VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, signalling that no pope had been elected as 133 cardinals opened the secretive, centuries-old ritual to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church.

The cardinals participating in the most&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-cardinal-d01b3bfd056836e89560e3b40337b89e">geographically diverse conclave</a>&nbsp;in the faith’s 2,000-year history took just one round of voting Wednesday evening. After failing to find a winner on the first ballot, they retired for the night and will return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning to try to find a successor to Pope Francis.

They had opened the conclave Wednesday afternoon, participating in a rite more theatrical than even Hollywood could create, a wash of red-robed cardinals, Latin chants, incense and solemnity that underscored the seriousness of the moment.

Outside in St. Peter’s Square, the scene was festive, as thousands of people flocked to the piazza to watch the proceedings on giant video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel’s doors slammed shut and the voting began. They waited for hours, watching screens that showed just a skinny chimney and occasional seagull. After the vote dragged on to dinnertime, some left in frustration, but those who stayed cheered when the smoke finally billowed out.

“My hope is that cardinals will choose a man who can be a peacemaker and could reunify the church,” said Gabriel Capry, a 27-year-old from London.

Hailing from 70 countries, the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-election-conclave-pope-vatican-catholics-87fcd94f759575b8744a4d2899371275#:~:text=VATICAN%20CITY%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The,the%20world's%201.3%20billion%20Catholics.">were sequestered</a>&nbsp;Wednesday from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new pope.

Francis named 108 of the 133 “princes of the church,” choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before.

His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the “global south” — often marginalized countries with lower economic clout — has injected an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-pope-b4883723cbbba159b0264dd76526b55d">unusual degree of uncertainty</a>&nbsp;in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense.

Many cardinals hadn’t met until last week and lamented they needed more time to get to know one another, raising questions about how long it might take for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope.

“Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see,” said Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s ambassador to Syria.

The cardinals had entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” as Swiss Guards stood at attention. The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-43cf0a0099c8866f358a7e0d78eb1877">find a</a>&nbsp;leader of the 1.4 billion-strong church.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old secretary of state under Francis and himself a leading contender to succeed him as pope, assumed the leadership of the proceedings as the senior cardinal under age 80 eligible to participate.

He stood before Michelangelo’s vision of heaven and hell, “The Last Judgment,” and led the other cardinals in a lengthy oath. Each one followed, placing his hand on the Gospel and promising in Latin to maintain utmost secrecy.

Earlier in the day, the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided over a morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica urging the voters to set aside all personal interests and find a pope who prizes unity. He prayed for a pope who could awaken the conscience of the world.

He reminded the cardinals that the awesomeness of the Sistine Chapel’s frescoes is meant to remind the cardinals of the weighty responsibility they bear. In his regulations for the conclave, Re recalled, St. John Paul II wrote that in the Sistine Chapel, “everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God.”

After the cardinals took their oaths, the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, called out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-glossary-3f34cfc8bda3570b9ecf0602d20990fb">“extra omnes,”</a>&nbsp;Latin for “all out” and anyone not eligible to vote left before the chapel doors closed. An elderly cardinal remained to deliver a meditation, but after he finished, he too, had to leave since he was too old to vote.

While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting. For much of the past century, it has taken between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.

The cardinals are supposed to resist any “secular” influences in their choice of pope, but such lobbying abounded in Rome in the days before the conclave as various groups reminded cardinals of what ordinary Catholics want in a leader.

Young Catholics penned an open letter reminding cardinals that there is no church without young people, women and the laity. Conservative Catholic media slipped cardinals copies of a glossy book containing their assessments of contenders. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse warned cardinals that they would be held accountable if they failed to find a leader who will crack down on decades of abuse and cover-up.

Advocates for women’s ordination sent pink smoke signals Wednesday over the Vatican to demand that women be allowed to be priests and participate in a conclave.

Even the White House got involved, posting a photo of President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-conclave-ai-image-bishops-9d88286886c350c4465f7c2afb7a5e41">Trump dressed as a pope</a>. Trump said it was a joke, but the gesture was denounced by former Italian Premier Romano Prodi as “indecent” political interference in matters of faith that hark back to times when secular rulers intervened in conclaves.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said there was also plenty of lobbying going on among cardinals themselves.

“You invite each other out,” Dolan said on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel before the conclave began. “And you’re pretty blunt. Now, we’re not, you know, we’re not horse trading here. We’re saying, ‘Tell me about this guy. You’re from Latin America. Go through the list of bishops. Tell me some of these fellas. Am I right to be enchanted by this guy?’”

Lisette Herrera, a 54-year-old tourist from the Dominican Republic, was deeply moved to find herself by chance in Rome as the conclave began. She decided Wednesday morning to skip the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and pray instead in St. Peter’s Square.

“I’m praying to the Holy Spirit for a young pope who would stay with us for a long time,” she said. “I don’t believe in conclave politics, I just feel that the Holy Spirit is here and that’s all we need to know.”

Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-challenges-lgbtq-women-sex-abuse-e73199910f1723282b91984f207ad5a0">challenges</a>&nbsp;await the new pope and weigh on the cardinals — above all whether to continue and consolidate Francis’ progressive legacy on promoting women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, the environment and migrants, or roll it back to try to unify a church that became more polarized during his pontificate. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-abuse-pope-b882375878b2f33c5a53c1dc9e345356">clergy sex abuse scandal</a>&nbsp;hung over the pre-conclave talks.

Since Francis chose 80% of the voters, continuity is likely, but the form it might take is uncertain and identifying front-runners has been a challenge.

But some names keep appearing on lists of “papabile,” or cardinals having the qualities to be pope. In addition to Parolin, they include:

— Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, a top candidate to be history’s first Asian pope. He headed the Vatican’s evangelization office responsible for the Catholic Church in much of the developing world.

— Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, the archbishop of Budapest, is a leading candidate representing the more conservative wing of the church.

For AP’s full coverage of the conclave, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave">https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave</a>&nbsp;___

AP reporters Giada Zampano and Vanessa Gera contributed.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, signalling that no pope had been elected as 133 cardinals opened the secretive, centuries-old ritual to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Black smoke. No pope. Conclave continues Thursday. <a href="https://t.co/yn6p1ct9ve">pic.twitter.com/yn6p1ct9ve</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920193635967963540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The cardinals participating in the most&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-cardinal-d01b3bfd056836e89560e3b40337b89e">geographically diverse conclave</a>&nbsp;in the faith’s 2,000-year history took just one round of voting Wednesday evening. After failing to find a winner on the first ballot, they retired for the night and will return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning to try to find a successor to Pope Francis.They had opened the conclave Wednesday afternoon, participating in a rite more theatrical than even Hollywood could create, a wash of red-robed cardinals, Latin chants, incense and solemnity that underscored the seriousness of the moment.Outside in St. Peter’s Square, the scene was festive, as thousands of people flocked to the piazza to watch the proceedings on giant video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel’s doors slammed shut and the voting began. They waited for hours, watching screens that showed just a skinny chimney and occasional seagull. After the vote dragged on to dinnertime, some left in frustration, but those who stayed cheered when the smoke finally billowed out.“My hope is that cardinals will choose a man who can be a peacemaker and could reunify the church,” said Gabriel Capry, a 27-year-old from London.<h2>A diverse group of cardinals</h2>Hailing from 70 countries, the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-election-conclave-pope-vatican-catholics-87fcd94f759575b8744a4d2899371275#:~:text=VATICAN%20CITY%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The,the%20world's%201.3%20billion%20Catholics.">were sequestered</a>&nbsp;Wednesday from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new pope.Francis named 108 of the 133 “princes of the church,” choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before.His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the “global south” — often marginalized countries with lower economic clout — has injected an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-pope-b4883723cbbba159b0264dd76526b55d">unusual degree of uncertainty</a>&nbsp;in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense.Many cardinals hadn’t met until last week and lamented they needed more time to get to know one another, raising questions about how long it might take for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope.“Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see,” said Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s ambassador to Syria.<h2>The oath and “Extra omnes”</h2>The cardinals had entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” as Swiss Guards stood at attention. The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-43cf0a0099c8866f358a7e0d78eb1877">find a</a>&nbsp;leader of the 1.4 billion-strong church.Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old secretary of state under Francis and himself a leading contender to succeed him as pope, assumed the leadership of the proceedings as the senior cardinal under age 80 eligible to participate.He stood before Michelangelo’s vision of heaven and hell, “The Last Judgment,” and led the other cardinals in a lengthy oath. Each one followed, placing his hand on the Gospel and promising in Latin to maintain utmost secrecy.Earlier in the day, the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided over a morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica urging the voters to set aside all personal interests and find a pope who prizes unity. He prayed for a pope who could awaken the conscience of the world.He reminded the cardinals that the awesomeness of the Sistine Chapel’s frescoes is meant to remind the cardinals of the weighty responsibility they bear. In his regulations for the conclave, Re recalled, St. John Paul II wrote that in the Sistine Chapel, “everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God.”After the cardinals took their oaths, the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, called out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-glossary-3f34cfc8bda3570b9ecf0602d20990fb">“extra omnes,”</a>&nbsp;Latin for “all out” and anyone not eligible to vote left before the chapel doors closed. An elderly cardinal remained to deliver a meditation, but after he finished, he too, had to leave since he was too old to vote.While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting. For much of the past century, it has taken between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.<h2>Lobbying before the conclave</h2>The cardinals are supposed to resist any “secular” influences in their choice of pope, but such lobbying abounded in Rome in the days before the conclave as various groups reminded cardinals of what ordinary Catholics want in a leader.Young Catholics penned an open letter reminding cardinals that there is no church without young people, women and the laity. Conservative Catholic media slipped cardinals copies of a glossy book containing their assessments of contenders. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse warned cardinals that they would be held accountable if they failed to find a leader who will crack down on decades of abuse and cover-up.Advocates for women’s ordination sent pink smoke signals Wednesday over the Vatican to demand that women be allowed to be priests and participate in a conclave.Even the White House got involved, posting a photo of President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-conclave-ai-image-bishops-9d88286886c350c4465f7c2afb7a5e41">Trump dressed as a pope</a>. Trump said it was a joke, but the gesture was denounced by former Italian Premier Romano Prodi as “indecent” political interference in matters of faith that hark back to times when secular rulers intervened in conclaves.Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said there was also plenty of lobbying going on among cardinals themselves.“You invite each other out,” Dolan said on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel before the conclave began. “And you’re pretty blunt. Now, we’re not, you know, we’re not horse trading here. We’re saying, ‘Tell me about this guy. You’re from Latin America. Go through the list of bishops. Tell me some of these fellas. Am I right to be enchanted by this guy?’”Lisette Herrera, a 54-year-old tourist from the Dominican Republic, was deeply moved to find herself by chance in Rome as the conclave began. She decided Wednesday morning to skip the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and pray instead in St. Peter’s Square.“I’m praying to the Holy Spirit for a young pope who would stay with us for a long time,” she said. “I don’t believe in conclave politics, I just feel that the Holy Spirit is here and that’s all we need to know.”<h2>Challenges facing a new pope</h2>Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-challenges-lgbtq-women-sex-abuse-e73199910f1723282b91984f207ad5a0">challenges</a>&nbsp;await the new pope and weigh on the cardinals — above all whether to continue and consolidate Francis’ progressive legacy on promoting women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, the environment and migrants, or roll it back to try to unify a church that became more polarized during his pontificate. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-abuse-pope-b882375878b2f33c5a53c1dc9e345356">clergy sex abuse scandal</a>&nbsp;hung over the pre-conclave talks.Since Francis chose 80% of the voters, continuity is likely, but the form it might take is uncertain and identifying front-runners has been a challenge.But some names keep appearing on lists of “papabile,” or cardinals having the qualities to be pope. In addition to Parolin, they include:— Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, a top candidate to be history’s first Asian pope. He headed the Vatican’s evangelization office responsible for the Catholic Church in much of the developing world.— Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, the archbishop of Budapest, is a leading candidate representing the more conservative wing of the church.___For AP’s full coverage of the conclave, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave">https://apnews.com/hub/papal-conclave</a>&nbsp;___AP reporters Giada Zampano and Vanessa Gera contributed.___

🎥Black smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney signals end of first day of conclave

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, brushing off President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-trump-powell-federal-reserve-6eb45ff17915b321366dbe1c5bb15e43">demands</a>&nbsp;to lower borrowing costs, and said that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen.

The Fed kept its rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting, after cutting it three times in a row at the end of last year. Many economists and Wall Street investors still expect the Fed will reduce rates two or three times this year, but the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump</a>&nbsp;have injected a tremendous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-economy-tariffs-unemployment-inflation-5f06fd466b4e05da30d1d6e5ce222790">amount of uncertainty into the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;and the Fed’s policies.

It is unusual for the Fed to say that the risk of both higher prices and more unemployment have increased. But economists say that is the threat created by Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The import taxes could both lift inflation by making imported parts and finished goods more expensive, while also raising unemployment by causing companies to cut jobs as their costs rise.

As a result, the tariffs have put the Fed in a difficult spot. The Fed’s goals are to keep prices stable and maximize employment. Typically, when inflation rises, the Fed raises rates to slow borrowing and spending and cool inflation, while if layoffs rise, it would reduce rates to spur more spending and growth.

At a press conference after the release of the policy statement, Powell repeatedly said Fed officials are in a position to “wait and see” what the ultimate impacts of the tariffs are. At the moment, Powell said, it’s too soon to tell.

“There’s so much uncertainty about the scale, scope, timing and persistence of the tariffs.”

Trump announced sweeping tariffs against about 60 U.S. trading partners in April, then paused most of them for 90 days, with the exception of duties against China. The administration has subjected goods from China to a 145% tariff.

The central bank's caution could lead to more conflict between the Fed and the Trump administration. On Sunday, Trump again urged the Fed to cut rates in a television interview and said Powell “just doesn't like me because I think he's a total stiff.”

With inflation not far from the Fed's 2% target for now, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argue that the Fed could reduce its rate. The Fed pushed it higher in 2022 and 2023 to fight inflation.

Asked at the press conference whether Trump’s calls for lower rates has any influence on the Fed, Powell said, ”(It) doesn’t affect doing our job at all. We’re always going to consider only the economic data, the outlook, the balance of risks, and that’s it.”

If the Fed were to cut, it could lower other borrowing costs, such as for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-fed-inflation-tariffs-recession-e698dca7ceddf382c1b030e7bf1bd202">that is not guaranteed</a>.

Trump also said he wouldn't fire Powell because the chair's term ends next May and he will be able to appoint a new chair then. Yet if the economy stumbles in the coming months, Trump could renew his threats to remove Powell.

A big issue facing the Fed is how tariffs will impact inflation. Nearly all economists and Fed officials expect the import taxes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-poll-tariffs-inflation-prices-recession-1d320115e8801e4970bd5cccf2742fc4">will lift prices</a>, but it's not clear by how much or for how long. Tariffs typically cause a one-time increase in prices, but not necessarily ongoing inflation. Yet if Trump announces further tariffs — as he has threatened to do on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and copper — or if Americans worry that inflation will get worse, that could send prices higher in a more persistent way.

Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said this could keep the Fed on the sidelines until September.

“It’s hard for them to cut sooner because they’ve got to weigh, what’s the inflation impact?” Bostjancic said. “Is this going to be somewhat persistent and add to inflation expectations?”

Economists and the Fed are closely watching inflation expectations, which are essentially a measure of how much consumers are concerned that inflation will worsen. Higher inflation expectations can be self-fulfilling, because it Americans think prices will rise, they can take steps that push up costs, such as asking for higher wages.

For now, the U.S. economy is mostly in solid shape, and inflation has cooled considerably from its peak in 2022. Consumers are spending at a healthy pace, though some of that may reflect buying things like cars ahead of tariffs. Businesses are still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-economy-tariffs-unemployment-inflation-5f06fd466b4e05da30d1d6e5ce222790">adding workers</a>&nbsp;at a steady pace, and unemployment is low.

Still, there are signs inflation will worsen in the coming months. Surveys of both manufacturing and services firms show that they are seeing higher prices from their suppliers. And a survey by the Federal Reserve's Dallas branch found that nearly 55% of manufacturing firms expect to pass on the impact of tariff increases to their customers.

“The bottom line is that inflation will be rising significantly over the next six months,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at the Apollo Group, said in an email.

Yet the tariffs could also weigh heavily on the economy, particularly because of the uncertainty they have created. Business surveys show that firms are postponing investment decisions until they have greater clarity. Many companies have withdrawn their financial forecasts for 2025 due to the uncertainty around tariffs.

Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said the uncertainty surrounding trade policy gives him “night terrors.”

“The economics of uncertainty are absolutely suffocating," Sweet said. “Businesses that don’t know the rules of the road, their knee-jerk reaction is to sit on their hands. And that’s what they’re doing.”

But if the uncertainty delays hiring, slows the economy and pushes up the unemployment rate, the Fed could quickly shift toward interest rate cuts. A sharp economic slowdown could eventually cool inflation by itself, economists say.

“If you felt like the economy was really slowing down, then I think that would probably take precedence (over inflation), because usually the way the committee thinks is that will also drag inflation somewhat with it,” said Jim Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve's St. Louis branch, and currently dean of Purdue University's business school.

In March, the Fed signaled that it could cut rates twice this year. But then the Trump administration announcing the broad duties in early April, which Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-federal-reserve-3dd54eb572f1d37e202a8a30223fc14d">said last month</a>&nbsp;were larger and broader than the Fed expected.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, brushing off President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-trump-powell-federal-reserve-6eb45ff17915b321366dbe1c5bb15e43">demands</a>&nbsp;to lower borrowing costs, and said that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Powell: &quot;In support of our goals, today the Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy interest rate unchanged.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOMC</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Z60TCml3H">pic.twitter.com/0Z60TCml3H</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920188307704627377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Fed kept its rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting, after cutting it three times in a row at the end of last year. Many economists and Wall Street investors still expect the Fed will reduce rates two or three times this year, but the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump</a>&nbsp;have injected a tremendous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-economy-tariffs-unemployment-inflation-5f06fd466b4e05da30d1d6e5ce222790">amount of uncertainty into the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;and the Fed’s policies.It is unusual for the Fed to say that the risk of both higher prices and more unemployment have increased. But economists say that is the threat created by Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The import taxes could both lift inflation by making imported parts and finished goods more expensive, while also raising unemployment by causing companies to cut jobs as their costs rise.As a result, the tariffs have put the Fed in a difficult spot. The Fed’s goals are to keep prices stable and maximize employment. Typically, when inflation rises, the Fed raises rates to slow borrowing and spending and cool inflation, while if layoffs rise, it would reduce rates to spur more spending and growth.At a press conference after the release of the policy statement, Powell repeatedly said Fed officials are in a position to “wait and see” what the ultimate impacts of the tariffs are. At the moment, Powell said, it’s too soon to tell.“There’s so much uncertainty about the scale, scope, timing and persistence of the tariffs.”Trump announced sweeping tariffs against about 60 U.S. trading partners in April, then paused most of them for 90 days, with the exception of duties against China. The administration has subjected goods from China to a 145% tariff.The central bank's caution could lead to more conflict between the Fed and the Trump administration. On Sunday, Trump again urged the Fed to cut rates in a television interview and said Powell “just doesn't like me because I think he's a total stiff.”With inflation not far from the Fed's 2% target for now, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argue that the Fed could reduce its rate. The Fed pushed it higher in 2022 and 2023 to fight inflation.Asked at the press conference whether Trump’s calls for lower rates has any influence on the Fed, Powell said, ”(It) doesn’t affect doing our job at all. We’re always going to consider only the economic data, the outlook, the balance of risks, and that’s it.”If the Fed were to cut, it could lower other borrowing costs, such as for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-powell-fed-inflation-tariffs-recession-e698dca7ceddf382c1b030e7bf1bd202">that is not guaranteed</a>.Trump also said he wouldn't fire Powell because the chair's term ends next May and he will be able to appoint a new chair then. Yet if the economy stumbles in the coming months, Trump could renew his threats to remove Powell.A big issue facing the Fed is how tariffs will impact inflation. Nearly all economists and Fed officials expect the import taxes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-poll-tariffs-inflation-prices-recession-1d320115e8801e4970bd5cccf2742fc4">will lift prices</a>, but it's not clear by how much or for how long. Tariffs typically cause a one-time increase in prices, but not necessarily ongoing inflation. Yet if Trump announces further tariffs — as he has threatened to do on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and copper — or if Americans worry that inflation will get worse, that could send prices higher in a more persistent way.Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said this could keep the Fed on the sidelines until September.“It’s hard for them to cut sooner because they’ve got to weigh, what’s the inflation impact?” Bostjancic said. “Is this going to be somewhat persistent and add to inflation expectations?”Economists and the Fed are closely watching inflation expectations, which are essentially a measure of how much consumers are concerned that inflation will worsen. Higher inflation expectations can be self-fulfilling, because it Americans think prices will rise, they can take steps that push up costs, such as asking for higher wages.For now, the U.S. economy is mostly in solid shape, and inflation has cooled considerably from its peak in 2022. Consumers are spending at a healthy pace, though some of that may reflect buying things like cars ahead of tariffs. Businesses are still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-economy-tariffs-unemployment-inflation-5f06fd466b4e05da30d1d6e5ce222790">adding workers</a>&nbsp;at a steady pace, and unemployment is low.Still, there are signs inflation will worsen in the coming months. Surveys of both manufacturing and services firms show that they are seeing higher prices from their suppliers. And a survey by the Federal Reserve's Dallas branch found that nearly 55% of manufacturing firms expect to pass on the impact of tariff increases to their customers.“The bottom line is that inflation will be rising significantly over the next six months,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at the Apollo Group, said in an email.Yet the tariffs could also weigh heavily on the economy, particularly because of the uncertainty they have created. Business surveys show that firms are postponing investment decisions until they have greater clarity. Many companies have withdrawn their financial forecasts for 2025 due to the uncertainty around tariffs.Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said the uncertainty surrounding trade policy gives him “night terrors.”“The economics of uncertainty are absolutely suffocating," Sweet said. “Businesses that don’t know the rules of the road, their knee-jerk reaction is to sit on their hands. And that’s what they’re doing.”But if the uncertainty delays hiring, slows the economy and pushes up the unemployment rate, the Fed could quickly shift toward interest rate cuts. A sharp economic slowdown could eventually cool inflation by itself, economists say.“If you felt like the economy was really slowing down, then I think that would probably take precedence (over inflation), because usually the way the committee thinks is that will also drag inflation somewhat with it,” said Jim Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve's St. Louis branch, and currently dean of Purdue University's business school.In March, the Fed signaled that it could cut rates twice this year. But then the Trump administration announcing the broad duties in early April, which Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-federal-reserve-3dd54eb572f1d37e202a8a30223fc14d">said last month</a>&nbsp;were larger and broader than the Fed expected.

🎥Bad news for borrowers: Fed Chair explains decision on interest rates

SEDGWICK&nbsp; COUNTY —A case of measles has been confirmed in Sedgwick County&nbsp;in an unvaccinated child between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, the county health department reported on its website Wednesday.

Sedgwick County officials are working to identify the source of exposure and notify anyone who may have been exposed. The health department urged residents to review their vaccination status and consult their healthcare provider if they have symptoms.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported three new case of measles over the past week in the state.&nbsp;&nbsp; The state's updated report did not include the case just announced in Sedgwick County.

Kansas has 49 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday, including Morton Stevens, Haskell, Kiowa, Grant, Finney, Ford and Gray counties. One person remains hospitalized, according to the KDHE.

North Dakota is the 11th state in the U.S. with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">measles outbreak</a>, logging its first cases since 2011.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles case</a>&nbsp;count is 935, more than triple the amount seen in all of 2024. The three-month outbreak in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>&nbsp;accounts for the vast majority of cases, with 702 confirmed as of Tuesday. The outbreak has also spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas.</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;died from measles-related illnesses in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the epicenter in West Texas,</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

North America has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">two other ongoing outbreaks</a>. One in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=323859266e21469b8b97a294d6c6f98e&amp;sc_lang=en">1,243 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through April 29. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 922 measles cases and one death as of Tuesday, according to data from the state health ministry. Health officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;and the U.S. say all three outbreaks are of the same measles strain.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

As the virus takes hold in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">U.S. communities with low vaccination rates</a>, health experts fear that spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

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

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because most children back then had measles and now have “presumptive immunity.”

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

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>

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

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741908329913.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK&nbsp; COUNTY —A case of measles has been confirmed in Sedgwick County&nbsp;in an unvaccinated child between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, the county health department reported on its website Wednesday.Sedgwick County officials are working to identify the source of exposure and notify anyone who may have been exposed. The health department urged residents to review their vaccination status and consult their healthcare provider if they have symptoms.Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported three new case of measles over the past week in the state.&nbsp;&nbsp; The state's updated report did not include the case just announced in Sedgwick County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746639344474.png" alt="KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas has 49 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday, including Morton Stevens, Haskell, Kiowa, Grant, Finney, Ford and Gray counties. One person remains hospitalized, according to the KDHE.North Dakota is the 11th state in the U.S. with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">measles outbreak</a>, logging its first cases since 2011.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles case</a>&nbsp;count is 935, more than triple the amount seen in all of 2024. The three-month outbreak in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>&nbsp;accounts for the vast majority of cases, with 702 confirmed as of Tuesday. The outbreak has also spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas.</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;died from measles-related illnesses in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the epicenter in West Texas,</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>&nbsp;who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.North America has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">two other ongoing outbreaks</a>. One in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=323859266e21469b8b97a294d6c6f98e&amp;sc_lang=en">1,243 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through April 29. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 922 measles cases and one death as of Tuesday, according to data from the state health ministry. Health officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;and the U.S. say all three outbreaks are of the same measles strain.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.As the virus takes hold in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">U.S. communities with low vaccination rates</a>, health experts fear that spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>. Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because most children back then had measles and now have “presumptive immunity.”In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a><h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<ul>
 <li>People who are at risk for measles infection are those who have not been vaccinated.</li><li>Babies 6 to 11 months old in Sedgwick County can now receive the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine ahead of schedule&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=1493" target="_blank">per KDHE</a>. Children should then follow the recommended vaccination schedule as they get older.</li><li>If you have not been vaccinated or are unsure, call your healthcare provider or the Sedgwick County Health Department at&nbsp;316-660-7300&nbsp;to schedule a MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination.</li>
 </ul>

Measles outbreak continues to grow in Kansas 

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a road rage incident in Manhattan.

Just after noon Tuesday, officers filed a report of aggravated assault near the intersection of 68th Avenue and Deer Trail Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

 A 61-year-old man reported that a 59-year-old woman armed herself with a handgun and discharged it during a road rage incident. No persons were injured during the event. 

Just before 2p.m. Tuesday, police arrested 59-year-old Tracey Meredith of Manhattan in the 2700 block of Brookhollow Court on requested charges aggravated assault. Meredith met the requirement of $5000 bond and is no longer in custody.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a road rage incident in Manhattan.Just after noon Tuesday, officers filed a report of aggravated assault near the intersection of 68th Avenue and Deer Trail Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. A 61-year-old man reported that a 59-year-old woman armed herself with a handgun and discharged it during a road rage incident. No persons were injured during the event. Just before 2p.m. Tuesday, police arrested 59-year-old Tracey Meredith of Manhattan in the 2700 block of Brookhollow Court on requested charges aggravated assault. Meredith met the requirement of $5000 bond and is no longer in custody.

Road Rage: Kan. woman accused of firing handgun at man

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The great doors of the Sistine Chapel shut Wednesday after the cry of “extra omnes” — Latin for “all out” — and 133 cardinals began the secretive, centuries-old ritual of electing a new pope to lead the Catholic Church, opening the most&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-cardinal-d01b3bfd056836e89560e3b40337b89e">geographically diverse conclave</a>&nbsp;in the faith’s 2,000-year history.

The red-robed cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” as Swiss Guards stood at attention. The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-43cf0a0099c8866f358a7e0d78eb1877">find a successor to Pope Francis to lead</a>&nbsp;the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state under Francis and himself a leading contender to succeed him as pope, assumed the leadership of the proceedings as the senior cardinal under age 80.

Speaking in Latin, Parolin stood before Michelangelo's vision of heaven and hell, “The Last Judgment,” and led the cardinals in a lengthy oath. Each one followed, placing his hand on the Gospel and promising in Latin to maintain utmost secrecy.

The dramatic ritual was more colorful than even Hollywood could create, a wash of colors, chants, incense and solemnity that underscored the seriousness of the moment. Outside in St. Peter's Square, the scene was almost festive, as hundreds of people watched the proceedings on giant video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel's doors shut and the Vatican feed cut off.

They were waiting until later Wednesday to see the first puffs of smoke from the chapel chimney to learn whether a pope had been elected or not.

Hailing from 70 countries, the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-election-conclave-pope-vatican-catholics-87fcd94f759575b8744a4d2899371275#:~:text=VATICAN%20CITY%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The,the%20world's%201.3%20billion%20Catholics.">have been sequestered</a>&nbsp;from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new pope.

He reminded the cardinals that the awesomeness of the Sistine Chapel's frescoes, and Michelangelo's in particular, is meant to remind the cardinals of the weighty responsibility they bear. In his regulations for the conclave, St. John Paul II wrote that in the Sistine Chapel, “everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God.”

After the cardinals took their oaths, the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, called out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-glossary-3f34cfc8bda3570b9ecf0602d20990fb">“extra omnes,”</a>&nbsp;and anyone not eligible to vote left before the chapel doors closed. An elderly cardinal remained to deliver a meditation, but after it was finished he, too, had to leave.

The cardinals don’t have to take a first vote Wednesday, but they were expected to. Assuming no winner is found, the Vatican said black smoke could be expected out of the Sistine Chapel chimney about 7 p.m.

The cardinals retire for the night and return Thursday morning. They can hold up to two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon until a winner is found.

While the cardinals are supposed to resist any “secular” influences in their choice, such lobbying abounded in Rome in the days before the conclave as various groups reminded cardinals of what ordinary Catholics want in a leader.

Even the White House got involved, posting a photo of President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-conclave-ai-image-bishops-9d88286886c350c4465f7c2afb7a5e41">Trump dressed as a pope</a>. Trump said it was a joke, but the gesture was denounced by former Italian Premier Romano Prodi as “indecent” political interference in matters of faith that hark back to times when secular rulers intervened in conclaves and habitually wielded religion to stay in power.

“You invite each other out,” Dolan said on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel before the conclave began. "And you’re pretty blunt. Now, we’re not, you know, we’re not horse trading here. We’re saying, ‘Tell me about this guy. You’re from Latin America. Go through the list of bishops. Tell me some of these fellas. Am I right to be enchanted by this guy?’”

Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-challenges-lgbtq-women-sex-abuse-e73199910f1723282b91984f207ad5a0">challenges</a>&nbsp;face the new pope and weigh on the cardinals — above all whether to continue and consolidate Francis’ progressive legacy on promoting women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, the environment and migrants, or roll it back to try to unify a church that became more polarized during his pontificate. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-abuse-pope-b882375878b2f33c5a53c1dc9e345356">clergy sex abuse scandal</a>&nbsp;hung over the pre-conclave talks.

But some names keep appearing on lists of “papabile,” or cardinals having the qualities to be pope, in addition to Parolin.

— Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, is a top candidate to be history’s first Asian pope. He headed the Vatican’s evangelization office responsible for the Catholic Church in much of the developing world.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746637756380.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>VATICAN CITY (AP) — The great doors of the Sistine Chapel shut Wednesday after the cry of “extra omnes” — Latin for “all out” — and 133 cardinals began the secretive, centuries-old ritual of electing a new pope to lead the Catholic Church, opening the most&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-cardinal-d01b3bfd056836e89560e3b40337b89e">geographically diverse conclave</a>&nbsp;in the faith’s 2,000-year history.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Conclave has begun. <a href="https://t.co/dGx6g6Yn21">pic.twitter.com/dGx6g6Yn21</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920144730597527673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The red-robed cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” as Swiss Guards stood at attention. The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conclave-pope-francis-cardinals-43cf0a0099c8866f358a7e0d78eb1877">find a successor to Pope Francis to lead</a>&nbsp;the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state under Francis and himself a leading contender to succeed him as pope, assumed the leadership of the proceedings as the senior cardinal under age 80.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Procession of Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel for Conclave to elect new Pope. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/ebXmpimoBc">https://t.co/ebXmpimoBc</a> <a href="https://t.co/HY2OWdoNVx">pic.twitter.com/HY2OWdoNVx</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920140346962673860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking in Latin, Parolin stood before Michelangelo's vision of heaven and hell, “The Last Judgment,” and led the cardinals in a lengthy oath. Each one followed, placing his hand on the Gospel and promising in Latin to maintain utmost secrecy.The dramatic ritual was more colorful than even Hollywood could create, a wash of colors, chants, incense and solemnity that underscored the seriousness of the moment. Outside in St. Peter's Square, the scene was almost festive, as hundreds of people watched the proceedings on giant video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel's doors shut and the Vatican feed cut off.They were waiting until later Wednesday to see the first puffs of smoke from the chapel chimney to learn whether a pope had been elected or not.“My hope is that cardinals will choose a man who can be a peacemaker and could reunify the church,” said Gabriel Capry, a 27-year-old from London.<h2>A diverse group of cardinals</h2>Hailing from 70 countries, the cardinals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-election-conclave-pope-vatican-catholics-87fcd94f759575b8744a4d2899371275#:~:text=VATICAN%20CITY%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The,the%20world's%201.3%20billion%20Catholics.">have been sequestered</a>&nbsp;from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new pope.Francis named 108 of the 133 “princes of the church,” choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before.His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the “global south” — often marginalized countries with lower economic clout — has injected an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-pope-b4883723cbbba159b0264dd76526b55d">unusual degree of uncertainty</a>&nbsp;in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense.Many cardinals hadn’t met until last week and lamented they needed more time to get to know one another, raising questions about how long it might take for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope.“Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see,” said Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s ambassador to Syria.<h2>A final Mass, then ‘all out’</h2>Earlier in the day, the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided over a morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica urging the voters to set aside all personal interests and find a pope who prizes unity. He prayed for a pope who could awaken the conscience of the world.He reminded the cardinals that the awesomeness of the Sistine Chapel's frescoes, and Michelangelo's in particular, is meant to remind the cardinals of the weighty responsibility they bear. In his regulations for the conclave, St. John Paul II wrote that in the Sistine Chapel, “everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God.”After the cardinals took their oaths, the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, called out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-glossary-3f34cfc8bda3570b9ecf0602d20990fb">“extra omnes,”</a>&nbsp;and anyone not eligible to vote left before the chapel doors closed. An elderly cardinal remained to deliver a meditation, but after it was finished he, too, had to leave.The cardinals don’t have to take a first vote Wednesday, but they were expected to. Assuming no winner is found, the Vatican said black smoke could be expected out of the Sistine Chapel chimney about 7 p.m.The cardinals retire for the night and return Thursday morning. They can hold up to two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon until a winner is found.While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting. For much of the past century, it has taken between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.<h2>Lobbying before the conclave</h2>While the cardinals are supposed to resist any “secular” influences in their choice, such lobbying abounded in Rome in the days before the conclave as various groups reminded cardinals of what ordinary Catholics want in a leader.Young Catholics penned an open letter reminding cardinals that there is no church without young people, women and the laity. Conservative Catholic media slipped cardinals copies of a glossy book containing their assessments of contenders. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse warned cardinals that they would be held accountable if they failed to find a leader who will crack down on decades of abuse and cover-up.Advocates for women’s ordination sent pink smoke signals Wednesday over the Vatican to demand that women be allowed to be priests and participate in a conclave.Even the White House got involved, posting a photo of President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-conclave-ai-image-bishops-9d88286886c350c4465f7c2afb7a5e41">Trump dressed as a pope</a>. Trump said it was a joke, but the gesture was denounced by former Italian Premier Romano Prodi as “indecent” political interference in matters of faith that hark back to times when secular rulers intervened in conclaves and habitually wielded religion to stay in power.Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said there was also plenty of lobbying going on among cardinals themselves.“You invite each other out,” Dolan said on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel before the conclave began. "And you’re pretty blunt. Now, we’re not, you know, we’re not horse trading here. We’re saying, ‘Tell me about this guy. You’re from Latin America. Go through the list of bishops. Tell me some of these fellas. Am I right to be enchanted by this guy?’”Lisette Herrera, a 54-year-old tourist from the Dominican Republic, was deeply moved to find herself by chance in Rome as the conclave began. She decided Wednesday morning to skip the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and pray instead in St. Peter’s Square.“I’m praying to the Holy Spirit for a young pope who would stay with us for a long time,” she said. “I don’t believe in conclave politics, I just feel that the Holy Spirit is here and that’s all we need to know.”<h2>Challenges facing a new pope</h2>Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-challenges-lgbtq-women-sex-abuse-e73199910f1723282b91984f207ad5a0">challenges</a>&nbsp;face the new pope and weigh on the cardinals — above all whether to continue and consolidate Francis’ progressive legacy on promoting women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, the environment and migrants, or roll it back to try to unify a church that became more polarized during his pontificate. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-abuse-pope-b882375878b2f33c5a53c1dc9e345356">clergy sex abuse scandal</a>&nbsp;hung over the pre-conclave talks.Since Francis chose 80% of the voters, continuity is likely, but the form it might take is uncertain and identifying front-runners has been a challenge.But some names keep appearing on lists of “papabile,” or cardinals having the qualities to be pope, in addition to Parolin.— Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, is a top candidate to be history’s first Asian pope. He headed the Vatican’s evangelization office responsible for the Catholic Church in much of the developing world.— Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, the archbishop of Budapest, is a leading candidate representing the more conservative wing of the church.___

🎥Watch doors to Sistine Chapel close as conclave to elect new pope begins

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement across the Kansas City metro conducted a violent crimes initiative over the past week. Officers from the KCPD Special Investigations Division worked with the FBI, ATF, DEA, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and Missouri Probation and Parole.

Officers arrested 96 people&nbsp; across federal, state, and city charges/warrants, according to a statement from the Kansas City Police Department. This included four homicide suspects.

The officers also recovered 24 handguns and issued 89 new charges. Officers recovered meth, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone, and other drugs.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement across the Kansas City metro conducted a violent crimes initiative over the past week. Officers from the KCPD Special Investigations Division worked with the FBI, ATF, DEA, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and Missouri Probation and Parole.Officers arrested 96 people&nbsp; across federal, state, and city charges/warrants, according to a statement from the Kansas City Police Department. This included four homicide suspects.The officers also recovered 24 handguns and issued 89 new charges. Officers recovered meth, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone, and other drugs.

4 homicide suspects among 96 arrested in KC violent crime bust

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland in the first major talks between the two nations since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;sparked a trade war with stiff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with their counterparts in Geneva in the most-senior known conversations between the two countries in months, the Trump administration announced Tuesday. It comes amid growing U.S. market worry over the impact of the tariffs on the prices and supply of consumer goods.

No country has been hit harder by Trump’s trade war than China, the world’s biggest exporter and second largest economy. When Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, China retaliated with tariffs of its own, a move that Trump viewed as demonstrating a lack of respect. The tariffs on each other’s goods have been mounting since then, with the U.S. tariffs against China now at 145% and China tariffs on the U.S. at 125%.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-economy-recession-china-imports-trade-8d90bb37735e833c43a7b7a9d5a0b9a2">American firms have already begun canceling orders from China</a>, postponing expansion plans and hunkering down as a result of the tariff war.

Trump had claimed previously that the U.S. and China were holding negotiations on lowering tariffs, which Beijing has denied, saying Trump must first lower his stiff tariffs. Bessent earlier Tuesday testified to a House committee that the U.S. and China “have not engaged in negotiations” but “as early as this week,” the U.S. will be announcing trade deals with some of the largest U.S. trading partners.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the meeting between its vice premier and Bessent in Switzerland.

“The Chinese side carefully evaluated the information from the U.S. side and decided to agree to have contact with the U.S. side after fully considering global expectations, Chinese interests and calls from U.S. businesses and consumers,” said a ministry spokesperson.

The spokesperson said China would not "sacrifice its principles or global equity or justice in seeking any agreement.”

Most economists have said the cost of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for autos, groceries, housing and other goods. And the higher prices are already becoming a burden on U.S. consumers, who are in the biggest economic funk since the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, economists say the risk of a recession is growing.

Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade official and now vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the upcoming meeting is a welcome development.

“As the first face to face meeting between senior U.S. and Chinese officials since Trump’s inauguration, it’s an important opportunity to have initial talks on unwinding some tariffs, mapping out a path forward, as well as raising concerns,” Cutler said. “We should not expect any quick victories — this will be a process that will take time.”

In Switzerland, Bessent and Greer also plan to meet with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, according to readouts from their respective offices.

Both Greer and Bessent had talked with their counterparts before the beginning of the trade war.

Greer told Fox News Channel last month that he spoke with his Chinese counterpart for over an hour before the trade war started. “I thought it was constructive,” he said, adding: “This is not a plan just to encircle China. It’s a plan to fix the American economy, to have a greater share of manufacturing as GDP, to have real wages go up, to be producing things instead of having an economy that’s financed by the government.”

And Bessent in February spoke with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng “to exchange views on the bilateral economic relationship,” according to a Treasury news release.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746572954054.png" alt="File photo Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meeting with Ukraine officials last month.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meeting with Ukraine officials last month.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland in the first major talks between the two nations since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;sparked a trade war with stiff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with their counterparts in Geneva in the most-senior known conversations between the two countries in months, the Trump administration announced Tuesday. It comes amid growing U.S. market worry over the impact of the tariffs on the prices and supply of consumer goods.No country has been hit harder by Trump’s trade war than China, the world’s biggest exporter and second largest economy. When Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, China retaliated with tariffs of its own, a move that Trump viewed as demonstrating a lack of respect. The tariffs on each other’s goods have been mounting since then, with the U.S. tariffs against China now at 145% and China tariffs on the U.S. at 125%.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-economy-recession-china-imports-trade-8d90bb37735e833c43a7b7a9d5a0b9a2">American firms have already begun canceling orders from China</a>, postponing expansion plans and hunkering down as a result of the tariff war.Trump had claimed previously that the U.S. and China were holding negotiations on lowering tariffs, which Beijing has denied, saying Trump must first lower his stiff tariffs. Bessent earlier Tuesday testified to a House committee that the U.S. and China “have not engaged in negotiations” but “as early as this week,” the U.S. will be announcing trade deals with some of the largest U.S. trading partners.The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the meeting between its vice premier and Bessent in Switzerland.“The Chinese side carefully evaluated the information from the U.S. side and decided to agree to have contact with the U.S. side after fully considering global expectations, Chinese interests and calls from U.S. businesses and consumers,” said a ministry spokesperson.The spokesperson said China would not "sacrifice its principles or global equity or justice in seeking any agreement.”Most economists have said the cost of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for autos, groceries, housing and other goods. And the higher prices are already becoming a burden on U.S. consumers, who are in the biggest economic funk since the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, economists say the risk of a recession is growing.Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade official and now vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the upcoming meeting is a welcome development.“As the first face to face meeting between senior U.S. and Chinese officials since Trump’s inauguration, it’s an important opportunity to have initial talks on unwinding some tariffs, mapping out a path forward, as well as raising concerns,” Cutler said. “We should not expect any quick victories — this will be a process that will take time.”In Switzerland, Bessent and Greer also plan to meet with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, according to readouts from their respective offices.Both Greer and Bessent had talked with their counterparts before the beginning of the trade war.Greer told Fox News Channel last month that he spoke with his Chinese counterpart for over an hour before the trade war started. “I thought it was constructive,” he said, adding: “This is not a plan just to encircle China. It’s a plan to fix the American economy, to have a greater share of manufacturing as GDP, to have real wages go up, to be producing things instead of having an economy that’s financed by the government.”And Bessent in February spoke with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng “to exchange views on the bilateral economic relationship,” according to a Treasury news release.___

Trade war showdown: U.S. and Chinese officials in Switzerland

The Kansas State Fair is once again putting the spotlight on its most passionate fans, opening up applications for its 2025 Social Media Ambassador Program. The fair will accept applications through May 16

Chosen ambassadors will be tasked with representing the fair across their social media platforms from June through August. Activities include sharing official Kansas State Fair content, creating original posts that capture the fair’s excitement, and participating in other promotional challenges. Optional video tasks may even earn a spot in official Kansas State Fair advertisements.

In exchange for their efforts, ambassadors will earn points for every action completed. These points can be redeemed for a variety of fair perks, including gate admission, grandstand concert tickets, and midway passes. New for 2025, participants can also exchange points for ticket packs and 5-ride passes, making this year’s program more rewarding than ever.

Fair organizers say the ambassador program is a fun way to engage fans while expanding the fair’s reach online. You can find the application at this&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBXAjsvjL0Gq8QUIcXQhtYbHEYr6SvGz1sqtN_vQVKDVsZSg/viewform">link</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725972126895.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Fair Arch-Photo by Pat James" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Fair Arch-Photo by Pat James</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas State Fair is once again putting the spotlight on its most passionate fans, opening up applications for its 2025 Social Media Ambassador Program. The fair will accept applications through May 16Chosen ambassadors will be tasked with representing the fair across their social media platforms from June through August. Activities include sharing official Kansas State Fair content, creating original posts that capture the fair’s excitement, and participating in other promotional challenges. Optional video tasks may even earn a spot in official Kansas State Fair advertisements.In exchange for their efforts, ambassadors will earn points for every action completed. These points can be redeemed for a variety of fair perks, including gate admission, grandstand concert tickets, and midway passes. New for 2025, participants can also exchange points for ticket packs and 5-ride passes, making this year’s program more rewarding than ever.Fair organizers say the ambassador program is a fun way to engage fans while expanding the fair’s reach online. You can find the application at this&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBXAjsvjL0Gq8QUIcXQhtYbHEYr6SvGz1sqtN_vQVKDVsZSg/viewform">link</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas State Fair seeks Social Media Ambassadors

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/david-crary">DAVID CRARY</a>&nbsp;and PETER SMITH

The United States is the home country for 10 of the 133 cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope. That’s more than any nation except Italy, home to 17 of the electors who will gather Wednesday for the Vatican conclave to choose the successor to Pope Francis.

Only four of the American electors actively serve as archbishops in the U.S.: Timothy Dolan of New York, Blase Cupich of Chicago, Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and Robert McElroy of Washington. Two are retired archbishops: Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Wilton Gregory of Washington.

The other four have had long Vatican service: Robert Prevost, James Michael Harvey, Raymond Burke and Kevin Farrell.

Burke, 76, a staunch Catholic traditionalist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-cardinal-burke-conservatives-strickland-163f2d3522a80fa5f908421cc812cfc9">often clashed</a>&nbsp;with the more reform-minded Francis. Born in Wisconsin, he was a bishop there before becoming archbishop of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008. Pope Benedict XVI made Burke a cardinal in 2010, after he appointed him prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s high court. After Francis removed him from that post in 2014, he made Burke the cardinal patron of the Knights of Malta, a prestigious but limited role. There, too, Burke and Francis clashed over a governance crisis at the chivalric order;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-2f8db44416f442a8977f016a83ee74ad">Francis pushed him aside</a>. Burke has been outspoken in saying Catholic politicians shouldn’t take Communion if they support abortion rights.

Cupich, 76, archbishop of Chicago, was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-cupich-cardinal-chicago-abuse-sex-ae387f721771aa9b66668426740af848">close adviser to Francis</a>&nbsp;and served on several Vatican committees. He’s considered a moderate, having balanced upholding conservative Catholic teachings on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion with advocacy for compassionate responses to the affected communities. Cupich, who inherited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-clergy-sexual-abuse-illinois-investigation-a298133cec9486c2e51172316bfe7b4b">clergy sex abuse crises</a>&nbsp;in dioceses he led, helped push reforms to combat the problem. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he was ordained in 1975 and appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1998 as bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota. Benedict transferred him in 2010 to Spokane, Washington. In 2014, Francis — in his first major U.S. appointment as pope — made him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1b0728836e714eea81862cb9e5747fa3">archbishop of Chicago</a>, and then cardinal in 2016.

DiNardo, 75, retired this year as archbishop of Galveston-Houston — the fifth-largest U.S. diocese, with 1.7 million Catholics. DiNardo was ordained in his native Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1977. He earned degrees from Catholic universities in Washington and Rome and worked in the Vatican office overseeing appointments of bishops. He served as bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, before moving to Houston in 2004. DiNardo was named a cardinal in 2007 by Benedict. He was president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2016 to 2019 — a tumultuous time when the USCCB faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/media-center/ap-in-the-news/2019/allegations-against-top-priest-under-review-after-ap-report/" target="_blank">allegations of coverups</a>&nbsp;of sexual abuse by priests. DiNardo shared Francis’ strong support for migrants while defending traditional church teachings on sexuality.

Dolan, 75, has been archbishop of New York since 2009. He previously served nearly seven years as archbishop of Milwaukee. He grew up in Missouri, where he was ordained in 1976. Among other duties, Dolan was chairman of Catholic Relief Services and served a term as president of the USCCB. In 2012, Benedict appointed him a cardinal. Dolan is widely viewed as conservative, writing a 2018 Wall Street Journal column headlined “The Democrats Abandon Catholics.” Yet in 2023, he wrote a letter of welcome to a conference at Fordham University celebrating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-catholics-outreach-jesuits-pope-francis-8756a79c5fd0323cd019990f6655b749">outreach programs aimed at LGBTQ+ Catholics</a>.

Farrell, 77, was selected by Francis in 2019 as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-21bf68ed6376f57cd9e0a0af631b11d7">the camerlengo</a>, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a">death of a pope</a>&nbsp;and before the election of another. Farrell was born in Dublin in 1947, entered the Legionaries of Christ religious order in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1978. He left six years later — before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-connecticut-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-sexual-abuse-e2429a2048dc0da8b4abe9d6f173a226">revelations that its founder</a>&nbsp;was a pedophile — and became a priest in the Washington Archdiocese. He worked in several parishes and helped manage the archdiocese’s finances. He became auxiliary bishop of Washington in 2001 and served under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theodore-mccarrick-dies-priest-sex-abuse-scandal-a329d3e13ac7de545c5a5e8ee4384586">ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick</a>&nbsp;before becoming bishop of Dallas in 2007.

Francis tapped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-slavery-social-issues-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-6c0f6e6db26050f7499229557ebf9b6a">Gregory</a>&nbsp;to lead the Archdiocese of Washington in 2019 and made him the first Black cardinal from the U.S. in 2020. Gregory, 77, retired this year from leading the prominent archdiocese, which he shepherded through significant turmoil. Its two previous leaders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theodore-mccarrick-ex-cardinal-scandal-989fb97f4f0cad8c4926e8cb795ba2bf">McCarrick</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-8a22e1a2a39c4fe385b265f7f7214d97">Cardinal Donald Wuerl</a>, were implicated in a new wave of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Gregory has supported social justice and solidarity with immigrants. He drew notice for his relatively inclusive approach for LGBTQ+ Catholics. He told&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.faith/2025/01/cardinal-wilton-gregory-i-apologize-to-lgbtq-catholics/" target="_blank">an LGBTQ+ group</a>&nbsp;in January: “I apologize for my own lack of courage to bring healing and hope, and I ask forgiveness.” Gregory was born in Chicago and ordained there in 1973, serving as auxiliary bishop beginning in 1983. After 11 years as bishop in Belleville, Illinois, he was appointed in 2004 by John Paul II to be archbishop of Atlanta.

Harvey, 76, has pursued a long career at the Vatican, initially as a diplomat and more recently as manager of the papal household. Born in Milwaukee, he studied at seminary there before completing his formation in Rome. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI in Rome in 1975 and entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1980. John Paul II appointed Harvey prefect of the Papal Household in 1998, managing the pope’s official activities. Benedict made him a cardinal in 2012.

Francis named McElroy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-cardinal-robert-mcelroy-immigration-donald-trump-58c728cef89a25d606406014693af85e">archbishop of Washington</a>&nbsp;in January, tapping one of his most progressive allies to head the Catholic Church in the U.S. capital at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. McElroy criticized Trump’s threats of mass deportations of immigrants as “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.” Francis appointed McElroy bishop of San Diego in 2015 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pope-francis-religion-san-diego-455583360c31fe2b90fe558a8815c5c8">elevated him to cardinal</a>&nbsp;in 2022. McElroy, 71, was one of a few U.S. bishops assailing a campaign to exclude Catholic politicians who support abortion rights from Communion. He has also expressed support for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church. A native San Franciscan, McElroy received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, a master’s degree and doctorate from Stanford, and a doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome.

The Chicago-born Prevost, 69, is prefect of the Vatican’s powerful dicastery for bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world. He has extensive experience in Peru, first as a missionary and then archbishop. Francis had an eye on him for years, sending him to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He held that position until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome for his current role.

Tobin, 72, is archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, and a veteran of the Vatican bureaucracy who speaks five languages. The Detroit native was ordained in 1978 and earned master’s degrees in religious education and divinity at Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, New York. Benedict appointed Tobin in 2010 as secretary of the Vatican’s office overseeing religious orders. Tobin reportedly ruffled feathers by seeking to mend its frayed ties with U.S. nuns facing complaints they had become too liberal. Benedict appointed Tobin archbishop of Indianapolis in 2012. Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-87461d2875774be4b546eb310d715911">made him cardinal</a>&nbsp;and archbishop of Newark in 2016. Tobin welcomed Syrian refugees to Indiana despite opposition from then-Gov. Mike Pence. He has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-gays-and-lesbians-newark-tyler-clementi-new-mexico-d0ec28cb69c6ede7ff3a0f2ba533efdb">welcoming stance toward LGBTQ+ people</a>.

Seven U.S. cardinals, due to being 80 or older, are not conclave electors: Edwin O’Brien, Roger Mahony, Adam Maida, Seán Patrick O’Malley, Justin Rigali, James Francis Stafford, Donald Wuerl.

AP journalists Holly Meyer and Tiffany Stanley contributed.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745282817865.png" alt="Robert Francis Prevost" />
 <figcaption>Robert Francis Prevost</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/david-crary">DAVID CRARY</a>&nbsp;and PETER SMITHThe United States is the home country for 10 of the 133 cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope. That’s more than any nation except Italy, home to 17 of the electors who will gather Wednesday for the Vatican conclave to choose the successor to Pope Francis.Only four of the American electors actively serve as archbishops in the U.S.: Timothy Dolan of New York, Blase Cupich of Chicago, Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and Robert McElroy of Washington. Two are retired archbishops: Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Wilton Gregory of Washington.The other four have had long Vatican service: Robert Prevost, James Michael Harvey, Raymond Burke and Kevin Farrell.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As I prepare to enter the Papal Conclave with my brother cardinals to elect the Successor of Saint Peter, I respectfully ask for your prayers. May the Holy Spirit guide each step of our discernment. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Conclave2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Conclave2025</a> <a href="https://t.co/FYI3sPFICe">pic.twitter.com/FYI3sPFICe</a>&mdash; Cardinal Cupich (@CardinalBCupich) <a href="https://twitter.com/CardinalBCupich/status/1919708948728316349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Profiles of the cardinal electors:<h2>Raymond Burke</h2>Burke, 76, a staunch Catholic traditionalist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-cardinal-burke-conservatives-strickland-163f2d3522a80fa5f908421cc812cfc9">often clashed</a>&nbsp;with the more reform-minded Francis. Born in Wisconsin, he was a bishop there before becoming archbishop of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008. Pope Benedict XVI made Burke a cardinal in 2010, after he appointed him prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s high court. After Francis removed him from that post in 2014, he made Burke the cardinal patron of the Knights of Malta, a prestigious but limited role. There, too, Burke and Francis clashed over a governance crisis at the chivalric order;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-2f8db44416f442a8977f016a83ee74ad">Francis pushed him aside</a>. Burke has been outspoken in saying Catholic politicians shouldn’t take Communion if they support abortion rights.<h2>Blase Cupich</h2>Cupich, 76, archbishop of Chicago, was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-cupich-cardinal-chicago-abuse-sex-ae387f721771aa9b66668426740af848">close adviser to Francis</a>&nbsp;and served on several Vatican committees. He’s considered a moderate, having balanced upholding conservative Catholic teachings on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion with advocacy for compassionate responses to the affected communities. Cupich, who inherited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-clergy-sexual-abuse-illinois-investigation-a298133cec9486c2e51172316bfe7b4b">clergy sex abuse crises</a>&nbsp;in dioceses he led, helped push reforms to combat the problem. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he was ordained in 1975 and appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1998 as bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota. Benedict transferred him in 2010 to Spokane, Washington. In 2014, Francis — in his first major U.S. appointment as pope — made him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1b0728836e714eea81862cb9e5747fa3">archbishop of Chicago</a>, and then cardinal in 2016.<h2>Daniel DiNardo</h2>DiNardo, 75, retired this year as archbishop of Galveston-Houston — the fifth-largest U.S. diocese, with 1.7 million Catholics. DiNardo was ordained in his native Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1977. He earned degrees from Catholic universities in Washington and Rome and worked in the Vatican office overseeing appointments of bishops. He served as bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, before moving to Houston in 2004. DiNardo was named a cardinal in 2007 by Benedict. He was president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2016 to 2019 — a tumultuous time when the USCCB faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/media-center/ap-in-the-news/2019/allegations-against-top-priest-under-review-after-ap-report/" target="_blank">allegations of coverups</a>&nbsp;of sexual abuse by priests. DiNardo shared Francis’ strong support for migrants while defending traditional church teachings on sexuality.<h2>Timothy Dolan</h2>Dolan, 75, has been archbishop of New York since 2009. He previously served nearly seven years as archbishop of Milwaukee. He grew up in Missouri, where he was ordained in 1976. Among other duties, Dolan was chairman of Catholic Relief Services and served a term as president of the USCCB. In 2012, Benedict appointed him a cardinal. Dolan is widely viewed as conservative, writing a 2018 Wall Street Journal column headlined “The Democrats Abandon Catholics.” Yet in 2023, he wrote a letter of welcome to a conference at Fordham University celebrating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-catholics-outreach-jesuits-pope-francis-8756a79c5fd0323cd019990f6655b749">outreach programs aimed at LGBTQ+ Catholics</a>.<h2>Kevin Farrell</h2>Farrell, 77, was selected by Francis in 2019 as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-21bf68ed6376f57cd9e0a0af631b11d7">the camerlengo</a>, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a">death of a pope</a>&nbsp;and before the election of another. Farrell was born in Dublin in 1947, entered the Legionaries of Christ religious order in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1978. He left six years later — before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-connecticut-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-sexual-abuse-e2429a2048dc0da8b4abe9d6f173a226">revelations that its founder</a>&nbsp;was a pedophile — and became a priest in the Washington Archdiocese. He worked in several parishes and helped manage the archdiocese’s finances. He became auxiliary bishop of Washington in 2001 and served under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theodore-mccarrick-dies-priest-sex-abuse-scandal-a329d3e13ac7de545c5a5e8ee4384586">ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick</a>&nbsp;before becoming bishop of Dallas in 2007.<h2>Wilton Gregory</h2>Francis tapped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-slavery-social-issues-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-6c0f6e6db26050f7499229557ebf9b6a">Gregory</a>&nbsp;to lead the Archdiocese of Washington in 2019 and made him the first Black cardinal from the U.S. in 2020. Gregory, 77, retired this year from leading the prominent archdiocese, which he shepherded through significant turmoil. Its two previous leaders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/theodore-mccarrick-ex-cardinal-scandal-989fb97f4f0cad8c4926e8cb795ba2bf">McCarrick</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-8a22e1a2a39c4fe385b265f7f7214d97">Cardinal Donald Wuerl</a>, were implicated in a new wave of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Gregory has supported social justice and solidarity with immigrants. He drew notice for his relatively inclusive approach for LGBTQ+ Catholics. He told&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.faith/2025/01/cardinal-wilton-gregory-i-apologize-to-lgbtq-catholics/" target="_blank">an LGBTQ+ group</a>&nbsp;in January: “I apologize for my own lack of courage to bring healing and hope, and I ask forgiveness.” Gregory was born in Chicago and ordained there in 1973, serving as auxiliary bishop beginning in 1983. After 11 years as bishop in Belleville, Illinois, he was appointed in 2004 by John Paul II to be archbishop of Atlanta.<h2>James Michael Harvey</h2>Harvey, 76, has pursued a long career at the Vatican, initially as a diplomat and more recently as manager of the papal household. Born in Milwaukee, he studied at seminary there before completing his formation in Rome. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI in Rome in 1975 and entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1980. John Paul II appointed Harvey prefect of the Papal Household in 1998, managing the pope’s official activities. Benedict made him a cardinal in 2012.<h2>Robert McElroy</h2>Francis named McElroy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-cardinal-robert-mcelroy-immigration-donald-trump-58c728cef89a25d606406014693af85e">archbishop of Washington</a>&nbsp;in January, tapping one of his most progressive allies to head the Catholic Church in the U.S. capital at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. McElroy criticized Trump’s threats of mass deportations of immigrants as “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.” Francis appointed McElroy bishop of San Diego in 2015 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pope-francis-religion-san-diego-455583360c31fe2b90fe558a8815c5c8">elevated him to cardinal</a>&nbsp;in 2022. McElroy, 71, was one of a few U.S. bishops assailing a campaign to exclude Catholic politicians who support abortion rights from Communion. He has also expressed support for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church. A native San Franciscan, McElroy received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, a master’s degree and doctorate from Stanford, and a doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome.<h2>Robert Francis Prevost</h2>The Chicago-born Prevost, 69, is prefect of the Vatican’s powerful dicastery for bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world. He has extensive experience in Peru, first as a missionary and then archbishop. Francis had an eye on him for years, sending him to run the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He held that position until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome for his current role.<h2>Joseph Tobin</h2>Tobin, 72, is archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, and a veteran of the Vatican bureaucracy who speaks five languages. The Detroit native was ordained in 1978 and earned master’s degrees in religious education and divinity at Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, New York. Benedict appointed Tobin in 2010 as secretary of the Vatican’s office overseeing religious orders. Tobin reportedly ruffled feathers by seeking to mend its frayed ties with U.S. nuns facing complaints they had become too liberal. Benedict appointed Tobin archbishop of Indianapolis in 2012. Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-87461d2875774be4b546eb310d715911">made him cardinal</a>&nbsp;and archbishop of Newark in 2016. Tobin welcomed Syrian refugees to Indiana despite opposition from then-Gov. Mike Pence. He has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-gays-and-lesbians-newark-tyler-clementi-new-mexico-d0ec28cb69c6ede7ff3a0f2ba533efdb">welcoming stance toward LGBTQ+ people</a>.___Seven U.S. cardinals, due to being 80 or older, are not conclave electors: Edwin O’Brien, Roger Mahony, Adam Maida, Seán Patrick O’Malley, Justin Rigali, James Francis Stafford, Donald Wuerl.___AP journalists Holly Meyer and Tiffany Stanley contributed.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir" target="_blank">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

These are the US cardinals who will vote for the next pope

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

St. Joseph police say a person now being held on a burglary warrant in Johnson County, Kansas is a suspect in the downtown St. Joseph burglaries March 10th.

The St. Joseph Police Department says 42-year-old Joshua Littrell is a suspect in the break-ins of three downtown St. Joseph stores on the 10th as well as the Mark’s Tire and Automotive burglary.

Littrell is being held in the Johnson County, Kansas Adult Detention Center on a burglary warrant from Mission, Kansas.

Littrell is also suspected in four active burglary cases under investigation by the Kansas City Police Department. In addition, Ray County, Missouri authorities have an additional burglary case pending against him.

The department says they are working closely with law enforcement in Missouri and Kansas to coordinate the investigation and prosecution of these cases.&nbsp; Littrell is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746558452397.png" alt="Littrell photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Littrell photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostSt. Joseph police say a person now being held on a burglary warrant in Johnson County, Kansas is a suspect in the downtown St. Joseph burglaries March 10th.The St. Joseph Police Department says 42-year-old Joshua Littrell is a suspect in the break-ins of three downtown St. Joseph stores on the 10th as well as the Mark’s Tire and Automotive burglary.Littrell is being held in the Johnson County, Kansas Adult Detention Center on a burglary warrant from Mission, Kansas.Littrell is also suspected in four active burglary cases under investigation by the Kansas City Police Department. In addition, Ray County, Missouri authorities have an additional burglary case pending against him.The department says they are working closely with law enforcement in Missouri and Kansas to coordinate the investigation and prosecution of these cases.&nbsp; Littrell is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, according to online jail records.

Suspect in series of Missouri burglaries jailed in Kansas

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Monday in Kansas City.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 TaoTao 50 Moped driven by a 29-year-old Kansas City man was westbound on East Gregory Boulevard just west of Evanston Avenue in Raytown.

The vehicle crossed the center of the road and into the path of an eastbound 2013 Lexus RX450 driven by a 41-year-old Kansas City woman.&nbsp; The moped side-swiped the car.

EMS transported the moped driver to Research Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was wearing a helmet. The Patrol has not released the name of the victim.

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Monday in Kansas City.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 TaoTao 50 Moped driven by a 29-year-old Kansas City man was westbound on East Gregory Boulevard just west of Evanston Avenue in Raytown.The vehicle crossed the center of the road and into the path of an eastbound 2013 Lexus RX450 driven by a 41-year-old Kansas City woman.&nbsp; The moped side-swiped the car.EMS transported the moped driver to Research Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was wearing a helmet. The Patrol has not released the name of the victim.

Kansas City man dies after moped side-swipes a car

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jon-gambrell">JON GAMBRELL</a>

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An F/A-18 fighter jet landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea went overboard, forcing its two pilots to eject, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The incident Tuesday marks the latest mishap to mar the deployment of the Truman, which has been essential in the airstrike campaign by the United States against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Oman’s foreign minister both said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-houthis-end-of-bombing-yemen-israel-e2f08ac04024ef3d6409b4ce97092489">ceasefire had been reached with the Houthis</a>, who would no longer target ships in the Red Sea corridor — something not immediately acknowledged by the rebels.

Meanwhile, the Houthis continue to assess the damage after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-yemen-houthis-airport-23c27ae5ef0b8c9c8860dbb79abee5ad">daytime Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa</a>.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet landed on the Truman after a flight, but “the arrestment failed,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the incident now under investigation.

“Arrestment” refers to the hook system used by aircraft landing on carriers, which catches steel wire ropes on the flight deck. It remains unclear what part of the system failed.

The two pilots on board were later rescued by a helicopter and suffered minor injuries in the incident, the official added. No one on the flight deck was hurt.

Tuesday’s incident was the latest to see the Navy lose an F/A-18, which cost about $60 million. In April, another F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hangar deck of the Truman and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-fighter-jet-truman-cfeaecc314bfcaf85ce5c30038306ac3">fell into the Red Sea</a>. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped away.

In December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-yemen-us-navy-pilots-houthi-95a792daae3b0120186bfc6c66e1b6fe">the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18</a>&nbsp;after ships earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Both aviators in that incident also survived.

And in February,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truman-aircraft-carrier-collision-merchant-vessel-50e039f339c4658d246a08ca496a21d9">the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said,</a>&nbsp;Egypt.

The Truman, based out of Norfolk, Virginia, has seen its deployment extended multiple times amid the Houthi airstrike campaign. It had been joined recently by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier operating out of the Arabian Sea.

The Houthis had been waging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-israel-hamas-red-sea-shipping-ab6fee82e73170b7e2edbab90ed6c14c">persistent missile and drone attacks</a>&nbsp;against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group’s leadership has described as an effort to end Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

From November 2023 until January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">killing four sailors</a>. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.

The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745891378009.png" alt="USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) on April 15, 2025. US Navy Photo" />
 <figcaption>USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) on April 15, 2025. US Navy Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jon-gambrell">JON GAMBRELL</a>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An F/A-18 fighter jet landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea went overboard, forcing its two pilots to eject, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The incident Tuesday marks the latest mishap to mar the deployment of the Truman, which has been essential in the airstrike campaign by the United States against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>.On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Oman’s foreign minister both said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-houthis-end-of-bombing-yemen-israel-e2f08ac04024ef3d6409b4ce97092489">ceasefire had been reached with the Houthis</a>, who would no longer target ships in the Red Sea corridor — something not immediately acknowledged by the rebels.Meanwhile, the Houthis continue to assess the damage after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-yemen-houthis-airport-23c27ae5ef0b8c9c8860dbb79abee5ad">daytime Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa</a>.<h2>Landing goes wrong on carrier</h2>The F/A-18 Super Hornet landed on the Truman after a flight, but “the arrestment failed,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the incident now under investigation.“Arrestment” refers to the hook system used by aircraft landing on carriers, which catches steel wire ropes on the flight deck. It remains unclear what part of the system failed.The two pilots on board were later rescued by a helicopter and suffered minor injuries in the incident, the official added. No one on the flight deck was hurt.CNN first reported on the incident.Tuesday’s incident was the latest to see the Navy lose an F/A-18, which cost about $60 million. In April, another F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hangar deck of the Truman and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-fighter-jet-truman-cfeaecc314bfcaf85ce5c30038306ac3">fell into the Red Sea</a>. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped away.In December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-yemen-us-navy-pilots-houthi-95a792daae3b0120186bfc6c66e1b6fe">the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18</a>&nbsp;after ships earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Both aviators in that incident also survived.And in February,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truman-aircraft-carrier-collision-merchant-vessel-50e039f339c4658d246a08ca496a21d9">the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said,</a>&nbsp;Egypt.The Truman, based out of Norfolk, Virginia, has seen its deployment extended multiple times amid the Houthi airstrike campaign. It had been joined recently by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier operating out of the Arabian Sea.<h2>Houthi attacks on shipping</h2>The Houthis had been waging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-israel-hamas-red-sea-shipping-ab6fee82e73170b7e2edbab90ed6c14c">persistent missile and drone attacks</a>&nbsp;against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group’s leadership has described as an effort to end Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.From November 2023 until January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">killing four sailors</a>. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March.

U.S. fighter jet landing on aircraft carrier goes overboard, forcing pilots to eject

Vietti Food Group of Nashville, TN is recalling 4,515 cases of its Yellowstone Brown Sugar Molasses Baked Beans (15 oz.) due to the presence of undeclared soy. Individuals with an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy risk serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.

The recalled product was distributed through retailers in Kansas, Missouri and 21 other states including Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi,&nbsp; New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.&nbsp; The beans were sold at Walmart, Hy-Vee, Meijer and other retailers.

The product can be identified by its Lot Code: Best if Used By Feb 17, 2028. The code is printed on the bottom of each can.

To date, no illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported. Consumers who have purchased the affected product are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746612539735.png" alt="FDA courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>FDA courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>Vietti Food Group of Nashville, TN is recalling 4,515 cases of its Yellowstone Brown Sugar Molasses Baked Beans (15 oz.) due to the presence of undeclared soy. Individuals with an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy risk serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.The recalled product was distributed through retailers in Kansas, Missouri and 21 other states including Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi,&nbsp; New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.&nbsp; The beans were sold at Walmart, Hy-Vee, Meijer and other retailers.The product can be identified by its Lot Code: Best if Used By Feb 17, 2028. The code is printed on the bottom of each can.To date, no illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported. Consumers who have purchased the affected product are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Baked beans sold in Kansas and Missouri recalled

WICHITA —Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputies located and arrested 37-year-old Thomas Torrez on Tuesday evening.&nbsp; Torrez, a violent offender, was wanted for a serious of dangerous events that began early Sunday. The sheriff's office released few details about the arrest.

Just after 1a.m. Sunday, Wichita Police officers were recovering a stolen vehicle in the 4800 block of E. 21st Street North. During the recovery, Torrez—an occupant of the vehicle—fled the scene in the stolen car. He was not located during the initial incident.

Just before 8p.m., a Sedgwick County deputy spotted the same stolen vehicle using a Flock license plate reader at a McDonald’s drive-thru in the 4800 block of S. Broadway. Torrez was behind the wheel with a female passenger.

The deputy positioned his patrol vehicle to block the stolen car, but Torrez accelerated, ramming the patrol unit. He then reversed into the building, drove over a curb and landscaping, and fled onto 47th Street. The deputy’s vehicle was disabled from the impact, and he was unable to pursue. The deputy sustained minor injuries as a result.

The deputy was “put out in trouble,” and charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer were broadcast to responding units.

While responding with lights and sirens, a second deputy collided with a civilian vehicle at the intersection of 47th Street and Hydraulic. The civilian vehicle was carrying five people—a 37-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman, and three children ages 6, 8, and 10. All suffered minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital. No officers were actively pursuing the stolen vehicle at the time of the crash. This deputy sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention.

Shortly after fleeing McDonald’s, the female passenger escaped the vehicle near Laura Street, north of 47th. She was located by officers and cooperated with the investigation. According to her statement, she tried to surrender during the initial stop and attempted multiple times to exit the vehicle, even using mace on Torrez.

Torrez later abandoned the stolen vehicle near 44th and Pattie and fled on foot. He then stole a second vehicle from a mobile home park in the 1000 block of E. MacArthur and led deputies on a brief pursuit, driving off-road in the area of O.J. Watson Park.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746467676255.png" alt="Photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputies located and arrested 37-year-old Thomas Torrez on Tuesday evening.&nbsp; Torrez, a violent offender, was wanted for a serious of dangerous events that began early Sunday. The sheriff's office released few details about the arrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746583893877.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 1a.m. Sunday, Wichita Police officers were recovering a stolen vehicle in the 4800 block of E. 21st Street North. During the recovery, Torrez—an occupant of the vehicle—fled the scene in the stolen car. He was not located during the initial incident.Just before 8p.m., a Sedgwick County deputy spotted the same stolen vehicle using a Flock license plate reader at a McDonald’s drive-thru in the 4800 block of S. Broadway. Torrez was behind the wheel with a female passenger.The deputy positioned his patrol vehicle to block the stolen car, but Torrez accelerated, ramming the patrol unit. He then reversed into the building, drove over a curb and landscaping, and fled onto 47th Street. The deputy’s vehicle was disabled from the impact, and he was unable to pursue. The deputy sustained minor injuries as a result.The deputy was “put out in trouble,” and charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer were broadcast to responding units.While responding with lights and sirens, a second deputy collided with a civilian vehicle at the intersection of 47th Street and Hydraulic. The civilian vehicle was carrying five people—a 37-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman, and three children ages 6, 8, and 10. All suffered minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital. No officers were actively pursuing the stolen vehicle at the time of the crash. This deputy sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention.Shortly after fleeing McDonald’s, the female passenger escaped the vehicle near Laura Street, north of 47th. She was located by officers and cooperated with the investigation. According to her statement, she tried to surrender during the initial stop and attempted multiple times to exit the vehicle, even using mace on Torrez.Torrez later abandoned the stolen vehicle near 44th and Pattie and fled on foot. He then stole a second vehicle from a mobile home park in the 1000 block of E. MacArthur and led deputies on a brief pursuit, driving off-road in the area of O.J. Watson Park.During his escape, Torrez caused a hit-and-run crash near Harry and McLean. The victim followed him to the area of Water and Zimmerly, where Torrez ditched the second vehicle and fled on foot.Torrez is required to register with the Sheriff’s Office under the Offender Registration Act. He currently has two felony warrants for his arrest: one for failure to report as required and another for a probation violation. He will also face a host of new requested charges.