<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MIKE%20STOBBE%20and%20GEOFF%20MULVIHILL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MIKE STOBBE and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press</a>

There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded.

An estimated 80,000 people died from overdoses last year, according to provisional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data</a>&nbsp;released Wednesday. That’s down 27% from the 110,000 in 2023.

The CDC has been collecting comparable data for 45 years. The previous largest one-year drop was 4% in 2018, according to the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics.

All but two states saw declines last year, with Nevada and South Dakota experiencing small increases. Some of the biggest drops were in Ohio, West Virginia and other states that have been hard-hit in the nation's decades-long overdose epidemic.

Experts say more research needs to be done to understand what drove the reduction, but they mention several possible factors. Among the most cited:

— Increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.

— Expanded addiction&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methadone-opioids-addiction-treatment-6dc1634de4cdac06410149e6a1372e18">treatment</a>.

— Shifts in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/smoking-injection-overdoses-fentanyl-cbaf9c258b4fdbcc93ac164902629c35">how people use</a>&nbsp;drugs.

— The growing impact of billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit settlement money.

— The number of at-risk Americans is shrinking, after waves of deaths in older adults and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-drug-use-b5e877b4c7eecb5354c3b8214e7d8692">shift in teens</a>&nbsp;and younger adults away from the drugs that cause most deaths.

Still, annual overdose deaths are higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, the CDC noted that overdoses are still the leading cause of death for people 18-44 years old, “underscoring the need for ongoing efforts to maintain this progress.”

Some experts worry that the recent decline could be slowed or stopped by reductions in federal funding and the public health workforce, or a shift away from the strategies that seem to be working.

“Now is not the time to take the foot off the gas pedal,” said Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a drug policy expert at the University of California, San Francisco.

The provisional numbers are estimates of everyone who died of overdoses in the U.S., including noncitizens. That data is still being processed, and the final numbers can sometimes differ a bit. But it’s clear that there was a huge drop last year.

Experts note that there have been past moments when U.S. overdose deaths&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-opioids-death-rates-ba8af16246240aae4b044238ce19e6b6">seemed to have plateaued</a>&nbsp;or even started to go down,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-overdose-deaths-cdc-3c3848da5f8aa01d7b9f232ba5a34152">only to rise again</a>. That happened in 2018.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/narcan-naloxone-overdose-opioids-9ad693795ce31e3a867a4dd4b65dbde8">Naloxone</a>&nbsp;has become more widely available, in part because of the introduction of over-the-counter versions that don’t require prescriptions.

Meanwhile, drug manufacturers, distributors, pharmacy chains and other businesses have settled lawsuits with state and local governments over the painkillers that were a main driver of overdose deaths in the past. The deals over the last decade or so have promised about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opioid-crisis-settlement-lived-experience-d7333af213cfaa90dc5ea7bad728fb13">$50 billion</a>&nbsp;over time, with most of it required to be used to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opioids-settlement-money-recovery-addiction-d186d72250f35056892bc9d70b5ab2c3">fight addiction</a>.

Another settlement that would be among the largest, with members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma agreeing to pay&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxycontin-purdue-sackler-settlement-bankruptcy-05531ffdbdfa86b0da83c621935ba8b4">up to $7 billion</a>, could be approved this year.

The money, along with federal taxpayer funding, is going to a variety of programs, including supportive housing and harm reduction efforts, such as providing materials to test&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legalization-fentanyl-test-strips-opioid-overdoses-4a23f92b401c667381e84538fe5f1059">drugs for fentanyl</a>, the biggest driver of overdoses now.

But what each state will do with that money is currently at issue. “States can either say, ‘We won, we can walk away’” in the wake of the declines or they can use the lawsuit money on naloxone and other efforts, said Regina LaBelle, a former acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. She now heads an addiction and public policy program at Georgetown University.

President Donald Trump’s administration views opioids as largely a law enforcement issue and as a reason to step up border security. It also has been reorganizing and downsizing federal health agencies.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said overdose prevention efforts will continue, but some public health experts say cuts mean the work will not go on at the same level.

U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, asked Kennedy at a Wednesday hearing “why the hell” those changes are being made when the steep drop in deaths showed “we were getting somewhere.” Some advocates made a similar point in a call with reporters last week.

“We believe that taking a public health approach that seeks to support — not punish — people who use drugs is crucial to ending the overdose crisis,” said Dr. Tamara Olt, an Illinois woman whose 16-year-old son died of a heroin overdose in 2012. She is now executive director of Broken No Moore, an advocacy organization focused on substance use disorder.

Olt attributes recent declines to the growing availability of naloxone, work to make treatment available, and wider awareness of the problem.

Kimberly Douglas, an Illinois woman whose 17-year-old son died of an overdose in 2023, credited the growing chorus of grieving mothers.

“Eventually people are going to start listening," she said. "Unfortunately, it's taken 10-plus years.”

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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747410010033.png" alt="Naloxone vending machine in Kansas -Photo Courtesy DCCCA" />
 <figcaption>Naloxone vending machine in Kansas -Photo Courtesy DCCCA</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MIKE%20STOBBE%20and%20GEOFF%20MULVIHILL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MIKE STOBBE and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press</a>There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded.An estimated 80,000 people died from overdoses last year, according to provisional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data</a>&nbsp;released Wednesday. That’s down 27% from the 110,000 in 2023.The CDC has been collecting comparable data for 45 years. The previous largest one-year drop was 4% in 2018, according to the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics.All but two states saw declines last year, with Nevada and South Dakota experiencing small increases. Some of the biggest drops were in Ohio, West Virginia and other states that have been hard-hit in the nation's decades-long overdose epidemic.Experts say more research needs to be done to understand what drove the reduction, but they mention several possible factors. Among the most cited:— Increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.— Expanded addiction&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methadone-opioids-addiction-treatment-6dc1634de4cdac06410149e6a1372e18">treatment</a>.— Shifts in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/smoking-injection-overdoses-fentanyl-cbaf9c258b4fdbcc93ac164902629c35">how people use</a>&nbsp;drugs.— The growing impact of billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit settlement money.— The number of at-risk Americans is shrinking, after waves of deaths in older adults and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teen-drug-use-b5e877b4c7eecb5354c3b8214e7d8692">shift in teens</a>&nbsp;and younger adults away from the drugs that cause most deaths.Still, annual overdose deaths are higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, the CDC noted that overdoses are still the leading cause of death for people 18-44 years old, “underscoring the need for ongoing efforts to maintain this progress.”Some experts worry that the recent decline could be slowed or stopped by reductions in federal funding and the public health workforce, or a shift away from the strategies that seem to be working.“Now is not the time to take the foot off the gas pedal,” said Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a drug policy expert at the University of California, San Francisco.The provisional numbers are estimates of everyone who died of overdoses in the U.S., including noncitizens. That data is still being processed, and the final numbers can sometimes differ a bit. But it’s clear that there was a huge drop last year.Experts note that there have been past moments when U.S. overdose deaths&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-opioids-death-rates-ba8af16246240aae4b044238ce19e6b6">seemed to have plateaued</a>&nbsp;or even started to go down,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-overdose-deaths-cdc-3c3848da5f8aa01d7b9f232ba5a34152">only to rise again</a>. That happened in 2018.But there are reasons to be optimistic.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/narcan-naloxone-overdose-opioids-9ad693795ce31e3a867a4dd4b65dbde8">Naloxone</a>&nbsp;has become more widely available, in part because of the introduction of over-the-counter versions that don’t require prescriptions.Meanwhile, drug manufacturers, distributors, pharmacy chains and other businesses have settled lawsuits with state and local governments over the painkillers that were a main driver of overdose deaths in the past. The deals over the last decade or so have promised about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opioid-crisis-settlement-lived-experience-d7333af213cfaa90dc5ea7bad728fb13">$50 billion</a>&nbsp;over time, with most of it required to be used to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opioids-settlement-money-recovery-addiction-d186d72250f35056892bc9d70b5ab2c3">fight addiction</a>.Another settlement that would be among the largest, with members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma agreeing to pay&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxycontin-purdue-sackler-settlement-bankruptcy-05531ffdbdfa86b0da83c621935ba8b4">up to $7 billion</a>, could be approved this year.The money, along with federal taxpayer funding, is going to a variety of programs, including supportive housing and harm reduction efforts, such as providing materials to test&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legalization-fentanyl-test-strips-opioid-overdoses-4a23f92b401c667381e84538fe5f1059">drugs for fentanyl</a>, the biggest driver of overdoses now.But what each state will do with that money is currently at issue. “States can either say, ‘We won, we can walk away’” in the wake of the declines or they can use the lawsuit money on naloxone and other efforts, said Regina LaBelle, a former acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. She now heads an addiction and public policy program at Georgetown University.President Donald Trump’s administration views opioids as largely a law enforcement issue and as a reason to step up border security. It also has been reorganizing and downsizing federal health agencies.Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said overdose prevention efforts will continue, but some public health experts say cuts mean the work will not go on at the same level.U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, asked Kennedy at a Wednesday hearing “why the hell” those changes are being made when the steep drop in deaths showed “we were getting somewhere.” Some advocates made a similar point in a call with reporters last week.“We believe that taking a public health approach that seeks to support — not punish — people who use drugs is crucial to ending the overdose crisis,” said Dr. Tamara Olt, an Illinois woman whose 16-year-old son died of a heroin overdose in 2012. She is now executive director of Broken No Moore, an advocacy organization focused on substance use disorder.Olt attributes recent declines to the growing availability of naloxone, work to make treatment available, and wider awareness of the problem.Kimberly Douglas, an Illinois woman whose 17-year-old son died of an overdose in 2023, credited the growing chorus of grieving mothers.“Eventually people are going to start listening," she said. "Unfortunately, it's taken 10-plus years.”___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.

US overdose deaths fell last year, the largest one-year decline ever 

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — At least 27 people have been killed by storms systems that swept across part of the U.S. Midwest and South, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announcing Saturday that 18 of the deaths came in his state and 10 others were hospitalized in critical condition.

A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather.

Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, Beshear said. He also said the death toll could still rise.

“We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,” the governor said.

State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged,

Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them.

“You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train," she recalled Saturday. “It was terrible.”

The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said as the sound of power tools buzzed in the background. The neighborhood was dotted with piles of lumber, metal sheeting, insulation and stray belongings — a suitcase, a sofa, some six-packs of paper towels.

Rescuers were searching for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.

The National Weather Service hadn't yet confirmed that a tornado struck, but meteorologist Philomon Geertson said it was likely. It ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport shortly before midnight.

Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two tornado alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m. or so, about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and scrambled to the crawlspace at a relative’s nearby home because the couple’s own crawlspace is small.

“We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,” said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed.

“It’s one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it’s just surreal,” he said. “It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.”

The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago, at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Hundreds of people were rescued, and most of the deaths were caused by vehicles getting stuck in high water.

A storm in late 2021 spawned tornadoes that killed 81 people and leveled portions of towns in western Kentucky. The following summer, historic floodwaters inundated parts of eastern Kentucky, leaving dozens more dead.

Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis

About 1,200 tornadoes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-safety-precautions-stay-safe-8d7457120f6205e21915f513b76dee10">strike the U.S. annually</a>, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-climate-storms-science-new-orleans-27d2df41d6d7a9b0bb79dd04b8639f40">Researchers found</a>&nbsp;in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional “Tornado Alley” of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area.

The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought a punishing heat wave to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day.

“Well that was.....something,” the weather service's Chicago office wrote on X after issuing its first-ever dust storm warning for the city. Thunderstorms in central Illinois had pushed strong winds over dry, dusty farmland and northward into the Chicago area, the weather agency said.

In Missouri, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected in her city.

“The devastation is truly heartbreaking," she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods.

Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year.

Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press.

Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.

John Randle said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people.

"You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” said Randle, 19.

At the Saint Louis Zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield is caring for the displaced creatures.

A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.

Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains

The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night.

The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes.

These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains.

“Be prepared to take action if watches and warnings are issued for your area,” the weather service said.

Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Juan Lozano in Houston.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Storm systems sweeping across parts of the Midwest and South have left at least 21 dead, many of them in Kentucky, where what appeared to be a devastating tornado crumbled buildings and flipped a car over on an interstate.

In Kentucky, some 14 people were killed by severe weather, and the death toll is likely to rise, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. Local authorities in Laurel County, in the state's southeast, said nine people were killed after a tornado touched down.

Laurel County resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two tornado alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m. or so, about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car, went to a relative's nearby home and got into a crawlspace.

“We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,” said Cromer, 46.

His home is intact, though a piece of the roof got ripped off and windows were broken. A house two doors down is destroyed, along with others in the Sunshine Hills neighborhood, Cromer said.

“It’s one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it’s just surreal," he said, describing a landscape of destruction. "It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.”

Rescuers were “on the ground all night looking for possible survivors," and the search was continuing into the morning, Sheriff's Office spokesperson Deputy Gilbert Acciardo. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.

“Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,” London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV. “I have never personally witnessed what I‘ve witnessed here tonight.”

It’s the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago, at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Hundreds of people were rescued, and most of the deaths were caused by vehicles getting stuck in high water.

About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-climate-storms-science-new-orleans-27d2df41d6d7a9b0bb79dd04b8639f40">Researchers have found</a>&nbsp;in recent years that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional “Tornado Alley” of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area.

The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, knocked out power to several hundred thousand customers in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths in her city and said more than 5,000 homes were affected.

“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said. An overnight curfew was imposed Friday in the neighborhoods with the most damage.

The total number of people injured was not immediately known, but hospitals in the area reported receiving dozens of patients, with some in serious condition.

National Weather Service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year.

Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press.

John Randle, a 19-year-old University of Missouri-St. Louis student, said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people.

"You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” he said. “A lot of people were caught outside.”

The Saint Louis Zoo remained closed Saturday because of damage, but spokesperson Christy Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staffers, guests or animals.

Forecasters say severe weather could batter southern Plains

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said on its website Saturday that severe thunderstorms, large hail and “a couple of tornadoes” were expected across the southern Plains, with especially high risk in north Texas.

Contributing were Associated Press writers Haya Panjwani in Washington, D.C., Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, Julie Walker and Jennifer Peltz in New York and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Storm systems sweeping across the Midwest have left at least 16 dead, including nine people killed after a tornado sparked what authorities called a mass casualty event in southeastern Kentucky.

Kentucky authorities said there were also severe injuries when a twister tore across Laurel County late Friday, causing structures to crumble and even flipping over a car on I-75.

“The search is continuing in the damaged area for survivors,” the office of Sheriff John Root said in a statement posted on social media. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.

“The outpouring from our community has been heartwarming. We are continuing to accept donations,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Spokesman Gilbert Acciardo said rescuers have "been on the ground all night looking for possible survivors. That’s what we’re continuing to do.”

The tornado, which ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport, hit shortly before midnight.

“Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,” London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV. “I have never personally witnessed what I‘ve witnessed here tonight. There’s a lot of devastation.”

The storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left several hundred thousand customers without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.

“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency and an overnight curfew Friday had been put into place in the neighborhoods with the most damage.

The number of people injured was not immediately known. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received 20 to 30 patients from the storm with some in serious condition and most expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High.

St. Louis Children's Hospital received 15 patients with two of them expected to remain in the hospital into the weekend, she said.

National Weather Service radar indicated a tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year.

At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.

Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law Patricia Penelton died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.

Jeffrey Simmons Sr., who lives across from the church, heard an alert on his phone and then the lights went out.

“And next thing you know, a lot of noise, heavy wind,” he said. He and his brother went into the basement. Later, he realized it was worse than he thought. “Everything was tore up.”

Downed trees and stop lights also caused traffic gridlock during the Friday afternoon commute and officials urged people to stay home.

Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals.

“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado — it likely was,” National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.

“Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains,” the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said on its website Saturday. The risk was especially high for north Texas.

Associated Press writers Haya Panjwani in Washington, D.C., Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747486588444.png" alt="-Photos St. Louis Police" />
 <figcaption>-Photos St. Louis Police</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Video and pictures from the storms that moved across SEMO earlier this afternoon. Damage has been reported and power lines are done in several areas. So far, no reports of injuries at this time. <a href="https://t.co/0lgu3bJj6w">pic.twitter.com/0lgu3bJj6w</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop E (@MSHPTrooperE) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperE/status/1923497111779238184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>LONDON, Ky. (AP) — At least 27 people have been killed by storms systems that swept across part of the U.S. Midwest and South, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announcing Saturday that 18 of the deaths came in his state and 10 others were hospitalized in critical condition.A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather.Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, Beshear said. He also said the death toll could still rise.“We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,” the governor said.State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged,Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them.“You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train," she recalled Saturday. “It was terrible.”The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said as the sound of power tools buzzed in the background. The neighborhood was dotted with piles of lumber, metal sheeting, insulation and stray belongings — a suitcase, a sofa, some six-packs of paper towels.Rescuers were searching for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.The National Weather Service hadn't yet confirmed that a tornado struck, but meteorologist Philomon Geertson said it was likely. It ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport shortly before midnight.Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two tornado alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m. or so, about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and scrambled to the crawlspace at a relative’s nearby home because the couple’s own crawlspace is small.“We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,” said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed.“It’s one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it’s just surreal,” he said. “It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.”The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago, at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Hundreds of people were rescued, and most of the deaths were caused by vehicles getting stuck in high water.A storm in late 2021 spawned tornadoes that killed 81 people and leveled portions of towns in western Kentucky. The following summer, historic floodwaters inundated parts of eastern Kentucky, leaving dozens more dead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747486610642.jpeg" alt="Photo St. Louis Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo St. Louis Police</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis</h2>About 1,200 tornadoes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-safety-precautions-stay-safe-8d7457120f6205e21915f513b76dee10">strike the U.S. annually</a>, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-climate-storms-science-new-orleans-27d2df41d6d7a9b0bb79dd04b8639f40">Researchers found</a>&nbsp;in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional “Tornado Alley” of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area.The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought a punishing heat wave to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day.“Well that was.....something,” the weather service's Chicago office wrote on X after issuing its first-ever dust storm warning for the city. Thunderstorms in central Illinois had pushed strong winds over dry, dusty farmland and northward into the Chicago area, the weather agency said.In Missouri, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected in her city.“The devastation is truly heartbreaking," she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods.Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year.Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press.Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.John Randle said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people."You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” said Randle, 19.At the Saint Louis Zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield is caring for the displaced creatures.A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.<h2>Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains</h2>The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night.The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes.These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains.“Be prepared to take action if watches and warnings are issued for your area,” the weather service said.___Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Juan Lozano in Houston.---------------ST. LOUIS (AP) — Storm systems sweeping across parts of the Midwest and South have left at least 21 dead, many of them in Kentucky, where what appeared to be a devastating tornado crumbled buildings and flipped a car over on an interstate.In Kentucky, some 14 people were killed by severe weather, and the death toll is likely to rise, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. Local authorities in Laurel County, in the state's southeast, said nine people were killed after a tornado touched down.Laurel County resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two tornado alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m. or so, about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car, went to a relative's nearby home and got into a crawlspace.“We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,” said Cromer, 46.His home is intact, though a piece of the roof got ripped off and windows were broken. A house two doors down is destroyed, along with others in the Sunshine Hills neighborhood, Cromer said.“It’s one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it’s just surreal," he said, describing a landscape of destruction. "It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.”Rescuers were “on the ground all night looking for possible survivors," and the search was continuing into the morning, Sheriff's Office spokesperson Deputy Gilbert Acciardo. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.The National Weather Service hadn't yet confirmed that a tornado struck, but meteorologist Philomon Geertson said it was likely. It ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport shortly before midnight.“Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,” London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV. “I have never personally witnessed what I‘ve witnessed here tonight.”It’s the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago, at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Hundreds of people were rescued, and most of the deaths were caused by vehicles getting stuck in high water.A storm in late 2021 spawned tornadoes that killed 81 people and leveled portions of towns in western Kentucky. The following summer, historic floodwaters inundated parts of eastern Kentucky, leaving dozens more dead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747486610642.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis</h2>About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-climate-storms-science-new-orleans-27d2df41d6d7a9b0bb79dd04b8639f40">Researchers have found</a>&nbsp;in recent years that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional “Tornado Alley” of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area.The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, knocked out power to several hundred thousand customers in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths in her city and said more than 5,000 homes were affected.“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said. An overnight curfew was imposed Friday in the neighborhoods with the most damage.The total number of people injured was not immediately known, but hospitals in the area reported receiving dozens of patients, with some in serious condition.National Weather Service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year.Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press.Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.John Randle, a 19-year-old University of Missouri-St. Louis student, said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people."You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” he said. “A lot of people were caught outside.”The Saint Louis Zoo remained closed Saturday because of damage, but spokesperson Christy Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staffers, guests or animals.A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.<h2>Forecasters say severe weather could batter southern Plains</h2>The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said on its website Saturday that severe thunderstorms, large hail and “a couple of tornadoes” were expected across the southern Plains, with especially high risk in north Texas.___Contributing were Associated Press writers Haya Panjwani in Washington, D.C., Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, Julie Walker and Jennifer Peltz in New York and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta.----------------ST. LOUIS (AP) — Storm systems sweeping across the Midwest have left at least 16 dead, including nine people killed after a tornado sparked what authorities called a mass casualty event in southeastern Kentucky.Kentucky authorities said there were also severe injuries when a twister tore across Laurel County late Friday, causing structures to crumble and even flipping over a car on I-75.“The search is continuing in the damaged area for survivors,” the office of Sheriff John Root said in a statement posted on social media. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.“The outpouring from our community has been heartwarming. We are continuing to accept donations,” the Sheriff’s Office said.Spokesman Gilbert Acciardo said rescuers have "been on the ground all night looking for possible survivors. That’s what we’re continuing to do.”The tornado, which ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport, hit shortly before midnight.“Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,” London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV. “I have never personally witnessed what I‘ve witnessed here tonight. There’s a lot of devastation.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747486610642.jpeg" alt="Photo St. Louis Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo St. Louis Police</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis</h2>The storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left several hundred thousand customers without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths in her city and said more than 5,000 homes were affected.“This is truly, truly devastating,” Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency and an overnight curfew Friday had been put into place in the neighborhoods with the most damage.The number of people injured was not immediately known. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received 20 to 30 patients from the storm with some in serious condition and most expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High.St. Louis Children's Hospital received 15 patients with two of them expected to remain in the hospital into the weekend, she said.National Weather Service radar indicated a tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year.At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law Patricia Penelton died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.Jeffrey Simmons Sr., who lives across from the church, heard an alert on his phone and then the lights went out.“And next thing you know, a lot of noise, heavy wind,” he said. He and his brother went into the basement. Later, he realized it was worse than he thought. “Everything was tore up.”Downed trees and stop lights also caused traffic gridlock during the Friday afternoon commute and officials urged people to stay home.John Randle, a 19-year-old University of Missouri-St. Louis student, said he and his girlfriend were at the St. Louis Art Museum during the storm and were hustled into the basement with about 150 other people."You could see the doors flying open, tree branches flying by and people running,” he said. “A lot of people were caught outside.”Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals.“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado — it likely was,” National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.<h2>Forecasters say severe weather could batter southern Plains</h2>“Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains,” the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said on its website Saturday. The risk was especially high for north Texas.___Associated Press writers Haya Panjwani in Washington, D.C., Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this story.

Over 2 dozen dead from severe weather in Missouri and Kentucky

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20SHERMAN%20and%20LINDSAY%20WHITEHURST%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK SHERMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST&nbsp;</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;seemed intent Thursday on keeping a block on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;while looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24A884">Click here to listen to</a> a replay of the oral argument

It was unclear what such a decision might look like, but a majority of the court expressed concerns about would happen if the Trump administration were allowed, even temporarily, to deny citizenship to children born to people who are in the United States illegally.

The justices heard arguments in the Trump administration’s emergency appeals over lower court orders that have kept the citizenship restrictions on hold across the country. Nationwide, or universal, injunctions have emerged as an important check on Trump’s efforts to remake the government and a mounting frustration to the Republican president and his allies.

Judges have issued 40 nationwide injunctions since Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-inauguration-swearing-capitol-b3549ebe5dae74a872502aa79def7a11">began his second term</a>&nbsp;in January, Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court at the start of more than two hours of arguments.

Birthright citizenship is among several issues, many related to immigration, that the administration has asked the court to address on an emergency basis.

The justices are also considering the Trump 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.

Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term that would deny citizenship to children who are born to people who are in the country illegally or temporarily.

The order conflicts with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-trump-immigration-735d28a2572f623f199f97b3bc97644a">a Supreme Court decision from 1898</a>&nbsp;that held that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment made citizens of all children born on U.S. with narrow exceptions that are not at issue in this case.

States, immigrants and rights group sued almost immediately, and lower courts quickly barred enforcement of the order while the lawsuits proceed.

The current fight is over the rules that apply while the lawsuits go forward.

The court's liberal justices seemed firmly in support of the lower court rulings that found the changes to citizenship that Trump wants to make would upset the settled understanding of birthright citizenship that has existed for more than 125 years.

Birthright citizenship is an odd case to use to scale back nationwide injunctions, Justice Elena Kagan said. "Every court has ruled against you,” she told Sauer.

But if the government wins on today’s arguments, it could still enforce the order against people who haven’t sued, Kagan said. “All of those individuals are going to win. And the ones who can’t afford to go to court, they’re the ones who are going to lose,” she said

Several conservative justices who might be open to limiting nationwide injunctions also wanted to know the practical effects of such a decision as well as how quickly the court could reach a final decision on the Trump executive order.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh pressed Sauer with a series of questions about 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 the executive order gave the government only about 30 days to develop a policy. “You think they can get it together in time?” he said.

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.

Picking up on that theme, Justice Samuel Alito said he meant no disrespect the nation's district judges when he opined that they sometimes suffer from an “occupational disease ... 'I am right, and I can do whatever I want.'”

But Justice Sonia Sotomayor was among several justices who raised the confusing patchwork of rules that would result if the court orders were narrowed and new restrictions on citizenship could temporarily take effect in more than half the country.

Some children might be “stateless,” Sotomayor said, because they'd be denied citizenship in the U.S. as well as the countries their parents fled to avoid persecution.

New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum, representing 22 states that sued, said citizenship could “turn on and off” for children crossing the Delaware River between Camden, New Jersey, where affected children would be citizens, and Philadelphia, where they wouldn't be. Pennsylvania is not part of the lawsuit.

One possible solution for the court might be to find a way to replace nationwide injunctions with certification of a class action, a lawsuit in which individuals serve as representatives of a much larger group of similarly situated people.

Such a case could be filed and acted upon quickly and might even apply nationwide.

But under questioning from Justice Amy Coney Barrett and others, Sauer said the Trump administration could well oppose such a lawsuit or potentially try to slow down class actions.

Supreme Court arguments over emergency appeals are rare. The justices almost always deal with the underlying substance of a dispute.

But the administration didn't ask the court to take on the larger issue now and, if the court sides with the administration over nationwide injunctions, it's unclear how long inconsistent rules on citizenship would apply to children born in the United States.

A decision is expected by the end of June.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747336226952.png" alt="Protesters outside the Supreme Court Thursday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protesters outside the Supreme Court Thursday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20SHERMAN%20and%20LINDSAY%20WHITEHURST%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK SHERMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST&nbsp;</a>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;seemed intent Thursday on keeping a block on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;while looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24A884">Click here to listen to</a> a replay of the oral argumentIt was unclear what such a decision might look like, but a majority of the court expressed concerns about would happen if the Trump administration were allowed, even temporarily, to deny citizenship to children born to people who are in the United States illegally.The justices heard arguments in the Trump administration’s emergency appeals over lower court orders that have kept the citizenship restrictions on hold across the country. Nationwide, or universal, injunctions have emerged as an important check on Trump’s efforts to remake the government and a mounting frustration to the Republican president and his allies.Judges have issued 40 nationwide injunctions since Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-inauguration-swearing-capitol-b3549ebe5dae74a872502aa79def7a11">began his second term</a>&nbsp;in January, Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court at the start of more than two hours of arguments.Birthright citizenship is among several issues, many related to immigration, that the administration has asked the court to address on an emergency basis.The justices are also considering the Trump 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.Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term that would deny citizenship to children who are born to people who are in the country illegally or temporarily.The order conflicts with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-trump-immigration-735d28a2572f623f199f97b3bc97644a">a Supreme Court decision from 1898</a>&nbsp;that held that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment made citizens of all children born on U.S. with narrow exceptions that are not at issue in this case.States, immigrants and rights group sued almost immediately, and lower courts quickly barred enforcement of the order while the lawsuits proceed.The current fight is over the rules that apply while the lawsuits go forward.The court's liberal justices seemed firmly in support of the lower court rulings that found the changes to citizenship that Trump wants to make would upset the settled understanding of birthright citizenship that has existed for more than 125 years.Birthright citizenship is an odd case to use to scale back nationwide injunctions, Justice Elena Kagan said. "Every court has ruled against you,” she told Sauer.But if the government wins on today’s arguments, it could still enforce the order against people who haven’t sued, Kagan said. “All of those individuals are going to win. And the ones who can’t afford to go to court, they’re the ones who are going to lose,” she saidSeveral conservative justices who might be open to limiting nationwide injunctions also wanted to know the practical effects of such a decision as well as how quickly the court could reach a final decision on the Trump executive order.Justice Brett Kavanaugh pressed Sauer with a series of questions about 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 the executive order gave the government only about 30 days to develop a policy. “You think they can get it together in time?” he said.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.Picking up on that theme, Justice Samuel Alito said he meant no disrespect the nation's district judges when he opined that they sometimes suffer from an “occupational disease ... 'I am right, and I can do whatever I want.'”But Justice Sonia Sotomayor was among several justices who raised the confusing patchwork of rules that would result if the court orders were narrowed and new restrictions on citizenship could temporarily take effect in more than half the country.Some children might be “stateless,” Sotomayor said, because they'd be denied citizenship in the U.S. as well as the countries their parents fled to avoid persecution.New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum, representing 22 states that sued, said citizenship could “turn on and off” for children crossing the Delaware River between Camden, New Jersey, where affected children would be citizens, and Philadelphia, where they wouldn't be. Pennsylvania is not part of the lawsuit.One possible solution for the court might be to find a way to replace nationwide injunctions with certification of a class action, a lawsuit in which individuals serve as representatives of a much larger group of similarly situated people.Such a case could be filed and acted upon quickly and might even apply nationwide.But under questioning from Justice Amy Coney Barrett and others, Sauer said the Trump administration could well oppose such a lawsuit or potentially try to slow down class actions.Supreme Court arguments over emergency appeals are rare. The justices almost always deal with the underlying substance of a dispute.But the administration didn't ask the court to take on the larger issue now and, if the court sides with the administration over nationwide injunctions, it's unclear how long inconsistent rules on citizenship would apply to children born in the United States.A decision is expected by the end of June.

🎧Supreme Court divided on judges’ power in birthright citizenship case 

JOHNSON COUNTY—The Overland Park Police Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Overland Park woman.

The whereabouts of 81-year-old Jerry McConnell are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her, according to a media release from the KBI.

McConnell was last seen on Wednesday afternoon in Harrisonville, Missouri and was driving to her residence in Overland Park, Kansas. 

McConnell is believed to be driving a grey 2009 Honda Accord bearing Texas license plate RFP836. McConnell also may have been near Severy, Kansas on Thursday afternoon.

McConnell is a white female who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs around 140 pounds. She has blue eyes and gray hair. If you see Jerry McConnell, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, call the Overland Park Police Department at (913)-895-6300.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747502608195.png" alt="photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—The Overland Park Police Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Overland Park woman.The whereabouts of 81-year-old Jerry McConnell are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her, according to a media release from the KBI.McConnell was last seen on Wednesday afternoon in Harrisonville, Missouri and was driving to her residence in Overland Park, Kansas. McConnell is believed to be driving a grey 2009 Honda Accord bearing Texas license plate RFP836. McConnell also may have been near Severy, Kansas on Thursday afternoon.McConnell is a white female who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs around 140 pounds. She has blue eyes and gray hair. If you see Jerry McConnell, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, call the Overland Park Police Department at (913)-895-6300.

KBI: Silver Alert for Kan. woman last seen May 14

SHAWNEE COUNTY—The search for a suspect who ran from a stolen vehicle crash last month ended Wednesday.

Steven M. Rule, 39, of Topeka, is in custody in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

On April 24, police&nbsp;&nbsp;were investigating a stolen vehicle report in Topeka, according to Topeka Police&nbsp; LT Manuel Munoz. Through the investigation, officers were notified that the vehicle was in the area of SW 17th and SW Wanamaker in Topeka.

Police located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle fled east on SW 17th and officers did not pursue. A short time later, a Shawnee County Sheriff’s deputy observed the vehicle, which had been involved in an accident at SW 17th and SW McAlister when it struck a tree.

Several individuals ran from the scene and the Deputy began to run after them. During the foot pursuit, the deputy heard shots being fired and summoned additional assistance.&nbsp;Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies including the Kansas Highway Patrol, and Washburn University Police, arrived on scene.

Two individuals were taken into custody at the scene including Bryan K. Carter, 44, of Topeka on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of stolen property; value $1,500 to $25,000,&nbsp;Fail to stop at an accident; injury/damage over $1,000,&nbsp;Interference with law enforcement, Operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.

Laura M. Herde, 42, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the SNDOC for a misdemeanor warrant out of Douglas County and two misdemeanor warrants out of Shawnee County.

Rule is in custody on requested charges of theft, failure to stop at an injury accident, duty of driver to provide certain information, driving while license suspended, interference with law enforcement and flee or attempt to elude.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745527604920.png" alt="Police at the scene of the crash photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the crash photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—The search for a suspect who ran from a stolen vehicle crash last month ended Wednesday.Steven M. Rule, 39, of Topeka, is in custody in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747407663939.png" alt="Rule photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Rule photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On April 24, police&nbsp;&nbsp;were investigating a stolen vehicle report in Topeka, according to Topeka Police&nbsp; LT Manuel Munoz. Through the investigation, officers were notified that the vehicle was in the area of SW 17th and SW Wanamaker in Topeka.Police located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle fled east on SW 17th and officers did not pursue. A short time later, a Shawnee County Sheriff’s deputy observed the vehicle, which had been involved in an accident at SW 17th and SW McAlister when it struck a tree.Several individuals ran from the scene and the Deputy began to run after them. During the foot pursuit, the deputy heard shots being fired and summoned additional assistance.&nbsp;Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies including the Kansas Highway Patrol, and Washburn University Police, arrived on scene.Two individuals were taken into custody at the scene including Bryan K. Carter, 44, of Topeka on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of stolen property; value $1,500 to $25,000,&nbsp;Fail to stop at an accident; injury/damage over $1,000,&nbsp;Interference with law enforcement, Operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.Laura M. Herde, 42, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the SNDOC for a misdemeanor warrant out of Douglas County and two misdemeanor warrants out of Shawnee County.Rule is in custody on requested charges of theft, failure to stop at an injury accident, duty of driver to provide certain information, driving while license suspended, interference with law enforcement and flee or attempt to elude.

Police capture suspect who ran from crash in stolen vehicle

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Saturday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford pickup driven by Brady F. Toole, 34, Olathe, was northbound on Interstate 435 at 95th Street in the number three lane. 

The pickup entered lane number four, crossed the right shoulder, traveled off the right side of the roadway into the grass ditch, struck a wood post of a Kansas Department of Transportation sign, slid on the wet muddy surface and struck the southernmost bridge pillar of the 95th Street bridge.&nbsp;

Toole was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Saturday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford pickup driven by Brady F. Toole, 34, Olathe, was northbound on Interstate 435 at 95th Street in the number three lane. The pickup entered lane number four, crossed the right shoulder, traveled off the right side of the roadway into the grass ditch, struck a wood post of a Kansas Department of Transportation sign, slid on the wet muddy surface and struck the southernmost bridge pillar of the 95th Street bridge.&nbsp;Toole was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies in violent pickup crash

<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.

<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.”