federal student loans,” said Jessica Thompson, senior vice president of the Institute of College Access and Success. “Errors will prove costly to borrowers and ultimately, to taxpayers.”Trump’s executive order said the student loan portfolio is too big for the Education Department to manage. After the SBA cuts, however, it will be left with fewer than 4,000 employees — about the size of the Education Department before it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">cut in half</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration.Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she is preparing to relocate the department’s core operations to other agencies and roll back federal regulations. In an opinion piece published Friday by Fox News Channel, she said abolishing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-trump-ab509ad5778497dfbd6d53b9eef692b5">the department</a>&nbsp;“will not happen tomorrow,” but she plans to pave the way.“We will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies,” McMahon wrote.The functions to be reassigned include the distribution of federal money to support low-income students and students with disabilities, the department’s management of student financial aid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-civil-rights-8cbf463cce765f497c10d688ab4d51e1">civil rights enforcement</a>&nbsp;and data collection, she wrote.Some parent groups fear the reorganization could result in weaker protections for children with disabilities. The National Parents Union said families are anxious HHS might treat students’ learning disabilities as medical issues and make them subject to insurance claims.″Do we really think they are going to pay for our kid’s reading interventions?” said Keri Rodrigues, the group’s president. “Our children are not sick. They are not broken. They are not insurance claims.”Only Congress has the power to bring a full end to the Education Department. Republicans in Congress are planning legislation to eliminate the agency, though they face heavy opposition from Democrats.Democrats on Friday said Trump does not have authority to move federal loans or disability services to other agencies. They noted federal law places those duties under the management of the Education Department, including in the Higher Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.Tom Harnisch, vice president for government relations for the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, said he questions the capacity of another agency to take over the massive student loan portfolio.“That’s been one of our large concerns,” he said. “And what is the value added by making this overhaul to this agency?”On Friday, Democrats introduced a House resolution requesting Trump and McMahon turn over records related to the shutdown attempt. If the House Committee on Education and the Workforce takes action within 14 legislative days, it could go before the full House.Trump has denounced the department as a waste of taxpayer money, saying it has become infected by liberal ideology. He said its power should be turned over to states, which he sees as a remedy for America’s lagging education system.Since the Education Department was created in 1979, the nation’s student test scores have remained flat despite $1 trillion in agency spending, McMahon said in her Fox News piece.Conservatives have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-closure-republicans-funding-districts-f3c2403d3d147f67a7b2cc77b6a70649">long dreamed</a>&nbsp;of closing the department, calling it an unneeded layer of bureaucracy that burdens local schools. Among those at the signing were governors of several Republican states along with activists who say parents should have more power over their children’s education. ___AP education writer Cheyanne Mumphrey in Phoenix contributed to this report.