WASHINGTON (AP) — Ford is recalling more than a million vehicles due to a software issue that can cause the rearview camera to malfunction, increasing the chance of an accident, government auto regulators said.

The software error, which Ford reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this month, may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.

The problem will be fixed by a dealer or via an "over-the-air" update at a later date. A preliminary letter notifying owners of the safety risk is expected to be mailed June 16, with a second letter to be sent once the update is available, expected sometime in the third quarter of 2025.

The following Ford vehicles — a total of 1,075,299 — are included in the recall:

2023-2024 F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600

Owners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 25S49.

Owners may also call the NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685732368836.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Ford is recalling more than a million vehicles due to a software issue that can cause the rearview camera to malfunction, increasing the chance of an accident, government auto regulators said.The software error, which Ford reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this month, may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.The problem will be fixed by a dealer or via an "over-the-air" update at a later date. A preliminary letter notifying owners of the safety risk is expected to be mailed June 16, with a second letter to be sent once the update is available, expected sometime in the third quarter of 2025.The following Ford vehicles — a total of 1,075,299 — are included in the recall:2021-2024 Bronco2021-2024 Edge2023-2024 Escape2021-2024 F-1502023-2024 F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-6002022-2024 Expedition2022-2025 Transit2021-2023 Mach-E2024 Ranger2024 Mustang2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus2022-2024 Navigator2023-2024 CorsairOwners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 25S49.Owners may also call the NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Ford recalls more than a million vehicles for software glitch

NEW CENTURY, Kansas. –&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections resident Anthony Mansfield has been placed on escape status at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday after not returning to the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) or reporting to his job Wednesday, according to a media release from the KDOC.

Mansfield, a 36-year old white male, is considered dangerous. He was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the minimum-security unit. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of the medium-maximum secure compound.

Mansfield is 5-feet, 8-inches tall, and weighs 185 pounds with an average build. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a&nbsp;white t-shirt with black designs, long black sleeve undershirt, brown boots, brown baseball hat and stonewashed jeans .

Mansfield was convicted in Johnson County for eight-months of incarceration for criminal damage to property convictions. He is serving that sentence at the JCDOC-ARC from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC.

Anyone with information on Mansfield can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC at 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748524255503.png" alt="Mansfield photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Mansfield photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW CENTURY, Kansas. –&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections resident Anthony Mansfield has been placed on escape status at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday after not returning to the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) or reporting to his job Wednesday, according to a media release from the KDOC.Mansfield, a 36-year old white male, is considered dangerous. He was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the minimum-security unit. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of the medium-maximum secure compound.Mansfield is 5-feet, 8-inches tall, and weighs 185 pounds with an average build. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a&nbsp;white t-shirt with black designs, long black sleeve undershirt, brown boots, brown baseball hat and stonewashed jeans .Mansfield was convicted in Johnson County for eight-months of incarceration for criminal damage to property convictions. He is serving that sentence at the JCDOC-ARC from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents who have release plans that are appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC.Anyone with information on Mansfield can call EAI at 816-266-2102, JCDOC at 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

KDOC: Dangerous inmate escaped Kan. work release facility

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A total abortion ban is back in Missouri, and for Kansas clinics, that could mean added strain on a system that already serves as a regional safe haven.

Two recent rulings from a lower court judge allowed Missourians to receive abortion care in major cities, blocking years of restrictions implemented by state lawmakers. Those rulings came after voter approval of a constitutional amendment in November enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution.

All of that was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-supreme-court-reinstates-abortion-restrictions-imposing-de-facto-ban/" target="_blank">undone</a>&nbsp;in a two-page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC101026%20-%20Peremptory%20Writ_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=SC&amp;di=209055" target="_blank">ruling</a>&nbsp;Tuesday from Chief Justice Mary Russell of the Missouri Supreme Court, which ordered Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang to vacate the December and February decisions and reevaluate the case, restoring a ban on abortions and facility licensing restrictions.

Missourians have a constitutional right to reproductive freedom in name only, said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains. She called the Tuesday ruling surprising but added that the organization is accustomed to having to pivot because of court cases and politics.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains has clinics on both sides of the state line, so the impacts of the court’s ruling are widespread for the organization. On the Missouri side, appointment times are being canceled, and care will become scarcer if the ruling remains in place, Wales said. On the Kansas side, the ruling means adding more appointment times and stretching providers to offer care to an entire region.&nbsp;

Trust Women, an independent abortion clinic in Wichita, is actively expanding the number of patients it can take, CEO and president Kathryn Boyd said in a statement.

Boyd called the ban in Missouri “devastating” and a “setback for women’s health, safety, and reproductive rights.” But it’s nothing new, she said.

“We have been providing essential care to people in the face of oppressive policies and threats of violence for a long time,” she said.

Boyd added: “Like in Kansas, Missourians went to the ballot and voted in favor of protecting abortion rights, and now their political leaders are violating the will of the people.”

Kansas abortion clinics serve&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-abortion-clinics-saw-sizable-majority-of-clients-from-out-of-state-in-2024/">mostly out-of-state patients</a>, which has been attributed to its strong reproductive freedoms and its proximity to Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, where residents must seek care away from home.

“Having so few providers to support an entire region is not a sustainable system,” Wales said.

The ruling is a continuation of notoriously difficult-to-access care in Missouri, said Isabel Guarnieri, communications director for the Guttmacher Institute, a health policy research and advocacy organization.

“As of now, the total ban is back in effect, along with other restrictions that force patients to wait and receive counseling before obtaining an abortion and (targeted regulation of abortion providers) laws that make it difficult for clinics to operate,” Guarnieri said in a Wednesday press release.

In 2023, with Missouri’s ban in effect, almost 3,000 Missourians traveled to Kansas for an abortion. More than 8,700 traveled to Illinois. Wales said Planned Parenthood had been hopeful that Missouri’s restoration of access to abortion could have offered Kansas clinics breathing room.

“We know that the demand for the region outpaces what we can provide,” she said.

And that only applies to those who can access care. Without local abortion access, Wales said, people without the ability to travel for care will be left behind.

Missouri lawmakers intend to put another ballot measure before voters, likely in the 2026 general election, that would overturn the November amendment establishing reproductive freedom in the state constitution.

Kansas Republicans have taken a more roundabout approach in presenting to voters an August 2026 referendum on the state Supreme Court justice selection process. Electing state Supreme Court justices by popular vote could give the majority a conservative tilt, paving the way for the reversal of decisions that protect abortion, public school funding and legislative districts, among others.

Attorneys general from Kansas, Missouri and Idaho are involved in a federal lawsuit seeking to rewrite federal prescribing guidelines for medication abortions. The Trump administration has asked the court to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/05/repub/trump-administration-asks-to-dismiss-suit-by-3-gop-states-trying-to-limit-abortion-pill/">dismiss</a>&nbsp;the suit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740446896339.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A total abortion ban is back in Missouri, and for Kansas clinics, that could mean added strain on a system that already serves as a regional safe haven.Two recent rulings from a lower court judge allowed Missourians to receive abortion care in major cities, blocking years of restrictions implemented by state lawmakers. Those rulings came after voter approval of a constitutional amendment in November enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution.All of that was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-supreme-court-reinstates-abortion-restrictions-imposing-de-facto-ban/" target="_blank">undone</a>&nbsp;in a two-page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC101026%20-%20Peremptory%20Writ_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=SC&amp;di=209055" target="_blank">ruling</a>&nbsp;Tuesday from Chief Justice Mary Russell of the Missouri Supreme Court, which ordered Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang to vacate the December and February decisions and reevaluate the case, restoring a ban on abortions and facility licensing restrictions.Missourians have a constitutional right to reproductive freedom in name only, said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains. She called the Tuesday ruling surprising but added that the organization is accustomed to having to pivot because of court cases and politics.Planned Parenthood Great Plains has clinics on both sides of the state line, so the impacts of the court’s ruling are widespread for the organization. On the Missouri side, appointment times are being canceled, and care will become scarcer if the ruling remains in place, Wales said. On the Kansas side, the ruling means adding more appointment times and stretching providers to offer care to an entire region.&nbsp;Trust Women, an independent abortion clinic in Wichita, is actively expanding the number of patients it can take, CEO and president Kathryn Boyd said in a statement.Boyd called the ban in Missouri “devastating” and a “setback for women’s health, safety, and reproductive rights.” But it’s nothing new, she said.“We have been providing essential care to people in the face of oppressive policies and threats of violence for a long time,” she said.Boyd added: “Like in Kansas, Missourians went to the ballot and voted in favor of protecting abortion rights, and now their political leaders are violating the will of the people.”Kansas abortion clinics serve&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-abortion-clinics-saw-sizable-majority-of-clients-from-out-of-state-in-2024/">mostly out-of-state patients</a>, which has been attributed to its strong reproductive freedoms and its proximity to Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, where residents must seek care away from home.“Having so few providers to support an entire region is not a sustainable system,” Wales said.The ruling is a continuation of notoriously difficult-to-access care in Missouri, said Isabel Guarnieri, communications director for the Guttmacher Institute, a health policy research and advocacy organization.“As of now, the total ban is back in effect, along with other restrictions that force patients to wait and receive counseling before obtaining an abortion and (targeted regulation of abortion providers) laws that make it difficult for clinics to operate,” Guarnieri said in a Wednesday press release.In 2023, with Missouri’s ban in effect, almost 3,000 Missourians traveled to Kansas for an abortion. More than 8,700 traveled to Illinois. Wales said Planned Parenthood had been hopeful that Missouri’s restoration of access to abortion could have offered Kansas clinics breathing room.“We know that the demand for the region outpaces what we can provide,” she said.And that only applies to those who can access care. Without local abortion access, Wales said, people without the ability to travel for care will be left behind.Missouri lawmakers intend to put another ballot measure before voters, likely in the 2026 general election, that would overturn the November amendment establishing reproductive freedom in the state constitution.Kansas Republicans have taken a more roundabout approach in presenting to voters an August 2026 referendum on the state Supreme Court justice selection process. Electing state Supreme Court justices by popular vote could give the majority a conservative tilt, paving the way for the reversal of decisions that protect abortion, public school funding and legislative districts, among others.Attorneys general from Kansas, Missouri and Idaho are involved in a federal lawsuit seeking to rewrite federal prescribing guidelines for medication abortions. The Trump administration has asked the court to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/05/repub/trump-administration-asks-to-dismiss-suit-by-3-gop-states-trying-to-limit-abortion-pill/">dismiss</a>&nbsp;the suit.

Kansas abortion clinics could take on more patients in Missouri ban fallout

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 9p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 9600 block of Fremont Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to the driveway of a residence where they located a man and woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered KCFD EMS to the scene. Medics declared both victims deceased, on scene.

This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody, according to DiMaratino. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument that led to a physical confrontation between several individuals. The physical confrontation led to shots being fired and the victims being struck. Police have not released the names of the victims.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 9p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 9600 block of Fremont Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.As officers arrived they were directed to the driveway of a residence where they located a man and woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered KCFD EMS to the scene. Medics declared both victims deceased, on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody, according to DiMaratino. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument that led to a physical confrontation between several individuals. The physical confrontation led to shots being fired and the victims being struck. Police have not released the names of the victims.

Homicide: Man, woman found dead in driveway of Kansas City home

HARTFORD, CT —Julius Jordan Priester,&nbsp; 24, of Wichita, has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with a charge related to his assault of a crew member on a flight from Bradley International Airport Tuesday night, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on May 27,&nbsp; Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 that departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 p.m. bound for Chicago.&nbsp; 

Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling “Help me.”&nbsp; He then grabbed a flight attendant (“the victim”), who was seated, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.&nbsp; 

Priester then attempted to drag the victim up the aisle. With the assistance of intervening passengers, Priester was returned to his seat where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements.&nbsp; The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport.&nbsp; After the plane landed safely at Bradley, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.

Priester appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford.&nbsp; He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for May 30.

The complaint charges Priester with interference with flight crew members and attendants, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police.&nbsp; The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738800637991.jpg" alt="File photo AP" />
 <figcaption>File photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>HARTFORD, CT —Julius Jordan Priester,&nbsp; 24, of Wichita, has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with a charge related to his assault of a crew member on a flight from Bradley International Airport Tuesday night, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on May 27,&nbsp; Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 that departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 p.m. bound for Chicago.&nbsp; Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling “Help me.”&nbsp; He then grabbed a flight attendant (“the victim”), who was seated, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.&nbsp; Priester then attempted to drag the victim up the aisle. With the assistance of intervening passengers, Priester was returned to his seat where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements.&nbsp; The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport.&nbsp; After the plane landed safely at Bradley, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.Priester appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford.&nbsp; He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for May 30.The complaint charges Priester with interference with flight crew members and attendants, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police.&nbsp; The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

Feds: Shirtless airline passenger from Kan. tackled flight attendant

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man arrested in connection with church vandalism in Wichita was back in court for an arraignment hearing on Wednesday.

&nbsp;Michael Gonzalez, 23,&nbsp; from Saline County was arraigned on felony charges: of burglary and criminal desecration and two misdemeanor charges of theft and criminal damage to property, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Just after 8:30a.m. March 15, police responded to a reported burglary at St. Patrick Catholic Church, located in the 2000 block of N. Arkansas Street in Wichita, according to Wichita Police spokesman Brad Wright.

Officers discovered significant vandalism, including hate speech and damage to items such as statues, candles, and glass. Notably, a United States flag had been burned.

Recognizing the severity of this crime, Wichita Police and investigators—alongside federal law enforcement partners including the FBI and ATF—immediately launched a full-scale investigation. The Wichita Police dedicated Crime Scene Investigation team worked diligently to analyze evidence, leading to the swift identification of a suspect.

Officers from the Wichita Police Field Community Response Teams were provided with critical intelligence and began searching for the suspect. At approximately 2:20 a.m. March 16, officers located and arrested Gonzalez in the 2800 block of N. Hillside in Wichita without incident.

&nbsp;Gonzalez remains jailed on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court July 25, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742206082557.png" alt="Gonzalez photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man arrested in connection with church vandalism in Wichita was back in court for an arraignment hearing on Wednesday.&nbsp;Michael Gonzalez, 23,&nbsp; from Saline County was arraigned on felony charges: of burglary and criminal desecration and two misdemeanor charges of theft and criminal damage to property, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkscathconf%2Fposts%2Fpfbid026eKsJvXV69VEGsohrDBXEqgNBZTzKu7Cj7ps1ZDko1i6pe3eG8iNdZ1LAwzeXr4Cl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="819" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Just after 8:30a.m. March 15, police responded to a reported burglary at St. Patrick Catholic Church, located in the 2000 block of N. Arkansas Street in Wichita, according to Wichita Police spokesman Brad Wright.Officers discovered significant vandalism, including hate speech and damage to items such as statues, candles, and glass. Notably, a United States flag had been burned.Recognizing the severity of this crime, Wichita Police and investigators—alongside federal law enforcement partners including the FBI and ATF—immediately launched a full-scale investigation. The Wichita Police dedicated Crime Scene Investigation team worked diligently to analyze evidence, leading to the swift identification of a suspect.Officers from the Wichita Police Field Community Response Teams were provided with critical intelligence and began searching for the suspect. At approximately 2:20 a.m. March 16, officers located and arrested Gonzalez in the 2800 block of N. Hillside in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;Gonzalez remains jailed on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court July 25, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas man arraigned for alleged church vandalism

By JEFF MARTIN, ANDREW DeMILLO and SAFIYAH RIDDLE&nbsp;

There are plenty of hideouts in the rugged terrain of the Ozark Mountains, from abandoned cabins and campsites in vast forests where searchers are hunting for an ex-lawman known as the "Devil in the Ozarks."

Others are not only off the grid but beneath it, in the hundreds of caves that lead to vast subterranean spaces. As local, state and federal law enforcement entered the third day of the search, they continued to scour the region around the prison.

"Until we have credible evidence that he is not in the area, we assume that he's probably still in the area," Rand Champion, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Fugitive Grant Hardin, 56, "knows where the caves are," said Darla Nix, a cafe owner in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, whose sons grew up around him. Nix, who describes Hardin as a survivor, remembers him as a "very, very smart" and mostly quiet person.

For the searchers, "caves have definitely been a source of concern and a point of emphasis," said Champion.

"That's one of the challenges of this area — there are a lot of places to hide and take shelter, a lot of abandoned sheds, and there are a lot of caves in this area, so that's been a priority for the search team," Champion said. "It adds to the challenge of a search in this area, for sure."

Hardin, the former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. He was the subject of the TV documentary "Devil in the Ozarks."

He escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit — a medium-security prison also known as the Calico Rock prison — by tailoring an outfit to mimic a law enforcement uniform, according to Champion. A prison officer opened a secure gate, allowing him to leave the facility. Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave the facility, describing the lack of verification as a "lapse" that is being investigated.

It took authorities approximately 30 minutes to notice Hardin had escaped.

Champion said that inmates are evaluated and given a classification when they first enter the prison system, and "based on what he's assessed is the reason he was sent here." There are portions of the Calico Rock facility that are maximum-security.

While incarcerated, Hardin did not have any major disciplinary issues, Champion said.

Authorities have been using canines, drones and helicopters to search for Hardin in the rugged northern Arkansas terrain, Champion said. The sheriffs of several counties across the Arkansas Ozarks had urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and call 911 if they notice anything suspicious.

In some ways, the terrain is similar to the site of one of the most notorious manhunts in U.S. history.

Bomber Eric Rudolph, described by authorities as a skilled outdoorsman, evaded law officers for years in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It was a five-year manhunt that finally ended in 2003 with his capture.

Rudolph knew of many cabins in the area owned by out-of-town people, and he also knew of caves in the area, former FBI executive Chris Swecker, who led the agency's Charlotte, North Carolina, office at the time, said in the FBI's historical account of the case.

"He was anticipating a great conflict and he had clearly lined up caves and campsites where he could go," Swecker said.

Rudolph pleaded guilty to federal charges associated with four bombings in Georgia and Alabama, including one in Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta during the 1996 Olympic Games.

There are about 2,000 documented caves in northern Arkansas, state officials say. Many of them have entrances only a few feet wide that are not obvious to passersby, said Michael Ray Taylor, who has written multiple books on caves, including "Hidden Nature: Wild Southern Caves."

The key is finding the entrance, Taylor said.

"The entrance may look like a rabbit hole, but if you wriggle through it, suddenly you find enormous passageways," he said.

It would be quite possible to hide out underground for an extended period, but "you have to go out for food, and you're more likely to be discovered," he said.

Hardin had a checkered and brief law enforcement career. He worked about nine months at the Fayetteville Police Department from August 1990 to May 1991, but was let go because he didn't meet the standards of his training period, a department spokesman said.

Hardin worked about six months at the Huntsville Police Department before resigning, but records do not give a reason for his resignation, according to Police Chief Todd Thomas, who joined the department after Hardin worked there.

Hardin later worked at the Eureka Springs Police Department from 1993 to 1996. Former Chief Earl Hyatt described Hardin as "volatile." Hardin resigned because Hyatt was going to fire him over incidents that included the use of excessive force.

"He did not need to be a police officer at all," Hyatt told television station KNWA.

Hardin pleaded guilty in 2017 to first-degree murder for the killing of James Appleton, 59. Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head Feb. 23, 2017, near Garfield. Police found Appleton's body inside a car. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

He was also serving 50 years for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, north of Fayetteville.

He had been held in the Calico Rock prison since 2017.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748354598066.png" alt="Photo ADC" />
 <figcaption>Photo ADC</figcaption>
 </figure>By JEFF MARTIN, ANDREW DeMILLO and SAFIYAH RIDDLE&nbsp;There are plenty of hideouts in the rugged terrain of the Ozark Mountains, from abandoned cabins and campsites in vast forests where searchers are hunting for an ex-lawman known as the "Devil in the Ozarks."Others are not only off the grid but beneath it, in the hundreds of caves that lead to vast subterranean spaces. As local, state and federal law enforcement entered the third day of the search, they continued to scour the region around the prison."Until we have credible evidence that he is not in the area, we assume that he's probably still in the area," Rand Champion, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said at a press conference on Wednesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748309291610.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Fugitive Grant Hardin, 56, "knows where the caves are," said Darla Nix, a cafe owner in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, whose sons grew up around him. Nix, who describes Hardin as a survivor, remembers him as a "very, very smart" and mostly quiet person.For the searchers, "caves have definitely been a source of concern and a point of emphasis," said Champion."That's one of the challenges of this area — there are a lot of places to hide and take shelter, a lot of abandoned sheds, and there are a lot of caves in this area, so that's been a priority for the search team," Champion said. "It adds to the challenge of a search in this area, for sure."Impersonating an officerHardin, the former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. He was the subject of the TV documentary "Devil in the Ozarks."He escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit — a medium-security prison also known as the Calico Rock prison — by tailoring an outfit to mimic a law enforcement uniform, according to Champion. A prison officer opened a secure gate, allowing him to leave the facility. Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave the facility, describing the lack of verification as a "lapse" that is being investigated.It took authorities approximately 30 minutes to notice Hardin had escaped.Champion said that inmates are evaluated and given a classification when they first enter the prison system, and "based on what he's assessed is the reason he was sent here." There are portions of the Calico Rock facility that are maximum-security.While incarcerated, Hardin did not have any major disciplinary issues, Champion said.Authorities have been using canines, drones and helicopters to search for Hardin in the rugged northern Arkansas terrain, Champion said. The sheriffs of several counties across the Arkansas Ozarks had urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and call 911 if they notice anything suspicious.Dark places to hideIn some ways, the terrain is similar to the site of one of the most notorious manhunts in U.S. history.Bomber Eric Rudolph, described by authorities as a skilled outdoorsman, evaded law officers for years in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It was a five-year manhunt that finally ended in 2003 with his capture.Rudolph knew of many cabins in the area owned by out-of-town people, and he also knew of caves in the area, former FBI executive Chris Swecker, who led the agency's Charlotte, North Carolina, office at the time, said in the FBI's historical account of the case."He was anticipating a great conflict and he had clearly lined up caves and campsites where he could go," Swecker said.Rudolph pleaded guilty to federal charges associated with four bombings in Georgia and Alabama, including one in Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta during the 1996 Olympic Games.There are about 2,000 documented caves in northern Arkansas, state officials say. Many of them have entrances only a few feet wide that are not obvious to passersby, said Michael Ray Taylor, who has written multiple books on caves, including "Hidden Nature: Wild Southern Caves."The key is finding the entrance, Taylor said."The entrance may look like a rabbit hole, but if you wriggle through it, suddenly you find enormous passageways," he said.It would be quite possible to hide out underground for an extended period, but "you have to go out for food, and you're more likely to be discovered," he said.Checkered pastHardin had a checkered and brief law enforcement career. He worked about nine months at the Fayetteville Police Department from August 1990 to May 1991, but was let go because he didn't meet the standards of his training period, a department spokesman said.Hardin worked about six months at the Huntsville Police Department before resigning, but records do not give a reason for his resignation, according to Police Chief Todd Thomas, who joined the department after Hardin worked there.Hardin later worked at the Eureka Springs Police Department from 1993 to 1996. Former Chief Earl Hyatt described Hardin as "volatile." Hardin resigned because Hyatt was going to fire him over incidents that included the use of excessive force."He did not need to be a police officer at all," Hyatt told television station KNWA.Hardin pleaded guilty in 2017 to first-degree murder for the killing of James Appleton, 59. Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head Feb. 23, 2017, near Garfield. Police found Appleton's body inside a car. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison.He was also serving 50 years for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, north of Fayetteville.He had been held in the Calico Rock prison since 2017.

Cave systems, abandoned cabins searched in hunt for ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in “critical fields.”

China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the United States.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,” Rubio wrote.

The action comes at a time of intensifying scrutiny of the ties between U.S. higher education and China. House Republicans this month pressed Duke University to cut its ties with a Chinese university, saying it allowed Chinese students to gain access to federally funded research at Duke.

Last year, House Republicans issued a report warning that hundreds of millions of dollars in defense funding was going to research partnerships linked to the Chinese government, providing “back-door access to the very foreign adversary nation whose aggression these capabilities are necessary to protect against.”

The Department of Homeland Security raised similar issues in a letter barring international students at Harvard University last week. Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of “coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party,” citing research collaborations with Chinese scholars. It also accused Harvard of training members of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a Chinese paramilitary group.

The announcement came a day after Rubio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-visa-social-media-d71aa33ff756c1383b362f69bf5b7a17">halted the scheduling</a>&nbsp;of new visa interviews for international students as the department prepares guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media.

The crackdown on visas adds to uncertainty for international students

Together, the announcements from the State Department added to uncertainty for America’s international students, who have faced intensifying scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration.

Earlier this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-protester-ruling-deport-fd9e80583af3109d7de0a5264e79ea61">deport students</a>&nbsp;who had been involved in campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war. And the Trump administration abruptly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-f1-visa-revoked-college-f12320b435b6bf9cf723f1e8eb8c67ae">terminated the legal status</a>&nbsp;of thousands of international students before reversing itself and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-visa-f1-sevis-status-716ce8e67e2c3093eba4092e57ba1612">expanding the grounds</a>&nbsp;on which students can lose permission to study in the U.S.

University of Wisconsin student Vladyslav Plyaka was planning to visit Poland to see his mother and renew his visa, but he doesn’t know when that will be possible now that visa appointments are suspended. He also doesn’t feel safe leaving the U.S. even when appointments resume.

“I don’t think I have enough trust in the system at this point,” said Plyaka, who came to the U.S. from Ukraine as an exchange student in high school and stayed for college. “I understand it probably is done for security measures, but I would probably just finish my education for the next two or three years and then come back to Ukraine.”

The Trump administration last week moved to block Harvard University from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-international-students-trump-what-to-know-6defa20d617f1ef297402e0d84c55e1e">enrolling any international students</a>, a decision that has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-foreign-students-enrollment-trump-lawsuit-94b65866c563e67a7a7a3c79e90144d6">put on hold</a>&nbsp;by a federal judge, pending a lawsuit.

Trump said Wednesday that Harvard, whose current student population is made up of more than a quarter of international students, should limit that percentage to about 15%.

“I want to make sure the foreign students are people that can love our country,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The action on Chinese students renews a priority from Trump’s first administration to clamp down on academic ties between the United States and China, which Republicans have called a threat to national security. In April, Trump ordered the Education Department to ramp up enforcement of a federal rule requiring colleges to disclose information about funding from foreign sources.

During his first term, the Education Department opened 19 investigations into foreign funding at U.S. universities and found that they underreported money flowing from China, Russia and other countries described as foreign adversaries.

Hours before Rubio announced the change, Eastern Michigan University announced it was ending engineering partnerships with two Chinese universities, responding to Republican pressure. Rep. John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, recently urged Eastern Michigan and other universities to end partnerships with Chinese universities.

Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year — a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid. Often, they pay full price.

Northeastern University, which has more than 20,000 international students, has set up “contingency plans” for those who hit visa delays, said spokesperson Renata Nyul, without elaborating.

“This is a very dynamic situation, and we are closely monitoring the developments in real time to assess any potential impacts,” she said.

The US plans more in-depth reviews of visa applicants’ social media

In his announcement on China, Rubio said the government also will “revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.”

Visa applicants have been required to provide social media handles to the State Department since 2019. The cable Tuesday did not indicate what kind of additional scrutiny the new guidelines would cover, but suggested the new reviews may be more resource-intensive.

The additional vetting will deter students from coming to the U.S., said Jonathan Friedman of PEN America, a literary and free expression organization.

“The details remain vague, but this policy risks upending the long-standing place of the U.S. as a beacon for intellectual and cultural exchange with the world,” Friedman said.

The move to cut off international enrollment at Harvard stems from a dispute with the Department of Homeland Security, which has demanded that it provide information about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harvard-tax-exempt-status-international-students-07a10958bf078cb04b59d1fc9a3a27a8">foreign students</a>&nbsp;that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation. Harvard says it complied with the records request, but the agency said its response fell short.

On Wednesday, Trump said more scrutiny of Harvard’s students is necessary.

“They’re taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalized, and we don’t want them making trouble in our country,” Trump said.

The Trump administration has cut over $2.6 billion in federal grants for Harvard as it presses demands for changes to policies and governance at the Ivy League school, which the president has described as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. Harvard has pushed back and filed a lawsuit against the administration.

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim in Washington and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco contributed to this report.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1746019461996.png" alt="Student Visa image courtesy SUNY Schenectady" />
 <figcaption>Student Visa image courtesy SUNY Schenectady</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in “critical fields.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1927859105282015532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the United States.“Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,” Rubio wrote.The action comes at a time of intensifying scrutiny of the ties between U.S. higher education and China. House Republicans this month pressed Duke University to cut its ties with a Chinese university, saying it allowed Chinese students to gain access to federally funded research at Duke.Last year, House Republicans issued a report warning that hundreds of millions of dollars in defense funding was going to research partnerships linked to the Chinese government, providing “back-door access to the very foreign adversary nation whose aggression these capabilities are necessary to protect against.”The Department of Homeland Security raised similar issues in a letter barring international students at Harvard University last week. Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of “coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party,” citing research collaborations with Chinese scholars. It also accused Harvard of training members of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a Chinese paramilitary group.The announcement came a day after Rubio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-visa-social-media-d71aa33ff756c1383b362f69bf5b7a17">halted the scheduling</a>&nbsp;of new visa interviews for international students as the department prepares guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media.<h2>The crackdown on visas adds to uncertainty for international students</h2>Together, the announcements from the State Department added to uncertainty for America’s international students, who have faced intensifying scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration.Earlier this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-protester-ruling-deport-fd9e80583af3109d7de0a5264e79ea61">deport students</a>&nbsp;who had been involved in campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war. And the Trump administration abruptly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-f1-visa-revoked-college-f12320b435b6bf9cf723f1e8eb8c67ae">terminated the legal status</a>&nbsp;of thousands of international students before reversing itself and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-visa-f1-sevis-status-716ce8e67e2c3093eba4092e57ba1612">expanding the grounds</a>&nbsp;on which students can lose permission to study in the U.S.University of Wisconsin student Vladyslav Plyaka was planning to visit Poland to see his mother and renew his visa, but he doesn’t know when that will be possible now that visa appointments are suspended. He also doesn’t feel safe leaving the U.S. even when appointments resume.“I don’t think I have enough trust in the system at this point,” said Plyaka, who came to the U.S. from Ukraine as an exchange student in high school and stayed for college. “I understand it probably is done for security measures, but I would probably just finish my education for the next two or three years and then come back to Ukraine.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748477767825.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Trump administration last week moved to block Harvard University from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-international-students-trump-what-to-know-6defa20d617f1ef297402e0d84c55e1e">enrolling any international students</a>, a decision that has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-foreign-students-enrollment-trump-lawsuit-94b65866c563e67a7a7a3c79e90144d6">put on hold</a>&nbsp;by a federal judge, pending a lawsuit.Trump said Wednesday that Harvard, whose current student population is made up of more than a quarter of international students, should limit that percentage to about 15%.“I want to make sure the foreign students are people that can love our country,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.The action on Chinese students renews a priority from Trump’s first administration to clamp down on academic ties between the United States and China, which Republicans have called a threat to national security. In April, Trump ordered the Education Department to ramp up enforcement of a federal rule requiring colleges to disclose information about funding from foreign sources.During his first term, the Education Department opened 19 investigations into foreign funding at U.S. universities and found that they underreported money flowing from China, Russia and other countries described as foreign adversaries.Hours before Rubio announced the change, Eastern Michigan University announced it was ending engineering partnerships with two Chinese universities, responding to Republican pressure. Rep. John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, recently urged Eastern Michigan and other universities to end partnerships with Chinese universities.Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year — a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid. Often, they pay full price.Northeastern University, which has more than 20,000 international students, has set up “contingency plans” for those who hit visa delays, said spokesperson Renata Nyul, without elaborating.“This is a very dynamic situation, and we are closely monitoring the developments in real time to assess any potential impacts,” she said.<h2>The US plans more in-depth reviews of visa applicants’ social media</h2>In his announcement on China, Rubio said the government also will “revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.”Visa applicants have been required to provide social media handles to the State Department since 2019. The cable Tuesday did not indicate what kind of additional scrutiny the new guidelines would cover, but suggested the new reviews may be more resource-intensive.The additional vetting will deter students from coming to the U.S., said Jonathan Friedman of PEN America, a literary and free expression organization.“The details remain vague, but this policy risks upending the long-standing place of the U.S. as a beacon for intellectual and cultural exchange with the world,” Friedman said.The move to cut off international enrollment at Harvard stems from a dispute with the Department of Homeland Security, which has demanded that it provide information about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harvard-tax-exempt-status-international-students-07a10958bf078cb04b59d1fc9a3a27a8">foreign students</a>&nbsp;that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation. Harvard says it complied with the records request, but the agency said its response fell short.On Wednesday, Trump said more scrutiny of Harvard’s students is necessary.“They’re taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalized, and we don’t want them making trouble in our country,” Trump said.The Trump administration has cut over $2.6 billion in federal grants for Harvard as it presses demands for changes to policies and governance at the Ivy League school, which the president has described as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. Harvard has pushed back and filed a lawsuit against the administration.___Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim in Washington and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco contributed to this report.___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

US to begin revoking visas of some Chinese students

LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.

Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.

Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.

Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;

Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.

Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748365013935.png" alt="Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Perez-Ricardo photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged murder and&nbsp; have properly identified the homicide victim as 57-year-old Adolfo Callejo Viniegra, according to Emporia Police Captain Lisa Hayes.Callejo Viniegra has been living in Emporia under the alias of Raul Rosado Reyes since the early 2000s.Around 7a.m. on Sunday, the Lyon County Communications Center received a 911 call of an unconscious person at a residence in the 200 block of W 10th Avenue in Emporia, according to Hayes. An ambulance and Emporia Police Officers responded and found Reyes dead inside the residence.Emporia Investigations Division led the investigation and identified 36-year-old Alexei Perez-Ricardo as a primary suspect. Perez-Ricardo was apprehended a short time later in eastern Emporia, questioned, and ultimately booked into to the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Murder, Simple Assault and a Weapons Violation.&nbsp;Detectives believe a confrontation between Reyes and Perez-Ricardo took place on Saturday. Following the confrontation, Perez-Ricardo is believed to have left the scene on foot to areas in eastern Emporia. He was later seen with a bicycle.Emporia Detectives gathered information from eyewitnesses, home surveillance videos, and cell phones.&nbsp;

Police:  Kansas homicide victim had been living under an alias for years

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;is leaving his government role as a top adviser to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.

His departure, announced Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped.

He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals. Sometimes he clashed with other top members of Trump's administration, who chafed at the newcomer's efforts to reshape their departments, and he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-doge-tesla-d1206a96983b30b9cef7b18eaa8c48a7">fierce political blowback</a>&nbsp;for his efforts.

Musk's role working for Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-tesla-government-cuts-c47211544c5382a6207779ee95c6060b">always intended to be temporary</a>, and he had recently signaled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.

But administration officials were often vague about when Musk would step back from his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and he abruptly revealed that he was leaving in a post on X, his social media website.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed Musk's departure.

Musk announced his decision one day after CBS released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbx2PJ4pqE">part of an interview</a>&nbsp;in which he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda by saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-cuts-medicaid-00ce1ff8a7b7fea7a894d38398748c6b">“big beautiful bill.”</a>

The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement. Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.

“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”

Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation.

“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said.

Trump also suggested that more changes could be made.

“We’re going to see what happens,” he said. “It’s got a way to go.”

Republicans recently pushed the measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tax-cuts-trump-f2c60ae5c7c1313de69446f9ac7176e6">through the House</a>&nbsp;and are debating it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-medicaid-congress-senate-trump-bill-2825f8fa0e96a00cf72a6de6a5a88a25">in the Senate</a>.

Musk's concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers. “I sympathize with Elon being discouraged,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.

Speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event on Wednesday, Johnson added that he was “pretty confident” there was enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious” about reducing spending. He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change his position.

Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes. The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill.

On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised to pursue more spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on DOGE’s findings.”

The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorized spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify some of DOGE’s cuts. A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said the package will include $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance.

Musk occasionally seemed chastened by his experience working in government.

“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”

He also recently said that he'll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-campaign-donations-ff47d9b4cf02b2e63633edf37823c8ff">reduce his political spending</a>, because “I think I’ve done enough.”

Musk had previously been energized by the opportunity to reshape Washington. After putting at least $250 million behind Trump's candidacy, he wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis. He often tended to be effusive in his praise of Trump.

“The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,” Musk said in February. “Frankly, I love him.”

Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk as “a truly great American.” When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">a makeshift showroom</a>&nbsp;to illustrate his support.

It's unclear what, if any, impact that Musk's comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate, especially given his departure from the administration. During the transition period, when his influence was on the rise,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">he helped whip up opposition</a>&nbsp;to a spending measure as the country stood on the brink of a federal government shutdown.

His latest criticism could embolden Republicans who want bigger spending cuts. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted a Fox News story about Musk's interview while also adding his own take on the measure, saying there was “still time to fix it.”

“The Senate version will be more aggressive,” Lee said. “It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won’t pass.”

Only two Republicans — Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted against the bill when the House took up the measure last week.

Davidson took note of Musk’s comments on social media.

“Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,” he wrote. “Don’t hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.”

The Congressional Budget Office, in a preliminary estimate, said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-trump-tax-cuts-bill-1e2b12a91a3d12ceb0420ce7053de58e">changes to Medicaid</a>, food stamps and other services would reduce spending by slightly more than $1 trillion over the same period.

House Republican leaders say increased economic growth would allow the bill to be deficit-neutral or deficit-reducing, but outside watchdogs are skeptical. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the bill would add $3 trillion to the debt, including interest, over the next decade.

___ Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Milwaukee, and Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741607065509.png" alt="File photo Elon Musk image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>File photo Elon Musk image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;is leaving his government role as a top adviser to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGE</a> mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>His departure, announced Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped.He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals. Sometimes he clashed with other top members of Trump's administration, who chafed at the newcomer's efforts to reshape their departments, and he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-doge-tesla-d1206a96983b30b9cef7b18eaa8c48a7">fierce political blowback</a>&nbsp;for his efforts.Musk's role working for Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-tesla-government-cuts-c47211544c5382a6207779ee95c6060b">always intended to be temporary</a>, and he had recently signaled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.But administration officials were often vague about when Musk would step back from his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and he abruptly revealed that he was leaving in a post on X, his social media website.“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed Musk's departure.Musk announced his decision one day after CBS released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbx2PJ4pqE">part of an interview</a>&nbsp;in which he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda by saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-beautiful-bill-trump-tax-cuts-medicaid-00ce1ff8a7b7fea7a894d38398748c6b">“big beautiful bill.”</a>The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement. Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation.“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said.Trump also suggested that more changes could be made.“We’re going to see what happens,” he said. “It’s got a way to go.”Republicans recently pushed the measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tax-cuts-trump-f2c60ae5c7c1313de69446f9ac7176e6">through the House</a>&nbsp;and are debating it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-medicaid-congress-senate-trump-bill-2825f8fa0e96a00cf72a6de6a5a88a25">in the Senate</a>.Musk's concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers. “I sympathize with Elon being discouraged,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.Speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event on Wednesday, Johnson added that he was “pretty confident” there was enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious” about reducing spending. He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change his position.Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes. The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill.On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised to pursue more spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on DOGE’s findings.”The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorized spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify some of DOGE’s cuts. A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said the package will include $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance.Musk occasionally seemed chastened by his experience working in government.“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”He also recently said that he'll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-campaign-donations-ff47d9b4cf02b2e63633edf37823c8ff">reduce his political spending</a>, because “I think I’ve done enough.”Musk had previously been energized by the opportunity to reshape Washington. After putting at least $250 million behind Trump's candidacy, he wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis. He often tended to be effusive in his praise of Trump.“The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,” Musk said in February. “Frankly, I love him.”Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk as “a truly great American.” When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">a makeshift showroom</a>&nbsp;to illustrate his support.It's unclear what, if any, impact that Musk's comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate, especially given his departure from the administration. During the transition period, when his influence was on the rise,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">he helped whip up opposition</a>&nbsp;to a spending measure as the country stood on the brink of a federal government shutdown.His latest criticism could embolden Republicans who want bigger spending cuts. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted a Fox News story about Musk's interview while also adding his own take on the measure, saying there was “still time to fix it.”“The Senate version will be more aggressive,” Lee said. “It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won’t pass.”Only two Republicans — Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted against the bill when the House took up the measure last week.Davidson took note of Musk’s comments on social media.“Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,” he wrote. “Don’t hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.”The Congressional Budget Office, in a preliminary estimate, said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-trump-tax-cuts-bill-1e2b12a91a3d12ceb0420ce7053de58e">changes to Medicaid</a>, food stamps and other services would reduce spending by slightly more than $1 trillion over the same period.House Republican leaders say increased economic growth would allow the bill to be deficit-neutral or deficit-reducing, but outside watchdogs are skeptical. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the bill would add $3 trillion to the debt, including interest, over the next decade.___ Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Milwaukee, and Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

Elon Musk is leaving Trump admin. after leading effort to slash federal government

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.

Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case. 

TOPEKA, KAN. — A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with defrauding the federal government, by selling crops that he used as collateral for a federal government loan, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Steven W. Porubsky, 48, of Topeka is charged with one count of conversion of mortgaged collateral.Porubsky is accused of intentionally defrauding the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by converting to his own use agricultural products that were mortgaged to the USDA.The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the case.

Kansas farmer accused of defrauding federal government 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-chickening-out-taco-trade-tariff-chinau-69569d771c28ef972f80b87bac0d54d6">imposing sweeping tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">an emergency-powers law</a>.

The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority, left U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims and unleashed economic chaos.

“The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs," the court wrote, referring to the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The Trump administration is expected to appeal.

At least seven lawsuits are challenging the levies, the centerpiece of Trump’s trade policy.

Tariffs must typically be approved by Congress, but Trump says he has the power to act because the country’s trade deficits amount to a national emergency. He imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world at one point, sending markets reeling.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-lawsuits-supreme-court-national-emergency-6f5fa2daee0e1519035391328b456a9a">The plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;argued that the emergency powers law does not authorize the use of tariffs, and even if it did, the trade deficit does not meet the law’s requirement that an emergency be triggered only by an "unusual and extraordinary threat." The U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 consecutive years.

Trump imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world in an effort to reverse America’s massive and longstanding trade deficits. He earlier plastered levies on imports from Canada, China and Mexico to combat the illegal flow of immigrants and the synthetic opioids across the U.S. border.

His administration argues that courts approved then-President Richard Nixon’s emergency use of tariffs in 1971, and that only Congress, and not the courts, can determine the "political" question of whether the president’s rationale for declaring an emergency complies with the law.

Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs shook global financial markets and led many economists to downgrade the outlook for U.S. economic growth. So far, though, the tariffs appear to have had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-inflation-economy-prices-eaf0b00bbdfa50c694590c70467a6cd4">little impact on the world’s largest economy</a>.

The lawsuit was filed by a group of small businesses, including a wine importer, V.O.S. Selections, whose owner has said the tariffs are having a major impact and his company may not survive.

A dozen states also filed suit, led by Oregon. “This ruling reaffirms that our laws matter, and that trade decisions can’t be made on the president’s whim,” Attorney General Dan Rayfield said.

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Paul Wiseman contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743626000304.png" alt="File photo White House image" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-chickening-out-taco-trade-tariff-chinau-69569d771c28ef972f80b87bac0d54d6">imposing sweeping tariffs</a>&nbsp;on imports under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">an emergency-powers law</a>.The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority, left U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims and unleashed economic chaos.“The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs," the court wrote, referring to the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The Trump administration is expected to appeal.At least seven lawsuits are challenging the levies, the centerpiece of Trump’s trade policy.Tariffs must typically be approved by Congress, but Trump says he has the power to act because the country’s trade deficits amount to a national emergency. He imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world at one point, sending markets reeling.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-lawsuits-supreme-court-national-emergency-6f5fa2daee0e1519035391328b456a9a">The plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;argued that the emergency powers law does not authorize the use of tariffs, and even if it did, the trade deficit does not meet the law’s requirement that an emergency be triggered only by an "unusual and extraordinary threat." The U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 consecutive years.Trump imposed tariffs on most of the countries in the world in an effort to reverse America’s massive and longstanding trade deficits. He earlier plastered levies on imports from Canada, China and Mexico to combat the illegal flow of immigrants and the synthetic opioids across the U.S. border.His administration argues that courts approved then-President Richard Nixon’s emergency use of tariffs in 1971, and that only Congress, and not the courts, can determine the "political" question of whether the president’s rationale for declaring an emergency complies with the law.Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs shook global financial markets and led many economists to downgrade the outlook for U.S. economic growth. So far, though, the tariffs appear to have had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-inflation-economy-prices-eaf0b00bbdfa50c694590c70467a6cd4">little impact on the world’s largest economy</a>.The lawsuit was filed by a group of small businesses, including a wine importer, V.O.S. Selections, whose owner has said the tariffs are having a major impact and his company may not survive.A dozen states also filed suit, led by Oregon. “This ruling reaffirms that our laws matter, and that trade decisions can’t be made on the president’s whim,” Attorney General Dan Rayfield said.___Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Paul Wiseman contributed to this story.

Court blocks Trump from imposing tariffs under emergency powers law

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

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-variant-omicron-deaths-wuhan-lab-1ae8a7b3e6e034e03722f17e7aad34cb">COVID-19 cases</a>&nbsp;are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON572">the rise in cases</a>&nbsp;is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.

Airport screening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-masks-anniversary-34f2fb0ea729e71c0809295d3e62744b">in the United States</a>&nbsp;has detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.

The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the United States’ official stance on COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-pregnant-women-children-70c358cad726e57d680234c3ecdec926">announced</a>&nbsp;that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts.

The new variant, increasing globally, had by mid-May reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a “variant under monitoring” and considers the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/epp/tracking-sars-cov-2/23052025_nb.1.8.1_ire.pdf">public health risk low at the global level</a>&nbsp;with current vaccines expected to remain effective.

The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there’s nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants.

The variant called LP.8.1 is currently the dominant version in the U.S. and globally. ___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22CARLA%20K.%20JOHNSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-variant-omicron-deaths-wuhan-lab-1ae8a7b3e6e034e03722f17e7aad34cb">COVID-19 cases</a>&nbsp;are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON572">the rise in cases</a>&nbsp;is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.Airport screening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-masks-anniversary-34f2fb0ea729e71c0809295d3e62744b">in the United States</a>&nbsp;has detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the United States’ official stance on COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-pregnant-women-children-70c358cad726e57d680234c3ecdec926">announced</a>&nbsp;that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts.The new variant, increasing globally, had by mid-May reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a “variant under monitoring” and considers the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/epp/tracking-sars-cov-2/23052025_nb.1.8.1_ire.pdf">public health risk low at the global level</a>&nbsp;with current vaccines expected to remain effective.The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there’s nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants.The variant called LP.8.1 is currently the dominant version in the U.S. and globally. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.