VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-leo-xiv">Pope Leo XIV,</a>&nbsp;history’s first American pope, vowed Sunday to work for unity so that the Catholic Church becomes a sign of peace in the world, offering a message of communion during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-sunday-mass-vatican-3241276c09c79d66b4baf0183cbb9d70">an inaugural Mass</a>&nbsp;in St. Peter’s Square before an estimated 200,000 pilgrims, presidents, patriarchs and princes.

Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy’s global reach and mediatic draw.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-xiv-vatican-augustine-34a27b6bea9e3d48010acb2fbdad6046">The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary</a>&nbsp;smiled and waved from the back of the truck, but didn’t appear to stop to kiss babies and the crowd.

During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him — the lambswool stole over his shoulders and the fisherman’s ring on his finger — as if the weight of responsibility of leading the 1.4-billion strong church had just sunk in.

He turned his hand to look at the ring and seal and then clasped his hands in front of him in prayer.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-vance-us-migration-c9fc577cabff138de7bd8026133994fc">see Pope Francis before he died</a>, led the U.S. delegation honoring the Chicago-born Leo after paying his respects at the Argentine pope's tomb upon arriving in Rome late Saturday.

In his homily, Leo said he wanted to be a servant to the faithful through the two dimensions of the papacy, love and unity, so that the church could be a force for peace in the world.

“I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world,” he said. “In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest.”

His call for unity was significant, given the polarization in the Catholic Church in the United States and beyond.

Francis’ radical 12-year pontificate, which emphasized care for the poor and marginalized and disdain for the capitalist economic system, often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-conservative-francis-latin-374f2c4a4adc8ff853a7ae68e7525648">alienated conservatives and traditionalists.</a>&nbsp;Leo’s May 8 election, after a remarkably quick 24-hour conclave, appears to have pleased conservative Catholics who seem to appreciate his more disciplined, traditional style and Augustinian background, emphasizing core truths of Catholic doctrine.

Leo drove that message home further by wearing the formal red cape of the papacy, or mozzetta, to receive Vance and official government delegations in the basilica. Francis had eschewed many of the formalities of the papacy as part of his simple style, but Leo's return to the traditional garb has pleased conservatives and traditionalists who cheered when he came out of the loggia on May 8 wearing the red cape.

“Let us build a church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity,” Leo said, referencing some of the themes of Francis' pontificate as well.

Strict diplomatic protocol dictated the seating arrangements at the inaugural Mass, with both the United States and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peru-pope-leo-chiclayo-vatican-prevost-0f99859e5749decadade2d24ba7811dd">Peru getting front-row seats</a>&nbsp;thanks to Leo’s dual citizenship. Vance, a Catholic convert who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-trump-migration-09a89091f8e7dc3270099f0947d04e90">tangled with Francis</a>&nbsp;over the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-asylum-lawsuit-courts-d325740dd73f425309c66f89e670fd8f">mass migrant deportation plans,</a>&nbsp;was joined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Rome ahead of time to try to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-russia-ukraine-peace-pope-rubio-us-95f185bc251ac2dde54200f9495a0ad9">advance Russia-Ukraine peace talks.</a>

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is one of around a dozen heads of state attending, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia had planned to send its culture minister but was represented by its ambassador, reports said.

Diplomatic protocol also dictated the dress code: While most wore black, the handful of Catholic queens and princesses — Letizia of Spain and Charlene of Monaco among others — wore white in a special privilege allowed them. Three dozen of the world’s other Christian churches sent their own delegations, the Jewish community had a 13-member delegation, half of them rabbis. Other representatives headed Buddhist, Muslim, Zoroastrian, Hindu, Sikh and Jain delegations.

Security was tight, as it was for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-funeral-d6a8a471978c21c71c3f1dc07f663e78">Francis’ funeral on April 26,</a>&nbsp;which drew an estimated 250,000 people. The Vatican said 200,000 were on hand Sunday in the piazza and surrounding streets, parks and piazzas, where giant television screens and portable toilets were set up.

At the end of the Mass, Leo expressed hope for negotiations to bring a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-drone-attack-deadly-ceasefire-talks-b18d7ad72951680f24dbf289976c6251">“just and lasting peace” in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and offered prayers for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-18-05-2025-f325044576f1ac31e6083622242c9990">the people of Gaza</a>&nbsp;— children, families and elderly who are “reduced to hunger,” he said. Leo made no mention of hostages taken by Hamas from southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as Francis usually did when praying for Gaza.

Susan Hanssen, a professor who was born in Chicago and just arrived in Rome to teach, said she thought Leo’s homily of unity would resonate in the U.S. and beyond. “I think he will inspire,” she said after Mass. “What I particularly loved was the phrasing, unity within the doctrine of the faith, and then in love.”

U.S. seminarian Ethan Menning, 21, from Omaha, Nebraska, wrapped himself in an American flag, purchased at a truck stop in Iowa, to celebrate.

“Rome always felt like home for a Catholic, but now coming here and seeing one of our own on the throne of Peter ... it almost makes Jesus himself more accessible,” he said.

The two symbols of the papacy handed to Leo were the pallium stole, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-glossary-3f34cfc8bda3570b9ecf0602d20990fb">fisherman’s ring</a>. The pallium, draped across his shoulders, symbolizes the pastor carrying his flock as the pope carries the faithful. The ring, which becomes Leo’s official seal, harks back to Jesus’ call to the apostle Peter to cast his fishing nets.

The other symbolically important moment of the Mass was the representational rite of obedience to Leo: Whereas in the past all cardinals would vow obedience to the new pope, more recent papal installations involve representatives of cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, nuns, married couples and young people participating in the rite.

Gregory and Susan Hudak, who lived for 40 years in the Chicago area, found themselves in Rome after booking a trip in February, with just a faint hope of perhaps glimpsing the pope. Seeing the popemobile pass by in front of them, with the Chicago-born Leo on board, was even better than watching Michael Jordan play, said Gary Hudak, a former altar boy wearing a Chicago Bears hat.

“Originally, the only hope I had coming here was to see the inside of the Sistine Chapel," he said. "Seeing the pope was not scheduled, it was a long shot hope. And this was a treasure, simple as that.”

Associated Press writers Giovanna dell'Orto and David Biller, and AP visual journalist Isaia Monteleone contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747569688341.jpeg" alt="Pope Leo XIV meets Vice President JD Vance after the formal inauguration of his pontificate in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)" />
 <figcaption>Pope Leo XIV meets Vice President JD Vance after the formal inauguration of his pontificate in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)</figcaption>
 </figure>VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-leo-xiv">Pope Leo XIV,</a>&nbsp;history’s first American pope, vowed Sunday to work for unity so that the Catholic Church becomes a sign of peace in the world, offering a message of communion during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-sunday-mass-vatican-3241276c09c79d66b4baf0183cbb9d70">an inaugural Mass</a>&nbsp;in St. Peter’s Square before an estimated 200,000 pilgrims, presidents, patriarchs and princes.Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy’s global reach and mediatic draw.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-xiv-vatican-augustine-34a27b6bea9e3d48010acb2fbdad6046">The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary</a>&nbsp;smiled and waved from the back of the truck, but didn’t appear to stop to kiss babies and the crowd.During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him — the lambswool stole over his shoulders and the fisherman’s ring on his finger — as if the weight of responsibility of leading the 1.4-billion strong church had just sunk in.He turned his hand to look at the ring and seal and then clasped his hands in front of him in prayer.U.S. Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-vance-us-migration-c9fc577cabff138de7bd8026133994fc">see Pope Francis before he died</a>, led the U.S. delegation honoring the Chicago-born Leo after paying his respects at the Argentine pope's tomb upon arriving in Rome late Saturday.<h2>The theme of Leo's papacy</h2>In his homily, Leo said he wanted to be a servant to the faithful through the two dimensions of the papacy, love and unity, so that the church could be a force for peace in the world.“I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world,” he said. “In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest.”His call for unity was significant, given the polarization in the Catholic Church in the United States and beyond.Francis’ radical 12-year pontificate, which emphasized care for the poor and marginalized and disdain for the capitalist economic system, often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-conservative-francis-latin-374f2c4a4adc8ff853a7ae68e7525648">alienated conservatives and traditionalists.</a>&nbsp;Leo’s May 8 election, after a remarkably quick 24-hour conclave, appears to have pleased conservative Catholics who seem to appreciate his more disciplined, traditional style and Augustinian background, emphasizing core truths of Catholic doctrine.Leo drove that message home further by wearing the formal red cape of the papacy, or mozzetta, to receive Vance and official government delegations in the basilica. Francis had eschewed many of the formalities of the papacy as part of his simple style, but Leo's return to the traditional garb has pleased conservatives and traditionalists who cheered when he came out of the loggia on May 8 wearing the red cape.“Let us build a church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity,” Leo said, referencing some of the themes of Francis' pontificate as well.<h2>Tight security and protocol</h2>Strict diplomatic protocol dictated the seating arrangements at the inaugural Mass, with both the United States and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peru-pope-leo-chiclayo-vatican-prevost-0f99859e5749decadade2d24ba7811dd">Peru getting front-row seats</a>&nbsp;thanks to Leo’s dual citizenship. Vance, a Catholic convert who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-trump-migration-09a89091f8e7dc3270099f0947d04e90">tangled with Francis</a>&nbsp;over the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-asylum-lawsuit-courts-d325740dd73f425309c66f89e670fd8f">mass migrant deportation plans,</a>&nbsp;was joined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Rome ahead of time to try to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-russia-ukraine-peace-pope-rubio-us-95f185bc251ac2dde54200f9495a0ad9">advance Russia-Ukraine peace talks.</a>Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is one of around a dozen heads of state attending, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia had planned to send its culture minister but was represented by its ambassador, reports said.Diplomatic protocol also dictated the dress code: While most wore black, the handful of Catholic queens and princesses — Letizia of Spain and Charlene of Monaco among others — wore white in a special privilege allowed them. Three dozen of the world’s other Christian churches sent their own delegations, the Jewish community had a 13-member delegation, half of them rabbis. Other representatives headed Buddhist, Muslim, Zoroastrian, Hindu, Sikh and Jain delegations.Security was tight, as it was for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-funeral-d6a8a471978c21c71c3f1dc07f663e78">Francis’ funeral on April 26,</a>&nbsp;which drew an estimated 250,000 people. The Vatican said 200,000 were on hand Sunday in the piazza and surrounding streets, parks and piazzas, where giant television screens and portable toilets were set up.At the end of the Mass, Leo expressed hope for negotiations to bring a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-drone-attack-deadly-ceasefire-talks-b18d7ad72951680f24dbf289976c6251">“just and lasting peace” in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and offered prayers for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-18-05-2025-f325044576f1ac31e6083622242c9990">the people of Gaza</a>&nbsp;— children, families and elderly who are “reduced to hunger,” he said. Leo made no mention of hostages taken by Hamas from southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as Francis usually did when praying for Gaza.<h2>Americans are rejoicing</h2>Susan Hanssen, a professor who was born in Chicago and just arrived in Rome to teach, said she thought Leo’s homily of unity would resonate in the U.S. and beyond. “I think he will inspire,” she said after Mass. “What I particularly loved was the phrasing, unity within the doctrine of the faith, and then in love.”U.S. seminarian Ethan Menning, 21, from Omaha, Nebraska, wrapped himself in an American flag, purchased at a truck stop in Iowa, to celebrate.“Rome always felt like home for a Catholic, but now coming here and seeing one of our own on the throne of Peter ... it almost makes Jesus himself more accessible,” he said.The two symbols of the papacy handed to Leo were the pallium stole, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-conclave-glossary-3f34cfc8bda3570b9ecf0602d20990fb">fisherman’s ring</a>. The pallium, draped across his shoulders, symbolizes the pastor carrying his flock as the pope carries the faithful. The ring, which becomes Leo’s official seal, harks back to Jesus’ call to the apostle Peter to cast his fishing nets.The other symbolically important moment of the Mass was the representational rite of obedience to Leo: Whereas in the past all cardinals would vow obedience to the new pope, more recent papal installations involve representatives of cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, nuns, married couples and young people participating in the rite.Gregory and Susan Hudak, who lived for 40 years in the Chicago area, found themselves in Rome after booking a trip in February, with just a faint hope of perhaps glimpsing the pope. Seeing the popemobile pass by in front of them, with the Chicago-born Leo on board, was even better than watching Michael Jordan play, said Gary Hudak, a former altar boy wearing a Chicago Bears hat.“Originally, the only hope I had coming here was to see the inside of the Sistine Chapel," he said. "Seeing the pope was not scheduled, it was a long shot hope. And this was a treasure, simple as that.”___Associated Press writers Giovanna dell'Orto and David Biller, and AP visual journalist Isaia Monteleone contributed to this report.

Inaugural Mass: History's first American pope vows to work for unity

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

just after 2a.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to the 4200 block of College on a shooting call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

On arrival officers were directed to a shooting victim later identified as&nbsp;50-year-old Dante Franklin who was unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a house there. 

Officers rendered aid and called for EMS to the scene. EMS declared Franklin deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim had an interaction in front of the residence with one or more suspects that escalated and led to gunfire, which struck the victim.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.just after 2a.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to the 4200 block of College on a shooting call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.On arrival officers were directed to a shooting victim later identified as&nbsp;50-year-old Dante Franklin who was unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a house there. Officers rendered aid and called for EMS to the scene. EMS declared Franklin deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim had an interaction in front of the residence with one or more suspects that escalated and led to gunfire, which struck the victim.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

50-year-old homicide victim found on sidewalk near KC home

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The city of Leavenworth and CoreCivic will take their fight to court June 25 to determine whether the company can reopen its prison facility as an ICE detention center without going through a permitting process.&nbsp;

Attorneys for Leavenworth filed suit in March in U.S. District Court against the Nashville-based company, which ran the Leavenworth Detention Center before it was closed in 2021. The June 25 hearing is a scheduling hearing.

CoreCivic announced its intent to reopen its prison facility as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, which would be named the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.corecivic.com/facilities/midwest-regional-reception-center" target="_blank">Midwest Regional Reception Center</a>.&nbsp;

In its initial filing, city attorneys said CoreCivic must apply for and receive a supplemental use permit to reopen and operate the prison.&nbsp;

“Our facility – which has been in Leavenworth since 1992 – is and always has been properly zoned,” said CoreCivic spokesman Ryan Gustin in an email. “Leavenworth’s city code designates our site as an existing special use and lawful conforming use.”

The city recently passed a resolution that indicated CoreCivic needed permission to open its facility, Gustin said.&nbsp;

“There’s nothing in Leavenworth’s code that allows for such a resolution to rescind zoning,” he said.&nbsp;

City officials do not agree. In a 211-page filing with attachments, their attorneys said that, while the lawsuit is about the need for proper permitting, there were other problems too.&nbsp;

From 1992 to 2021, when CoreCivic operated the detention center, the company “became embroiled in multiple widely publicized scandals resulting from its gross mismanagement of the Facility and the ensuing rampant abuse, violence, and violations of the constitutional rights of its detainees and staff,” the filing said.&nbsp;

“CoreCivic’s mismanagement directly and indirectly impacted the City in countless ways, including for example, by imposing unexpected maintenance costs on its taxpayers, unreasonably increasing the burden on the City’s police and law enforcement agencies to address violent crime, and even impeding the City’s investigation of sexual assaults and other violent crimes against detainees and staff,” the filing said.&nbsp;

The city’s lawsuit contends that CoreCivic was already operating the prison when the city enacted its development rules that require a permit, so the business was grandfathered in under the new rules. But by ceasing operations for three years, the filing said, CoreCivic must now apply for the special use permit.&nbsp;

In fact, CoreCivic applied for a special use permit in February 2025 but about three weeks later withdrew that application, the city’s filing said.&nbsp;

Community activists are speaking about against the idea of CoreCivic operating a prison in Leavenworth.

Former CoreCivic employees regularly speak at city and county meetings about their negative experiences working in the closed detention center, and state organizations including the Kansas ACLU have helped organize press conferences and rallies. Objections include how CoreCivic operates, whether people held at the facility will be released into the community, and general opposition to immigrant detention centers.

Gustin said the company, as of April 30, had received applications from more than 1,100 people who want to work at the site.&nbsp;

“Despite what politically extreme outsider groups are saying, potential new employees and local business partners are excited to be part of what we’re creating in Leavenworth,” said Misty Mackey, warden of the new facility, in a press release. “We’re looking forward to operating a safe, transparent, accountable facility that will be a positive for this community dedicated to public service.”

Gustin said there has been inaccurate reporting about employees working on a job at the prison to replace the facility’s roof. CoreCivic issued cease-and-desist letters to those who accused the roofing company, Bass Roofing and Restoration, Fort Worth, of hiring workers without the proper permits.&nbsp;

“Any claims that our company has a contractor working for us at our Leavenworth facility that has undocumented or unauthorized workers doing the work are completely false,” he said. “We have been furnished documentation of the legal status of all workers on the roofing project at our facility from the primary contractor and subcontractor.”

The company has said that it will use local contractors at the facility, and Gustin said CoreCivic did reach out to local vendors.

“Experience in roofing our facilities and experience working on our federally contracted facilities is a factor we evaluate in reviewing bids,” he said. “It’s important to note that the roofing contractor who was selected for this project has handled similar work at another of our federal facilities, which required special clearances for workers.”

Although aware of community disagreement about the facility, Gustin said CoreCivic wants to work with Leavenworth city and county officials.&nbsp;

“In addition to the impact fees we’ve agreed to pay – and the property tax we already pay – we’ve worked to both listen to and be transparent with the community,” he said.

CoreCivic has offered the following impact fees:

Gustin said no one detained at the facility will be released directly into the Leavenworth community, which is one opposition point.&nbsp;

“Our facility will operate with strong oversight and accountability from our government partners, including regular audits and onsite monitors,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574019674964.png" alt="-CoreCivic plans to reopen its Leavenworth facility, closed since 2021, as an ICE detention facility. File photo" />
 <figcaption>-CoreCivic plans to reopen its Leavenworth facility, closed since 2021, as an ICE detention facility. File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The city of Leavenworth and CoreCivic will take their fight to court June 25 to determine whether the company can reopen its prison facility as an ICE detention center without going through a permitting process.&nbsp;Attorneys for Leavenworth filed suit in March in U.S. District Court against the Nashville-based company, which ran the Leavenworth Detention Center before it was closed in 2021. The June 25 hearing is a scheduling hearing.CoreCivic announced its intent to reopen its prison facility as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, which would be named the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.corecivic.com/facilities/midwest-regional-reception-center" target="_blank">Midwest Regional Reception Center</a>.&nbsp;In its initial filing, city attorneys said CoreCivic must apply for and receive a supplemental use permit to reopen and operate the prison.&nbsp;“Our facility – which has been in Leavenworth since 1992 – is and always has been properly zoned,” said CoreCivic spokesman Ryan Gustin in an email. “Leavenworth’s city code designates our site as an existing special use and lawful conforming use.”<h2>Proper permits?</h2>The city recently passed a resolution that indicated CoreCivic needed permission to open its facility, Gustin said.&nbsp;“There’s nothing in Leavenworth’s code that allows for such a resolution to rescind zoning,” he said.&nbsp;City officials do not agree. In a 211-page filing with attachments, their attorneys said that, while the lawsuit is about the need for proper permitting, there were other problems too.&nbsp;From 1992 to 2021, when CoreCivic operated the detention center, the company “became embroiled in multiple widely publicized scandals resulting from its gross mismanagement of the Facility and the ensuing rampant abuse, violence, and violations of the constitutional rights of its detainees and staff,” the filing said.&nbsp;“CoreCivic’s mismanagement directly and indirectly impacted the City in countless ways, including for example, by imposing unexpected maintenance costs on its taxpayers, unreasonably increasing the burden on the City’s police and law enforcement agencies to address violent crime, and even impeding the City’s investigation of sexual assaults and other violent crimes against detainees and staff,” the filing said.&nbsp;The city’s lawsuit contends that CoreCivic was already operating the prison when the city enacted its development rules that require a permit, so the business was grandfathered in under the new rules. But by ceasing operations for three years, the filing said, CoreCivic must now apply for the special use permit.&nbsp;In fact, CoreCivic applied for a special use permit in February 2025 but about three weeks later withdrew that application, the city’s filing said.&nbsp;<h2>Back and forth</h2>Community activists are speaking about against the idea of CoreCivic operating a prison in Leavenworth.Former CoreCivic employees regularly speak at city and county meetings about their negative experiences working in the closed detention center, and state organizations including the Kansas ACLU have helped organize press conferences and rallies. Objections include how CoreCivic operates, whether people held at the facility will be released into the community, and general opposition to immigrant detention centers.Gustin said the company, as of April 30, had received applications from more than 1,100 people who want to work at the site.&nbsp;“Despite what politically extreme outsider groups are saying, potential new employees and local business partners are excited to be part of what we’re creating in Leavenworth,” said Misty Mackey, warden of the new facility, in a press release. “We’re looking forward to operating a safe, transparent, accountable facility that will be a positive for this community dedicated to public service.”Gustin said there has been inaccurate reporting about employees working on a job at the prison to replace the facility’s roof. CoreCivic issued cease-and-desist letters to those who accused the roofing company, Bass Roofing and Restoration, Fort Worth, of hiring workers without the proper permits.&nbsp;“Any claims that our company has a contractor working for us at our Leavenworth facility that has undocumented or unauthorized workers doing the work are completely false,” he said. “We have been furnished documentation of the legal status of all workers on the roofing project at our facility from the primary contractor and subcontractor.”The company has said that it will use local contractors at the facility, and Gustin said CoreCivic did reach out to local vendors.“Experience in roofing our facilities and experience working on our federally contracted facilities is a factor we evaluate in reviewing bids,” he said. “It’s important to note that the roofing contractor who was selected for this project has handled similar work at another of our federal facilities, which required special clearances for workers.”<h2>Collaborative goals</h2>Although aware of community disagreement about the facility, Gustin said CoreCivic wants to work with Leavenworth city and county officials.&nbsp;“In addition to the impact fees we’ve agreed to pay – and the property tax we already pay – we’ve worked to both listen to and be transparent with the community,” he said.CoreCivic has offered the following impact fees:<ul>
 <li>One-time impact fee of $1,000,000 to the city of Leavenworth</li><li>Annual impact fee of $250,000 to the city of Leavenworth</li><li>Additional $150,000 annually to the police department</li>
 </ul>Gustin said no one detained at the facility will be released directly into the Leavenworth community, which is one opposition point.&nbsp;“Our facility will operate with strong oversight and accountability from our government partners, including regular audits and onsite monitors,” he said.

Leavenworth sues to keep CoreCivic from reopening Kansas prison as ICE detention facility

SEDGWICK COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Harley Davidson driven by&nbsp; Jeffrey&nbsp; Ratcliffe, 64, Wichita, was northbound on Interstate 235 just north of West Kallogg in the #1 lane. the driver failed to negotiate the curve of the highway.&nbsp; The motorcycle crossed through the center median, entered southbound Interstate 235 on the east shoulder. The driver overcorrected. and was ejected from the motorcycle.

EMS transported Ratcliffe to&nbsp;Ascension Via Christi St. Francis where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Sedgwick County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Harley Davidson driven by&nbsp; Jeffrey&nbsp; Ratcliffe, 64, Wichita, was northbound on Interstate 235 just north of West Kallogg in the #1 lane. the driver failed to negotiate the curve of the highway.&nbsp; The motorcycle crossed through the center median, entered southbound Interstate 235 on the east shoulder. The driver overcorrected. and was ejected from the motorcycle.EMS transported Ratcliffe to&nbsp;Ascension Via Christi St. Francis where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after ejected from motorcycle

RILEY COUNTY —A carbon monoxide incident prompted a hotel evacuation in Manhattan.

Just before 11a.m. Saturday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 530 Richards Drive, The Double Tree by Hilton, for a report of an unknown hazmat situation. 

Crews found elevated carbon monoxide levels inside the hotel. The hotel was evacuated to allow crews to monitor the atmospheric conditions throughout the building. 

Riley County EMS transported two hotel guests to Ascension Via Christi and evaluated several other guests on scene.&nbsp;A total of 12 firefighters on 4 fire apparatus responded to the incident. The last units cleared at 3:00 p.m. after ventilating the building.

&nbsp;The cause of the carbon monoxide incident was determined to be the pool heater and inoperable exhaust fans for the heating system.

 After venitlating the building, occupants were allowed to return to the hotel.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747531008903.png" alt="Photo Manhattan Fire Dept." />
 <figcaption>Photo Manhattan Fire Dept.</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —A carbon monoxide incident prompted a hotel evacuation in Manhattan.Just before 11a.m. Saturday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 530 Richards Drive, The Double Tree by Hilton, for a report of an unknown hazmat situation. Crews found elevated carbon monoxide levels inside the hotel. The hotel was evacuated to allow crews to monitor the atmospheric conditions throughout the building. Riley County EMS transported two hotel guests to Ascension Via Christi and evaluated several other guests on scene.&nbsp;A total of 12 firefighters on 4 fire apparatus responded to the incident. The last units cleared at 3:00 p.m. after ventilating the building.&nbsp;The cause of the carbon monoxide incident was determined to be the pool heater and inoperable exhaust fans for the heating system. After venitlating the building, occupants were allowed to return to the hotel.&nbsp;

2 hospitalized after carbon monoxide incident at Kan. hotel 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a high-speed chase.

Just after 10 p.m. May 15, a Sheriff’s Deputy&nbsp;attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a white 2003 Buick Regal near SE 15th Street and SE Adams Street, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson. The driver, later identified as 30-year-old Corey Mason of Topeka refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. 

Due to the driver accelerating to a high speed and driving in the opposite lanes of travel, the deputy chose not pursue.

A short time later, an officer with the Topeka Police Department located the vehicle near SE 24th Street and SE Virginia Avenue. Mason fled from the vehicle and was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. 

During the investigation, illegal narcotics were found. Mason was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County

Department of Corrections on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude; drive wrong way into opposing lane/intersection, Reckless driving, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;&nbsp;Driving while license suspended and Speeding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747407167524.png" alt="Mason photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Mason photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a high-speed chase.Just after 10 p.m. May 15, a Sheriff’s Deputy&nbsp;attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a white 2003 Buick Regal near SE 15th Street and SE Adams Street, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson. The driver, later identified as 30-year-old Corey Mason of Topeka refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. Due to the driver accelerating to a high speed and driving in the opposite lanes of travel, the deputy chose not pursue.A short time later, an officer with the Topeka Police Department located the vehicle near SE 24th Street and SE Virginia Avenue. Mason fled from the vehicle and was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were found. Mason was arrested and booked into the Shawnee CountyDepartment of Corrections on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude; drive wrong way into opposing lane/intersection, Reckless driving, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;&nbsp;Driving while license suspended and Speeding.

Kan. drug suspect drove wrong-way in traffic during police chase

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday ripped into Walmart, saying on social media that the retail giant should eat the additional costs created by his tariffs.

As Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-time-china-switzerland-660aa519e9059de7d81368ec4eef4b38">jacked up import taxes</a>, he has tried to assure a skeptical public that foreign producers would pay for those taxes and that retailers and automakers would absorb the additional expenses. Most economic analyses are deeply skeptical of those claims and have warned that the trade penalties would worsen inflation.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-earnings-tariff-consumers-inflation-773f7de5081c40a98c98fbb293fa5f96">Walmart warned on Thursday</a>&nbsp;that everything from bananas to children's car seats could increase in price.

Trump, in his Truth Social post, lashed out at the retailer, which employs 1.6 million people in the United States. He said the company, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, should sacrifice its profits for the sake of his economic agenda that he says will eventually lead to more domestic jobs in manufacturing.

“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,” Trump posted. “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, “EAT THE TARIFFS,” and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

The posting by the Republican president reflected the increasingly awkward series of choices that many major American companies face as a result of his tariffs, from deteriorating sales to the possibility of incurring Trump's wrath. Trump has similarly warned domestic automakers to not raise their prices, even though outside analyses say his tariffs would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-art-laffer-auto-tariff-warning-ba62f55af070e40e9d6eddf5d8433ad1">raise production costs</a>.

So far, those tariffs have darkened the mood of an otherwise resilient U.S. economy. The preliminary reading of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-inflation-consumer-confidence-f7d2635e665fa1be2695c5e830fc23ae">University of Michigan survey of consumer sentiment</a>&nbsp;on Friday slipped to its second lowest measure on record, with roughly 75% of respondents “spontaneously” mentioning tariffs as they largely expected inflation to accelerate.

In April, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon was among the retail executives who met with Trump at the White House to discuss tariffs. But the Trump administration went forward despite warnings and has attacked other companies such as Amazon and Apple that are struggling with the disruptions to their supply chains.

Walmart chief financial officer John David Rainey said he thinks $350 car seats made in China will soon cost an additional $100, a 29% price increase.

“We’re wired to keep prices low, but there’s a limit to what we can bear, or any retailer for that matter,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday after the company reported strong first-quarter sales.

The administration recently ratcheted down its 145% tariffs on China to 30% for a 90-day period. Trump has placed tariffs as high as 25% on Mexico and Canada due to illegal immigration and drug trafficking, harming the relationship with America's two largest trading partners.

There is a universal baseline tariff of 10% on most countries as Trump promises to reach trade deals in the coming weeks after having shocked the financial markets in early April by charging higher import taxes based on trade deficits with other countries. Trump insists he intends to preserve the tariffs as a revenue source and that a framework agreement with the United Kingdom would largely keep the 10% tariff rate in place.

Trump has also placed import taxes on autos, steel and aluminum and plans to do so on pharmaceutical drugs, among other products.

The tariffs and Trump's own reversals on how much he should charge have generated uncertainty across the U.S. economy, such that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has held the central bank's benchmark rates steady until there is more clarity. Powell has warned that tariffs can both hurt growth and raise prices.

On Saturday, Trump repeated his calls for Powell to cut the benchmark rates. That could cause inflation to accelerate, but the president has maintained that inflationary pressures have largely disappeared from the economy.

“Too Late Powell, a man legendary for being Too Late, will probably blow it again - But who knows???” Trump posted on Truth Social.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday ripped into Walmart, saying on social media that the retail giant should eat the additional costs created by his tariffs.As Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-time-china-switzerland-660aa519e9059de7d81368ec4eef4b38">jacked up import taxes</a>, he has tried to assure a skeptical public that foreign producers would pay for those taxes and that retailers and automakers would absorb the additional expenses. Most economic analyses are deeply skeptical of those claims and have warned that the trade penalties would worsen inflation.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-earnings-tariff-consumers-inflation-773f7de5081c40a98c98fbb293fa5f96">Walmart warned on Thursday</a>&nbsp;that everything from bananas to children's car seats could increase in price.Trump, in his Truth Social post, lashed out at the retailer, which employs 1.6 million people in the United States. He said the company, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, should sacrifice its profits for the sake of his economic agenda that he says will eventually lead to more domestic jobs in manufacturing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747507547543.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,” Trump posted. “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, “EAT THE TARIFFS,” and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”The posting by the Republican president reflected the increasingly awkward series of choices that many major American companies face as a result of his tariffs, from deteriorating sales to the possibility of incurring Trump's wrath. Trump has similarly warned domestic automakers to not raise their prices, even though outside analyses say his tariffs would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-art-laffer-auto-tariff-warning-ba62f55af070e40e9d6eddf5d8433ad1">raise production costs</a>.So far, those tariffs have darkened the mood of an otherwise resilient U.S. economy. The preliminary reading of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-inflation-consumer-confidence-f7d2635e665fa1be2695c5e830fc23ae">University of Michigan survey of consumer sentiment</a>&nbsp;on Friday slipped to its second lowest measure on record, with roughly 75% of respondents “spontaneously” mentioning tariffs as they largely expected inflation to accelerate.In April, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon was among the retail executives who met with Trump at the White House to discuss tariffs. But the Trump administration went forward despite warnings and has attacked other companies such as Amazon and Apple that are struggling with the disruptions to their supply chains.Walmart chief financial officer John David Rainey said he thinks $350 car seats made in China will soon cost an additional $100, a 29% price increase.“We’re wired to keep prices low, but there’s a limit to what we can bear, or any retailer for that matter,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday after the company reported strong first-quarter sales.The administration recently ratcheted down its 145% tariffs on China to 30% for a 90-day period. Trump has placed tariffs as high as 25% on Mexico and Canada due to illegal immigration and drug trafficking, harming the relationship with America's two largest trading partners.There is a universal baseline tariff of 10% on most countries as Trump promises to reach trade deals in the coming weeks after having shocked the financial markets in early April by charging higher import taxes based on trade deficits with other countries. Trump insists he intends to preserve the tariffs as a revenue source and that a framework agreement with the United Kingdom would largely keep the 10% tariff rate in place.Trump has also placed import taxes on autos, steel and aluminum and plans to do so on pharmaceutical drugs, among other products.The tariffs and Trump's own reversals on how much he should charge have generated uncertainty across the U.S. economy, such that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has held the central bank's benchmark rates steady until there is more clarity. Powell has warned that tariffs can both hurt growth and raise prices.On Saturday, Trump repeated his calls for Powell to cut the benchmark rates. That could cause inflation to accelerate, but the president has maintained that inflationary pressures have largely disappeared from the economy.“Too Late Powell, a man legendary for being Too Late, will probably blow it again - But who knows???” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Trump to Walmart: Eat the tariffs, after retailer issued warning

FINNEY COUNTY —A 4-year-old child was hit and killed by a vehicle Friday night, and the driver was arrested.

Just before 10 p.m., police and EMS were dispatched to the 600 block of Bancroft Street in Garden City after multiple calls of an unresponsive person. 

First responders found an unresponsive 4-year-old boy on a trailer and a Chrysler 200 in a nearby front lawn. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chrysler, identified as Jacob Eichhorn, 32, ran from the scene, but residents were able to catch him and keep him there until first responders arrived. 

The investigation revealed Eichhorn was driving southbound on Bancroft Street when he struck a trailer parked on the side of the street, and the impact caused the vehicle to become airborne before coming to a rest in the yard. The 4-year-old boy was on the trailer when it was struck by the vehicle. 

Further investigation revealed Eichhorn showed signs of impairment, and he was arrested and is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Driving while suspended; Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license; Interference with LEO.unknown circumstance; Failure to stop at accident; Involuntary manslaughter.In commission of another crime and an Out of County Arrest/Warrant, according to online jail records.

FINNEY COUNTY —A 4-year-old child was hit and killed by a vehicle Friday night, and the driver was arrested.Just before 10 p.m., police and EMS were dispatched to the 600 block of Bancroft Street in Garden City after multiple calls of an unresponsive person. First responders found an unresponsive 4-year-old boy on a trailer and a Chrysler 200 in a nearby front lawn. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chrysler, identified as Jacob Eichhorn, 32, ran from the scene, but residents were able to catch him and keep him there until first responders arrived. The investigation revealed Eichhorn was driving southbound on Bancroft Street when he struck a trailer parked on the side of the street, and the impact caused the vehicle to become airborne before coming to a rest in the yard. The 4-year-old boy was on the trailer when it was struck by the vehicle. Further investigation revealed Eichhorn showed signs of impairment, and he was arrested and is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Driving while suspended; Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license; Interference with LEO.unknown circumstance; Failure to stop at accident; Involuntary manslaughter.In commission of another crime and an Out of County Arrest/Warrant, according to online jail records.

Driver arrested after car struck trailer, killed 4-year-old in SW Kan.

<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.

<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.