SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Four House Democrats have traveled to El Salvador to call attention to the plight of a man the Trump administration deported to a Salvadoran prison and has refused to help return — even after the Supreme Court ruled that it was the government's duty to do so.

Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, Maxwell Frost of Florida and Robert Garcia of California arrived Sunday in the Central American nation to investigate the condition of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-abrego-garcia-e1b2af6528f915a1f0ec60f9a1c73cdd">Kilmar Abrego Garcia</a>, who had lived in the United States for more than a decade. The Trump administration deported him, a move that administration officials have said in court filings was done in error.

But despite a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the Trump administration to help facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, the administration has said it has no power to bring him back, a position being scrutinized by federal courts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-el-salvador-trump-deported-e537cfb69a9840046b5d3e512509e9a8">potentially in violation of judicial rulings</a>.

In a news conference Monday in El Salvador's capital, the Democratic representatives and Abrego Garcia's lawyer said they were in El Salvador “demanding his safe return home." The group said they hoped to continue to pressure authorities for his release, and that their petition to meet with Abrego Garcia was denied.

"Part of what the Trump administration does is they do so much that they try to make sure people forget — forget about them breaking the law, forget about them completely ignoring the Supreme Court," Frost said. “We’re not going to be the last members of Congress and senators that are here to make sure that he’s released and that our country is following our laws.”

The quartet’s trip comes after Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/van-hollen-democrats-trump-resistance-abrego-garcia-084ab2c9691accd1e79b3c956f68d058">Chris Van Hollen of Maryland</a>&nbsp;traveled to El Salvador last week and met with Abrego Garcia and Salvadoran officials. Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland with his wife and three children, who are American citizens, before he was deported on March 15.

Abrego Garcia's protected legal status prohibited him from being deported to El Salvador. He was deported on one of three planes filled with migrants accused of being gang members.

Frost said the four representatives were in El Salvador to “build off the work” of Van Hollen and that they were inquiring about where Abrego Garcia was being held and under what conditions.

Chris Newman, a lawyer representing the deportee, added that his primary concerns was Abrego Garcia's access to counsel.

“We know nothing of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts since the staged photo op on Thursday with Senator Van Hollen,” Newman said. "We demand to immediately know where he is and to have access to him."

The White House press office issued a statement Monday that said the past week “has shown Americans everything they need to know about Democrats’ priorities.”

The White House accused the representatives of "picking up their party’s mantle of prioritizing a deported illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member over the Americans they represent.”

Rep. Garcia said he and Frost sent a letter last week to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., requesting that an official delegation go to El Salvador to investigate Abrego Garcia's condition and push for his return, but received no response. Ansari said more Democrats would be traveling to El Salvador in the coming days and weeks.

Justice Department lawyers said in court last week that they have no power to advance Abrego Garcia’s return because he is in a foreign country’s custody. Administration officials also claimed in public comments that Abrego Garcia was engaged in human trafficking and terrorism and therefore correctly deported. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that if Abrego Garcia were to return to the U.S., “he would immediately be deported again.”

Van Hollen unsuccessfully lobbied the Salvadoran government for Abrego Garcia's return. He told NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the United States is facing a constitutional crisis if the Trump administration does not follow the Supreme Court's order to push to bring Abrego Garcia back.

It's a warning Democrats are increasingly amplifying. Rather than debate President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration policy or the merits of the administration's invocation of national security to carry out deportations, Democratic lawmakers are zeroing in on the issue of due process, with some noting that the Supreme Court and lower court federal judges found Abrego Garcia was deported without a proper hearing.

Ansari said she finds it “extremely alarming” that Trump officials seem to have no regard for due process.

“Even with all of the illegal actions we’ve seen over the last couple of months, I think this is the one that terrifies me the most when it comes to the future of our democracy," she said in an interview.

Similar concerns were echoed by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote in the court’s ruling in Abrego Garcia’s case: “The government’s argument, moreover, implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U. S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene."

Republicans have been going, too — for a different reason

Several House Republicans have visited El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, the prison where Abergo Garcia is being held, and lauded the facility for what they view as El Salvador's tough-on-crime policies. Republican senators and governors have defended Abrego Garcia's detention as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration. But at least one Republican senator called his deportation a mistake.

“The administration won’t admit it. But this was a screw-up,” said Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, on NBC's “Meet the Press.”

During a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office, Trump remarked that “homegrown” lawbreakers should be deported to prisons in the Central American country and urged Bukele to “build about five more places” like the notorious penitentiary where Abrego Garcia is being held.

Congressional Republicans have so far shown little interest in negotiating the dispute between the president and the judiciary. Democrats, who are in the minority in both chambers of Congress, have little leverage to pressure the White House. But Abrego Garcia's case has become both an alarming and galvanizing case inside the party.

Democrats "have the power to draw attention to this issue, to keep the pressure up," Ansari said. "That’s why you know some of us are going, and so many members will be going. Because this is about the future of our democracy and the future of due process as American citizens.”

Brown reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.

<p>SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Four House Democrats have traveled to El Salvador to call attention to the plight of a man the Trump administration deported to a Salvadoran prison and has refused to help return — even after the Supreme Court ruled that it was the government's duty to do so.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am in El Salvador because I will not stand by while our country is thrown into a constitutional crisis. This is a moment to act. I will not rest until due process is upheld for all. <a href="https://t.co/q5b4cZg3iV">pic.twitter.com/q5b4cZg3iV</a></p>&mdash; Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (@RepDexterOR) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDexterOR/status/1914346370841903519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, Maxwell Frost of Florida and Robert Garcia of California arrived Sunday in the Central American nation to investigate the condition of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-abrego-garcia-e1b2af6528f915a1f0ec60f9a1c73cdd">Kilmar Abrego Garcia</a>, who had lived in the United States for more than a decade. The Trump administration deported him, a move that administration officials have said in court filings was done in error.</p><p>But despite a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the Trump administration to help facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, the administration has said it has no power to bring him back, a position being scrutinized by federal courts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-el-salvador-trump-deported-e537cfb69a9840046b5d3e512509e9a8">potentially in violation of judicial rulings</a>.</p><p>In a news conference Monday in El Salvador's capital, the Democratic representatives and Abrego Garcia's lawyer said they were in El Salvador “demanding his safe return home." The group said they hoped to continue to pressure authorities for his release, and that their petition to meet with Abrego Garcia was denied.</p><p>"Part of what the Trump administration does is they do so much that they try to make sure people forget — forget about them breaking the law, forget about them completely ignoring the Supreme Court," Frost said. “We’re not going to be the last members of Congress and senators that are here to make sure that he’s released and that our country is following our laws.”</p><h2>The trip comes after one last week</h2><p>The quartet’s trip comes after Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/van-hollen-democrats-trump-resistance-abrego-garcia-084ab2c9691accd1e79b3c956f68d058">Chris Van Hollen of Maryland</a>&nbsp;traveled to El Salvador last week and met with Abrego Garcia and Salvadoran officials. Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland with his wife and three children, who are American citizens, before he was deported on March 15.</p><p>Abrego Garcia's protected legal status prohibited him from being deported to El Salvador. He was deported on one of three planes filled with migrants accused of being gang members.</p><p>Frost said the four representatives were in El Salvador to “build off the work” of Van Hollen and that they were inquiring about where Abrego Garcia was being held and under what conditions.</p><p>Chris Newman, a lawyer representing the deportee, added that his primary concerns was Abrego Garcia's access to counsel.</p><p>“We know nothing of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts since the staged photo op on Thursday with Senator Van Hollen,” Newman said. "We demand to immediately know where he is and to have access to him."</p><p>The White House press office issued a statement Monday that said the past week “has shown Americans everything they need to know about Democrats’ priorities.”</p><p>The White House accused the representatives of "picking up their party’s mantle of prioritizing a deported illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member over the Americans they represent.”</p><p>Rep. Garcia said he and Frost sent a letter last week to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., requesting that an official delegation go to El Salvador to investigate Abrego Garcia's condition and push for his return, but received no response. Ansari said more Democrats would be traveling to El Salvador in the coming days and weeks.</p><p>Justice Department lawyers said in court last week that they have no power to advance Abrego Garcia’s return because he is in a foreign country’s custody. Administration officials also claimed in public comments that Abrego Garcia was engaged in human trafficking and terrorism and therefore correctly deported. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that if Abrego Garcia were to return to the U.S., “he would immediately be deported again.”</p><p>Van Hollen unsuccessfully lobbied the Salvadoran government for Abrego Garcia's return. He told NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the United States is facing a constitutional crisis if the Trump administration does not follow the Supreme Court's order to push to bring Abrego Garcia back.</p><p>It's a warning Democrats are increasingly amplifying. Rather than debate President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration policy or the merits of the administration's invocation of national security to carry out deportations, Democratic lawmakers are zeroing in on the issue of due process, with some noting that the Supreme Court and lower court federal judges found Abrego Garcia was deported without a proper hearing.</p><p>Ansari said she finds it “extremely alarming” that Trump officials seem to have no regard for due process.</p><p>“Even with all of the illegal actions we’ve seen over the last couple of months, I think this is the one that terrifies me the most when it comes to the future of our democracy," she said in an interview.</p><p>Similar concerns were echoed by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote in the court’s ruling in Abrego Garcia’s case: “The government’s argument, moreover, implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U. S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene."</p><h2>Republicans have been going, too — for a different reason</h2><p>Several House Republicans have visited El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, the prison where Abergo Garcia is being held, and lauded the facility for what they view as El Salvador's tough-on-crime policies. Republican senators and governors have defended Abrego Garcia's detention as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration. But at least one Republican senator called his deportation a mistake.</p><p>“The administration won’t admit it. But this was a screw-up,” said Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, on NBC's “Meet the Press.”</p><p>During a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office, Trump remarked that “homegrown” lawbreakers should be deported to prisons in the Central American country and urged Bukele to “build about five more places” like the notorious penitentiary where Abrego Garcia is being held.</p><p>Congressional Republicans have so far shown little interest in negotiating the dispute between the president and the judiciary. Democrats, who are in the minority in both chambers of Congress, have little leverage to pressure the White House. But Abrego Garcia's case has become both an alarming and galvanizing case inside the party.</p><p>Democrats "have the power to draw attention to this issue, to keep the pressure up," Ansari said. "That’s why you know some of us are going, and so many members will be going. Because this is about the future of our democracy and the future of due process as American citizens.”</p><p>___</p><p>Brown reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.</p>

🎥More lawmakers visit El Salvador on Abrego Garcia's behalf

JOHNSON—A Kansas man accused in the killing of his wife and son made another court appearance in the case last week.

Todd M. Donovan, 53, plead guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and to cruelty to animals, according to the Johnson County District Attorney. Donovan is scheduled for sentencing July 21st.

Just before 8:30p.m. Nov. 1, police responded on the report of an armed disturbance at a home in the 7900 block of Hallet in the city of Lenexa, according to a media release. As officers arrived, they heard multiple gunshots coming from the area of the residence.

Lenexa officers spoke on the phone with the individual suspected of firing shots and learned 53-year-old Todd M. Donovan was inside his residence on Hallet.

Donovan refused to comply with officer’s requests to come outside peacefully and the Lenexa Tactical Team and crisis negotiators responded on the barricade operation. Negotiators spoke with Donovan for nearly two hours before he discontinued dialogue.

Just before 2a.m. the next morning, members of the Lenexa Tactical Team entered the residence and took Donovan into custody. He was taken to an area hospital due to a possible overdose.

Officers located two individuals later identified as Donovan's wife 52-year-old Sheila Donovan and his son 22-year-old Tyler Donovan deceased inside the home. The preliminary investigation indicates that both were shot. As part of this investigation, it was also learned that a neighbor's dog was shot and killed around the same time that officers responded on the initial call.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730686002368.png" alt="Donovan photo Johnson Co." />
                        <figcaption>Donovan photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>JOHNSON—A Kansas man accused in the killing of his wife and son made another court appearance in the case last week.</p><p>Todd M. Donovan, 53, plead guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and to cruelty to animals, according to the Johnson County District Attorney. Donovan is scheduled for sentencing July 21st.</p><p>Just before 8:30p.m. Nov. 1, police responded on the report of an armed disturbance at a home in the 7900 block of Hallet in the city of Lenexa, according to a media release. As officers arrived, they heard multiple gunshots coming from the area of the residence.</p><p>Lenexa officers spoke on the phone with the individual suspected of firing shots and learned 53-year-old Todd M. Donovan was inside his residence on Hallet.</p><p>Donovan refused to comply with officer’s requests to come outside peacefully and the Lenexa Tactical Team and crisis negotiators responded on the barricade operation. Negotiators spoke with Donovan for nearly two hours before he discontinued dialogue.</p><p>Just before 2a.m. the next morning, members of the Lenexa Tactical Team entered the residence and took Donovan into custody. He was taken to an area hospital due to a possible overdose.</p><p>Officers located two individuals later identified as Donovan's wife 52-year-old Sheila Donovan and his son 22-year-old Tyler Donovan deceased inside the home. The preliminary investigation indicates that both were shot. As part of this investigation, it was also learned that a neighbor's dog was shot and killed around the same time that officers responded on the initial call.</p>

Kansas man admits killing wife, son and neighbor's dog

SANTA TERESA, N.M. (AP) — Military officials have identified the two Marines from California who were killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-service-members-killed-vehicle-accident-0676c8454bff6d647f93cc14c61fcae5">when their vehicle crashed</a>&nbsp;as a convoy was traveling along the U.S.-Mexico border near Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

They were Lance Cpl. Albert Aguilera, 22, of Riverside and Lance Cpl. Marcelino Gamino, 28, of Fresno. Both were members of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion based at Camp Pendleton.

Another Marine with the battalion remains in critical condition.

The investigation into Tuesday’s crash is ongoing, military officials said in a statement.

The region where the accident took place is just over the state line and west of Fort Bliss, a major Army installation in West Texas that has played a critical role in dispatching military deportation flights and served as a touchpoint for thousands of soldiers and pieces of equipment now deployed along the border.

The troops are deployed there in support of President Donald Trump’s executive order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-trump-roosevelt-military-immigration-85974188a51593351eed70ad26291888">secure the U.S.-Mexico border</a>.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745287416212.png" alt="Lance Cpl. Albert Aguilera-courtesy photo" />
                        <figcaption>Lance Cpl. Albert Aguilera-courtesy photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SANTA TERESA, N.M. (AP) — Military officials have identified the two Marines from California who were killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-service-members-killed-vehicle-accident-0676c8454bff6d647f93cc14c61fcae5">when their vehicle crashed</a>&nbsp;as a convoy was traveling along the U.S.-Mexico border near Santa Teresa, New Mexico.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745287340245.png" alt="&nbsp;Lance Cpl. Marcelino Gamino courtesy photo" />
                        <figcaption>&nbsp;Lance Cpl. Marcelino Gamino courtesy photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>They were Lance Cpl. Albert Aguilera, 22, of Riverside and Lance Cpl. Marcelino Gamino, 28, of Fresno. Both were members of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion based at Camp Pendleton.</p><p>Another Marine with the battalion remains in critical condition.</p><p>The investigation into Tuesday’s crash is ongoing, military officials said in a statement.</p><p>The region where the accident took place is just over the state line and west of Fort Bliss, a major Army installation in West Texas that has played a critical role in dispatching military deportation flights and served as a touchpoint for thousands of soldiers and pieces of equipment now deployed along the border.</p><p>The troops are deployed there in support of President Donald Trump’s executive order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-trump-roosevelt-military-immigration-85974188a51593351eed70ad26291888">secure the U.S.-Mexico border</a>.</p>

Officials release names of Marines killed supporting border operations

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon in in custody after a traffic a weekend arrest.<br><br>Just after 4:30a.m. Friday, police&nbsp;conducted a traffic stop, according to a social media report from Kechi Police. During the investigation, police seized $3,810.00, two loaded firearms (one of which was stolen) and narcotics. 

The suspect was arrested on requested charges that include Felon in possession of a Firearm; Criminal use of Weapons; Possession of Marijuana; Felony Interfere with Law Enforcement; Expired Driver's; No Insurance and for Running a Stop Sign.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745241712101.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon in in custody after a traffic a weekend arrest.<br><br>Just after 4:30a.m. Friday, police&nbsp;conducted a traffic stop, according to a social media report from Kechi Police. During the investigation, police seized $3,810.00, two loaded firearms (one of which was stolen) and narcotics. </p><p>The suspect was arrested on requested charges that include Felon in possession of a Firearm; Criminal use of Weapons; Possession of Marijuana; Felony Interfere with Law Enforcement; Expired Driver's; No Insurance and for Running a Stop Sign.</p>

Police seize cash, stolen gun and drugs during Kan. traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will begin collection next month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-repayment-trump-9fb6287fe52ed0be73719b53dd5bf90d">student loans</a>&nbsp;that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday.

Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;’s announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to forgive millions of people’s student loans, only to be stopped by courts.

“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.

Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department's offset program, which withholds payments from the government — including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits — from people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department will also begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default.

The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates.

“This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.

Already, many borrowers have been bracing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-default-0eb5a2bdb0ed4cfbd9663f822dfd457c">obligations coming due</a>.

In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-cancellation-forgiveness-d213afe3ea69da3c6b9e713c7dc16a9a">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;paused federal student loan payments and interest accrual as a temporary relief measure for student borrowers. The pause in payments was extended multiple times by the Biden administration through 2023, and a final grace period for loan repayments ended in October 2024. That meant tens of millions of Americans had to start making payments again.

Borrowers who don't make payments for nine months go into default, which is reported on their credit scores and can go to collections.

In addition to the borrowers already in default, around another 4 million are between 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on their student loans, department officials said.

For borrowers in default, one step to avoid wage garnishment is to get into loan rehabilitation, said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute for Student Loan Advisors.

Borrowers need to ask their loan servicer to be placed into a loan rehabilitation program. Typically, servicers ask for proof of income and expenses to calculate a payment amount. Once a borrower has paid on time for nine months in a row, they are taken out of default, Mayotte said. A loan rehabilitation can only be done once.

Biden oversaw the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million borrowers. Despite the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">Supreme Court's rejection</a>&nbsp;of his signature proposal for broad relief, he waived more than $183.6 billion in student loans through expanded forgiveness programs.

In her statement Monday, McMahon said Biden had gone too far.

“Going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repayment — both for the sake of their own financial health and our nation’s economic outlook,” she said.

Associated Press writer Adriana Morga in New York contributed to this report.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745272046906.png" alt="Education Secretary Linda McMahon during a press conference earlier this month-image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Education Secretary Linda McMahon during a press conference earlier this month-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will begin collection next month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-repayment-trump-9fb6287fe52ed0be73719b53dd5bf90d">student loans</a>&nbsp;that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Starting May 5, the Department will resume collections to protect taxpayers from shouldering the cost of student loans. Federal student loans are financed by the American people and must be paid back. <a href="https://t.co/yQmP12Tojy">https://t.co/yQmP12Tojy</a> <a href="https://t.co/5tsrc8yu8B">pic.twitter.com/5tsrc8yu8B</a></p>&mdash; U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/usedgov/status/1914409175326564695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;’s announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to forgive millions of people’s student loans, only to be stopped by courts.</p><p>“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.</p><p>Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department's offset program, which withholds payments from the government — including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits — from people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department will also begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default.</p><p>The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates.</p><p>“This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.</p><p>Already, many borrowers have been bracing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-default-0eb5a2bdb0ed4cfbd9663f822dfd457c">obligations coming due</a>.</p><p>In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-cancellation-forgiveness-d213afe3ea69da3c6b9e713c7dc16a9a">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;paused federal student loan payments and interest accrual as a temporary relief measure for student borrowers. The pause in payments was extended multiple times by the Biden administration through 2023, and a final grace period for loan repayments ended in October 2024. That meant tens of millions of Americans had to start making payments again.</p><p>Borrowers who don't make payments for nine months go into default, which is reported on their credit scores and can go to collections.</p><p>In addition to the borrowers already in default, around another 4 million are between 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on their student loans, department officials said.</p><p>For borrowers in default, one step to avoid wage garnishment is to get into loan rehabilitation, said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute for Student Loan Advisors.</p><p>Borrowers need to ask their loan servicer to be placed into a loan rehabilitation program. Typically, servicers ask for proof of income and expenses to calculate a payment amount. Once a borrower has paid on time for nine months in a row, they are taken out of default, Mayotte said. A loan rehabilitation can only be done once.</p><p>Biden oversaw the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million borrowers. Despite the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">Supreme Court's rejection</a>&nbsp;of his signature proposal for broad relief, he waived more than $183.6 billion in student loans through expanded forgiveness programs.</p><p>In her statement Monday, McMahon said Biden had gone too far.</p><p>“Going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repayment — both for the sake of their own financial health and our nation’s economic outlook,” she said.</p><p>___</p><p>Associated Press writer Adriana Morga in New York contributed to this report.</p><p>___</p><p>The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.</p>

Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection

WASHINGTON (AP)—The White House is expressing support for Pete Hegseth following media reports that the defense secretary created another Signal messaging chat that included his wife and brother where sensitive military information was shared.

The New York Times first reported Sunday evening that the embattled Pentagon leader shared details of a March military airstrike against Yemen’s Houthi militants that were similar to those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">sent in another chain</a>&nbsp;with top Trump administration leaders. A person familiar with the contents and those who received the messages confirmed the second chat to The Associated Press.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump “stands strongly behind” Hegseth. She tried to dismiss the reporting by saying “this is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you.”

Hegseth told reporters Monday that he had spoken with the president and “we are going to continue fighting.”

“This is what the media does,” Pete Hegseth said at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

“They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not going to work with me.”

“I have spoken to the president, and we are going to continue fighting, on the same page all the way,” he said.

The president offered full-throated backing of his defense secretary following media reports that Hegseth shared sensitive military details in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-chat-houthis-attack-8dbf9dd6c711796438a5c1c84831c40b">another Signal messaging chat</a>, including with his wife and brother.

Asked by reporters if he still had confidence in Hegseth amid the latest revelations, Trump responded the media should pose that question to the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, who have been facing a barrage of U.S. airstrikes in recent weeks.

“Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump said. He added, “Ask the Houthis how much dysfunction...There is none.”

Trump also appeared to blame recently dismissed Pentagon aides for being behind the reports.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP)—The White House is expressing support for Pete Hegseth following media reports that the defense secretary created another Signal messaging chat that included his wife and brother where sensitive military information was shared.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Hegseth on &quot;Signal chat controversy&quot;: &quot;What a big surprise that a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax, won&#39;t give back their Pulitzers, they got Pulitzers for a bunch of lies ... This is what… <a href="https://t.co/qYH8O98EtX">pic.twitter.com/qYH8O98EtX</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1914311301272052045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The New York Times first reported Sunday evening that the embattled Pentagon leader shared details of a March military airstrike against Yemen’s Houthi militants that were similar to those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">sent in another chain</a>&nbsp;with top Trump administration leaders. A person familiar with the contents and those who received the messages confirmed the second chat to The Associated Press.</p><p>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump “stands strongly behind” Hegseth. She tried to dismiss the reporting by saying “this is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you.”</p><p>Hegseth told reporters Monday that he had spoken with the president and “we are going to continue fighting.”</p><p>“This is what the media does,” Pete Hegseth said at the White House Easter Egg Roll.</p><p>“They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not going to work with me.”</p><p>Hegseth did not deny the reports.</p><p>“I have spoken to the president, and we are going to continue fighting, on the same page all the way,” he said.</p><p>The president offered full-throated backing of his defense secretary following media reports that Hegseth shared sensitive military details in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-chat-houthis-attack-8dbf9dd6c711796438a5c1c84831c40b">another Signal messaging chat</a>, including with his wife and brother.</p><p>Asked by reporters if he still had confidence in Hegseth amid the latest revelations, Trump responded the media should pose that question to the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, who have been facing a barrage of U.S. airstrikes in recent weeks.</p><p>“Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump said. He added, “Ask the Houthis how much dysfunction...There is none.”</p><p>Trump also appeared to blame recently dismissed Pentagon aides for being behind the reports.</p>

🎥Hegseth responds to latest Signal chat controversy

ELLIS COUNTY —We have a winner! On Thursday, the Kansas Highway Patrol asked for your help with a name for Trooper Ian's new K9. partner, according to KHP Trooper Tod Hileman.

On Monday, Hileman wrote, "Trooper Ian has chosen “Ike.” It seems like an appropriate name for a KHP K9..

  Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.

<p>ELLIS COUNTY —We have a winner! On Thursday, the Kansas Highway Patrol asked for your help with a name for Trooper Ian's new K9. partner, according to KHP Trooper Tod Hileman.</p><p>On Monday, Hileman wrote, "Trooper Ian has chosen “Ike.” It seems like an appropriate name for a KHP K9..</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WE HAVE A WINNER! Trooper Ian has chosen “Ike”. It seems like an appropriate name for a Kansas HP K9. ☺️ Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ServiceCourtesyProtection?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ServiceCourtesyProtection</a> <a href="https://t.co/bCCKSValo6">pic.twitter.com/bCCKSValo6</a></p>&mdash; Trooper Tod (@TrooperTodKHP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrooperTodKHP/status/1914385991424475444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>  Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.</p>

Winner: KHP Trooper selects a name for his K9 partner

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

Montana is the ninth U.S. state to have an active measles outbreak.

The U.S. was up to 800&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">cases of measles</a>&nbsp;nationwide on Friday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>&nbsp;is driving the high numbers, with an outbreak centered in West Texas that started nearly three months ago and is up to 597 cases.&nbsp;<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 near&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the epicenter in 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;— defined as three or more cases — include Indiana,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. The U.S. has more than double the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles cases</a>&nbsp;it saw in all of 2024.

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

Health experts fear the virus will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">take hold in other U.S. communities</a>&nbsp;with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>.

In North America, an outbreak in Ontario, Canada has sickened 925 from mid-October through April 16. That's on top of cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;that the World Health Organization has said are linked to the Texas outbreak. A large outbreak in Chihuahua state has 433 cases as of April 18, according to data from the state health ministry.

Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has 37 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday.

Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray and Morton counties have fewer than five cases each. Haskell County has the most with eight cases, Stevens County has seven, Kiowa County has six.

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

How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?

Texas state health officials said Friday there were 36 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">597 across 25 counties</a>&nbsp;— most of them in West Texas. Four more Texans were hospitalized, for a total of 62 throughout the outbreak, and Parmer and Potter counties logger their first cases.

State health officials estimated about 4% of cases — fewer than 30 — are actively infectious.

Sixty-two percent of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has logged 371 cases since late January — just over 1% of the county's residents.

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

New Mexico announced five new cases this week, bringing the state’s total to 63. Three more people were in the hospital this week, for a total of six since the outbreak started. Most of the state's cases are in Lea County. Two are in Eddy County and Chaves and Doña Ana counties have one each.

State health officials say the cases are linked to Texas’ outbreak based on genetic testing. New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;on March 6.

Cases in Oklahoma remained steady at 12 total cases Friday: nine confirmed and three probable. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said.

A state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Rogers and Custer counties, but wouldn't say which counties had cases.

The Ohio Department of Health confirmed 30 measles cases in the state Thursday. The state county includes only Ohio residents.

There are 14 cases in Ashtabula County near Cleveland, 14 in Knox County and one each in Allen and Holmes counties, the state said. The outbreak in Ashtabula County started with an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.

Health officials in Knox County, in east-central Ohio, say there are a total of 20 people with measles, but seven of them do not live in Ohio. In 2022, a measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85.

Indiana confirmed two more cases Monday in an outbreak that has sickened eight in Allen County in the northeast part of the state — five are unvaccinated minors and three are adults whose vaccination status is unknown. The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health said Monday.

How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?

In far northwest Pennsylvania, Erie County health officials declared a measles outbreak Monday after finding two new cases linked to a measles case confirmed March 30.

The state has had nine cases overall this year, six of which are not linked to the outbreak, including international travel-related cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/2025%20HAN/2025-787-3-13-ADV-%20Measles.pdf">Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia</a>.

Montcalm County, near Grand Rapids in western Michigan, has three linked measles cases. State health officials say the cases are tied to a large measles outbreak in Ontario, Canada.

The state has seven confirmed measles cases as of Thursday, but the remaining four are not part of the Montcalm County outbreak. Michigan's last measles outbreak was in 2019.

Montana state health officials announced five cases Thursday in unvaccinated children and adults who had traveled out of state, and confirmed it was an outbreak on Monday. All five are isolating at home in Gallatin County in the southwest part of the state.

State health officials are working to trace exposures in Bozeman and Belgrade.

They are Montana's first measles cases in 35 years. Health officials didn't say whether the cases are linked to other outbreaks in North America.

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

There have been 800 cases in 2025 as of Friday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 10 clusters — defined as three or more related cases.

Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) 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.

<p><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEVI%20SHASTRI%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEVI SHASTRI <br>AP Health Writer</a></p><p>Montana is the ninth U.S. state to have an active measles outbreak.</p><p>The U.S. was up to 800&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">cases of measles</a>&nbsp;nationwide on Friday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">Texas</a>&nbsp;is driving the high numbers, with an outbreak centered in West Texas that started nearly three months ago and is up to 597 cases.&nbsp;<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 near&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">the epicenter in 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.</p><p>Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— defined as three or more cases — include Indiana,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. The U.S. has more than double the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles cases</a>&nbsp;it saw in all of 2024.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.</p><p>Health experts fear the virus will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">take hold in other U.S. communities</a>&nbsp;with low vaccination rates and that the spread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-6cfda9a944084c390bc70f0e7a37a426">could stretch on for a year</a>.</p><p>In North America, an outbreak in Ontario, Canada has sickened 925 from mid-October through April 16. That's on top of cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON561">Mexico</a>&nbsp;that the World Health Organization has said are linked to the Texas outbreak. A large outbreak in Chihuahua state has 433 cases as of April 18, according to data from the state health ministry.</p><p>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></p><h2>How many cases are there in Kansas?</h2><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744819510121.png" alt="Counties with active cases in Kansas -KDHE image" />
                        <figcaption>Counties with active cases in Kansas -KDHE image</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>&nbsp;has 37 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday.</p><p>Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray and Morton counties have fewer than five cases each. Haskell County has the most with eight cases, Stevens County has seven, Kiowa County has six.</p><p>The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.</p><h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?</h2><p>Texas state health officials said Friday there were 36 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">597 across 25 counties</a>&nbsp;— most of them in West Texas. Four more Texans were hospitalized, for a total of 62 throughout the outbreak, and Parmer and Potter counties logger their first cases.</p><p>State health officials estimated about 4% of cases — fewer than 30 — are actively infectious.</p><p>Sixty-two percent of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has logged 371 cases since late January — just over 1% of the county's residents.</p><p>The April 3 death in Texas was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">8-year-old child,</a>&nbsp;according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Health officials in Texas said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February — Kennedy said age 6.</p><p>New Mexico announced five new cases this week, bringing the state’s total to 63. Three more people were in the hospital this week, for a total of six since the outbreak started. Most of the state's cases are in Lea County. Two are in Eddy County and Chaves and Doña Ana counties have one each.</p><p>State health officials say the cases are linked to Texas’ outbreak based on genetic testing. New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;on March 6.</p><h2>How many cases are there in Oklahoma?</h2><p>Cases in Oklahoma remained steady at 12 total cases Friday: nine confirmed and three probable. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said.</p><p>A state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Rogers and Custer counties, but wouldn't say which counties had cases.</p><h2>How many cases are there in Ohio?</h2><p>The Ohio Department of Health confirmed 30 measles cases in the state Thursday. The state county includes only Ohio residents.</p><p>There are 14 cases in Ashtabula County near Cleveland, 14 in Knox County and one each in Allen and Holmes counties, the state said. The outbreak in Ashtabula County started with an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.</p><p>Health officials in Knox County, in east-central Ohio, say there are a total of 20 people with measles, but seven of them do not live in Ohio. In 2022, a measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85.</p><h2>How many cases are there in Indiana?</h2><p>Indiana confirmed two more cases Monday in an outbreak that has sickened eight in Allen County in the northeast part of the state — five are unvaccinated minors and three are adults whose vaccination status is unknown. The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health said Monday.</p><h2>How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?</h2><p>In far northwest Pennsylvania, Erie County health officials declared a measles outbreak Monday after finding two new cases linked to a measles case confirmed March 30.</p><p>The state has had nine cases overall this year, six of which are not linked to the outbreak, including international travel-related cases in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/2025%20HAN/2025-787-3-13-ADV-%20Measles.pdf">Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia</a>.</p><h2>How many cases are there in Michigan?</h2><p>Montcalm County, near Grand Rapids in western Michigan, has three linked measles cases. State health officials say the cases are tied to a large measles outbreak in Ontario, Canada.</p><p>The state has seven confirmed measles cases as of Thursday, but the remaining four are not part of the Montcalm County outbreak. Michigan's last measles outbreak was in 2019.</p><h2>How many cases are there in Montana?</h2><p>Montana state health officials announced five cases Thursday in unvaccinated children and adults who had traveled out of state, and confirmed it was an outbreak on Monday. All five are isolating at home in Gallatin County in the southwest part of the state.</p><p>State health officials are working to trace exposures in Bozeman and Belgrade.</p><p>They are Montana's first measles cases in 35 years. Health officials didn't say whether the cases are linked to other outbreaks in North America.</p><h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2><p>There have been 800 cases in 2025 as of Friday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 10 clusters — defined as three or more related cases.</p><p>Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.</p><p>Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.</p><h2>What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?</h2><p>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.”</p><p>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”</p><p>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></p><h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2><p>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><h2>How can you treat measles?</h2><p>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.</p><p>___</p>

9th state reports active measles outbreak

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a><br><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/"><i>Missouri Independent</i></a>

Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long received $137,000 in campaign contributions — just enough to pay off a personal loan to his campaign — soon after he was tapped to lead the Internal Revenue Service.

Some of the donations are connected to companies that will be policed by the agency Long has been nominated to run.

According to recently filed financial disclosures, which were first reported on by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.levernews.com/trump-irs-pick-was-just-enriched-by-tax-schemers/" target="_blank">investigative journalism site The Lever</a>, Long only raised roughly $36,000 in the last two years.&nbsp;

He was named as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/donald-trump-picks-missouris-billy-long-to-lead-the-irs/">President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the IRS</a>&nbsp;in December, and in January received $137,000 in donations. He then paid back the remaining&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00460063/?tab=summary" target="_blank">$130,000 in debt from a $250,000 loan</a>&nbsp;he made to his unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate campaign.

The donations, and their timing, have renewed criticism of Long’s appointment, which still awaits Senate confirmation. Senate Democrats have already called for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-cortez-masto-call-for-criminal-investigation-into-evidence-of-fraud-by-promoters-affiliated-with-irs-nominee-billy-long" target="_blank">criminal investigation of firms with ties to Long</a>&nbsp;that they allege are involved in fraudulent tax credit schemes.&nbsp;

Among the donors to Long’s campaign are financial advisers from some of those firms.

“When they told Billy he’d be in charge of revenue collection, did they forget to tell him that meant for the American people, not his own bank account?” said Sean Nicholson, a longtime progressive activist and campaign consultant in Missouri.&nbsp;

Jordan Libowitz, vice president of communications for the liberal watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the timing of the donations and the “explicit knowledge that they’d end up directly in Long’s bank account, it’s hard to see them as anything other than an attempt to curry favor with the future head of the IRS.”

Long did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

After a career as an auctioneer and conservative radio host, Long served six terms representing a Southwest Missouri congressional district. He gave up his seat to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/07/21/billy-longs-chances-in-missouri-gop-senate-primary-depend-on-donald-trump/">run for U.S. Senate in 2022</a>, losing in the GOP primary to now-Sen. Eric Schmitt.&nbsp;

Long then worked for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/business/billy-long-irs-tax-credit.html" target="_blank">Lifetime Advisors</a>&nbsp;and earned at least $5,000 in income from&nbsp;<a href="https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/trump-irs-pick-has-ties-to-group-that-pushed-dubious-tax-credits" target="_blank">White River Energy</a>. Both companies have drawn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-presses-irs-nominee-billy-long-on-questionable-record-of-pushing-fraud-ridden-tax-credit" target="_blank">scorn from Senate Democrats</a>, and intense media scrutiny, over their involvement in controversial tax credit programs.&nbsp;

In 2022, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/16/ted-cruz-supreme-court-campaign-finance/" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court struck down a limit&nbsp;</a>on the amount of post-election funds a candidate can use to pay back personal loans. The majority found the limit an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech, while the dissenting justices argued removing it would pave the way for political corruption.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Even if our broken campaign finance system allows this behavior,” Libowitz said, “it raises serious questions about future conflicts of interest and needs to be addressed in any hearings (Billy Long) has before Congress.”&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734986359615.png" alt="- Billy Long speaks during a press conference before filing for to be on the ballot in the Missouri GOP Senate primary on Feb. 22, 2022, in Jefferson City (Madeline Carter/Missouri Independent)." />
                        <figcaption>- Billy Long speaks during a press conference before filing for to be on the ballot in the Missouri GOP Senate primary on Feb. 22, 2022, in Jefferson City (Madeline Carter/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a><br><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/"><i>Missouri Independent</i></a></p><p>Former Missouri Congressman Billy Long received $137,000 in campaign contributions — just enough to pay off a personal loan to his campaign — soon after he was tapped to lead the Internal Revenue Service.</p><p>Some of the donations are connected to companies that will be policed by the agency Long has been nominated to run.</p><p>According to recently filed financial disclosures, which were first reported on by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.levernews.com/trump-irs-pick-was-just-enriched-by-tax-schemers/" target="_blank">investigative journalism site The Lever</a>, Long only raised roughly $36,000 in the last two years.&nbsp;</p><p>He was named as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/donald-trump-picks-missouris-billy-long-to-lead-the-irs/">President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the IRS</a>&nbsp;in December, and in January received $137,000 in donations. He then paid back the remaining&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00460063/?tab=summary" target="_blank">$130,000 in debt from a $250,000 loan</a>&nbsp;he made to his unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate campaign.</p><p>The donations, and their timing, have renewed criticism of Long’s appointment, which still awaits Senate confirmation. Senate Democrats have already called for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-cortez-masto-call-for-criminal-investigation-into-evidence-of-fraud-by-promoters-affiliated-with-irs-nominee-billy-long" target="_blank">criminal investigation of firms with ties to Long</a>&nbsp;that they allege are involved in fraudulent tax credit schemes.&nbsp;</p><p>Among the donors to Long’s campaign are financial advisers from some of those firms.</p><p>“When they told Billy he’d be in charge of revenue collection, did they forget to tell him that meant for the American people, not his own bank account?” said Sean Nicholson, a longtime progressive activist and campaign consultant in Missouri.&nbsp;</p><p>Jordan Libowitz, vice president of communications for the liberal watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the timing of the donations and the “explicit knowledge that they’d end up directly in Long’s bank account, it’s hard to see them as anything other than an attempt to curry favor with the future head of the IRS.”</p><p>Long did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;</p><p>After a career as an auctioneer and conservative radio host, Long served six terms representing a Southwest Missouri congressional district. He gave up his seat to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/07/21/billy-longs-chances-in-missouri-gop-senate-primary-depend-on-donald-trump/">run for U.S. Senate in 2022</a>, losing in the GOP primary to now-Sen. Eric Schmitt.&nbsp;</p><p>Long then worked for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/business/billy-long-irs-tax-credit.html" target="_blank">Lifetime Advisors</a>&nbsp;and earned at least $5,000 in income from&nbsp;<a href="https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/trump-irs-pick-has-ties-to-group-that-pushed-dubious-tax-credits" target="_blank">White River Energy</a>. Both companies have drawn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-presses-irs-nominee-billy-long-on-questionable-record-of-pushing-fraud-ridden-tax-credit" target="_blank">scorn from Senate Democrats</a>, and intense media scrutiny, over their involvement in controversial tax credit programs.&nbsp;</p><p>In 2022, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/16/ted-cruz-supreme-court-campaign-finance/" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court struck down a limit&nbsp;</a>on the amount of post-election funds a candidate can use to pay back personal loans. The majority found the limit an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech, while the dissenting justices argued removing it would pave the way for political corruption.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Even if our broken campaign finance system allows this behavior,” Libowitz said, “it raises serious questions about future conflicts of interest and needs to be addressed in any hearings (Billy Long) has before Congress.”&nbsp;</p><p>Last updated 5:57 a.m., Apr. 19, 2025</p>

Billy Long’s bid to lead IRS under scrutiny over donations that paid off personal debt

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-what-to-know-7c2aa927cf142926f05654984aaa0d90">Pope Francis died Monday</a>&nbsp;at age 88. The Vatican said the cause of death was a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.

History’s first Latin American pontiff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a">charmed the world</a>&nbsp;with his humble style and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f684920e3ec74a2fbe58371e09ae9112">concern for the poor</a>&nbsp;but alienated many conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change.

Francis recently returned to the Vatican after 38 days in a hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy. He last appeared in public on Sunday with an Easter blessing and popemobile tour through a cheering crowd in St. Peter’s Square. No&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/papal-succession-plan-what-happens-798029dfb83f4c03b61de5d9cf6945ff">funeral</a>&nbsp;date has been announced.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/next-pope-contenders-list-101d68d61be2401a85310e34b45371a9">The next pope</a>&nbsp;is yet to be decided.

“I hope that whoever comes after him can be as competent, as affectionate and as loving,” said Mary Soul, a Christian resident of Aleppo, Syria.

The Vatican said the cause of Francis’ death was a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.

It also said the pope had decreed that he will be buried in St. Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb. The basilica is home to Francis’ favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom he was particularly devoted.

Public likely can start paying final respects on Wednesday

The Vatican says the general public likely can begin paying final respects to Pope Francis starting Wednesday in St. Peter’s Basilica. The date will be confirmed when cardinals gather for the first time after Francis’ death Tuesday morning.

Francis’ coffin will be moved from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing. In a change ordered by Francis, the pope’s body will no longer placed on an elevated bier in the basilica. Rather, the wooden coffin will be placed facing the pews.

No date for the funeral has been announced. It must be held between four and six days after the death.

Vatican holds its first public commemoration

The Vatican has begun a Rosary prayer in St. Peter’s Square in its first public commemoration following Pope Francis’ death. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, led the prayer as the sun set.

The first reading was delivered by Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Vatican City State and one of the highest ranking women at the Vatican. Her appointment was a sign of Francis' insistence that women be given more prominent, decision-making roles.

South Sudan recalls ‘a profound act of humility’

The South Sudan Council of Churches says it remembers with gratitude Francis’ visit to the country and his “dedicated efforts to promote healing and unity among our leaders.” The pope once famously knelt and kissed the feet of rivals President Salva Kiir and deputy Riek Machar, which the council called “a profound act of humility.” Tensions continue, however, recently raising fears of a return to civil war.

Putin says the timing of the death was ‘a special sign’

Russian President Vladimir Putin in televised remarks noted that the pope died immediately after Easter, suggesting that “this is a special sign that the person has lived their life not in vain and has done a lot of good.” Putin said Russians will always remember his “highly positive attitude to Russia.”

The archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Ignacio Garcia Cuerva, has told journaists that “we are a bit orphaned.” He also said the Argentine Francis was famous for asking people to pray for him. “Then he would say, ‘And if you don’t have faith? Still, send good vibes my way.’”

The archbishop said it couldn’t have been easy for Francis to learn to be a “father to the world.”

Pope’s historic address to Congress, a first

Francis became the first pope to address the U.S. Congress. It was a pivotal moment in bitterly divided Washington in 2015. He called on lawmakers to create a “culture of care” in welcoming immigrants, protecting the environment and sharing the nation’s wealth with those less fortunate.

The pope later spoke from a Capitol balcony, greeting thousands with “buenos dias.”

“I spoke this morning to my newsagent who told me his mother, who is a Hindu, loved Pope Francis,” said Patrick Somerville, as mourners knelt before a portrait of Francis at London’s Westminster Cathedral to offer prayers. “And I think that says it all.”

U.N. chief found ‘great meaning’ in pope's Easter message

The United Nations secretary-general has spoken to journalists about the pope. Antonio Guterres said that “many of us find great meaning in his final Easter message delivered just yesterday. He appealed for us not to yield to, as he called it, the ‘logic of fear.’”

In Francis’ hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentines gathered for Mass. Some cried. “I think he was a rebel. He may have been contradictory, but that was nice, too,” said worshiper Catalina Favaro.

Bishop Jorge García Cuerva told those gathered that “the pope of everyone has died. The pope of all humanity who insisted one and a thousand times that there must be room for everyone.”

The pope’s beloved soccer team — Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo, who nickname is “The Saints” — wrote “Goodbye, Holy Father” on its website. The team won the national championship in 2013, the year Francis was elected pope.

Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Francis an “immense personality” and said he “wrote his name in golden letters in modern history.” Though Christians have been increasingly targeted for proselytizing in Muslim-majority Algeria, the Catholic Church enjoys official recognition.

Former U.S. President Joe Biden says Francis was “unlike any who came before him. Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time, and I am better for having known him.” Biden, who is Catholic, called the pope a “challenging teacher” and “above all, he was a pope for everyone.”

Biden had planned to visit Francis one more time before leaving office, but the trip was canceled because of wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

“Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people,” former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, said. “He shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another.”

In Ukraine, there was a mix of sorrow and hope. “From a human point of view, it’s sad, of course,” said Valentina Sofilkanych in Lviv. “But as a Ukrainian, I hope the next Pope will be more pro-Ukrainian, we will feel more support from the church.” Francis tried to maintain the Vatican’s traditional diplomatic neutrality during the war there.

“He was a pope who was humble. When he visited Kenya, he rode in a very simple car,” said Ted Mutuku, a Catholic in the capital, Nairobi.

The leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said Francis was always deeply interested in the region, and Gaza was “a symbol of Francis’ pontificate,” with the pope “always close to the poor, against the war.”

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem will hold a requiem mass on Wednesday with leaders of other major Christian sects.

In the occupied West Bank, Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman said Francis worked to “restore the value and meaning of humanity.”

The pope was “in many respects the world’s conscience, never hesitating to challenge the powerful on behalf of the vulnerable,” said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is Catholic. He noted the pope’s visit in 2022, when he apologized for the church’s cooperation with Canada’s policy of Indigenous residential schools, saying the forced assimilation destroyed their cultures.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the pope “tirelessly sought to bring love where there was hatred. Unity where there was discord. And the understanding that we are all equal, living in the same house, our planet, which urgently needs our care.” Francis visited in 2013.

Gianni Infantino, president of soccer’s world governing body FIFA, noted the pope’s love for soccer and said that “all the prayers of the whole football world are with him.”

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Pope Francis’ final public act – an Easter morning blessing and popemobile tour through a crowd of thousands in St. Peter’s Square – in retrospect seems like his final goodbye to the church.

Critics of the Catholic Church’s handing of clergy sex abuse say the pope did far from enough.

“Where Francis had supreme power, he refused to make the necessary changes,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the U.S.-based group BishopAccountability.

David Clohessy, former national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, noted the pope’s “prompt and impressive action” on other matters but said the pope’s “genial personality and warm demeanor distracted many from the unhealthy and still essentially unaddressed structural and cultural flaws in the church that cause kids to keep being hurt.”

As Catholic Church grows in Africa, many mourn

Many across Africa have said they felt connected with the pope, who often spoke about issues at the heart of the region, from climate change to marginalization.

The pope was “very unambiguous in telling world powers to stop exploiting Africans,” said the Rev. Michael Nsikak Umoh, spokesperson for the Nigerian bishops’ association.

In Congo, where pope visited in 2023 to demand that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources, Abbé Camille Esika in the capital, Kinshasa, said Francis “wanted to be the voice of the voiceless.”

The pope visited Africa five times, acknowledging the strong growth of the Catholic Church there. The South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has encouraged all Catholics to pray for those choosing his successor.

U.N. chief praises the pope's example of ‘mutual understanding’

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740262535769.png" alt="FIle photo Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, where the pontiff was hospitalized this winter (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)" />
                        <figcaption>FIle photo Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, where the pontiff was hospitalized this winter (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-what-to-know-7c2aa927cf142926f05654984aaa0d90">Pope Francis died Monday</a>&nbsp;at age 88. The Vatican said the cause of death was a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.</p><p>History’s first Latin American pontiff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a">charmed the world</a>&nbsp;with his humble style and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f684920e3ec74a2fbe58371e09ae9112">concern for the poor</a>&nbsp;but alienated many conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change.</p><p>Francis recently returned to the Vatican after 38 days in a hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy. He last appeared in public on Sunday with an Easter blessing and popemobile tour through a cheering crowd in St. Peter’s Square. No&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/papal-succession-plan-what-happens-798029dfb83f4c03b61de5d9cf6945ff">funeral</a>&nbsp;date has been announced.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/next-pope-contenders-list-101d68d61be2401a85310e34b45371a9">The next pope</a>&nbsp;is yet to be decided.</p><p>“I hope that whoever comes after him can be as competent, as affectionate and as loving,” said Mary Soul, a Christian resident of Aleppo, Syria.</p><p>Here's the latest:</p><p>The Vatican said the cause of Francis’ death was a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.</p><p>It also said the pope had decreed that he will be buried in St. Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb. The basilica is home to Francis’ favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom he was particularly devoted.</p><h2>Public likely can start paying final respects on Wednesday</h2><p>The Vatican says the general public likely can begin paying final respects to Pope Francis starting Wednesday in St. Peter’s Basilica. The date will be confirmed when cardinals gather for the first time after Francis’ death Tuesday morning.</p><p>Francis’ coffin will be moved from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing. In a change ordered by Francis, the pope’s body will no longer placed on an elevated bier in the basilica. Rather, the wooden coffin will be placed facing the pews.</p><p>No date for the funeral has been announced. It must be held between four and six days after the death.</p><h2>Vatican holds its first public commemoration</h2><p>The Vatican has begun a Rosary prayer in St. Peter’s Square in its first public commemoration following Pope Francis’ death. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, led the prayer as the sun set.</p><p>The first reading was delivered by Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Vatican City State and one of the highest ranking women at the Vatican. Her appointment was a sign of Francis' insistence that women be given more prominent, decision-making roles.</p><h2>South Sudan recalls ‘a profound act of humility’</h2><p>The South Sudan Council of Churches says it remembers with gratitude Francis’ visit to the country and his “dedicated efforts to promote healing and unity among our leaders.” The pope once famously knelt and kissed the feet of rivals President Salva Kiir and deputy Riek Machar, which the council called “a profound act of humility.” Tensions continue, however, recently raising fears of a return to civil war.</p><h2>Putin says the timing of the death was ‘a special sign’</h2><p>Russian President Vladimir Putin in televised remarks noted that the pope died immediately after Easter, suggesting that “this is a special sign that the person has lived their life not in vain and has done a lot of good.” Putin said Russians will always remember his “highly positive attitude to Russia.”</p><h2>‘We are a bit orphaned’</h2><p>The archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Ignacio Garcia Cuerva, has told journaists that “we are a bit orphaned.” He also said the Argentine Francis was famous for asking people to pray for him. “Then he would say, ‘And if you don’t have faith? Still, send good vibes my way.’”</p><p>The archbishop said it couldn’t have been easy for Francis to learn to be a “father to the world.”</p><h2>Pope’s historic address to Congress, a first</h2><p>Francis became the first pope to address the U.S. Congress. It was a pivotal moment in bitterly divided Washington in 2015. He called on lawmakers to create a “culture of care” in welcoming immigrants, protecting the environment and sharing the nation’s wealth with those less fortunate.</p><p>The pope later spoke from a Capitol balcony, greeting thousands with “buenos dias.”</p><h2>Love from beyond the Catholic faith</h2><p>“I spoke this morning to my newsagent who told me his mother, who is a Hindu, loved Pope Francis,” said Patrick Somerville, as mourners knelt before a portrait of Francis at London’s Westminster Cathedral to offer prayers. “And I think that says it all.”</p><h2>U.N. chief found ‘great meaning’ in pope's Easter message</h2><p>The United Nations secretary-general has spoken to journalists about the pope. Antonio Guterres said that “many of us find great meaning in his final Easter message delivered just yesterday. He appealed for us not to yield to, as he called it, the ‘logic of fear.’”</p><h2>‘I think he was a rebel’</h2><p>In Francis’ hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentines gathered for Mass. Some cried. “I think he was a rebel. He may have been contradictory, but that was nice, too,” said worshiper Catalina Favaro.</p><p>Bishop Jorge García Cuerva told those gathered that “the pope of everyone has died. The pope of all humanity who insisted one and a thousand times that there must be room for everyone.”</p><p>The pope’s beloved soccer team — Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo, who nickname is “The Saints” — wrote “Goodbye, Holy Father” on its website. The team won the national championship in 2013, the year Francis was elected pope.</p><h2>‘His name in golden letters’</h2><p>Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Francis an “immense personality” and said he “wrote his name in golden letters in modern history.” Though Christians have been increasingly targeted for proselytizing in Muslim-majority Algeria, the Catholic Church enjoys official recognition.</p><h2>Biden and the Obamas remember</h2><p>Former U.S. President Joe Biden says Francis was “unlike any who came before him. Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time, and I am better for having known him.” Biden, who is Catholic, called the pope a “challenging teacher” and “above all, he was a pope for everyone.”</p><p>Biden had planned to visit Francis one more time before leaving office, but the trip was canceled because of wildfires in the Los Angeles area.</p><p>“Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people,” former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, said. “He shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another.”</p><h2>Mixed emotions in Ukraine</h2><p>In Ukraine, there was a mix of sorrow and hope. “From a human point of view, it’s sad, of course,” said Valentina Sofilkanych in Lviv. “But as a Ukrainian, I hope the next Pope will be more pro-Ukrainian, we will feel more support from the church.” Francis tried to maintain the Vatican’s traditional diplomatic neutrality during the war there.</p><h2>Some saw meaning in the small details</h2><p>“He was a pope who was humble. When he visited Kenya, he rode in a very simple car,” said Ted Mutuku, a Catholic in the capital, Nairobi.</p><h2>Voices from the Middle East</h2><p>The leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said Francis was always deeply interested in the region, and Gaza was “a symbol of Francis’ pontificate,” with the pope “always close to the poor, against the war.”</p><p>The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem will hold a requiem mass on Wednesday with leaders of other major Christian sects.</p><p>In the occupied West Bank, Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman said Francis worked to “restore the value and meaning of humanity.”</p><h2>‘The world’s conscience'</h2><p>The pope was “in many respects the world’s conscience, never hesitating to challenge the powerful on behalf of the vulnerable,” said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is Catholic. He noted the pope’s visit in 2022, when he apologized for the church’s cooperation with Canada’s policy of Indigenous residential schools, saying the forced assimilation destroyed their cultures.</p><h2>‘Love where there was hatred’</h2><p>Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the pope “tirelessly sought to bring love where there was hatred. Unity where there was discord. And the understanding that we are all equal, living in the same house, our planet, which urgently needs our care.” Francis visited in 2013.</p><h2>The soccer-loving pope</h2><p>Gianni Infantino, president of soccer’s world governing body FIFA, noted the pope’s love for soccer and said that “all the prayers of the whole football world are with him.”</p><h2>A final appearance, a final goodbye</h2><p>Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Pope Francis’ final public act – an Easter morning blessing and popemobile tour through a crowd of thousands in St. Peter’s Square – in retrospect seems like his final goodbye to the church.</p><h2>Criticism over sexual abuse issue</h2><p>Critics of the Catholic Church’s handing of clergy sex abuse say the pope did far from enough.</p><p>“Where Francis had supreme power, he refused to make the necessary changes,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the U.S.-based group BishopAccountability.</p><p>David Clohessy, former national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, noted the pope’s “prompt and impressive action” on other matters but said the pope’s “genial personality and warm demeanor distracted many from the unhealthy and still essentially unaddressed structural and cultural flaws in the church that cause kids to keep being hurt.”</p><h2>As Catholic Church grows in Africa, many mourn</h2><p>Many across Africa have said they felt connected with the pope, who often spoke about issues at the heart of the region, from climate change to marginalization.</p><p>The pope was “very unambiguous in telling world powers to stop exploiting Africans,” said the Rev. Michael Nsikak Umoh, spokesperson for the Nigerian bishops’ association.</p><p>In Congo, where pope visited in 2023 to demand that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources, Abbé Camille Esika in the capital, Kinshasa, said Francis “wanted to be the voice of the voiceless.”</p><p>The pope visited Africa five times, acknowledging the strong growth of the Catholic Church there. The South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has encouraged all Catholics to pray for those choosing his successor.</p><h2>U.N. chief praises the pope's example of ‘mutual understanding’</h2><p>United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement recalls that Pope Francis once said: “The future of humankind isn’t exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies … (it) is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a ‘you’ and themselves as part of an ‘us.’”</p><p>Guterres adds that “Our divided and discordant world will be a much better place if we follow his example of unity and mutual understanding in our own actions.”</p>