The views and opinions expressed in this editorial article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Salina Post or Eagle Media.&nbsp;The&nbsp;editorial is intended to stimulate critical thinking and debate on issues of public interest and should be read with an open mind. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple sources of information and to form their own informed opinions.

By:&nbsp;DR. RICHARD A. FRENCH&nbsp;

As a former high school principal trained to be a teacher and administer before I earned my doctorate, I encourage everyone to stop listening to Trump and his enabler's cruel, ignorant propaganda that flies in the face of a solid, comprehensive public education that has served me and our country well!

Former President Obama emphasized, "And when it comes to developing the high standards we need, it's time to stop working against our teachers and start working with them. Teachers don't go into education to get rich. They don't go into education because they don't believe in their children. They want their children to succeed, but we've got to give them the tools. Invest in early childhood education. Invest in our teachers and our children will succeed."

White Christian Naturalists like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mike Johnson, Pete Hegseth and many others like those that wrote Project 2025 want to eliminate public education and substitute white Christian Naturalism Charter schools paid by the taxpayers!

They know 'nothing' about the learning 'needs of children', the 'stages of development' vital to teaching, the different 'learning styles,' the many 'learning disabilities' and how to treat them, the value of 'special education', 'Pupil Evaluation Teams,' teaching the disabled and the importance of well-rounded individuals who are taught to think and make good decisions.

Yet, Trump's authoritarianism movement wants to gut the Department of Education and replace all public education with voucher run white Christian Nationalism charter schools paid for by the elimination of public education.&nbsp;

'Christian Nationalism' is another form of 'white supremacy' and it is infiltrating our country. The Fascist's 2025 plan is to 'control' what you read, learn, your reproductive healthcare, your religion, your children and your private life.

This is a time for all of us — and every institution in America even law firms who profess to love democracy&nbsp;— to stand up to Trump’s tyranny supported by these self-serving congressional Republicans.

Dr. Richard A. French, President and business owner, a humanistic scholar, a former Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, High School Principal and Teacher, Pasadena, CA, 626-806-4596, prefer: drfrenchfds@yahoo.com&nbsp;to communicate.

You can send us your opinions/letters to the editor, along with your name, city and or county location to&nbsp;newstips@salinapost.com

The views and opinions expressed in this editorial article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Salina Post or Eagle Media.&nbsp;The&nbsp;editorial is intended to stimulate critical thinking and debate on issues of public interest and should be read with an open mind. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple sources of information and to form their own informed opinions.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582312931775.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;DR. RICHARD A. FRENCH&nbsp;As a former high school principal trained to be a teacher and administer before I earned my doctorate, I encourage everyone to stop listening to Trump and his enabler's cruel, ignorant propaganda that flies in the face of a solid, comprehensive public education that has served me and our country well!Former President Obama emphasized, "And when it comes to developing the high standards we need, it's time to stop working against our teachers and start working with them. Teachers don't go into education to get rich. They don't go into education because they don't believe in their children. They want their children to succeed, but we've got to give them the tools. Invest in early childhood education. Invest in our teachers and our children will succeed."White Christian Naturalists like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mike Johnson, Pete Hegseth and many others like those that wrote Project 2025 want to eliminate public education and substitute white Christian Naturalism Charter schools paid by the taxpayers!They know 'nothing' about the learning 'needs of children', the 'stages of development' vital to teaching, the different 'learning styles,' the many 'learning disabilities' and how to treat them, the value of 'special education', 'Pupil Evaluation Teams,' teaching the disabled and the importance of well-rounded individuals who are taught to think and make good decisions.Yet, Trump's authoritarianism movement wants to gut the Department of Education and replace all public education with voucher run white Christian Nationalism charter schools paid for by the elimination of public education.&nbsp;'Christian Nationalism' is another form of 'white supremacy' and it is infiltrating our country. The Fascist's 2025 plan is to 'control' what you read, learn, your reproductive healthcare, your religion, your children and your private life.This is a time for all of us — and every institution in America even law firms who profess to love democracy&nbsp;— to stand up to Trump’s tyranny supported by these self-serving congressional Republicans.Dr. Richard A. French, President and business owner, a humanistic scholar, a former Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, High School Principal and Teacher, Pasadena, CA, 626-806-4596, prefer: drfrenchfds@yahoo.com&nbsp;to communicate.You can send us your opinions/letters to the editor, along with your name, city and or county location to&nbsp;newstips@salinapost.com

OPINION: Stop listening to Trump and fight for public education

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONATHAN%20J.%20COOPER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONATHAN J. COOPER &nbsp;Associated Press</a>

&nbsp;Joe Biden’s time in public office is now behind him, but his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-election-debate-trump-7c366fda83a697265d9ecc77e8a32fd1">age and mental acuity</a>&nbsp;have become a litmus test for the next leaders in his party.

<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/16/biden-hur-tape-special-counsel-audio">Click here to listen to mor</a>e

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476201/biden1-copy.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;transcript of&nbsp;day 1 interview with President Biden.

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476203/biden-2-copy.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;transcript of day 2 interview with President Biden

Audio was published Friday from portions of interviews Biden gave to federal prosecutors in 2023, the latest in a stream of reports putting questions about Biden's health back in the spotlight. Months after former President Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump, a new book alleges that White House aides covered up Biden's physical and mental decline.

Several potential Democratic contenders for the 2028 nomination have been asked in recent days whether they believe Biden was declining in office or whether he should have sought reelection before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-lawmakers-debate-2c426f98063ab30143a7675cba10a5b4">disastrous debate performance</a>&nbsp;led to his withdrawal.

Many Democrats would prefer to focus on Trump's second term. Trump has done his best to prevent that — mentioning Biden's name&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/first-100-days-trump-still-leans-old-foe-joe-biden-rcna201229">an average of six times per day</a>&nbsp;during his first 100 days in office, according to an NBC News analysis — and Republicans have followed his lead, betting that voters frustrated by Trump's policy moves will still prefer him over memories of an unpopular presidency.

In the race for Virginia governor, one of this year's highest-profile contests, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is running a pair of digital ads tying Democrat Abigail Spanberger to Biden, with images of&nbsp;<a href="https://host2.adimpact.com/admo/viewer/28531e56-93cf-40f0-9baa-09e6722f885a/">the two hugging</a>&nbsp;and the former president calling her a friend.

“The stench of Joe Biden still lingers on the Democratic Party,” Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett said. “We have to do the hard work of fixing that, and I think that includes telling the truth, frankly, about when we were wrong.”

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/14/murphy-biden-cognitive-decline-2028-00349025">told Politico</a>&nbsp;this week that “there’s no doubt” that Biden, now 82, experienced cognitive decline as president.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-buttigieg">Pete Buttigieg</a>, the former transportation secretary, wasn’t nearly as blunt but still stopped short of defending Biden’s decision to run. He responded “maybe” when asked Tuesday whether the Democratic Party would have been better off if Biden hadn’t tried to run for a second term.

“Right now, with the advantage of hindsight, I think most people would agree that that’s the case,” Buttigieg told reporters during a stop in Iowa.

Illinois Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/j-b-pritzker">JB Pritzker</a>&nbsp;said he didn't see signs of mental or physical decline in his meetings with Biden.

“I saw him a few times,” he told CNN this week. “I certainly went to the White House whenever there was an opportunity for me to make the case for something for people in my state. And I never had the experience of anything other than a guy who brought to the table a lot of good ideas about how to solve problems.”

The book “Original Sin,” by journalists Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios, revives a core controversy of Biden’s presidency: his decision to run for a second term despite voters, including Democrats, telling pollsters that he should not run again. Biden would have been 86 at the end of a second term had he won in November.

A spokesperson for Biden did not respond to a request for comment.

“We continue to await anything that shows where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or where national security was threatened or where he was unable to do his job,” the spokesperson has told many media outlets in response to the book.

Late Friday, Axios published portions from audio recordings of Biden's six hours of interviews with prosecutors investigating his handling of classified documents after his term as vice president ended in 2017.

The Biden administration had already released transcripts of the interviews, but the recordings shed light on special counsel Robert Hur's characterization of Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and appeared to validate his claim that the then-president struggled to recall key dates, including the year his son Beau died of cancer in 2015.

Biden and his aides pushed back aggressively against Hur's report, which they characterized as a partisan hit. Biden was at that time — early 2024 — still planning to run for a second term and fending off accusations that he was too old for another four years in the job.

The recordings released by Axios include Biden's discussion of his son's death. His responses to some of the prosecutors' questions are punctuated by long pauses, and his lawyers at times stepped in to help him recall dates and timelines.

Before he dropped his reelection bid last summer, Biden faced widespread doubts within his own party, even as Democratic leaders dismissed both a series of verbal flubs and Republican allegations about his declining acuity.

In January 2022, just a year into Biden’s first term, an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that only 48% of Democrats wanted him to seek reelection. That fell to 37% of Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">an AP-NORC poll conducted in February 2023</a>. Three-quarters of Americans — and 69% of Democrats —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/projects/bidens-age-is-a-significant-concern-for-voters/">said in August 2023</a>&nbsp;that they believed Biden was too old to serve as president for another four-year term.

And shortly after his debate flop,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-poll-drop-out-debate-democrats-59eebaca6989985c2bfb">nearly two-thirds of Democrats</a>&nbsp;said Biden should withdraw from the race.

Biden and former first lady Jill Biden appeared on ABC’s “The View” in a preemptive defense of his health and decision-making before the first excerpts of “Original Sin” were published.

He said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-view-president-trump-abc-interview-kamala-harris-0e7c4aba0b021e40540dcc68872ff0d1">he’s responsible for Trump’s victory</a>&nbsp;but attributed Harris’ loss, at least in part, to sexism and racism. He maintained that he would have won had he remained the Democratic nominee. Both Bidens rejected concerns about his cognitive decline.

Patricia McEnerney, a 74-year-old Democrat in Goodyear, Arizona, said Biden should not have tried to run again.

“I think it’s sad the way it ended,” she said.

She compared him to Douglas MacArthur, the World War II and Korean War general famously dismissed by President Harry Truman.

“I think he needs to stop giving interviews. I think that would help,” McEnerney said. “Like MacArthur said, generals just fade away.”

Janet Stumps, a 66-year-old Democrat also from Goodyear, a Phoenix suburb, had a different view.

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt the Democrats,” Stumps said. “I feel badly that he feels he has to defend himself. I don’t think he has to. Everybody ages. And the fact that he did what he did at his age, I think he should be commended for it.”

Hackett, the Democratic strategist, predicted Biden won’t be a major factor in the 2026 midterms or the 2028 presidential primaries. But he said Democrats who want voters to trust them would be well-served “by telling the truth about the mistakes that our party made in the run-up to 2024.”

“Those mistakes were largely driven by Joe Biden, and I think any Democrat not willing to say that is not really prepared to face the voters, who want the truth and they want authenticity,” Hackett said.

Rick Wilson, a former GOP strategist who co-founded the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, said Republicans want to talk about Biden to avoid defending Trump. But he said the strategy is folly.

Besides “political nerds,” he said, “no one else cares.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709338240853.png" alt="File photo Former President Biden&nbsp; White House image" />
 <figcaption>File photo Former President Biden&nbsp; White House image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONATHAN%20J.%20COOPER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONATHAN J. COOPER &nbsp;Associated Press</a>&nbsp;Joe Biden’s time in public office is now behind him, but his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-election-debate-trump-7c366fda83a697265d9ecc77e8a32fd1">age and mental acuity</a>&nbsp;have become a litmus test for the next leaders in his party.A short clip of the audio is below.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">HUR TAPES: BIDEN RAMBLING ABOUT SHOOTING A BOW AND ARROW IN MONGOLIA “I went to Mongolia. They’re doing a 20-mile horse race. And there are sumo wrestlers. I get handed the bow and arrow - I’m not a bad archer. But pure luck, I hit the g**d*** target!” <a href="https://t.co/KWivG2a035">pic.twitter.com/KWivG2a035</a>&mdash; TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1923519657903792272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/16/biden-hur-tape-special-counsel-audio">Click here to listen to mor</a>e<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476201/biden1-copy.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;transcript of&nbsp;day 1 interview with President Biden.<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476203/biden-2-copy.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;transcript of day 2 interview with President BidenAudio was published Friday from portions of interviews Biden gave to federal prosecutors in 2023, the latest in a stream of reports putting questions about Biden's health back in the spotlight. Months after former President Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump, a new book alleges that White House aides covered up Biden's physical and mental decline.Several potential Democratic contenders for the 2028 nomination have been asked in recent days whether they believe Biden was declining in office or whether he should have sought reelection before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-lawmakers-debate-2c426f98063ab30143a7675cba10a5b4">disastrous debate performance</a>&nbsp;led to his withdrawal.Many Democrats would prefer to focus on Trump's second term. Trump has done his best to prevent that — mentioning Biden's name&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/first-100-days-trump-still-leans-old-foe-joe-biden-rcna201229">an average of six times per day</a>&nbsp;during his first 100 days in office, according to an NBC News analysis — and Republicans have followed his lead, betting that voters frustrated by Trump's policy moves will still prefer him over memories of an unpopular presidency.In the race for Virginia governor, one of this year's highest-profile contests, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is running a pair of digital ads tying Democrat Abigail Spanberger to Biden, with images of&nbsp;<a href="https://host2.adimpact.com/admo/viewer/28531e56-93cf-40f0-9baa-09e6722f885a/">the two hugging</a>&nbsp;and the former president calling her a friend.“The stench of Joe Biden still lingers on the Democratic Party,” Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett said. “We have to do the hard work of fixing that, and I think that includes telling the truth, frankly, about when we were wrong.”Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/14/murphy-biden-cognitive-decline-2028-00349025">told Politico</a>&nbsp;this week that “there’s no doubt” that Biden, now 82, experienced cognitive decline as president.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-buttigieg">Pete Buttigieg</a>, the former transportation secretary, wasn’t nearly as blunt but still stopped short of defending Biden’s decision to run. He responded “maybe” when asked Tuesday whether the Democratic Party would have been better off if Biden hadn’t tried to run for a second term.“Right now, with the advantage of hindsight, I think most people would agree that that’s the case,” Buttigieg told reporters during a stop in Iowa.Illinois Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/j-b-pritzker">JB Pritzker</a>&nbsp;said he didn't see signs of mental or physical decline in his meetings with Biden.“I saw him a few times,” he told CNN this week. “I certainly went to the White House whenever there was an opportunity for me to make the case for something for people in my state. And I never had the experience of anything other than a guy who brought to the table a lot of good ideas about how to solve problems.”The book “Original Sin,” by journalists Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios, revives a core controversy of Biden’s presidency: his decision to run for a second term despite voters, including Democrats, telling pollsters that he should not run again. Biden would have been 86 at the end of a second term had he won in November.A spokesperson for Biden did not respond to a request for comment.“We continue to await anything that shows where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or where national security was threatened or where he was unable to do his job,” the spokesperson has told many media outlets in response to the book.Late Friday, Axios published portions from audio recordings of Biden's six hours of interviews with prosecutors investigating his handling of classified documents after his term as vice president ended in 2017.The Biden administration had already released transcripts of the interviews, but the recordings shed light on special counsel Robert Hur's characterization of Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and appeared to validate his claim that the then-president struggled to recall key dates, including the year his son Beau died of cancer in 2015.Biden and his aides pushed back aggressively against Hur's report, which they characterized as a partisan hit. Biden was at that time — early 2024 — still planning to run for a second term and fending off accusations that he was too old for another four years in the job.The recordings released by Axios include Biden's discussion of his son's death. His responses to some of the prosecutors' questions are punctuated by long pauses, and his lawyers at times stepped in to help him recall dates and timelines.Before he dropped his reelection bid last summer, Biden faced widespread doubts within his own party, even as Democratic leaders dismissed both a series of verbal flubs and Republican allegations about his declining acuity.In January 2022, just a year into Biden’s first term, an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that only 48% of Democrats wanted him to seek reelection. That fell to 37% of Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">an AP-NORC poll conducted in February 2023</a>. Three-quarters of Americans — and 69% of Democrats —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/projects/bidens-age-is-a-significant-concern-for-voters/">said in August 2023</a>&nbsp;that they believed Biden was too old to serve as president for another four-year term.And shortly after his debate flop,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-poll-drop-out-debate-democrats-59eebaca6989985c2bfb">nearly two-thirds of Democrats</a>&nbsp;said Biden should withdraw from the race.Biden and former first lady Jill Biden appeared on ABC’s “The View” in a preemptive defense of his health and decision-making before the first excerpts of “Original Sin” were published.He said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-view-president-trump-abc-interview-kamala-harris-0e7c4aba0b021e40540dcc68872ff0d1">he’s responsible for Trump’s victory</a>&nbsp;but attributed Harris’ loss, at least in part, to sexism and racism. He maintained that he would have won had he remained the Democratic nominee. Both Bidens rejected concerns about his cognitive decline.Patricia McEnerney, a 74-year-old Democrat in Goodyear, Arizona, said Biden should not have tried to run again.“I think it’s sad the way it ended,” she said.She compared him to Douglas MacArthur, the World War II and Korean War general famously dismissed by President Harry Truman.“I think he needs to stop giving interviews. I think that would help,” McEnerney said. “Like MacArthur said, generals just fade away.”Janet Stumps, a 66-year-old Democrat also from Goodyear, a Phoenix suburb, had a different view.“I don’t think it’s going to hurt the Democrats,” Stumps said. “I feel badly that he feels he has to defend himself. I don’t think he has to. Everybody ages. And the fact that he did what he did at his age, I think he should be commended for it.”Hackett, the Democratic strategist, predicted Biden won’t be a major factor in the 2026 midterms or the 2028 presidential primaries. But he said Democrats who want voters to trust them would be well-served “by telling the truth about the mistakes that our party made in the run-up to 2024.”“Those mistakes were largely driven by Joe Biden, and I think any Democrat not willing to say that is not really prepared to face the voters, who want the truth and they want authenticity,” Hackett said.Rick Wilson, a former GOP strategist who co-founded the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, said Republicans want to talk about Biden to avoid defending Trump. But he said the strategy is folly.Besides “political nerds,” he said, “no one else cares.”

🎥Biden Special Counsel audio released; different from the transcript

Both teams face a deadline at the end of June on whether they will accept an offer from Kansas to pay 70% of the cost of building new stadiums across the state line

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri lawmakers will return to Jefferson City next month for a special session to debate providing tax breaks to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in the state, Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a news conference Friday morning.

The special session could also consider a $500 million spending bill for construction needs around the state, he said, but a final decision has not been made.

In the final days of the regular session, which ended Thursday, Kehoe unveiled a plan to use&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/13/new-stadium-funding-plan-for-chiefs-royals-clears-missouri-house/">tax revenue generated by the Chiefs and Royals</a>&nbsp;to finance bonds for their stadiums. The Chiefs would use the money to upgrade Arrowhead Stadium while the Royals would use it for a new stadium in Missouri.

Despite the late reveal, the Missouri House passed the proposal on a 108-40 vote. But the Senate balked at the deal, with many members saying they could not support it because a $513 million capital construction bill died when the Missouri House refused to allow it to come up for a vote.

Kehoe did not see the delay of the stadium proposal as a final defeat.

“We introduced that in the last week of the session to try to find what the feelings were,” he said.

The exact date for the special session has not been determined, Kehoe said.

The Chiefs and the Royals face a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article289372524.html" target="_blank">deadline at the end of June</a>&nbsp;on whether they will accept an offer from Kansas to pay 70% of the cost of building new stadiums in that state. The proposal floated by Kehoe would pay up to half the cost as well as up to $50 million in tax credits for any direct investments made by the teams.

Remodeling Arrowhead and building a new baseball stadium would cost up to $3 billion, Kehoe said.&nbsp;

“I would consider that significant economic development,” Kehoe said of the stadiums, comparing them to manufacturing projects that won incentives from lawmakers in the past

Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said she agrees that the state should work to keep the Chiefs and Royals from moving to Kansas but blamed Kehoe for the late introduction of his plan for the need to hold a special session.

“We are at this point because Governor Kehoe committed gross legislative malpractice by springing his stadium plan on lawmakers with no warning and just days left in the regular session without bothering to first build support for it,” Aune said.

The hurdles for a successful special session are both political and financial. The stadium plan died in the regular session when the Senate twice used a rare procedural rule to end debate on controversial bills on abortion and sick leave rights.

The move infuriated Democrats, who vowed the Senate will not function normally until they feel they can trust the GOP to work towards compromise.

“I’ve heard a long time, ‘well, nobody has ever made us pay.’” Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat said at a news conference Wednesday. “You’ll find out now.”

Complicating the debate is lingering anger over the projects that were lost when the House sunk the capital improvements bill. The $513 million would have paid for projects at eight hospitals around the state, supported a new nuclear reactor at the University of Missouri to make cancer treatments and a new mental health hospital in Kansas City.

In all, more than 60 projects added by lawmakers, in addition to more than 20 sought by Kehoe, will not be funded.

One of the biggest boosters of the Chiefs and Royals, state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, said she could not support a stadium funding bill if the capital improvements bill is not part of a special session.

“Those things are more important to me and to my colleagues than the Chiefs,” Washington said.

Kehoe did not rule out including the capital spending in a call for a special session, but did not commit to it, either.

“I’ve heard and listened to quite a few senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle on that very same issue, and I understand what their concerns are,” Kehoe said. “And I think it’s fair to say everything is on the table of what that special session might look like.”

Kehoe has a June 30 deadline for acting on the $53 billion in spending that was approved for the coming fiscal year. The budget spends $15.8 billion in general revenue, about $2.2 billion more than estimated revenue for the year, by dipping into the accumulated surplus that stood at $3.6 billion when the current fiscal year began.

Revenues are not keeping up with projections and Missouri House leaders cited a need to maintain a fund balance in excess of $1 billion for future years. Kehoe, who will be responsible for making sure spending does not exceed available funds, said he agrees with that approach.

“I don’t think it’s ever appropriate for some politician to think just because we have it, we have to spend it,” Kehoe said. “ It’s more appropriate for us to leave some reserves in the tank for the times when the budget does get tougher.”

Kehoe, who took office in January, had a successful session. Major items he asked for in his State of the State Address — a state takeover of the St. Louis Police Department, school safety legislation and a major tax cut eliminating income taxes on capital gains — all passed.

Kehoe took some defeats as well, with lawmakers spending more than he wanted on public schools, the failure of a bill reducing the top income tax rate and the defeat of legislation allowing parents to enroll their children in school districts other than the one they live in.

He said he looks favorably on the bill repealing the Proposition A sick leave law but stopped short of promising to sign it.&nbsp;

Kehoe also did not say whether he would put the constitutional amendment imposing a new ban on abortions on a special election ballot or let it wait for a November 2026 vote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709142006045.jpeg" alt="Aerial view of newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Courtesy image." />
 <figcaption>Aerial view of newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Courtesy image.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Both teams face a deadline at the end of June on whether they will accept an offer from Kansas to pay 70% of the cost of building new stadiums across the state line</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri lawmakers will return to Jefferson City next month for a special session to debate providing tax breaks to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in the state, Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a news conference Friday morning.The special session could also consider a $500 million spending bill for construction needs around the state, he said, but a final decision has not been made.In the final days of the regular session, which ended Thursday, Kehoe unveiled a plan to use&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/13/new-stadium-funding-plan-for-chiefs-royals-clears-missouri-house/">tax revenue generated by the Chiefs and Royals</a>&nbsp;to finance bonds for their stadiums. The Chiefs would use the money to upgrade Arrowhead Stadium while the Royals would use it for a new stadium in Missouri.Despite the late reveal, the Missouri House passed the proposal on a 108-40 vote. But the Senate balked at the deal, with many members saying they could not support it because a $513 million capital construction bill died when the Missouri House refused to allow it to come up for a vote.Kehoe did not see the delay of the stadium proposal as a final defeat.“We introduced that in the last week of the session to try to find what the feelings were,” he said.The exact date for the special session has not been determined, Kehoe said.The Chiefs and the Royals face a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article289372524.html" target="_blank">deadline at the end of June</a>&nbsp;on whether they will accept an offer from Kansas to pay 70% of the cost of building new stadiums in that state. The proposal floated by Kehoe would pay up to half the cost as well as up to $50 million in tax credits for any direct investments made by the teams.Remodeling Arrowhead and building a new baseball stadium would cost up to $3 billion, Kehoe said.&nbsp;“I would consider that significant economic development,” Kehoe said of the stadiums, comparing them to manufacturing projects that won incentives from lawmakers in the pastMissouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said she agrees that the state should work to keep the Chiefs and Royals from moving to Kansas but blamed Kehoe for the late introduction of his plan for the need to hold a special session.“We are at this point because Governor Kehoe committed gross legislative malpractice by springing his stadium plan on lawmakers with no warning and just days left in the regular session without bothering to first build support for it,” Aune said.The hurdles for a successful special session are both political and financial. The stadium plan died in the regular session when the Senate twice used a rare procedural rule to end debate on controversial bills on abortion and sick leave rights.The move infuriated Democrats, who vowed the Senate will not function normally until they feel they can trust the GOP to work towards compromise.“I’ve heard a long time, ‘well, nobody has ever made us pay.’” Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat said at a news conference Wednesday. “You’ll find out now.”Complicating the debate is lingering anger over the projects that were lost when the House sunk the capital improvements bill. The $513 million would have paid for projects at eight hospitals around the state, supported a new nuclear reactor at the University of Missouri to make cancer treatments and a new mental health hospital in Kansas City.In all, more than 60 projects added by lawmakers, in addition to more than 20 sought by Kehoe, will not be funded.One of the biggest boosters of the Chiefs and Royals, state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, said she could not support a stadium funding bill if the capital improvements bill is not part of a special session.“Those things are more important to me and to my colleagues than the Chiefs,” Washington said.Kehoe did not rule out including the capital spending in a call for a special session, but did not commit to it, either.“I’ve heard and listened to quite a few senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle on that very same issue, and I understand what their concerns are,” Kehoe said. “And I think it’s fair to say everything is on the table of what that special session might look like.”Kehoe has a June 30 deadline for acting on the $53 billion in spending that was approved for the coming fiscal year. The budget spends $15.8 billion in general revenue, about $2.2 billion more than estimated revenue for the year, by dipping into the accumulated surplus that stood at $3.6 billion when the current fiscal year began.Revenues are not keeping up with projections and Missouri House leaders cited a need to maintain a fund balance in excess of $1 billion for future years. Kehoe, who will be responsible for making sure spending does not exceed available funds, said he agrees with that approach.“I don’t think it’s ever appropriate for some politician to think just because we have it, we have to spend it,” Kehoe said. “ It’s more appropriate for us to leave some reserves in the tank for the times when the budget does get tougher.”Kehoe, who took office in January, had a successful session. Major items he asked for in his State of the State Address — a state takeover of the St. Louis Police Department, school safety legislation and a major tax cut eliminating income taxes on capital gains — all passed.Kehoe took some defeats as well, with lawmakers spending more than he wanted on public schools, the failure of a bill reducing the top income tax rate and the defeat of legislation allowing parents to enroll their children in school districts other than the one they live in.He said he looks favorably on the bill repealing the Proposition A sick leave law but stopped short of promising to sign it.&nbsp;Kehoe also did not say whether he would put the constitutional amendment imposing a new ban on abortions on a special election ballot or let it wait for a November 2026 vote.

Mo. governor will call lawmakers back into session for Royals, Chiefs stadium funding

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

<a href="https://apnews.com/video/starbucks-imposes-new-limits-on-what-baristas-can-wear-under-their-green-aprons-d85d947832844f0b96bf4023757ee77f">A strike</a>&nbsp;by Starbucks baristas protesting the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-black-shirt-union-b7dd93b93c6c13448606545fb3f1778f">new dress code</a>&nbsp;grew Thursday.

More than 2,000 Starbucks baristas at 120 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest the new dress code, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">Starbucks Workers United</a>, a union representing the coffee giant's U.S. workers.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-earnings-quarter-niccol-084641cd0786394e93d87d59689b8806">Starbucks</a>&nbsp;put new limits starting Monday on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. The dress code requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms.

Under the previous dress code, baristas could wear a broader range of dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks said the new rules would make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-restrooms-policy-2d258bc61c55769bb2acaf15d1ed3b48">for customers</a>&nbsp;as it tries to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer, more welcoming feeling</a>&nbsp;in its stores.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-strike-baristas-workers-united-7b2f6e5d7b039bc1909d646d84cd426d">Starbucks Workers United</a>, the union that represents workers at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said the dress code should be subject to collective bargaining.

“Starbucks has lost its way. Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things, like implementing a restrictive new dress code,” said Paige Summers, a Starbucks shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland. “Customers don’t care what color our clothes are when they’re waiting 30 minutes for a latte.”

Summers and others also criticized the company for selling styles of Starbucks-branded clothing that employees no longer are allowed to wear to work on an internal website. Starbucks said it would give two free black T-shirts to each employee when it announced the new dress code.

On Wednesday, Starbucks Workers Union said a total of 1,000 workers had staged walkouts at 75 U.S. stores. Starbucks said at the time that the strike was having a limited impact on its 10,000 company-operated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-first-3d-printed-store-texas-552972e9df63796e42ede152747b9069">U.S. stores</a>. In some cases the strikes closed stores for less than an hour, the company said.

“It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table that they’re putting into protesting wearing black shirts to work," Starbucks said in a statement. "More than 99% of our stores are open today serving customers — and have been all week.”

Associated Press readers who shared their opinions had mixed views of the dress code. Some said they didn’t think Starbucks’ baristas had much to complain about, noting that many retailers require their workers to dress a certain way. Others said they thought Starbucks should focus on improving the quality and prices of its beverages, and keeping workers happy instead of worrying about what its employees wear.

Starbucks Workers United has been unionizing U.S. stores since 2021. Starbucks and the union have yet to reach a contract agreement, despite agreeing to return to the bargaining table in February 2024.

The union said this week that it filed a complaint with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">National Labor Relations Board</a>&nbsp;alleging Starbucks' failure to bargain over the new dress code.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer</a><a href="https://apnews.com/video/starbucks-imposes-new-limits-on-what-baristas-can-wear-under-their-green-aprons-d85d947832844f0b96bf4023757ee77f">A strike</a>&nbsp;by Starbucks baristas protesting the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-black-shirt-union-b7dd93b93c6c13448606545fb3f1778f">new dress code</a>&nbsp;grew Thursday.More than 2,000 Starbucks baristas at 120 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest the new dress code, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">Starbucks Workers United</a>, a union representing the coffee giant's U.S. workers.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-earnings-quarter-niccol-084641cd0786394e93d87d59689b8806">Starbucks</a>&nbsp;put new limits starting Monday on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. The dress code requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms.Under the previous dress code, baristas could wear a broader range of dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks said the new rules would make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-restrooms-policy-2d258bc61c55769bb2acaf15d1ed3b48">for customers</a>&nbsp;as it tries to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer, more welcoming feeling</a>&nbsp;in its stores.But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-strike-baristas-workers-united-7b2f6e5d7b039bc1909d646d84cd426d">Starbucks Workers United</a>, the union that represents workers at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said the dress code should be subject to collective bargaining.“Starbucks has lost its way. Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things, like implementing a restrictive new dress code,” said Paige Summers, a Starbucks shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland. “Customers don’t care what color our clothes are when they’re waiting 30 minutes for a latte.”Summers and others also criticized the company for selling styles of Starbucks-branded clothing that employees no longer are allowed to wear to work on an internal website. Starbucks said it would give two free black T-shirts to each employee when it announced the new dress code.On Wednesday, Starbucks Workers Union said a total of 1,000 workers had staged walkouts at 75 U.S. stores. Starbucks said at the time that the strike was having a limited impact on its 10,000 company-operated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-first-3d-printed-store-texas-552972e9df63796e42ede152747b9069">U.S. stores</a>. In some cases the strikes closed stores for less than an hour, the company said.“It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table that they’re putting into protesting wearing black shirts to work," Starbucks said in a statement. "More than 99% of our stores are open today serving customers — and have been all week.”Associated Press readers who shared their opinions had mixed views of the dress code. Some said they didn’t think Starbucks’ baristas had much to complain about, noting that many retailers require their workers to dress a certain way. Others said they thought Starbucks should focus on improving the quality and prices of its beverages, and keeping workers happy instead of worrying about what its employees wear.Starbucks Workers United has been unionizing U.S. stores since 2021. Starbucks and the union have yet to reach a contract agreement, despite agreeing to return to the bargaining table in February 2024.The union said this week that it filed a complaint with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">National Labor Relations Board</a>&nbsp;alleging Starbucks' failure to bargain over the new dress code.

More Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has heard its first set of Trump-related arguments in the second Trump presidency. 

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/supreme-court-hears-birthright-citizenship-case/659342">Click here to listen to a replay of the oral argument</a>

The case stems from the executive order President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office that would deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. The executive order marks a major change to the provision of the 14th Amendment that grants citizenship to people born in the United States, with just a couple of exceptions.

On Thursday, the high court heard from three attorneys: Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who represents the Trump administration; New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum is arguing against Trump’s order on behalf of several states; and Kelsi Corkran, who is representing pregnant women and immigrant rights groups.

Federal judges have uniformly cast doubt on Trump’s reading of the Citizenship Clause. Three judges have blocked the order from taking effect anywhere in the U.S., including U.S. District Judge John Coughenour. “I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” Coughenour said at a hearing in his Seattle courtroom.

The Supreme Court took up emergency appeals filed by the Trump administration asking to be able to enforce the executive order in most of the country, at least while lawsuits over the order proceed. The constitutionality of the order is not before the court just yet. Instead, the justices are looking at potentially limiting the authority of individual judges to issue rulings that apply throughout the United States. These are known as nationwide, or universal, injunctions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;seemed intent on keeping a block on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship Thursday while still looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders. It was not immediately clear what such a decision might look like, but a majority of the court expressed concerns about what would happen if the administration were allowed, even temporarily, to deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the country illegally.

Democratic attorneys general said Thursday that the case before the court goes beyond birthright citizenship.

“It’s about whether the rule of law and … whether the president can act like a king,” said New Jersey attorney general Matthew Platkin.

He spoke outside the Supreme Court accompanied by other Democratic attorneys general who have filed dozens of lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies in court. The Supreme Court will determine whether the Trump administration can partially enforce the president’s order on birthright citizenship.

The court could also narrow the power of other federal judges to make decisions that affect the entire country and potentially restrain the states’ ability to score victories against the administration court.

Would the Trump administration follow court rulings?

An underlying issue that did seem to be on the minds of several of the justices was judicial authority and whether the Trump administration would follow it. At least six of them questioned Sauer on the authority of the courts, including their own.

Justice Kavanaugh asked directly if the administration would follow an adverse ruling in the case while reading from government court filings on following Supreme Court precedents.

Sauer ran into another moment when he would not commit to respecting the decisions of a circuit court, saying administrations had generally followed rulings. Justice Coney Barrett responded tersely with, “Really?”

After a short rebuttal from Sauer, arguments are now complete after more than two hours. The Supreme Court typically rules in all its argued cases by the end of June and this one shouldn’t be any different. After oral arguments today,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-nationwide-injunctions-2c495cddc1436e21a9fa976d295dc292">it’s not out of the question</a>&nbsp;that the court could make a decision on this quickly, but we can’t know for sure.

Although the Supreme Court case talked of birthright citizenship, a subject that could have huge implications for millions of people, the courtroom was sparse when it came to seeing anyone who might be impacted by the ruling. Most attendees appeared to be lawyers, with a few general visitors.

Despite the seriousness of the subject, the hearing had moments of laughter throughout the courtroom as justices quipped with attorneys or laughed with one another.

At one point, Justice Neil Gorsuch brought laughter when he responded to New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum’s offer of an amicus brief with “I need all the amici I can get.” More laughter came when Justice Kagan told U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, “let’s just assume you’re dead wrong” as she set up a scenario for him to address. Justices Alito and Kagan also shared a private laugh when Alito began to ask a question but changed his mind and leaned back in his chair.

Kagan rolled over and whispered in his ear, and both laughed.

The attorney representing private individuals and immigrants makes their case

After the states finished their case, Kelsi Corkran, the attorney for pregnant women and immigrant-rights groups fighting Trump’s executive order, used her 15 minutes to make her case. Corkran said every judge who has considered the issue has found Trump’s order is “blatantly unlawful” and asked the justices to block the effort to begin enforcing it.

Kavanaugh suggested that people who want to challenge the birthright citizenship order might not need nationwide injunctions.

Instead, they could bind together and file class-action lawsuits. “That seems to solve the issue for preliminary relief,” he said. Corkran pushes back. “That is not actually addressing the court’s emergency docket. It’s just now we’re slapping a label of class certification on it,” she said.

A series of questions from Alito at one point seemed to hint at the many other cases the Trump administration is now appealing to the Supreme Court on an emergency basis. Lower-court judges can be “vulnerable to an occupational disease,” of believing they can do whatever they want, he said.

Even if their decisions are wrong, he said, appeals courts can be reluctant to act quickly to block them. He seemed to suggest that includes his own colleagues on the Supreme Court.

“How do we deal with that practical problem?” he said.

Corkran argues it wouldn’t. The government hasn’t said how they would enforce the order against everyone except the handful of people who sued, much less how they would filter out parents who are part of the groups that have sued, she argued.

Even if there were a way, it would likely mean the government would be able to identify the women as non-citizens. That would put many at risk for potential deportation, she said.

Trump's Solicitor General wraps up his opening and his challenger steps up

Justice Kavanaugh pressed Sauer with a series of questions about exactly how the federal government might enforce Trump’s order.

“What do hospitals do with a newborn? What do states do with a newborn?” he said. Sauer said they wouldn’t necessarily do anything different, but the government might figure out ways to reject documentation with “the wrong designation of citizenship.”

Kavanaugh continued to press for clearer answers, pointing out that the executive order only gave the government about 30 days to develop a policy. “You think they can get it together in time?” he said.

Justice Brown Jackson appeared deeply skeptical of Sauer's argument.

“Your argument seems to turn our justice system, in my view at least, into a catch me if you can kind of regime … where everybody has to have a lawyer and file a lawsuit in order for the government to stop violating people’s rights,” she said to Sauer.

New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum stepped up to make his case after justices peppered Sauer with questions. He is arguing on behalf of the states that say they’ll lose millions of dollars in benefits available to U.S. children and also have to overhaul identification systems. Feigenbaum asserted in his opening that the “post-Civil War nation wrote into our Constitution that citizens of the United States and of the States would be one and the same without variation across state lines.”

Feigenbaum told the justices that judges should be able to issue orders that affect the whole country, but only in narrow circumstances. Roberts jumps on that last point, asking him to elaborate on why they should only be used sparingly — a question that could be a clue as to how the chief justice is thinking about the issue.

Justices try to pin down Solicitor Sauer's argument

Justice Kagan cut to the heart of the case by asking Sauer that, if the court concludes Trump’s order is illegal, how the nation’s highest court could strike down the measure under the administration’s theory of courts’ limited power.

“Does every single person who is affected by this EO have to bring their own suit?” Kagan asked. “How long does it take?”

Sauer tried to answer, but several of Kagan’s colleagues, along with the justice, jumped in to say they didn’t hear a clear way the court could swiftly ensure the government could not take unconstitutional action. Roberts tried to help by jumping in to note the high court has moved fast in the past, concluding the TikTok case in one month.

“General Sauer, are you really going to answer Kagan by saying there is no way to do this expeditiously?” Coney Barrett asks Sauer.

She pressed Sauer to say whether a class-action lawsuit could be another way for judges to issue a court order that could affect more people. He said the administration would likely push back on efforts of people to bind together for a class-action lawsuit, but that it would be another way for cases to move forward.

Justice Alito pointed out that multiple states have also sued over the birthright citizenship order and won broader victories. The Trump administration is also arguing that states shouldn’t have been able to do that, but Sauer sticks to his point about the nationwide injunctions, saying they yield “all these sort of pathologies.”

Sotomayor returned how Trump’s order could affect people, saying it for some babies it could “render them stateless.”

Justices pepper Trump's Solicitor General with questions in oral arguments

Arguing first is D. John Sauer, the solicitor general and the government’s top attorney before the Supreme Court. Sauer also served as a personal lawyer for Trump as he fought election interference charges filed in 2023. Before that, Sauer served as Missouri’s solicitor general and a clerk to the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Sauer began by taking aim at decisions from lower courts that apply nationwide. He argued that they go beyond the courts’ authority and allow people who want to file lawsuits to go “judge shopping” for those they expect to agree. The decisions are often rushed, he said.

“This is a bipartisan problem that has now spanned the last five presidential administration,” he said.

Nationwide injunctions have become especially frustrating for the Trump administration, as opponents of the president’s policies file hundreds of lawsuits challenging his flurry of executive orders.

After a series of questions from Justices Brown Jackson and Coney Barrett about the possible implications of nationwide court orders more generally, Justice Gorsuch raised another question about birthright citizenship in particular: “What do you say to the suggestion in this case those patchwork problems for the government as well as for the plaintiffs justify broader relief?”

Sauer responded that it is a problem for the executive branch to deal with.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing its first set of Trump-related arguments in the second Trump presidency. The case stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-native-chinese-executive-order-c163bbadd20609bd09fd5c5bccc6ba8d">the executive order</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump issued on his first day in office that would deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. The executive order marks a major change to the provision of the 14th Amendment that grants citizenship to people born in the United States, with just a couple of exceptions.

Immigrants, rights groups and states sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-nationwide-injunctions-2c495cddc1436e21a9fa976d295dc292">almost immediately</a>&nbsp;to challenge the executive order. Federal judges have uniformly cast doubt on Trump’s reading of the Citizenship Clause. Three judges have blocked the order from taking effect anywhere in the U.S., including U.S. District Judge John Coughenour. “I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” Coughenour said at a hearing in his Seattle courtroom.

The Supreme Court is taking up emergency appeals filed by the Trump administration asking to be able to enforce the executive order in most of the country, at least while lawsuits over the order proceed. The constitutionality of the order is not before the court just yet. Instead, the justices are looking at potentially limiting the authority of individual judges to issue rulings that apply throughout the United States. These are known as nationwide, or universal, injunctions.

The court issued an opinion unrelated to birthright citizenship

The Supreme Court has revived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-police-shooting-texas-a1036463bb2aec96aa3f0a606849a3a9">a civil rights lawsuit against a Texas police officer</a>&nbsp;who fatally shot a man during a traffic stop over unpaid tolls. The justices Thursday ordered the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to take a new look at the case of Ashtian Barnes, who died in his rental car in 2016 on the shoulder of the Sam Houston Tollway. Barnes was shot by Officer Roberto Felix Jr., who jumped on the sill of the driver’s door of Barnes’ car as it began to pull away from the stop. Felix’s lawyers say he fired twice in two seconds because he “reasonably feared for his life.”

Trump presses for restrictions ahead of arguments

President Donald Trump is weighing in ahead of arguments in the birthright citizenship case today.

Trump says in an online post that granting citizenship to people born here, long seen as a constitutional promise, makes the country look “STUPID” and like “SUCKERS.” He incorrectly asserted the U.S. is the only country in the world with birthright citizenship. While not every country grants it, about 30 other countries do, including Canada.

His executive order at the heart of today’s case aims to end birthright citizenship for children born to people in the U.S. illegally, something many legal scholars say would require amending the Constitution.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is hearing arguments Thursday in its first case stemming from the blitz of actions that have marked the start of President Donald Trump's second term.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx">Click here to listen to the oral argumen</a>t that begins just after 9a.m. CDT

Before the court are the Trump administration's emergency appeals of lower court orders putting nationwide holds on the Republican president's push to deny citizenship to children born to people who are in the United States illegally.

Birthright citizenship is among several issues, many related to immigration, that the administration has asked the court to address on an emergency basis, after lower courts acted to slow the president's agenda.

The justices are also considering the administration's pleas to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-parole-supreme-court-6282e48ef9bf41bd5c77e8e2b0642e89">end humanitarian parole</a>&nbsp;for more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-immigrants-deportation-protection-80f61585197eaff8b254c9b621976780">strip other temporary legal protections</a>&nbsp;from another 350,000 Venezuelans. The administration remains&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-7-2025">locked in legal battles</a>&nbsp;over its efforts to swiftly deport people accused of being gang members to a prison in El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act.

In Thursday's arguments, the justices will be weighing whether judges have the authority to issue what are called nationwide, or universal, injunctions. The Trump administration, like the Biden administration before it, has complained that judges are overreaching by issuing orders that apply to everyone instead of just the parties before the court.

Yet in discussing the limits of a judge's power, the court almost certainly will have to take up the change to citizenship that Trump wants to make, which would upset the settled understanding of birthright citizenship that has existed for more than 125 years.

🎧 Supreme Court debates Trump's efforts to limit birthright citizenship

KANSAS CITY (AP) —More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas at 75 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-black-shirt-union-b7dd93b93c6c13448606545fb3f1778f">new company dress code</a>, a union representing the coffee giant's workers said Wednesday.

Starbucks said Wednesday that the strike was having a limited impact on its 10,000 company-operated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-first-3d-printed-store-texas-552972e9df63796e42ede152747b9069">U.S. stores</a>.

“Thousands of Starbucks partners came to work this week ready to serve their customers and communities,” the company said in a statement. “It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table to finalize a reasonable contract.”

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 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas at 75 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-black-shirt-union-b7dd93b93c6c13448606545fb3f1778f">new company dress code</a>, a union representing the coffee giant's workers said Wednesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-earnings-quarter-niccol-084641cd0786394e93d87d59689b8806">Starbucks</a>&nbsp;put new limits starting Monday on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. The dress code requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms.Under the previous dress code, baristas could wear a broader range of dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks said the new rules would make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-restrooms-policy-2d258bc61c55769bb2acaf15d1ed3b48">for customers</a>&nbsp;as it tries to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer, more welcoming feeling</a>&nbsp;in its stores.But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-strike-baristas-workers-united-7b2f6e5d7b039bc1909d646d84cd426d">Starbucks Workers United</a>, the union that represents workers at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said the dress code should be subject to collective bargaining.“Starbucks has lost its way. Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things, like implementing a restrictive new dress code,” said Paige Summers, a Starbucks shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland. “Customers don’t care what color our clothes are when they’re waiting 30 minutes for a latte.”Summers and others also criticized the company for selling styles of Starbucks-branded clothing that employees no longer are allowed to wear to work on an internal website. Starbucks said it would give two free black T-shirts to each employee when it announced the new dress code.Starbucks said Wednesday that the strike was having a limited impact on its 10,000 company-operated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-first-3d-printed-store-texas-552972e9df63796e42ede152747b9069">U.S. stores</a>.“Thousands of Starbucks partners came to work this week ready to serve their customers and communities,” the company said in a statement. “It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table to finalize a reasonable contract.”Starbucks Workers United has been unionizing U.S. stores since 2021. Starbucks and the union have yet to reach a contract agreement, despite agreeing to return to the bargaining table in February 2024.The union said this week that it filed a complaint with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">National Labor Relations Board</a>&nbsp;alleging Starbucks' failure to bargain over the new dress code.

 Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code

On Thursday May 8, 2025 Julia was called home by her Heavenly Father to rejoin her father, mother, brothers, and two children. 

Julia Kathleen Franch (O’Flannagan) was born October 2, 1949 in Beloit, Ks to Patrick (Pat) and Constance (Connie) O’Flannagan (Eagon). She was the second oldest to 6 brothers. Julia attended St. Johns Catholic High School in Beloit and graduated with the class of 1968. This is where she also met her future husband, though neither knew it at the time.

Julia spent several years living between Wamego, Abilene, and Salina, eventually making her way to Fresno, California for 10 Years where she gave birth to her oldest daughter, Tonya. She eventually returned to Kansas in 1979 where she also gave birth to her son Michael.

In 1982 she reunited with and wed the love of her life, partner in crime, and best friend of over 42 years, Nyal Franch (Frenchy), moved to Wilson Kansas, and settled just south of Bunker Hill building a life on a farm where she enjoyed reading, writing, cooking, and working the garden with her family during which they both welcomed 2 more daughters and another son, Connie, Mary, and Gary.

Julia continued her education in accounting at Barton Community College and Marymount College until it’s close to help run the family auto repair business with her husband Frenchy. After losing her mother in 1994, the family decided to move back to Salina, Kansas to be closer to remaining family. 

There Julia found a love for the people in customer service, devoting herself to her work for over 20 years. Starting out at Taco Johns, she dedicated herself at Dillons, Braums, Flying J Travel Centre, and lastly Wal-Mart, where she spent over 15 years as a cashier. Loved by many employees and customers she prided herself on her commitment to her customers and the care they received. Julia was always the first one to step up to help if someone needed assistance, whether it be a ride to or from work, a meal, or simply an ear to listen. She loved talking to people and building relationships with everyone.

Julia’s greatest joy was her family. She was everyone’s “Mom” and adopted kids wherever she went. She never saw anyone as half or in-law, you were family. She loved hard and protected harder. Everyone knew if they needed something, just call Mom. Julia was proceeded in death by her grandparents Vernon and Julia Eagon, parents Pat and Connie O’Flannagan, daughter Connie, Son Gary, and brothers Patrick and Terry.

Julia is survived by her husband Frenchy, daughter Tonya Rowe and husband Tim of McPherson, son Michael Carver and wife Candy of Concordia, daughter Mary Maginness and husband Jared of Newton, brothers Michael and Jim of Salina, Brian of Wichita, and Gary of Lawarence, grandchildren Gabriel, Natalie, Stacie, Thayna, Kailyn, and Alex and several great-grandchildren.

Julia would always say, “The Good Lord hasn’t called me home yet”, however no one was prepared to have to give her up so suddenly, so soon.

Burial will be in Beloit, Kansas next to family. A memorial will be scheduled at a later date.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747152416981.jpeg" alt="(O'Flannagan) Franch, Kathleen Julia (on the left); Julia's husband (on the right)" />
 <figcaption>(O'Flannagan) Franch, Kathleen Julia (on the left); Julia's husband (on the right)</figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday May 8, 2025 Julia was called home by her Heavenly Father to rejoin her father, mother, brothers, and two children. Julia Kathleen Franch (O’Flannagan) was born October 2, 1949 in Beloit, Ks to Patrick (Pat) and Constance (Connie) O’Flannagan (Eagon). She was the second oldest to 6 brothers. Julia attended St. Johns Catholic High School in Beloit and graduated with the class of 1968. This is where she also met her future husband, though neither knew it at the time.Julia spent several years living between Wamego, Abilene, and Salina, eventually making her way to Fresno, California for 10 Years where she gave birth to her oldest daughter, Tonya. She eventually returned to Kansas in 1979 where she also gave birth to her son Michael.In 1982 she reunited with and wed the love of her life, partner in crime, and best friend of over 42 years, Nyal Franch (Frenchy), moved to Wilson Kansas, and settled just south of Bunker Hill building a life on a farm where she enjoyed reading, writing, cooking, and working the garden with her family during which they both welcomed 2 more daughters and another son, Connie, Mary, and Gary.Julia continued her education in accounting at Barton Community College and Marymount College until it’s close to help run the family auto repair business with her husband Frenchy. After losing her mother in 1994, the family decided to move back to Salina, Kansas to be closer to remaining family. There Julia found a love for the people in customer service, devoting herself to her work for over 20 years. Starting out at Taco Johns, she dedicated herself at Dillons, Braums, Flying J Travel Centre, and lastly Wal-Mart, where she spent over 15 years as a cashier. Loved by many employees and customers she prided herself on her commitment to her customers and the care they received. Julia was always the first one to step up to help if someone needed assistance, whether it be a ride to or from work, a meal, or simply an ear to listen. She loved talking to people and building relationships with everyone.Julia’s greatest joy was her family. She was everyone’s “Mom” and adopted kids wherever she went. She never saw anyone as half or in-law, you were family. She loved hard and protected harder. Everyone knew if they needed something, just call Mom. Julia was proceeded in death by her grandparents Vernon and Julia Eagon, parents Pat and Connie O’Flannagan, daughter Connie, Son Gary, and brothers Patrick and Terry.Julia is survived by her husband Frenchy, daughter Tonya Rowe and husband Tim of McPherson, son Michael Carver and wife Candy of Concordia, daughter Mary Maginness and husband Jared of Newton, brothers Michael and Jim of Salina, Brian of Wichita, and Gary of Lawarence, grandchildren Gabriel, Natalie, Stacie, Thayna, Kailyn, and Alex and several great-grandchildren.Julia would always say, “The Good Lord hasn’t called me home yet”, however no one was prepared to have to give her up so suddenly, so soon.Burial will be in Beloit, Kansas next to family. A memorial will be scheduled at a later date.

Julia Kathleen Franch (O’Flannagan) 

As the school year winds down,&nbsp;summer at Salina Public Library is just getting started. The library is launching a season full of reading, learning, and celebration with programs designed to engage the community and promote literacy for all ages. At the heart of this year’s initiative is an exciting goal: to read&nbsp;20,000 books as a community&nbsp;by the end of the summer.

Participating in the challenge is simple—just read or listen to books and report how many you complete each week for the chance to win prizes. Summer reading cards can be submitted in person at the library or online through the library’s website. Whether it's picture books, chapter books, novels, or audiobooks, every book counts toward our shared goal.

The summer kicks off on&nbsp;Friday, May 23, with a&nbsp;Summer Kickoff Party&nbsp;from&nbsp;5-7 p.m.&nbsp;south of the library at&nbsp;Caldwell Plaza. Families can enjoy carnival games, face painting, and free pizza while supplies last. That same day, the library will begin distributing&nbsp;Summer Learning Packets, available in the Technology Center. These free packets are designed to help prevent the summer slide and include age-appropriate reading and activity challenges. Completed packets can be turned in for prize tickets.

To further support local families, the library is partnering with&nbsp;St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church&nbsp;to offer&nbsp;free grab-and-go lunches&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;May 27 through August 1, available&nbsp;weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.&nbsp;at the&nbsp;McKenzie Center&nbsp;across from the library. This drive-up service prioritizes children and teens ages 0–18, with adult lunches available afterward if supplies allow. Lunches are first come, first served and will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Later in the summer, readers are invited to celebrate their hard work. On&nbsp;Sunday, July 27, the library will host a&nbsp;Youth Summer Celebration&nbsp;at&nbsp;Kenwood Cove&nbsp;from&nbsp;6:30-8:30 p.m., complete with swimming, frozen treats, and fun. 

Tickets are required and cover entry for one youth and one adult. Then, on&nbsp;Friday, August 1, the library will wrap up the season with an&nbsp;Adult Summer Party&nbsp;at&nbsp;Candiles Tacos and Tequila. Details about the event will be released in the coming weeks.

“Our goal is simple: to get people reading,” said Assistant Director Amy Adams. “Everything we do, from learning packets to community lunches to celebrations, is about supporting literacy and helping people of all ages stay connected, curious, and inspired.”

For more information about summer reading, events, or to submit your reading totals, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://salinapubliclibrary.org/">salinapubliclibrary.org</a>&nbsp;or follow Salina Public Library on Facebook and Instagram.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746815043721.jpeg" alt="Salina Public Library Photo Courtesy" />
 <figcaption>Salina Public Library Photo Courtesy</figcaption>
 </figure>By: KATIE ZEYSalina Public LibraryAs the school year winds down,&nbsp;summer at Salina Public Library is just getting started. The library is launching a season full of reading, learning, and celebration with programs designed to engage the community and promote literacy for all ages. At the heart of this year’s initiative is an exciting goal: to read&nbsp;20,000 books as a community&nbsp;by the end of the summer.Participating in the challenge is simple—just read or listen to books and report how many you complete each week for the chance to win prizes. Summer reading cards can be submitted in person at the library or online through the library’s website. Whether it's picture books, chapter books, novels, or audiobooks, every book counts toward our shared goal.The summer kicks off on&nbsp;Friday, May 23, with a&nbsp;Summer Kickoff Party&nbsp;from&nbsp;5-7 p.m.&nbsp;south of the library at&nbsp;Caldwell Plaza. Families can enjoy carnival games, face painting, and free pizza while supplies last. That same day, the library will begin distributing&nbsp;Summer Learning Packets, available in the Technology Center. These free packets are designed to help prevent the summer slide and include age-appropriate reading and activity challenges. Completed packets can be turned in for prize tickets.To further support local families, the library is partnering with&nbsp;St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church&nbsp;to offer&nbsp;free grab-and-go lunches&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;May 27 through August 1, available&nbsp;weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.&nbsp;at the&nbsp;McKenzie Center&nbsp;across from the library. This drive-up service prioritizes children and teens ages 0–18, with adult lunches available afterward if supplies allow. Lunches are first come, first served and will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.Later in the summer, readers are invited to celebrate their hard work. On&nbsp;Sunday, July 27, the library will host a&nbsp;Youth Summer Celebration&nbsp;at&nbsp;Kenwood Cove&nbsp;from&nbsp;6:30-8:30 p.m., complete with swimming, frozen treats, and fun. Tickets are required and cover entry for one youth and one adult. Then, on&nbsp;Friday, August 1, the library will wrap up the season with an&nbsp;Adult Summer Party&nbsp;at&nbsp;Candiles Tacos and Tequila. Details about the event will be released in the coming weeks.“Our goal is simple: to get people reading,” said Assistant Director Amy Adams. “Everything we do, from learning packets to community lunches to celebrations, is about supporting literacy and helping people of all ages stay connected, curious, and inspired.”For more information about summer reading, events, or to submit your reading totals, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://salinapubliclibrary.org/">salinapubliclibrary.org</a>&nbsp;or follow Salina Public Library on Facebook and Instagram.

Salina Public Library Launches Summer Program This Month

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to cut tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum in a planned trade deal but played down the possibility of other nations getting similarly favorable terms on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-deals-china-trade-02986c700a2d46c8b1ba85afe77d139f">his import taxes</a>, which are roiling the global economy.

Under the framework agreement, the United Kingdom is to buy more American beef and ethanol and streamline its customs process for goods from the United States. But Trump's baseline 10% tariffs against British goods are to stay in place, and the Republican president suggested that even higher import taxes would be charged on other countries trying to reach deals with the U.S.

“That's a low number,” Trump said of the U.K.'s 10% tariff rate, adding that other countries would face higher tariff rates in their deals because the U.S. runs trade deficits with them and “in many cases they didn't treat us right.”

The announcement provided a political victory for U.K. Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-reshape-government-musk-ai-f0d5a76f8540299a5338ccd2fe54c956">Keir Starmer</a>&nbsp;and offered a degree of validation for Trump's claims that his turbulent approach on trade may be able to rebalance the global economy on his preferred terms. While the deal should improve Britain's situation relative to when Trump began imposing new tariffs, the world economy is still mired in the confusion and uncertainty unleashed by the president's import taxes. The deal with the U.K. would be a resonant but small step toward greater clarity given that Britain represents a fraction of U.S. imports.

The U.S. president talked up the framework to reporters in the Oval Office, although the fine print remains in flux.

“In the coming weeks, we’ll have it all very conclusive,” Trump said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746749775236.png" alt="President Trump celebrating the trade deal with U.K. negotiators in the Oval Office- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Trump celebrating the trade deal with U.K. negotiators in the Oval Office- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to cut tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum in a planned trade deal but played down the possibility of other nations getting similarly favorable terms on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-deals-china-trade-02986c700a2d46c8b1ba85afe77d139f">his import taxes</a>, which are roiling the global economy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The UK offers a strategic market for American aviation &amp; agricultural products. I introduced legislation earlier this year to lay the groundwork for a strong bilateral trade relationship, &amp; President Trump’s announcement of a new trade agreement with the UK is a positive step… <a href="https://t.co/HRK1fu8PMy">https://t.co/HRK1fu8PMy</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1920549416441622683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Under the framework agreement, the United Kingdom is to buy more American beef and ethanol and streamline its customs process for goods from the United States. But Trump's baseline 10% tariffs against British goods are to stay in place, and the Republican president suggested that even higher import taxes would be charged on other countries trying to reach deals with the U.S.“That's a low number,” Trump said of the U.K.'s 10% tariff rate, adding that other countries would face higher tariff rates in their deals because the U.S. runs trade deficits with them and “in many cases they didn't treat us right.”The announcement provided a political victory for U.K. Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-reshape-government-musk-ai-f0d5a76f8540299a5338ccd2fe54c956">Keir Starmer</a>&nbsp;and offered a degree of validation for Trump's claims that his turbulent approach on trade may be able to rebalance the global economy on his preferred terms. While the deal should improve Britain's situation relative to when Trump began imposing new tariffs, the world economy is still mired in the confusion and uncertainty unleashed by the president's import taxes. The deal with the U.K. would be a resonant but small step toward greater clarity given that Britain represents a fraction of U.S. imports.The U.S. president talked up the framework to reporters in the Oval Office, although the fine print remains in flux.“In the coming weeks, we’ll have it all very conclusive,” Trump said.The president said the agreement would lead to more beef and ethanol exports to the U.K., and streamline the processing of U.S. goods through customs. Commerce Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gdp-economy-government-spending-lutnick-7414ba1bd441bd4bf64620bfd66923b2">Howard Lutnick</a>&nbsp;said the baseline 10% tariffs would stay in place and said an unspecified British company would be announcing the purchase of $10 billion in aircraft from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boeing-co">Boeing</a>.<h2>Cars, steel and olive oil</h2>U.K. officials said Trump's auto tariffs would go from 27.5% to 10% on a quota of 100,000 vehicles and the import taxes on steel and aluminum would go from 25% to zero. Starmer said Britain would preserve its health and safety standards on food products.The U.K. government also said it would also reduce tariffs on 2,500 U.S. products such as olive oil, wine and sports equipment, bringing down the average tariff rate 1.8%.Starmer, speaking over the phone to Trump while reporters listened in, stressed the importance of the relationship between the two countries as the anniversary of the Allies'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-victory-day-world-war-celebration-proclamation-1bc0d2cacc2d5220484d837efc492436">World War II victory in Europe</a>&nbsp;was being commemorated.“To be able to announce this great deal, on the same day 80 years forward, almost at the same hour,” Starmer said, “I think is incredibly important and makes this truly historic.”Starmer later spoke to workers at a Jaguar Land Rover plant and promoted the deal, which he said would protect thousands of auto jobs. He told the workers that “this is just the start,” saying “we are hammering out further details to reduce barriers to trade with the United States and across the world.”While celebrating the planned deal, Trump talked up the U.S. economy's future despite worrisome signs of a possible slowdown and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-rate-inflation-tariff-7b96cf47c986602db51ce87055ca5f24">increase in inflation</a>&nbsp;that could hurt most Americans' financial well-being and lead to layoffs.The president said the public should buy into the stock market because the U.S. was about to go up like a “rocket ship," even as he dismissed reports of fewer container ships docking in the U.S. and companies warning of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-poll-tariffs-inflation-prices-recession-1d320115e8801e4970bd5cccf2742fc4">price increases</a>&nbsp;if the tariffs remain.Trump said that fewer container ships arriving from China meant “we lose less money” from the trade deficit, even though the goods in those ships are used by U.S. manufacturers and sold by retailers in ways that can support jobs while holding down prices.Asked about companies saying they would need to raise prices because of the tariffs, Trump said, “I think they’re saying that just to try and negotiate deals with me.” Trump suggested that he might put 100% tariffs on Mattel toys if they don't relocate their factories to the United States.Trump has maintained that there is “virtually” no inflation. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure has increased at 2.3% annually, slightly higher than the central bank's 2% target.The U.S. president on Thursday said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jerome-powell">Fed Chair Jerome Powell</a>&nbsp;should cut the Fed's benchmark interest rates that are designed to manage inflation, saying that Powell was holding the Fed's rates at current levels instead of slashing them because “he's not in love with me.” Powell warned at a Wednesday news conference that the tariffs were creating uncertainty and the Fed could afford to wait until more data shows the impacts on the economy.<h2>Looking for a deal since Brexit</h2>The U.S. already runs a trade surplus with the U.K., making it a bit easier to find common ground at a time when Trump has staked his tariffs on eliminating the annual trade deficits with multiple nations he says have taken advantage of the U.S.A British government official, insisting on anonymity to discuss the talks, said the U.K. planned to seek greater trade liberalization as negotiations continue, such that the effective tariff rate charged by the U.S. could be lower than the 10% baseline.The official said the talks have been built on the longstanding closeness between the two nations and, when in discussions with the Trump administration, the key was to be charming and know how to say “no” nicely.The official said Trump had invited the British government to agree to a trade deal before April 2, but the president changed his mind so that he could impose his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs. That statement indicates that Trump could have announced some form of Thursday's agreement weeks earlier.No new deals have been reached with the United States' largest trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and China. Trump has left the highest tariffs in place on China, sparking a confrontation between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-trump-dce0557297c1a367cac9353d270a3c2e">the world's two biggest economies</a>. Washington and Beijing are sending officials to Switzerland this weekend for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-china-trade-switzerland-bessent-2a3335ed92989dc4b3a74ea550b79b3f">an initial round of trade talks</a>.Trump said Thursday that he "could" lower the 145% rate charged on Chinese goods if the weekend talks go well.“Right now, you can’t get any higher," Trump said. "It's at 145, so we know it’s coming down.”The U.S. and the U.K. have been aiming to strike a bilateral trade agreement since the British people voted in 2016 to leave the European Union, allowing the country to negotiate independently of the rest of the continent. Then-Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-resigns-partygate-lockdown-misled-parliament-64a8697c9ccbed381915fbfe45ffe028">Boris Johnson</a>&nbsp;touted a future deal with the U.S. as an incentive for Brexit.Negotiations started in 2020, during Trump’s first term. But the talks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-boris-johnson-entertainment-states-e5d3799d03fa90704376dc52fdf1f709">made little progress</a>&nbsp;under President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-ukraine-russia-appeasement-af02a823e986bf27baf34520c6c5b931">Joe Biden</a>, a Democrat and a critic of Brexit. Negotiations resumed after Trump returned to office in January and intensified in recent weeks.The U.S. ran a $11.9 billion trade surplus in goods with the U.K. last year, according to the Census Bureau. The $68 billion in goods that the U.S. imported from the U.K. last year accounted for just 2% of all goods imported into the country.The U.S. is far more important for the U.K. economy. It was Britain's biggest trading partner last year, according to government statistics, though the bulk of Britain’s exports to the U.S. are services rather than goods.___Jill Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.