KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a fourth homicide in Kansas City in four days.

Just after 12:30p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1600 block of Topping in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

First responding officers were led to an alleyway next to a residence, where they located an adult female shooting victim later identified as 29-year-old Carissa Perryman unresponsive.

Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. EMS transported Perryman to the hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries. She was pronounced&nbsp;deceased at the hospital a short time later.

Responding officers detained one subject of interest, an adult female, for further investigation. Detectives were talking to people who were at the scene when officers arrived and are looking for witnesses. 

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim and the subject of interest had an interaction next to the house that escalated and shots were fired that struck the victim.&nbsp; Police have released no additional detials.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747082674164.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a fourth homicide in Kansas City in four days.Just after 12:30p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1600 block of Topping in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747082657430.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>First responding officers were led to an alleyway next to a residence, where they located an adult female shooting victim later identified as 29-year-old Carissa Perryman unresponsive.Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. EMS transported Perryman to the hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries. She was pronounced&nbsp;deceased at the hospital a short time later.Responding officers detained one subject of interest, an adult female, for further investigation. Detectives were talking to people who were at the scene when officers arrived and are looking for witnesses. Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim and the subject of interest had an interaction next to the house that escalated and shots were fired that struck the victim.&nbsp; Police have released no additional detials.

KCPD: Woman shot, killed in alleyway near home

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-middle-east-saudi-arabia-83c27ca7357e41efedaa2318da59d0ab">The fist bump</a>&nbsp;seems so long ago.

Three years after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;cursory greeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;luxuriated in an extravagant royal welcome as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-saudi-arabia-mbs-qatar-uae-b782fe922d09afced2e1074b65016e80">he arrived in Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.

Concerns about human rights and fossil fuels in the oil-rich autocracy were nowhere on the agenda. Instead the day was all about cutting deals and celebrating a personal relationship that has endured through scandal and political turmoil.

“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said as they sat on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-saudi-arabia-mbs-qatar-uae-photos-cc507c76b19d30a59f69d15f86008511">golden chairs under elaborate chandeliers</a>&nbsp;in the royal palace. During a speech later in the day, the president described Prince Mohammed as an “incredible man” and “my friend.”

The feeling was clearly mutual. The crown prince addressed his guest as “my dear President Trump,” and the Saudis played his campaign anthems — “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ymca-dance-rallies-05da758dfeb2dd9c2ed22ebb88610b24">YMCA</a>&nbsp;” — during his appearance at an investment forum.

For the U.S. Republican president, the visit was a return to the international stage after his comeback victory in last year’s election. Although he recently attended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-funeral-vatican-rome-italy-9895e156b90aea1dde7f7ea19bf7b3e1">the funeral of Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;in Rome, Saudi Arabia was originally intended to be his initial overseas destination, just like in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c602a848be074032a024e2a1e6f8926d">his first term</a>. It served as a gilded debut for a foreign policy focused on securing cash infusions for American businesses.

Trump pumped his fist as he stepped out of Air Force One, then descended the stairs to shake hands with Prince Mohammed, who greeted his guest on the tarmac in a rare display of respect.

The guest list for an elaborate luncheon was stuffed with corporate executives, including Ruth Porat of Google, Stephen Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group, Jane Fraser of Citicorp, Alex Karp of Palantir and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA. Also attending was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-doge-tesla-d1206a96983b30b9cef7b18eaa8c48a7">Elon Musk</a>, the world’s richest person and a top adviser to Trump.

As Air Force One approached Riyadh, Saudi pilots in six American-made F-15 fighter jets escorted the plane. After a traditional coffee ceremony inside the royal terminal at the airport, Trump’s limousine was flanked by riders on white Arabian horses carrying American and Saudi flags. A honor guard was lined up with golden swords.

(Missing from the visit was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0U1MG6hm2o" target="_blank">the orb</a>, a glowing sphere a little bigger than a bowling ball that Trump memorably posed for photos with during his trip to Riyadh in his first term.)

Trump has downplayed traditional American alliances in Europe, and often expressed exasperation with the country’s trading and defense partners. But there was no such hesitation in Riyadh, and he said the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia “has been a bedrock of security and prosperity,”

Biden received little of the same pomp when he visited three years ago. He had previously criticized Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” but decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-israel-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-edba0435dedc08db952c406536d67713">travel to the kingdom</a>&nbsp;anyway in an implicit acknowledgement that it was too influential of a global player to ignore.

The crown prince greeted the Democratic president at the palace, which is where the two leaders exchanged their fist bump. Their only other joint public appearance was all business, as they sat across from each other at a large conference table, flanked by top advisers.

Later that year, OPEC+ announced it would reduce oil production in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-2022-midterm-elections-biden-inflation-business-fa45f3023af51b1b7201f0c06d86f72d">a blow to Biden,</a>&nbsp;whose political fortunes were being battered by inflation. The Democratic president acknowledged that it was “a disappointment, and it says that there are problems” in the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

But there was no such friction during Trump’s visit, a shift that was clearly appreciated by Trump’s hosts.

“We don’t want people to lecture us, as it has happened in the past – what’s wrong and what’s right,” said Mohammad A. Abunayyan, the founder and chairman of ACWA Power.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AP)—President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, the first leg of his three-nation visit to the Middle East this week meant to tackle multiple crises and conflicts across the region. He was welcomed by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after Air Force One landed in Riyadh on Tuesday.

Trump and the crown prince are to hold talks on U.S. efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, end the war in Gaza, hold down oil prices and more. The prince is also expected to fete Trump with a formal dinner. American and Saudi flags lined the streets of the Saudi capital, along with a noticeable security presence of all American-made police cars.

Saudi crown prince’s airport greeting for Trump underscores the close relationship the de facto ruler of the kingdom wants to have with the American leader.

Typically, a provincial governor or another official will greet a foreign leader on arrival. King Salman once greeted President Barack Obama at the airport on a trip to the kingdom, but then lower-ranking officials did as the kingdom grew angry over his stance on the 2011 Arab Spring and the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

President Joe Biden also was greeted by a provincial governor on his 2022 trip to the kingdom, before having an awkward fist-bump with Prince Mohammed, who he derided as a “pariah” during his election campaign after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Trump gets a horse escort to the Saudi palace

Trump’s armored limo, known as The Beast, was flanked by Saudi horsemen carrying American and Saudi flags as it pulled into Al Yamamah Palace.

Before going in, the Saudi crown prince walked Trump over to observe an honor guard.

The two leaders then received officials from their delegations ahead of a lunch.

The pomp began before Trump even landed. Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital.

Trump and Prince Mohammed also took part in a lunch at the Royal Court, gathering with guests and aides in an ornate room with blue accents and massive crystal chandeliers.

As he greeted business titans with Trump by his side, Prince Mohammed was animated and smiling.

It was a stark contrast to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-israel-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-edba0435dedc08db952c406536d67713">his awkward fist bump</a>&nbsp;with then-President Joe Biden, who looked to avoid being seen on camera shaking hands with the prince during a 2022 visit to the kingdom.

Biden had decided to pay a visit to Saudi Arabia as he looked to alleviate soaring prices at the pump for motorists at home and around the globe.

At the time, Prince Mohammed's reputation had been badly damaged by a U.S. intelligence determination that found he had ordered the 2018 killing of journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>.

But that dark moment appeared to be distant memory for the prince as he rubbed elbows with high-profile business executives — including Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — in front of the cameras and with Trump by his side.

Later,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-us-russia-talks-analysis-mohammed-bin-salman-9a42a3f1e09599f423a693262caa179c">the crown prince</a>&nbsp;will fete Trump with a formal dinner. Trump is also slated to take part Tuesday in a U.S.-Saudi investment conference.

Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia comes as oil trades around $64 a barrel

Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia comes as the president can already point to one thing for American voters — oil prices are down.

It’s not Trump’s doing, though he’s repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia and the OPEC+ oil cartel over higher oil prices in the past. Those prices translate directly back into gasoline prices in the United States, which can become a major pain point for the U.S. public. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. is $3.13, according to AAA, down from $3.61 a year ago.

Right now, benchmark Brent crude trades around $64 a barrel. That’s higher than when the around $50 a barrel it traded on his first trip to the kingdom as president in 2017. However, it’s nowhere near the spikes seen after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Then, the average gallon of gas in the U.S. was $5.01 at its height.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747131535832.png" alt="Image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-middle-east-saudi-arabia-83c27ca7357e41efedaa2318da59d0ab">The fist bump</a>&nbsp;seems so long ago.Three years after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;cursory greeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;luxuriated in an extravagant royal welcome as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-saudi-arabia-mbs-qatar-uae-b782fe922d09afced2e1074b65016e80">he arrived in Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.Concerns about human rights and fossil fuels in the oil-rich autocracy were nowhere on the agenda. Instead the day was all about cutting deals and celebrating a personal relationship that has endured through scandal and political turmoil.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Beast pulls up to the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/NSxhzaFk5o">pic.twitter.com/NSxhzaFk5o</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922220554259403074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 🇺🇸🇸🇦 <a href="https://t.co/81qUv6hi7D">pic.twitter.com/81qUv6hi7D</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922190356692557858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said as they sat on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-saudi-arabia-mbs-qatar-uae-photos-cc507c76b19d30a59f69d15f86008511">golden chairs under elaborate chandeliers</a>&nbsp;in the royal palace. During a speech later in the day, the president described Prince Mohammed as an “incredible man” and “my friend.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>&#39;s first event is a quick welcome inside the Royal Terminal at King Khalid International Airport, where he is joined by <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@howardlutnick</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryWright?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecretaryWright</a>. <a href="https://t.co/3tkQbhNGFp">pic.twitter.com/3tkQbhNGFp</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922192018417004730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The feeling was clearly mutual. The crown prince addressed his guest as “my dear President Trump,” and the Saudis played his campaign anthems — “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ymca-dance-rallies-05da758dfeb2dd9c2ed22ebb88610b24">YMCA</a>&nbsp;” — during his appearance at an investment forum.For the U.S. Republican president, the visit was a return to the international stage after his comeback victory in last year’s election. Although he recently attended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-funeral-vatican-rome-italy-9895e156b90aea1dde7f7ea19bf7b3e1">the funeral of Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;in Rome, Saudi Arabia was originally intended to be his initial overseas destination, just like in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c602a848be074032a024e2a1e6f8926d">his first term</a>. It served as a gilded debut for a foreign policy focused on securing cash infusions for American businesses.Trump pumped his fist as he stepped out of Air Force One, then descended the stairs to shake hands with Prince Mohammed, who greeted his guest on the tarmac in a rare display of respect.Trump pumped his fist as he stepped out of Air Force One, then descended the stairs to shake hands with Prince Mohammed, who greeted his guest on the tarmac in a rare display of respect.The guest list for an elaborate luncheon was stuffed with corporate executives, including Ruth Porat of Google, Stephen Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group, Jane Fraser of Citicorp, Alex Karp of Palantir and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA. Also attending was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-doge-tesla-d1206a96983b30b9cef7b18eaa8c48a7">Elon Musk</a>, the world’s richest person and a top adviser to Trump.As Air Force One approached Riyadh, Saudi pilots in six American-made F-15 fighter jets escorted the plane. After a traditional coffee ceremony inside the royal terminal at the airport, Trump’s limousine was flanked by riders on white Arabian horses carrying American and Saudi flags. A honor guard was lined up with golden swords.(Missing from the visit was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0U1MG6hm2o" target="_blank">the orb</a>, a glowing sphere a little bigger than a bowling ball that Trump memorably posed for photos with during his trip to Riyadh in his first term.)Trump has downplayed traditional American alliances in Europe, and often expressed exasperation with the country’s trading and defense partners. But there was no such hesitation in Riyadh, and he said the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia “has been a bedrock of security and prosperity,”Biden received little of the same pomp when he visited three years ago. He had previously criticized Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” but decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-israel-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-edba0435dedc08db952c406536d67713">travel to the kingdom</a>&nbsp;anyway in an implicit acknowledgement that it was too influential of a global player to ignore.The crown prince greeted the Democratic president at the palace, which is where the two leaders exchanged their fist bump. Their only other joint public appearance was all business, as they sat across from each other at a large conference table, flanked by top advisers.Later that year, OPEC+ announced it would reduce oil production in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-2022-midterm-elections-biden-inflation-business-fa45f3023af51b1b7201f0c06d86f72d">a blow to Biden,</a>&nbsp;whose political fortunes were being battered by inflation. The Democratic president acknowledged that it was “a disappointment, and it says that there are problems” in the U.S.-Saudi relationship.But there was no such friction during Trump’s visit, a shift that was clearly appreciated by Trump’s hosts.“We don’t want people to lecture us, as it has happened in the past – what’s wrong and what’s right,” said Mohammad A. Abunayyan, the founder and chairman of ACWA Power.-------Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AP)—President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, the first leg of his three-nation visit to the Middle East this week meant to tackle multiple crises and conflicts across the region. He was welcomed by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after Air Force One landed in Riyadh on Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets President Trump upon landing in Saudi Arabia… <a href="https://t.co/hSh2EuUBjc">https://t.co/hSh2EuUBjc</a> <a href="https://t.co/qYykjYArMX">pic.twitter.com/qYykjYArMX</a>&mdash; Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1922197447650013676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump and the crown prince are to hold talks on U.S. efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, end the war in Gaza, hold down oil prices and more. The prince is also expected to fete Trump with a formal dinner. American and Saudi flags lined the streets of the Saudi capital, along with a noticeable security presence of all American-made police cars.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 🇺🇸🇸🇦 <a href="https://t.co/ryoyj6Khja">pic.twitter.com/ryoyj6Khja</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922194797533491354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Saudi crown prince’s airport greeting for Trump underscores the close relationship the de facto ruler of the kingdom wants to have with the American leader.Typically, a provincial governor or another official will greet a foreign leader on arrival. King Salman once greeted President Barack Obama at the airport on a trip to the kingdom, but then lower-ranking officials did as the kingdom grew angry over his stance on the 2011 Arab Spring and the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.President Joe Biden also was greeted by a provincial governor on his 2022 trip to the kingdom, before having an awkward fist-bump with Prince Mohammed, who he derided as a “pariah” during his election campaign after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.<h2>Trump gets a horse escort to the Saudi palace</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">The Beast pulls up to the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/NSxhzaFk5o">pic.twitter.com/NSxhzaFk5o</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922220554259403074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump’s armored limo, known as The Beast, was flanked by Saudi horsemen carrying American and Saudi flags as it pulled into Al Yamamah Palace.Before going in, the Saudi crown prince walked Trump over to observe an honor guard.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> greets Saudi officials at the Royal Court in Riyadh <a href="https://t.co/YPwnqEHHrU">pic.twitter.com/YPwnqEHHrU</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922226035585687689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The two leaders then received officials from their delegations ahead of a lunch.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> salutes as The Star-Spangled Banner is played outside the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh <a href="https://t.co/FoiFVrHnZH">pic.twitter.com/FoiFVrHnZH</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922221133815824432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>&#39;s first event is a quick welcome inside the Royal Terminal at King Khalid International Airport, where he is joined by <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@howardlutnick</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryWright?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecretaryWright</a>. <a href="https://t.co/3tkQbhNGFp">pic.twitter.com/3tkQbhNGFp</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922192018417004730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> greets <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman inside the Saudi Royal Court 🇺🇸 🇸🇦 <a href="https://t.co/793zuBcocJ">pic.twitter.com/793zuBcocJ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922227021683261791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Fighter jet escort</h2>The pomp began before Trump even landed. Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital.Trump and Prince Mohammed also took part in a lunch at the Royal Court, gathering with guests and aides in an ornate room with blue accents and massive crystal chandeliers.As he greeted business titans with Trump by his side, Prince Mohammed was animated and smiling.It was a stark contrast to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-israel-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-edba0435dedc08db952c406536d67713">his awkward fist bump</a>&nbsp;with then-President Joe Biden, who looked to avoid being seen on camera shaking hands with the prince during a 2022 visit to the kingdom.Biden had decided to pay a visit to Saudi Arabia as he looked to alleviate soaring prices at the pump for motorists at home and around the globe.At the time, Prince Mohammed's reputation had been badly damaged by a U.S. intelligence determination that found he had ordered the 2018 killing of journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>.But that dark moment appeared to be distant memory for the prince as he rubbed elbows with high-profile business executives — including Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — in front of the cameras and with Trump by his side.Later,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-us-russia-talks-analysis-mohammed-bin-salman-9a42a3f1e09599f423a693262caa179c">the crown prince</a>&nbsp;will fete Trump with a formal dinner. Trump is also slated to take part Tuesday in a U.S.-Saudi investment conference.<h2>Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia comes as oil trades around $64 a barrel</h2>Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia comes as the president can already point to one thing for American voters — oil prices are down.It’s not Trump’s doing, though he’s repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia and the OPEC+ oil cartel over higher oil prices in the past. Those prices translate directly back into gasoline prices in the United States, which can become a major pain point for the U.S. public. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. is $3.13, according to AAA, down from $3.61 a year ago.Right now, benchmark Brent crude trades around $64 a barrel. That’s higher than when the around $50 a barrel it traded on his first trip to the kingdom as president in 2017. However, it’s nowhere near the spikes seen after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Then, the average gallon of gas in the U.S. was $5.01 at its height.

🎥Golden swords, Arabian horses: Saudi crown prince gives Trump lavish royal welcome

WASHINGTON (AP) –A federal judge on Monday refused to block the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/internal-revenue-service">Internal Revenue Service</a>&nbsp;from sharing immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.

In a win for the Trump administration, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich denied a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by nonprofit groups. They argued that undocumented immigrants who pay taxes are entitled to the same privacy protections as U.S. citizens and immigrants who are legally in the country.

Friedrich, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, had previously refused to grant a temporary order in the case.

The decision comes less than a month after former acting IRS commissioner Melanie Krause resigned over the deal allowing ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.

The IRS has been in upheaval over Trump administration decisions to share taxpayer data. A previous acting commissioner announced his retirement earlier amid a furor over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-reshape-government-musk-ai-f0d5a76f8540299a5338ccd2fe54c956">Elon Musk’s</a>&nbsp;Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to IRS taxpayer data.

The Treasury Department says the agreement with ICE will help carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda to secure U.S. borders and is part of his larger nationwide immigration crackdown, which has resulted in deportations, workplace raids and the use of an 18th century&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">wartime law</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-el-salvador-immigration-dd4f61999f85c4dd8bcaba7d4fc7c9af">deport Venezuelan migrants</a>.

The acting ICE director has said working with Treasury and other departments is “strictly for the major criminal cases.”

Advocates, however, say the IRS-DHS information-sharing agreement violates privacy laws and diminishes the privacy of all Americans.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739901900435.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) –A federal judge on Monday refused to block the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/internal-revenue-service">Internal Revenue Service</a>&nbsp;from sharing immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.In a win for the Trump administration, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich denied a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by nonprofit groups. They argued that undocumented immigrants who pay taxes are entitled to the same privacy protections as U.S. citizens and immigrants who are legally in the country.Friedrich, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, had previously refused to grant a temporary order in the case.The decision comes less than a month after former acting IRS commissioner Melanie Krause resigned over the deal allowing ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.The IRS has been in upheaval over Trump administration decisions to share taxpayer data. A previous acting commissioner announced his retirement earlier amid a furor over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-reshape-government-musk-ai-f0d5a76f8540299a5338ccd2fe54c956">Elon Musk’s</a>&nbsp;Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to IRS taxpayer data.The Treasury Department says the agreement with ICE will help carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda to secure U.S. borders and is part of his larger nationwide immigration crackdown, which has resulted in deportations, workplace raids and the use of an 18th century&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">wartime law</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-el-salvador-immigration-dd4f61999f85c4dd8bcaba7d4fc7c9af">deport Venezuelan migrants</a>.The acting ICE director has said working with Treasury and other departments is “strictly for the major criminal cases.”Advocates, however, say the IRS-DHS information-sharing agreement violates privacy laws and diminishes the privacy of all Americans.

Judge won’t block plan to use IRS data to track down undocumented migrants

LYON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 4:30p.m. Monday in Lyon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Mazda CX3 driven by Josue Javier Chapa, 26, Rio Grande, Texas, was northbound at in the left lane of Interstate 35 in Lyon County due to a right lane closure.

The SUV rear-ended a 2004 Honda CL1800 driven by Richard Schroeder, 60, St. Joseph, Missouri.&nbsp; The impact caused Schroeder to fall off the motorcycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Charter Funeral Home. Chapa was not injured.&nbsp; Schroeder was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

LYON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 4:30p.m. Monday in Lyon County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Mazda CX3 driven by Josue Javier Chapa, 26, Rio Grande, Texas, was northbound at in the left lane of Interstate 35 in Lyon County due to a right lane closure.The SUV rear-ended a 2004 Honda CL1800 driven by Richard Schroeder, 60, St. Joseph, Missouri.&nbsp; The impact caused Schroeder to fall off the motorcycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Charter Funeral Home. Chapa was not injured.&nbsp; Schroeder was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Man killed after SUV rear-ends motorcycle on Kansas Turnpike

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Six people have been charged by criminal complaint in connection with an alleged multi-national drug smuggling operation that used a commercial charter bus to transport liquid methamphetamine from Mexico to Emporia, Kansas, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, these defendants are charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine:&nbsp; Troy Wagaman, 42;&nbsp; Elizabeth Benitez, 33 and Jesus Cruz Rodriguez all three of Emporia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Omar Villa Carranza, 45, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Emporia and Tiburcio Ayala Rangel, 42, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Emporia and&nbsp;Moises Cervantes Sanchez, 67, of McAllen, Texas.

Between March and April 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) noted a charter bus making multiple crossings into the United States from Mexico carrying few or no passengers.

License plate reader information showed the bus travelling to Emporia on all trips before returning to Mexico. During one crossing, Customs and Border officers conducted a secondary inspection and found several aftermarket anomalies, including bolts around the fuel tank that had been tampered with.

Investigators learned the bus’s destination to be a rural property in the Emporia area. When the bus again arrived at the U.S. border on May 4, 2025, a canine alerted to the presence of controlled substances. Customs and Border Control took a sample of a substance found in the gas tank that tested as liquid methamphetamine. The driver was allowed to proceed, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents followed the bus, which eventually arrived at the rural property. 

The Emporia Police Department arrested Wagaman, Villa Carranza, Cruz Rodriguez, Cervantes Sanchez, and Ayala Rangel while the men were either at the property or shortly after leaving. Benitez, who lived with Villa Carranza, was also arrested at a different location.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747073176391.png" alt="Wagaman-Osage Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Wagaman-Osage Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Six people have been charged by criminal complaint in connection with an alleged multi-national drug smuggling operation that used a commercial charter bus to transport liquid methamphetamine from Mexico to Emporia, Kansas, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, these defendants are charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine:&nbsp; Troy Wagaman, 42;&nbsp; Elizabeth Benitez, 33 and Jesus Cruz Rodriguez all three of Emporia.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747073154025.png" alt="Benitez photo Osage County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Benitez photo Osage County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Omar Villa Carranza, 45, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Emporia and Tiburcio Ayala Rangel, 42, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Emporia and&nbsp;Moises Cervantes Sanchez, 67, of McAllen, Texas.Between March and April 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) noted a charter bus making multiple crossings into the United States from Mexico carrying few or no passengers.License plate reader information showed the bus travelling to Emporia on all trips before returning to Mexico. During one crossing, Customs and Border officers conducted a secondary inspection and found several aftermarket anomalies, including bolts around the fuel tank that had been tampered with.Investigators learned the bus’s destination to be a rural property in the Emporia area. When the bus again arrived at the U.S. border on May 4, 2025, a canine alerted to the presence of controlled substances. Customs and Border Control took a sample of a substance found in the gas tank that tested as liquid methamphetamine. The driver was allowed to proceed, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents followed the bus, which eventually arrived at the rural property. The Emporia Police Department arrested Wagaman, Villa Carranza, Cruz Rodriguez, Cervantes Sanchez, and Ayala Rangel while the men were either at the property or shortly after leaving. Benitez, who lived with Villa Carranza, was also arrested at a different location.

Suspects used bus to transport liquid meth from Mexico to Kansas

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a weekend arrest.

Just before 5p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to a disturbance call at a residence in the 1000 block South 7th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Officers made contact with 34-year-old Michael Bethea who was wanted on a Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court.

Bethea resisted the arrest and there was a struggle with officers. During that arrest an officer was bitten by a dog in the residence. The officer was treated and released from Amberwell Hospital for the treatment of several dog bites. 

Police took Bethea was taken on requested charges of failure to appear in court, for inference with law enforcement and assault and battery on a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747070779427.png" alt="Bethea photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Bethea photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a weekend arrest.Just before 5p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to a disturbance call at a residence in the 1000 block South 7th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.Officers made contact with 34-year-old Michael Bethea who was wanted on a Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court.Bethea resisted the arrest and there was a struggle with officers. During that arrest an officer was bitten by a dog in the residence. The officer was treated and released from Amberwell Hospital for the treatment of several dog bites. Police took Bethea was taken on requested charges of failure to appear in court, for inference with law enforcement and assault and battery on a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;

Suspect's dog attacked Kansas police officer during arrest

By ZEKE MILLER and WILL WEISSERT &nbsp;Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/qatar">Qatar</a>&nbsp;during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft.

(video of President Trump touring the plane in February)

The Qatari government said a final decision hadn't been made. Still, Trump defended the idea — what would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government — as a fiscally smart move for the country.

“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. “Anybody can do that!”

ABC News&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511">reported</a>&nbsp;that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library.

The gift was expected to be announced when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/civilian-nuclear-program-saudi-arabia-trump-iran-be8697a1890d0158cef57babb47e7583">Trump visits</a>&nbsp;Qatar, according to ABC's report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term.

Before Trump's post trumpeting the idea, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, said in a statement that the “possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense."

“But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, administration officials,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-business-finances-conflicts-ethics-aa019f8f9bdfa4266e2d41b36ad01b4c">anticipating ethics concerns</a>, have prepared an analysis arguing that accepting the plane would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11086">Emoluments Clause</a>&nbsp;bars anyone holding government office from&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/759">accepting any present, emolument, office or title</a>&nbsp;from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.

One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being “committed to exploiting the federal government’s power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at Trump's “America first” political slogan.

“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar," the New York Democrat said in a statement. "It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”

Even some conservatives expressed dismay online, noting that an aircraft being offered by a foreign government could present security risks if used by a U.S. president.

Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the company has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-earnings-results-profit-revenue-628c704b8642693f0ba5060eeede22d3">lost billions of dollars on the project</a>.

Trump intends to convert the Qatari aircraft into a plane he can fly on as president, with the Air Force planning to add secure communications and other classified elements to it. But it will still have more limited capabilities than the existing planes that were built to serve as Air Force One, as well as two other aircraft currently under construction, according to a former U.S. official.

The official was briefed about the plane and spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not yet been made public.

The existing planes used as Air Force One are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.

The official told The Associated Press that it would be possible to quickly add some countermeasures and communications systems to the Qatari plane, but that it would be less capable than the existing Air Force One aircraft or long-delayed replacements.

Neither the Qatari plane nor the upcoming VC-25B aircraft will have the air-to-air refueling capabilities of the current VC-25A aircraft, which is the one the president currently flies on, the official said.

Jordan Libowitz, communications director for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called such a gift “unprecedented."

“The totality of gifts given to a president over their term doesn’t get close to this level,” Libowitz said, adding, “You have to ask, if he makes foreign policy — especially in regards to the Middle East — how much is he being influenced by his gifts and his business deals.”

ABC said the new plane is similar to a 13-year-old Boeing aircraft&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boeing-air-force-one-presidential-plane-61aec3dbc8ee10d840e160911c9f7cc2">Trump toured in February</a>, while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport and he was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club.

Trump faced lawsuits for violating the Emoluments Clause during his first term, but those were ended by the Supreme Court in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ends-trump-lawsuits-df42ef0eec5fa57edf3e294234051d88">which found the cases moot because the Republican had left office</a>.

Trump's family business, the Trump Organization, which is now largely run by his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, has vast and growing interests in the Middle East. That includes a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-qatar-deal-conflicts-saudi-arabia-emoluments-7379bee2e307d39bd43b534a05ae3207">new deal to build</a>&nbsp;a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country’s sovereign wealth fund.

Qatar, which is ruled by the Al Thani family, is home to the state-owned airline Qatar Airways. The country also has worked to have a close relationship to Trump after he apparently backed a boycott of Doha by four Arab nations in his first term. Trump later in his term applauded Qatar.

Administration officials have brushed off concerns about the president’s policy interests blurring with family's business profits. They note that Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children and that a voluntary ethics agreement released by the Trump Organization in January bars the company from striking deals directly with foreign governments.

But that same agreement allows deals with private companies abroad. That is a departure from Trump’s first term, when the organization released an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/events-united-states-presidential-election-7abb62e89cdc443bb5cc795631079488">ethics pact</a>&nbsp;prohibiting both foreign government and foreign company deals.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked Friday if the president might meet with people who have ties to his family’s business, said it was “ridiculous” to suggest Trump "is doing anything for his own benefit.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746987808468.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By ZEKE MILLER and WILL WEISSERT &nbsp;Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/qatar">Qatar</a>&nbsp;during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We&#39;re very disappointed that it&#39;s taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. We have an Air Force One that is 40 years old... if we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they&#39;re building the other ones,… <a href="https://t.co/YVnquDUcyI">pic.twitter.com/YVnquDUcyI</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921940653920895354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">ABC: &quot;What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;You&#39;re ABC Fake News right?... You should be embarrassed asking that question. They&#39;re giving us a free jet. I could say no... I want to pay you $1B... Or I could say thank you.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Q22i73Asle">pic.twitter.com/Q22i73Asle</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921943864518070776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/bNvoefce1c">pic.twitter.com/bNvoefce1c</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921728995827093567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>(video of President Trump touring the plane in February)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">NEWS: Pres. Trump accepts this luxury 747 from Qatar for use as Air Force One - he toured in Feb 2025 <a href="https://t.co/usQ8hlUcG2">pic.twitter.com/usQ8hlUcG2</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1921616343910011324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Qatari government said a final decision hadn't been made. Still, Trump defended the idea — what would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government — as a fiscally smart move for the country.“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. “Anybody can do that!”ABC News&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511">reported</a>&nbsp;that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library.The gift was expected to be announced when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/civilian-nuclear-program-saudi-arabia-trump-iran-be8697a1890d0158cef57babb47e7583">Trump visits</a>&nbsp;Qatar, according to ABC's report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term.Before Trump's post trumpeting the idea, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, said in a statement that the “possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense."“But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” the statement added.Meanwhile, administration officials,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-business-finances-conflicts-ethics-aa019f8f9bdfa4266e2d41b36ad01b4c">anticipating ethics concerns</a>, have prepared an analysis arguing that accepting the plane would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11086">Emoluments Clause</a>&nbsp;bars anyone holding government office from&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/759">accepting any present, emolument, office or title</a>&nbsp;from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being “committed to exploiting the federal government’s power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.”Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at Trump's “America first” political slogan.“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar," the New York Democrat said in a statement. "It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”Even some conservatives expressed dismay online, noting that an aircraft being offered by a foreign government could present security risks if used by a U.S. president.Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the company has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-earnings-results-profit-revenue-628c704b8642693f0ba5060eeede22d3">lost billions of dollars on the project</a>.Trump intends to convert the Qatari aircraft into a plane he can fly on as president, with the Air Force planning to add secure communications and other classified elements to it. But it will still have more limited capabilities than the existing planes that were built to serve as Air Force One, as well as two other aircraft currently under construction, according to a former U.S. official.The official was briefed about the plane and spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not yet been made public.The existing planes used as Air Force One are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.The official told The Associated Press that it would be possible to quickly add some countermeasures and communications systems to the Qatari plane, but that it would be less capable than the existing Air Force One aircraft or long-delayed replacements.Neither the Qatari plane nor the upcoming VC-25B aircraft will have the air-to-air refueling capabilities of the current VC-25A aircraft, which is the one the president currently flies on, the official said.Jordan Libowitz, communications director for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called such a gift “unprecedented."“The totality of gifts given to a president over their term doesn’t get close to this level,” Libowitz said, adding, “You have to ask, if he makes foreign policy — especially in regards to the Middle East — how much is he being influenced by his gifts and his business deals.”ABC said the new plane is similar to a 13-year-old Boeing aircraft&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boeing-air-force-one-presidential-plane-61aec3dbc8ee10d840e160911c9f7cc2">Trump toured in February</a>, while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport and he was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club.Trump faced lawsuits for violating the Emoluments Clause during his first term, but those were ended by the Supreme Court in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ends-trump-lawsuits-df42ef0eec5fa57edf3e294234051d88">which found the cases moot because the Republican had left office</a>.Trump's family business, the Trump Organization, which is now largely run by his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, has vast and growing interests in the Middle East. That includes a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-qatar-deal-conflicts-saudi-arabia-emoluments-7379bee2e307d39bd43b534a05ae3207">new deal to build</a>&nbsp;a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country’s sovereign wealth fund.Qatar, which is ruled by the Al Thani family, is home to the state-owned airline Qatar Airways. The country also has worked to have a close relationship to Trump after he apparently backed a boycott of Doha by four Arab nations in his first term. Trump later in his term applauded Qatar.Administration officials have brushed off concerns about the president’s policy interests blurring with family's business profits. They note that Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children and that a voluntary ethics agreement released by the Trump Organization in January bars the company from striking deals directly with foreign governments.But that same agreement allows deals with private companies abroad. That is a departure from Trump’s first term, when the organization released an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/events-united-states-presidential-election-7abb62e89cdc443bb5cc795631079488">ethics pact</a>&nbsp;prohibiting both foreign government and foreign company deals.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked Friday if the president might meet with people who have ties to his family’s business, said it was “ridiculous” to suggest Trump "is doing anything for his own benefit.”___

🎥 Trump explains why he should accept Qatar's gift of new Air Force One

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEE-ANN DURBIN &nbsp;AP Business Writer</a>

As a Biden administration ban on so-called “junk fees” took effect Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-live-nation-ticketmaster-swift-cca2b9881881fb016d0862b945ccddee">Ticketmaster</a>&nbsp;said it would start displaying the full price of a ticket as soon as consumers begin shopping.

Ticketmaster, long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-concert-ticket-sale-reforms-taylor-swift-a5ddb8282a2c72f6dedafc8139c75921">a subject of complaints</a>&nbsp;about hidden fees and other issues, was among those targeted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-junk-fees-rule-hotels-tickets-085606d99f137040e9a86e5b1ac04068">new rule</a>, which was announced in December by the Federal Trade Commission. The rule requires ticket sellers, hotels, vacation rental platforms and others to disclose processing fees, cleaning fees and other charges up front.

Ticketmaster said it agreed with the FTC’s action.

“Ticketmaster has long advocated for all-in pricing to become the nationwide standard so fans can easily compare prices across all ticketing sites,” Ticketmaster Chief Operating Officer Michael Wichser said in a statement.

Ticketmaster said it will also tell customers where they are in line when they log in to buy tickets to an event. It will also give real-time updates to customers whose wait times exceed 30 minutes, letting them know ticket price ranges, availability and whether new event dates have been added.

Ticketmaster, which is owned by Beverly Hills, California-based concert promoter Live Nation, is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. Around 70% of tickets for major concert venues in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster said Monday's changes would bring North America in line with the rest of the world, where full ticket prices typically are displayed as soon as customers start shopping.

SeatGeek, a platform for buying and selling original and resale tickets, said it also updated its features Monday to make “all-in pricing the default” setting.

“Fans deserve pricing that’s clear from the start,” said SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger said. "We’re proud to roll this out across our platform and encouraged to see the industry move in this direction.”

Ticketmaster has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ticketmaster-entertainment-inc-amy-klobuchar-minnesota-business-fd6bd24fbe88a259aa83496a898a05f9">in the hot seat</a>&nbsp;since 2022, when its site crashed during a presale event for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">Taylor Swift’s</a>&nbsp;upcoming stadium tour. The company said its site was overwhelmed by both fans and attacks from bots, which were posing as consumers in order to scoop up tickets and sell them on secondary sites.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">Thousands of people lost tickets</a>&nbsp;after waiting for hours in an online queue.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-lawsuit-df9b552d127e1494db13e3cd625787a8">sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation</a>, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly that drives up U.S. ticket prices and asking a court to break them up. That case is ongoing.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is also eyeing the industry. In March, he signed an executive order that he said would help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ticket-scalpers-executive-action-live-events-f70082930c9efbeba454f5c2a13084fb">curb ticket scalping</a>&nbsp;and bring “commonsense” changes to the way live events are priced.

Under the order, the FTC must ensure “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process” and take enforcement to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct.

“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it’s a conundrum,” said Kid Rock, who joined Trump in the Oval Office as Trump signed the order.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668687399028.jpeg" alt="AP Photo" />
 <figcaption>AP Photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEE-ANN DURBIN &nbsp;AP Business Writer</a>As a Biden administration ban on so-called “junk fees” took effect Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-live-nation-ticketmaster-swift-cca2b9881881fb016d0862b945ccddee">Ticketmaster</a>&nbsp;said it would start displaying the full price of a ticket as soon as consumers begin shopping.Ticketmaster, long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-concert-ticket-sale-reforms-taylor-swift-a5ddb8282a2c72f6dedafc8139c75921">a subject of complaints</a>&nbsp;about hidden fees and other issues, was among those targeted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-junk-fees-rule-hotels-tickets-085606d99f137040e9a86e5b1ac04068">new rule</a>, which was announced in December by the Federal Trade Commission. The rule requires ticket sellers, hotels, vacation rental platforms and others to disclose processing fees, cleaning fees and other charges up front.Ticketmaster said it agreed with the FTC’s action.“Ticketmaster has long advocated for all-in pricing to become the nationwide standard so fans can easily compare prices across all ticketing sites,” Ticketmaster Chief Operating Officer Michael Wichser said in a statement.Ticketmaster said it will also tell customers where they are in line when they log in to buy tickets to an event. It will also give real-time updates to customers whose wait times exceed 30 minutes, letting them know ticket price ranges, availability and whether new event dates have been added.Ticketmaster, which is owned by Beverly Hills, California-based concert promoter Live Nation, is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. Around 70% of tickets for major concert venues in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster.Ticketmaster said Monday's changes would bring North America in line with the rest of the world, where full ticket prices typically are displayed as soon as customers start shopping.SeatGeek, a platform for buying and selling original and resale tickets, said it also updated its features Monday to make “all-in pricing the default” setting.“Fans deserve pricing that’s clear from the start,” said SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger said. "We’re proud to roll this out across our platform and encouraged to see the industry move in this direction.”Ticketmaster has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ticketmaster-entertainment-inc-amy-klobuchar-minnesota-business-fd6bd24fbe88a259aa83496a898a05f9">in the hot seat</a>&nbsp;since 2022, when its site crashed during a presale event for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">Taylor Swift’s</a>&nbsp;upcoming stadium tour. The company said its site was overwhelmed by both fans and attacks from bots, which were posing as consumers in order to scoop up tickets and sell them on secondary sites.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">Thousands of people lost tickets</a>&nbsp;after waiting for hours in an online queue.Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-lawsuit-df9b552d127e1494db13e3cd625787a8">sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation</a>, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly that drives up U.S. ticket prices and asking a court to break them up. That case is ongoing.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is also eyeing the industry. In March, he signed an executive order that he said would help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ticket-scalpers-executive-action-live-events-f70082930c9efbeba454f5c2a13084fb">curb ticket scalping</a>&nbsp;and bring “commonsense” changes to the way live events are priced.Under the order, the FTC must ensure “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process” and take enforcement to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct.“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it’s a conundrum,” said Kid Rock, who joined Trump in the Oval Office as Trump signed the order.

As 'junk fee' rule takes effect, Ticketmaster says it will display fees more clearly

KANSAS CITY — It was another deadly weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. Police are investigating three more homicides.

Just after 2:30a.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to 11th and Wyandotte on the report of a dead body, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Security guards were conducting patrol rounds when they located an adult male victim in a nearby parking garage. Officers were directed to the upper floor of the parking garage and located the victim later identified as 22-year-old Russell Mason suffering from obvious bodily trauma.

KCFD EMS responded and medics pronounced the Mason deceased on scene. This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to the incident and what caused the victim’s fatal injuries.&nbsp;

Just after 2p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store. 

There they located a victim suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported the victim to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Police have not released his name. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck. Police released no additional details.

Just after 8p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 9300 block of Cleveland on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant DiMartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to an apartment building.&nbsp; There they located a man later identified as 20-year-old Morgan William suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing lifesaving measures until KCFD EMS arrived. Medics took over and transported William to a local hospital where he died a short time later.

Preliminary information revealed an argument occurred in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and William being struck.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest from the weekend violence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746790386685.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — It was another deadly weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. Police are investigating three more homicides.Just after 2:30a.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to 11th and Wyandotte on the report of a dead body, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Security guards were conducting patrol rounds when they located an adult male victim in a nearby parking garage. Officers were directed to the upper floor of the parking garage and located the victim later identified as 22-year-old Russell Mason suffering from obvious bodily trauma.KCFD EMS responded and medics pronounced the Mason deceased on scene. This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to the incident and what caused the victim’s fatal injuries.&nbsp;Just after 2p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746924246378.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>There they located a victim suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported the victim to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Police have not released his name. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck. Police released no additional details.Just after 8p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 9300 block of Cleveland on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant DiMartino.As officers arrived they were directed to an apartment building.&nbsp; There they located a man later identified as 20-year-old Morgan William suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing lifesaving measures until KCFD EMS arrived. Medics took over and transported William to a local hospital where he died a short time later.Preliminary information revealed an argument occurred in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and William being struck.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest from the weekend violence.

Another deadly weekend in KC; more homicide investigations

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rallied Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world’s two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.

The S&amp;P 500 shot up 3.3% to pull back within 5% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It’s been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,160 points, or 2.8%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 4.3%.

It wasn’t just stocks rising following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks, which reduced tariffs by more than what many investors expected.

Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less burdened by tariffs will likely burn more fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields jumped on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold’s price</a>&nbsp;fell, meanwhile, as investors felt less need to buy something safe.

The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy’s growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That’s a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.

The United States said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GquyafEXYAA5fu9?format=jpg&amp;name=large">joint statement</a>&nbsp;that it will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from as high as 145%. China, meanwhile, said its tariffs on U.S. goods will fall to 10% from 125%. The 90-day pause gives time for more talks following the weekend’s negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, which the U.S. side said yielded “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-20f32dd4f11b66bfd73bd105b7acad5a">substantial progress</a>.”

The 90-day reprieve also comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.

Of course, conditions could change quickly again, as Wall Street has seen all too often in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. Big challenges still remain in the negotiations between China and the United States, and there is “no reason to believe that this will be anything other than a slow process,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The U.S.-China pause followed a deal the United States announced last week with the United Kingdom that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">bring down tariffs on many U.K. imports</a>&nbsp;to 10% but will still require weeks to finalize all the details.

Economic reports scheduled for later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.

Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.4%.

Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 8.7%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7.3%.

Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.6%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.8%.

Many retailers rose because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy jumped 6.6%, and Amazon rallied 8.1%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 184.28 points to 5,844.19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1,160.72 to 42,410.10, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 779.43 to 18,708.34.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across most of Europe and Asia, though often by less than the U.S. market.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.47% from 4.37% late Friday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 4.00% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.

Many traders are now betting on just two cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rallying Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world's two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.

The S&amp;P 500 was up 3% in late trading and back within 5.1% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It's been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1,092 points, or 2.6%, with an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite was 4.1% higher.

Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less weakened by tariffs will likely be hungrier for fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields rallied on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold's price</a>&nbsp;fell as investors felt less need to buy something safe.

The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy's growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That's a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.

The 90-day reprieve comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.

Economic reports scheduled to be released later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.

Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.6%.

Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 7.8%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7%.

Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.5%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.3%.

Many retailers climbed because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy rose 5.6%, and Amazon jumped 7.9%.

India’s Sensex shot up 3.7% after India&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paksitan-india-ballistic-missile-kashmir-tensions-70ad575139eeef3673c0c99cbed30302">and Pakistan</a>&nbsp;agreed to a truce after talks to defuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-india-military-explainer-0708bbf29ea81126aeae0d141f5a4026">their most serious military confrontation</a>&nbsp;in decades. The two armies have exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people.

Pakistan’s KSE 100 jumped 9.4%, and trading was halted for one hour following a spike driven by the ceasefire and an International Monetary Fund decision Friday to disburse about $1 billion of a bailout package for its battered economy.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.45% from 4.37% late Friday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 3.99% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rallied Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world’s two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.The S&amp;P 500 shot up 3.3% to pull back within 5% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It’s been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,160 points, or 2.8%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 4.3%.It wasn’t just stocks rising following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks, which reduced tariffs by more than what many investors expected.Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less burdened by tariffs will likely burn more fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields jumped on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold’s price</a>&nbsp;fell, meanwhile, as investors felt less need to buy something safe.The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy’s growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That’s a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.The United States said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GquyafEXYAA5fu9?format=jpg&amp;name=large">joint statement</a>&nbsp;that it will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from as high as 145%. China, meanwhile, said its tariffs on U.S. goods will fall to 10% from 125%. The 90-day pause gives time for more talks following the weekend’s negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, which the U.S. side said yielded “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-20f32dd4f11b66bfd73bd105b7acad5a">substantial progress</a>.”The 90-day reprieve also comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.Of course, conditions could change quickly again, as Wall Street has seen all too often in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. Big challenges still remain in the negotiations between China and the United States, and there is “no reason to believe that this will be anything other than a slow process,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.The U.S.-China pause followed a deal the United States announced last week with the United Kingdom that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">bring down tariffs on many U.K. imports</a>&nbsp;to 10% but will still require weeks to finalize all the details.Economic reports scheduled for later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.4%.Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 8.7%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7.3%.Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.6%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.8%.Many retailers rose because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy jumped 6.6%, and Amazon rallied 8.1%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 184.28 points to 5,844.19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1,160.72 to 42,410.10, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 779.43 to 18,708.34.In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across most of Europe and Asia, though often by less than the U.S. market.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.47% from 4.37% late Friday.The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 4.00% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.Many traders are now betting on just two cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.____-------------NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rallying Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world's two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.The S&amp;P 500 was up 3% in late trading and back within 5.1% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It's been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1,092 points, or 2.6%, with an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite was 4.1% higher.It wasn’t just stocks rising following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks, which reduced tariffs by more than what many investors expected.Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less weakened by tariffs will likely be hungrier for fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields rallied on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold's price</a>&nbsp;fell as investors felt less need to buy something safe.The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy's growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That's a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.The 90-day reprieve comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.The United States said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GquyafEXYAA5fu9?format=jpg&amp;name=large">joint statement</a>&nbsp;that it will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from as high as 145%. China, meanwhile, said its tariffs on U.S. goods will fall to 10% from 125%. The 90-day pause gives time for more talks following the weekend’s negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, which the U.S. side said yielded “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-20f32dd4f11b66bfd73bd105b7acad5a">substantial progress</a>.”Of course, conditions could change quickly again, as Wall Street has seen all too often in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. Big challenges still remain in the negotiations between China and the United States, and there is “no reason to believe that this will be anything other than a slow process,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.The U.S.-China pause followed a deal the United States announced last week with the United Kingdom that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">bring down tariffs on many U.K. imports</a>&nbsp;to 10% but will still require weeks to finalize all the details.Economic reports scheduled to be released later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.6%.Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 7.8%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7%.Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.5%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.3%.Many retailers climbed because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy rose 5.6%, and Amazon jumped 7.9%.In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across most of Europe and Asia, though often by less than the U.S. market.India’s Sensex shot up 3.7% after India&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paksitan-india-ballistic-missile-kashmir-tensions-70ad575139eeef3673c0c99cbed30302">and Pakistan</a>&nbsp;agreed to a truce after talks to defuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-india-military-explainer-0708bbf29ea81126aeae0d141f5a4026">their most serious military confrontation</a>&nbsp;in decades. The two armies have exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people.Pakistan’s KSE 100 jumped 9.4%, and trading was halted for one hour following a spike driven by the ceasefire and an International Monetary Fund decision Friday to disburse about $1 billion of a bailout package for its battered economy.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.45% from 4.37% late Friday.The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 3.99% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.Many traders are now betting on just two cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.

Markets soar following a 90-day truce in the US-China trade war

KANSAS CITY —A man critically injured in an April motorcycle accident in Kansas City has died.

Just after 3:30a.m. April 12, a motorcycle driven by Christopher Tibbits was involved in an accident at&nbsp;Front Street and Interstate 435, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

EMS transported Tibbits to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp; Over the weekend, the Jackson County, Missouri medical examiner's office notified KCKPD Tibbits had died due to "complications of multiple blunt traumatic injuries".&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

KANSAS CITY —A man critically injured in an April motorcycle accident in Kansas City has died.Just after 3:30a.m. April 12, a motorcycle driven by Christopher Tibbits was involved in an accident at&nbsp;Front Street and Interstate 435, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.EMS transported Tibbits to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp; Over the weekend, the Jackson County, Missouri medical examiner's office notified KCKPD Tibbits had died due to "complications of multiple blunt traumatic injuries".&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

Motorcyclist dies weeks after violent crash in Kansas City

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

GARNETT — Kansas farmers are sharing opinions ranging from concerned to “pi**ed” about trade tariffs with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, who toured a corn farm Friday southwest of Kansas City.

“When I’m talking to folks, I hear everything from concern and a cautious approach to how to navigate this tariff climate that we’re in, all the way to folks who are really, like, really worked up and are pi**ed,” Davids said, standing on a gravel road near the Phelon family corn farm outside Garnett.

Davids began visiting a variety of ag operations in 2023, including a goat farm in Miami County, a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County. She serves on the House Agriculture Committee and wanted to learn more about farmers and their needs, she said.

The farmers she’s met with expressed concerns about potential future impacts on the international markets for their products because of tariffs, Davids said.

“The time and investment it takes to get those customers in international markets, it’s not a lightswitch, and it takes a lot of work and effort and rebuilding of relationships to get those same customers back and continue to have that level of market share,” she said. “The impacts are there and people are feeling it.”

Davids spent Friday morning with Adam Phelon and his father, Raylen Phelon, discussing the farm bill and other issues while touring their fourth-generation corn operation.

“I would say that right now, the prospect of a farm bill is very much dependent on how the Congress moves forward on reconciliation,” Davids said. “We’re supposed to have a markup on the reconciliation bill next week. I think when it comes to the farm bill, we have a really strong starting place in this Congress.”

Davids said Republicans and Democrats see crop insurance as a top priority, for instance, and there is agreement on other agricultural provisions.

“I think that there’s a reason to be realistically optimistic, but similar to last Congress — it’s not the farm bill that is holding up the process of getting a farm bill done,” she said. “It’s that there are other legislative things going on before we can do the farm bill.”

Adam Phelon, who is a Kansas Soybean Association board member, said he would like to see Congress pass a farm bill but added that multiple issues are being watched by farmers.

“It’s not just tariffs — it’s trade, it’s EPA regulations, it’s the energy costs, it’s infrastructure. I mean, infrastructure is such a huge one for us,” he said. “And that goes to not just our roads around here, but that goes to rail, that goes to ships that are coming into ports, you know, everything that goes on there. All that’s important to us as farmers.”

But the priority right now is getting a farm bill, he said.

“We need updated reference prices,” he said. “We need to make sure that there’s a strong safety net, and we need to make sure the crop insurance is protected because we have weather uncertainties. Without having crop insurance and making sure there’s a strong safety net underneath us — those things can be life or death in terms of a farm and how we operate.”

Kaleb Little, CEO and administrator of the Kansas Soybean Association, was at the Phelon farm for the tour. He said he is hearing similar concerns as those expressed by Adam Phelon from others in the organization.

“There’s always so much uncertainty in farming and agriculture,” Little said. “There’s so much that’s just out of their hands. And then throw in what the federal government is and isn’t doing is just another layer of uncertainty in there, whether trade or not, getting a farm bill done, or bio fuels policy,” Little said. “Farmers are always optimists, right? Because they have to be.”

A lot of association members are hanging onto what Little termed “cautious optimism” that things will come out better. Still, he said, there is angst and concern.

For soybean farmers, half of their products go to the international market, he said. There were long-term impacts from tariffs put in place during President Donald Trump’s first administration.&nbsp;

“The world dynamics really changed,” Little said, adding that pre-2018 tariffs, about 60% of China’s soybean market came from U.S. farmers.

“That got cut in half,” he said of the impacts of previous tariffs. “Some of the good that came out of that was soybean farmers and groups like the United Soybean or the American Soybean Association, those organizations really worked to diversify the international market. So U.S. soy is going to a lot more individual markets than it did pre-China. There are some positives there, but it’s a lot more work to maintain 50 countries as customers versus 12 or 15, especially when you talk about infrastructure and things like that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746994451297.png" alt=" Raylen Phelon, left, and his son, Adam Phelon, are corn and soybean farmers who are concerned about whether a farm bill will pass. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Raylen Phelon, left, and his son, Adam Phelon, are corn and soybean farmers who are concerned about whether a farm bill will pass. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>GARNETT — Kansas farmers are sharing opinions ranging from concerned to “pi**ed” about trade tariffs with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, who toured a corn farm Friday southwest of Kansas City.“When I’m talking to folks, I hear everything from concern and a cautious approach to how to navigate this tariff climate that we’re in, all the way to folks who are really, like, really worked up and are pi**ed,” Davids said, standing on a gravel road near the Phelon family corn farm outside Garnett.Davids began visiting a variety of ag operations in 2023, including a goat farm in Miami County, a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County. She serves on the House Agriculture Committee and wanted to learn more about farmers and their needs, she said.The farmers she’s met with expressed concerns about potential future impacts on the international markets for their products because of tariffs, Davids said.“The time and investment it takes to get those customers in international markets, it’s not a lightswitch, and it takes a lot of work and effort and rebuilding of relationships to get those same customers back and continue to have that level of market share,” she said. “The impacts are there and people are feeling it.”Davids spent Friday morning with Adam Phelon and his father, Raylen Phelon, discussing the farm bill and other issues while touring their fourth-generation corn operation.“I would say that right now, the prospect of a farm bill is very much dependent on how the Congress moves forward on reconciliation,” Davids said. “We’re supposed to have a markup on the reconciliation bill next week. I think when it comes to the farm bill, we have a really strong starting place in this Congress.”Davids said Republicans and Democrats see crop insurance as a top priority, for instance, and there is agreement on other agricultural provisions.“I think that there’s a reason to be realistically optimistic, but similar to last Congress — it’s not the farm bill that is holding up the process of getting a farm bill done,” she said. “It’s that there are other legislative things going on before we can do the farm bill.”Adam Phelon, who is a Kansas Soybean Association board member, said he would like to see Congress pass a farm bill but added that multiple issues are being watched by farmers.“It’s not just tariffs — it’s trade, it’s EPA regulations, it’s the energy costs, it’s infrastructure. I mean, infrastructure is such a huge one for us,” he said. “And that goes to not just our roads around here, but that goes to rail, that goes to ships that are coming into ports, you know, everything that goes on there. All that’s important to us as farmers.”But the priority right now is getting a farm bill, he said.“We need updated reference prices,” he said. “We need to make sure that there’s a strong safety net, and we need to make sure the crop insurance is protected because we have weather uncertainties. Without having crop insurance and making sure there’s a strong safety net underneath us — those things can be life or death in terms of a farm and how we operate.”<h2>Statewide insights</h2>Kaleb Little, CEO and administrator of the Kansas Soybean Association, was at the Phelon farm for the tour. He said he is hearing similar concerns as those expressed by Adam Phelon from others in the organization.“There’s always so much uncertainty in farming and agriculture,” Little said. “There’s so much that’s just out of their hands. And then throw in what the federal government is and isn’t doing is just another layer of uncertainty in there, whether trade or not, getting a farm bill done, or bio fuels policy,” Little said. “Farmers are always optimists, right? Because they have to be.”A lot of association members are hanging onto what Little termed “cautious optimism” that things will come out better. Still, he said, there is angst and concern.For soybean farmers, half of their products go to the international market, he said. There were long-term impacts from tariffs put in place during President Donald Trump’s first administration.&nbsp;“The world dynamics really changed,” Little said, adding that pre-2018 tariffs, about 60% of China’s soybean market came from U.S. farmers.“That got cut in half,” he said of the impacts of previous tariffs. “Some of the good that came out of that was soybean farmers and groups like the United Soybean or the American Soybean Association, those organizations really worked to diversify the international market. So U.S. soy is going to a lot more individual markets than it did pre-China. There are some positives there, but it’s a lot more work to maintain 50 countries as customers versus 12 or 15, especially when you talk about infrastructure and things like that.”<h2>In his blood</h2>Uncertainty is a part of running a farm, whether it be weather- or politics-related. But it makes planning difficult.“The uncertainty is a huge issue,” Adam Phelon said. “So, yeah, maybe we won’t be making some bigger purchases that we planned on before, just so we can plan for the future in case, you know, things get worse before they get better.”Even knowing the challenges, Adam Phelon never doubted that he’d continue his family’s farming tradition.“This ground that we’re standing on today has been in my grandma’s family for around 100 years now,” he said. “Yeah, we’ve got VHS tapes of me in a crib being hauled up the side of a combine. I remember getting dropped off at youth group, and the look on my youth group teacher’s face when she saw me climb right into a tractor to go to work. Her jaw dropped. I was probably 11 or 12 years old.“I love being out here working in the dirt, and seeing the crop grow from a seed to a final product, and taking pride in that,” Adam Phelon said.