WASHINGTON (AP) — With a push from President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-trump-milei-melania-87b81b22e066617beafc6d5f08b2622d">Donald Trump</a>, House Republicans sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-budget-blueprint-trump-tax-cuts-ff2bddf31f4e7cb0928139072392a091">a GOP budget blueprint</a>&nbsp;to passage Tuesday, a step toward delivering his “big, beautiful bill” with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts despite a wall of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-democrats-doge-ukraine-2d107f2e28c02b35cc74f876a4d946e0">opposition from Democrats</a>&nbsp;and discomfort among Republicans.

House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;had almost no votes to spare in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">bare-bones GOP majority</a>&nbsp;and fought on all fronts — against Democrats, uneasy rank-and-file Republicans and skeptical GOP senators — to advance the party’s signature legislative package. Trump made calls to wayward GOP lawmakers and invited Republicans to the White House.

The vote was 217-215, with a single Republican and all Democrats including Kansas 3rd District Representative Sharice Davids opposed.&nbsp;GOP members of the Kansas House delegation voted for the measure and the outcome was in jeopardy until the gavel.

“On a vote like this, you’re always going to have people you’re talking to all the way through the close of the vote,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise said before the roll call.

“We got it done,” the speaker said afterward

“On a vote like this, you’re always going to have people you’re talking to all the way through the close of the vote,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise said before the roll call. “It’s that tight.”

Passage of the package is crucial to kickstarting the process. Trump wants the Republicans who control Congress to approve a massive bill that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-jobs-act-trump-treasury-agenda-f4031196e0d69d0a1630e3b06b6d3cd7">extend tax breaks</a>, which he secured during his first term but are expiring later this year, while also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">cutting spending</a>&nbsp;across federal programs and services.

Next steps are long and cumbersome before anything can become law — weeks of committee hearings to draft the details and send the House version to the Senate, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-deportations-48f6565ccb0fd6002734dbb5c3c3ffb7">Republicans passed their own scaled-back version</a>. And more big votes are ahead, including an unrelated deal to prevent a government shutdown when federal funding expires March 14. Those talks are also underway.

It's all unfolding amid emerging backlash to what's happening elsewhere as billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk is tearing through federal agencies with his Department of Government Efficiency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-57671a76f22d5398a3c794e29e350082">firing thousands of workers</a>&nbsp;nationwide, and angry voters are starting to confront lawmakers at town hall meetings back home.

Democrats during an afternoon debate decried the package as a “betrayal” to Americans, a “blueprint for American decline” and simply a “Republican rip-off.”

“Our very way of life as a country is under assault,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on the steps of the Capitol.

Flanked by Americans who said they would be hurt by cuts to Medicaid and other social programs, the Democrats booed the GOP budget blueprint. But as the minority party, they don't have the votes to stop it.

Slashing government is not always popular at home

Even as they press ahead, Republicans are running into a familiar problem: Slashing federal spending is typically easier said than done. With cuts to the Pentagon and other programs largely off limits, much of the other government outlays go for health care, food stamps, student loans and programs relied on by their constituents.

Several Republican lawmakers worry that scope of the cuts being eyed — particularly some $880 billion to the committee that handles health care spending, including Medicaid, for example, or $230 billion to the agriculture committee that funds food stamps — will be too harmful to their constituents back home.

GOP leaders insist Medicaid is not specifically listed in the initial 60-page budget framework, which is true. Johnson and his leadership team also told lawmakers they would have plenty of time to debate the details as they shape the final package.

But lawmakers wanted assurances the health care program and others will be protected as the plans are developed and merged with the Senate in the weeks to come.

Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-federal-workers-trump-demand-firings-06553df358086db05917d3c50f3699d6">Mike Lawler</a>, R-N.Y., said Trump has promised he would not allow Medicaid to be cut.

“The president was clear about that. I was clear about that," Lawler said. “We will work through this, but the objective today is to begin the process.”

At the same time, GOP deficit hawks are withholding support until they are convinced it won't add to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-budget-outlook-treasury-26b1fc8a13af4537b72660c4a478dd97">nation's $36 trillion debt load</a>. They warn it will pile onto debt because the cost of the tax breaks — at least $4.5 trillion over the decade outweighs the $2 trillion in spending cuts to government programs.

Trump was set to met with several Republicans Tuesday at the White House, including Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz. who joined a group of GOP lawmakers from the Congressional Hispanic Conference raising concerns about protecting Medicaid, food stamps and Pell grants for college.

“While we fully support efforts to rein in wasteful spending and deliver on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Trump's</a>&nbsp;agenda, it is imperative that we do not slash programs that support American communities across our nation,” wrote Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and several others GOP lawmakers from the Hispanic Conference.

Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-states-house-of-representatives">the House</a>&nbsp;and the Senate vow to keep fighting the whole process. “This is not what people want,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., during a rules debate ahead of planned votes.

“We all know that trickle-down economics,” he said about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">the 2017 tax breaks</a>&nbsp;that flowed mainly to the wealthy, “don’t work.”

Trump has signaled a preference for “big” bill but also appears to enjoy a competition between the House and the Senate, lawmakers said, as he pits the Republicans against each other to see which version will emerge.

Senate Republicans, wary that Johnson can lift his bill over the finish line, launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-deportations-48f6565ccb0fd6002734dbb5c3c3ffb7">their own $340 billion package</a>&nbsp;last week. It’s focused on sending Trump money his administration needs for its deportation and border security agenda now, with plans to tackle the tax cuts separately later this year.

“I’m holding my breath. I’m crossing my fingers," said Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ernst-tillis-cassidy-cornyn-graham-musk-9a70ea4d8f1f75d5f3f62689da430b50">John Cornyn</a>, R-Texas, who said he is rooting for the House's approach as the better option. "I think a one-shot is their best opportunity.”

Johnson, whose party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-house-elections-e3754a684a7b96b129841d4b207c15e9">lost seats</a>&nbsp;in last November’s election, commands&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">one of the thinnest majorities</a>&nbsp;in modern history, which means he must keep almost every Republican in line or risk losing the vote.

The budget is being compiled during a lengthy process that first sends instructions to the various House and Senate committees, which will then have several weeks to devise more detailed plans for additional debate and votes.

Rep. Jodey Arrington, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, said with economic growth assumptions, from 1.8% as projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to 2.6% as projected by House Republicans, the package would generate about $2.6 trillion in savings over 10 years and would ensure the plan helps reduce the deficit.

Some fiscal advocacy groups view the GOP’s economic projections as overly optimistic.

Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam and Stephen Groves contributed reporting.

Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-states-house-of-representatives">https://apnews.com/hub/united-states-house-of-representatives</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740533392238.png" alt="Counting votes on the House floor Tuesday evening-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Counting votes on the House floor Tuesday evening-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With a push from President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-trump-milei-melania-87b81b22e066617beafc6d5f08b2622d">Donald Trump</a>, House Republicans sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-budget-blueprint-trump-tax-cuts-ff2bddf31f4e7cb0928139072392a091">a GOP budget blueprint</a>&nbsp;to passage Tuesday, a step toward delivering his “big, beautiful bill” with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts despite a wall of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-democrats-doge-ukraine-2d107f2e28c02b35cc74f876a4d946e0">opposition from Democrats</a>&nbsp;and discomfort among Republicans.House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;had almost no votes to spare in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">bare-bones GOP majority</a>&nbsp;and fought on all fronts — against Democrats, uneasy rank-and-file Republicans and skeptical GOP senators — to advance the party’s signature legislative package. Trump made calls to wayward GOP lawmakers and invited Republicans to the White House.The vote was 217-215, with a single Republican and all Democrats including Kansas 3rd District Representative Sharice Davids opposed.&nbsp;GOP members of the Kansas House delegation voted for the measure and the outcome was in jeopardy until the gavel.“On a vote like this, you’re always going to have people you’re talking to all the way through the close of the vote,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise said before the roll call.“We got it done,” the speaker said afterward<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> following budget resolution vote: &quot;We got it done...This is the first important step...we have a lot of hard work ahead of us...Lot of work yet to be done, but we&#39;re going to celebrate tonight. We&#39;ll roll up our sleeves and get right back at it in the morning.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/B0XO7A3WcH">pic.twitter.com/B0XO7A3WcH</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1894562651625103613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“On a vote like this, you’re always going to have people you’re talking to all the way through the close of the vote,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise said before the roll call. “It’s that tight.”Passage of the package is crucial to kickstarting the process. Trump wants the Republicans who control Congress to approve a massive bill that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-jobs-act-trump-treasury-agenda-f4031196e0d69d0a1630e3b06b6d3cd7">extend tax breaks</a>, which he secured during his first term but are expiring later this year, while also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">cutting spending</a>&nbsp;across federal programs and services.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Today I was proud to speak in support of and vote for the House budget resolution. Passing this bill is a critical first step that enables us to restore and secure our nation, both physically and financially, and extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to avoid a $2,200 tax increase in… <a href="https://t.co/W3xTJfeSoS">pic.twitter.com/W3xTJfeSoS</a>&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1894564780943237565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I voted to unlock the budget reconciliation process and advance President Trump&#39;s full agenda in the U.S. House of Representatives. My full statement👇 <a href="https://t.co/SdWuIXAAVR">pic.twitter.com/SdWuIXAAVR</a>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1894578575732244812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Congressman Schmidt&#39;s statement on House passage of the Budget resolution: &quot;Kansans sent President Trump and a Republican Congress to Washington to get America back on the right track after decades of unaffordable spending and four years of failed Biden policies. The budget…&mdash; Rep. Derek Schmidt Press (@RepDerekSchmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDerekSchmidt/status/1894575848407048266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Tonight&#39;s partisan budget is nothing more than a giveaway to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of hard working Kansans. I voted NO. It guts Medicaid, spikes health care costs, and makes groceries more expensive for families — all while adding trillions to the…&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1894559528122728566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Next steps are long and cumbersome before anything can become law — weeks of committee hearings to draft the details and send the House version to the Senate, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-deportations-48f6565ccb0fd6002734dbb5c3c3ffb7">Republicans passed their own scaled-back version</a>. And more big votes are ahead, including an unrelated deal to prevent a government shutdown when federal funding expires March 14. Those talks are also underway.It's all unfolding amid emerging backlash to what's happening elsewhere as billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk is tearing through federal agencies with his Department of Government Efficiency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-57671a76f22d5398a3c794e29e350082">firing thousands of workers</a>&nbsp;nationwide, and angry voters are starting to confront lawmakers at town hall meetings back home.Democrats during an afternoon debate decried the package as a “betrayal” to Americans, a “blueprint for American decline” and simply a “Republican rip-off.”“Our very way of life as a country is under assault,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on the steps of the Capitol.Flanked by Americans who said they would be hurt by cuts to Medicaid and other social programs, the Democrats booed the GOP budget blueprint. But as the minority party, they don't have the votes to stop it.<h2>Slashing government is not always popular at home</h2>Even as they press ahead, Republicans are running into a familiar problem: Slashing federal spending is typically easier said than done. With cuts to the Pentagon and other programs largely off limits, much of the other government outlays go for health care, food stamps, student loans and programs relied on by their constituents.Several Republican lawmakers worry that scope of the cuts being eyed — particularly some $880 billion to the committee that handles health care spending, including Medicaid, for example, or $230 billion to the agriculture committee that funds food stamps — will be too harmful to their constituents back home.GOP leaders insist Medicaid is not specifically listed in the initial 60-page budget framework, which is true. Johnson and his leadership team also told lawmakers they would have plenty of time to debate the details as they shape the final package.But lawmakers wanted assurances the health care program and others will be protected as the plans are developed and merged with the Senate in the weeks to come.Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-federal-workers-trump-demand-firings-06553df358086db05917d3c50f3699d6">Mike Lawler</a>, R-N.Y., said Trump has promised he would not allow Medicaid to be cut.“The president was clear about that. I was clear about that," Lawler said. “We will work through this, but the objective today is to begin the process.”At the same time, GOP deficit hawks are withholding support until they are convinced it won't add to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-budget-outlook-treasury-26b1fc8a13af4537b72660c4a478dd97">nation's $36 trillion debt load</a>. They warn it will pile onto debt because the cost of the tax breaks — at least $4.5 trillion over the decade outweighs the $2 trillion in spending cuts to government programs.Trump was set to met with several Republicans Tuesday at the White House, including Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz. who joined a group of GOP lawmakers from the Congressional Hispanic Conference raising concerns about protecting Medicaid, food stamps and Pell grants for college.“While we fully support efforts to rein in wasteful spending and deliver on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Trump's</a>&nbsp;agenda, it is imperative that we do not slash programs that support American communities across our nation,” wrote Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and several others GOP lawmakers from the Hispanic Conference.<h2>Democrats protest tax cuts for wealthy</h2>Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-states-house-of-representatives">the House</a>&nbsp;and the Senate vow to keep fighting the whole process. “This is not what people want,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., during a rules debate ahead of planned votes.“We all know that trickle-down economics,” he said about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">the 2017 tax breaks</a>&nbsp;that flowed mainly to the wealthy, “don’t work.”Trump has signaled a preference for “big” bill but also appears to enjoy a competition between the House and the Senate, lawmakers said, as he pits the Republicans against each other to see which version will emerge.Senate Republicans, wary that Johnson can lift his bill over the finish line, launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-trump-tax-cuts-deportations-48f6565ccb0fd6002734dbb5c3c3ffb7">their own $340 billion package</a>&nbsp;last week. It’s focused on sending Trump money his administration needs for its deportation and border security agenda now, with plans to tackle the tax cuts separately later this year.“I’m holding my breath. I’m crossing my fingers," said Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ernst-tillis-cassidy-cornyn-graham-musk-9a70ea4d8f1f75d5f3f62689da430b50">John Cornyn</a>, R-Texas, who said he is rooting for the House's approach as the better option. "I think a one-shot is their best opportunity.”<h2>The House GOP faces pitfalls ahead</h2>Johnson, whose party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-house-elections-e3754a684a7b96b129841d4b207c15e9">lost seats</a>&nbsp;in last November’s election, commands&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">one of the thinnest majorities</a>&nbsp;in modern history, which means he must keep almost every Republican in line or risk losing the vote.The budget is being compiled during a lengthy process that first sends instructions to the various House and Senate committees, which will then have several weeks to devise more detailed plans for additional debate and votes.Rep. Jodey Arrington, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, said with economic growth assumptions, from 1.8% as projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to 2.6% as projected by House Republicans, the package would generate about $2.6 trillion in savings over 10 years and would ensure the plan helps reduce the deficit.Some fiscal advocacy groups view the GOP’s economic projections as overly optimistic.___Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam and Stephen Groves contributed reporting.Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-states-house-of-representatives">https://apnews.com/hub/united-states-house-of-representatives</a>.

🎥Kan. lawmakers help House pass Trump's 'big beautiful budget bill' 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly fire in Topeka.&nbsp;

Just before 5:30a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp;firefighters from the Topeka Fire Department responded to a house fire at 435 SE California Avenue, according to Fire Marshal&nbsp;Alan Stahl.

 Upon arrival, crews found a single story house with smoke and flames. Crews extinguished the fire and during a search of the home they found the body of a man who was deceased. He&nbsp;has been identified as 34-year-old Daron Weather. His cause of death remains under investigation.

Fire officials have also not released an estimate of damage to the residence from the fire.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly fire in Topeka.&nbsp;Just before 5:30a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp;firefighters from the Topeka Fire Department responded to a house fire at 435 SE California Avenue, according to Fire Marshal&nbsp;Alan Stahl. Upon arrival, crews found a single story house with smoke and flames. Crews extinguished the fire and during a search of the home they found the body of a man who was deceased. He&nbsp;has been identified as 34-year-old Daron Weather. His cause of death remains under investigation.Fire officials have also not released an estimate of damage to the residence from the fire.

Fire Marshal IDs victim in deadly Kansas house fire

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

Just after 2a.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3700 block of St. John Avenue on a reported shooting, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Upon arrival, no shooting victims were immediately located at the scene. While officers were speaking with bystanders in the area, they were notified a shooting victim arrived by a private vehicle at an area hospital. The victim was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. 

Further investigation revealed the incident may have occurred at a separate location near Sunrise Drive and Cliff Drive Place.

Just after 6a.m. detectives were notified by hospital staff the victim had been pronounced deceased. There is currently no preliminary information regarding what lead up to the shooting. A subject of interest has not been identified and no one is in custody at this time.Homicide detectives have assumed responsibility for the case.&nbsp; Police have not released the victim's name or additional details.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just after 2a.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3700 block of St. John Avenue on a reported shooting, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Upon arrival, no shooting victims were immediately located at the scene. While officers were speaking with bystanders in the area, they were notified a shooting victim arrived by a private vehicle at an area hospital. The victim was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Further investigation revealed the incident may have occurred at a separate location near Sunrise Drive and Cliff Drive Place.Just after 6a.m. detectives were notified by hospital staff the victim had been pronounced deceased. There is currently no preliminary information regarding what lead up to the shooting. A subject of interest has not been identified and no one is in custody at this time.Homicide detectives have assumed responsibility for the case.&nbsp; Police have not released the victim's name or additional details.

Homicide: Shooting victim dies after arriving at KC hospital

ROME (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-health-83b690c6d47679c37ae10329369fd480">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;was sitting upright and receiving therapy for double pneumonia Wednesday, the Vatican said, as Argentines, Romans and others kept up the steady stream of prayers for his recovery. Francis remained in critical condition but the Holy See machinery ground on, with the announcement of new bishops and a new church fundraising initiative.

The Vatican said that it hoped to have information later in the day about the results of a CT scan taken Tuesday evening to check on the status of the complex lung infection that has kept the 88-year-old pope hospitalized since Feb. 14. Francis has chronic lung disease and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital after a bout of bronchitis worsened.

The Vatican said the pope had a peaceful night and was up, sitting in his armchair on Wednesday receiving therapy. Doctors have said he isn't out of danger, but hasn't had any further respiratory crises since Saturday.

Francis has been working from his hospital room, and the daily grind of the Vatican bureaucracy has been continuing in his absence. On Wednesday the Vatican said Francis had appointed four new bishops and approved the creation of a new fundraising initiative to encourage donations to the Holy See, which has been enduring a financial crisis for years.

Francis likely approved the bishop appointments awhile back and the new norms for the fundraising entity were approved Feb. 11, before he was hospitalized. But the announcements made them official and suggested Francis was still very much in charge and governing.

Pilgrims descend on the hospital to be closer to Francis

If he were to look out the hospital window from the 10th floor, he might see that a steady stream of well-wishers are lighting candles and leaving him get-well cards at the statue of St. John Paul II near the Gemelli entrance. It has become something of a makeshift pilgrimage destination, especially for church groups in town for the Vatican’s Holy Year.

On Wednesday, Bishop Gerardo Villalonga from Menorca, Spain led a group of 50 pilgrims to the site, saying they wanted to be as close to him as possible.

“Because when a family has someone who is sick it is very important that they are surrounded, it is necessary that everyone is near to them, and all the people of God are close the pope,” he said.

Cardinal Re picked to lead prayer vigil on Wednesday

The dean of the College of Cardinals, meanwhile, was designated to lead the Vatican's prayer vigil in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday night, thrusting a key figure in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-pope-camerlengo-a2dc467fd152255e4301109b96a13901">a future possible conclave</a>&nbsp;into the spotlight. Francis recently extended the term of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, keeping him in the important job rather than naming someone new.

As is now popularly known thanks to the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave,” the dean is a key point of reference for cardinals. He presides over a papal funeral and organizes the conclave to elect a new pope.

From 2000-2010, Re was prefect of the Vatican’s congregation for bishops, one of the most powerful and influential positions in the Holy See. Francis made him dean in 2020 and confirmed him in the job in January despite the expiration of his five-year term.

On Tuesday night, the faithful from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-pope-francis-prayers-health-0775b256a93dc3175efe8c48d2904aa0">Francis' homeland</a>&nbsp;gathered in the Argentine church of Rome for a special Mass presided over by Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, the pope’s vicar for Rome. Reina was also celebrating the lunchtime Mass on Wednesday at Gemelli to pray for Francis.

The rector of the Argentine church, the Rev. Fernando Laguna, said that he hoped the pope could feel the embrace of the community's prayer.

“I can’t go to Gemelli, because for him to recover he must be isolated,” he said. "I know that I hug him and that he hugs me when I pray. And now I would like to embrace the pope.”

Sister Nilda Trejo, an Argentine nun, said that she knew Francis' health has always been delicate, with problems breathing and speaking loudly, and that's why she always prayed for him.

“We knew that he often found it difficult,” she said. "In fact, you see that at the beginning of Mass, the microphone always has to be turned up because he has a bit of trouble. But he always spoke to the people. To the heart of the people.”

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was in critical but stable condition Tuesday, with his blood parameters remaining stable and no new respiratory crises, as he worked from the hospital while battling double pneumonia, the Vatican said.

The Vatican’s evening update said the 88-year-old pope underwent a follow-up CAT scan in Tuesday evening to check the lung infection. But it provided no details of what the scan showed, suggesting the results weren’t back yet. Doctors said regardless he hadn’t had any further respiratory crises, and that his prognosis remained guarded.

“In the morning, after receiving the Eucharist, he resumed work activities,” the Vatican statement said.

Earlier Tuesday, the Vatican had said that the pope was well enough to meet with the Vatican secretary of state to approve new decrees for possible saints. That suggested he was getting essential work done, firmly in charge and looking ahead despite being hospitalized in critical condition.

Decisions on saints and a formal meeting of cardinals

The Vatican's Tuesday noon bulletin contained a series of significant decisions, most importantly that Francis had met on Monday with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the Vatican “substitute” or chief of staff. It was the first known time the pope had met with Parolin, who is essentially the Vatican prime minister, since his Feb. 14 hospitalization.

During the audience, Francis approved decrees for two new saints and five people for beatification — the first step toward possible sainthood. Francis also decided to convene a consistory, or a formal meeting of cardinals, to set the dates for the future canonizations.

Francis regularly approves decrees from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-6cd32c6a3f0b4e81ba2f6399e7d6b90c">Vatican's saint-making office</a>&nbsp;when he is at the Vatican, albeit during audiences with the head of the office, not Parolin. A consistory is a necessary ceremonial step in that saint-making process. It wasn't clear why there was such urgency to approve the decrees, when some of the new proposed saints have been waiting years if not decades for their causes to advance, though the signing showed the pope fully in charge.

No date was set for the meeting. But it was also at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-vatican-city-language-99d97bf69b8d1b3b16e919183d0a551c">a banal consistory to set dates</a>&nbsp;for canonizations on Feb. 11, 2013, that Pope Benedict XVI announced, in Latin, that he would resign because he couldn't keep up with the rigors of the papacy. Francis has said he, too, would consider resigning after Benedict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-retirement-papacy-dcca464e7c1fd910568d07d6bf4d9994">“opened the door”</a>&nbsp;and became the first pope in 600 years to retire.

Giovanna Chirri, the reporter for the Italian news agency ANSA who was covering the consistory that day and broke the story because she understood Latin, said that she didn't think Francis would follow in Benedict's footsteps, “even if some would want it.”

“I could be wrong, but I hope not,” she told The Associated Press. “As long as he's alive, the world and the church need him.”

Francis' English biographer, Austen Ivereigh, said that it was possible, and that all that matters is that Francis be “wholly free to make the right decision.”

“The pope has always said that the papacy is for life, and he has shown that there is no problem with a frail and elderly pope,” Ivereigh said. “But he has also said that should he ever have a long-term degenerative or debilitating condition which prevents him from fully carrying out the exercise of the papal ministry, he would consider resigning. And so would any pope.”

Francis has said that if he were to resign, he would live in Rome, outside the Vatican, and be called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-rome-argentina-6a3f9a4aa7d93b43b5788968e6155031">''emeritus bishop of Rome"</a>&nbsp;rather than emeritus pope given the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/benedict-xvi-vatican-the-two-popes-0abdff0c3f85289d91e4970d5f3aaa58">problems that occurred</a>&nbsp;with Benedict's experiment as a retired pope. Despite his best efforts, Benedict remained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-europe-italy-vatican-city-7ebcbd70ec601546fba793d4e60eeec4">a point of reference</a>&nbsp;for conservatives before he died in 2022, and his home inside the Vatican gardens something of a pilgrimage destination for the right.

Francis has also written a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-0d803e11f12d34d276e3ff295e695fb3">letter of resignation</a>, to be invoked if he became medically incapacitated.

Speculation about a possible resignation has swirled ever since Francis was hospitalized, but the Vatican hierarchy has tamped it down. Parolin himself told Corriere della Sera over the weekend that such speculation was “useless” and that what mattered was Francis' health.

In addition to the audience with Parolin, the Vatican released Francis' message for Lent, the period leading up to Easter, in yet another forward-looking sign. In a subsequent bulletin, Francis named a handful of new bishops for Brazil, a new archbishop for Vancouver and modified the law for the Vatican City State to create a new hierarchy.

Many if not all of these decisions were likely in the works for some time. But the Vatican has said that Francis has been doing some work in the hospital, including signing documents.

On Tuesday morning, the Vatican’s typically brief morning update said: “The pope slept well, all night.”

Doctors have said the condition of the Argentine pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and preexisting lung disease before the pneumonia set in.

Francis’ right-wing critics have been spreading dire rumors about his condition, but his allies have cheered him on and expressed hope that he will pull through. Many noted that from the very night of his election as pope, Francis had asked for the prayers of ordinary faithful, a request he repeats daily.

“I’m a witness of everything he did for the church, with a great love of Jesus,” Honduran Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga told La Repubblica. “Humanly speaking, I don’t think it’s time for him to go to Paradise.”

At Gemelli on a rainy Tuesday morning, ordinary Romans and visitors alike were also praying for the pope. Hoang Phuc Nguyen, who lives in Canada but was visiting Rome to participate in a Holy Year pilgrimage, took the time to come to Gemelli to say a special prayer for the pope at the statue of St. John Paul II outside the main entrance.

“We heard that he is in the hospital right now and we are very worried about his health,” Nguyen said. "He is our father and it is our responsibility to pray for him.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740262535769.png" alt="Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)" />
 <figcaption>Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-health-83b690c6d47679c37ae10329369fd480">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;was sitting upright and receiving therapy for double pneumonia Wednesday, the Vatican said, as Argentines, Romans and others kept up the steady stream of prayers for his recovery. Francis remained in critical condition but the Holy See machinery ground on, with the announcement of new bishops and a new church fundraising initiative.The Vatican said that it hoped to have information later in the day about the results of a CT scan taken Tuesday evening to check on the status of the complex lung infection that has kept the 88-year-old pope hospitalized since Feb. 14. Francis has chronic lung disease and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital after a bout of bronchitis worsened.The Vatican said the pope had a peaceful night and was up, sitting in his armchair on Wednesday receiving therapy. Doctors have said he isn't out of danger, but hasn't had any further respiratory crises since Saturday.Francis has been working from his hospital room, and the daily grind of the Vatican bureaucracy has been continuing in his absence. On Wednesday the Vatican said Francis had appointed four new bishops and approved the creation of a new fundraising initiative to encourage donations to the Holy See, which has been enduring a financial crisis for years.Francis likely approved the bishop appointments awhile back and the new norms for the fundraising entity were approved Feb. 11, before he was hospitalized. But the announcements made them official and suggested Francis was still very much in charge and governing.<h2>Pilgrims descend on the hospital to be closer to Francis</h2>If he were to look out the hospital window from the 10th floor, he might see that a steady stream of well-wishers are lighting candles and leaving him get-well cards at the statue of St. John Paul II near the Gemelli entrance. It has become something of a makeshift pilgrimage destination, especially for church groups in town for the Vatican’s Holy Year.On Wednesday, Bishop Gerardo Villalonga from Menorca, Spain led a group of 50 pilgrims to the site, saying they wanted to be as close to him as possible.“Because when a family has someone who is sick it is very important that they are surrounded, it is necessary that everyone is near to them, and all the people of God are close the pope,” he said.<h2>Cardinal Re picked to lead prayer vigil on Wednesday</h2>The dean of the College of Cardinals, meanwhile, was designated to lead the Vatican's prayer vigil in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday night, thrusting a key figure in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-conclave-pope-camerlengo-a2dc467fd152255e4301109b96a13901">a future possible conclave</a>&nbsp;into the spotlight. Francis recently extended the term of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, keeping him in the important job rather than naming someone new.As is now popularly known thanks to the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave,” the dean is a key point of reference for cardinals. He presides over a papal funeral and organizes the conclave to elect a new pope.From 2000-2010, Re was prefect of the Vatican’s congregation for bishops, one of the most powerful and influential positions in the Holy See. Francis made him dean in 2020 and confirmed him in the job in January despite the expiration of his five-year term.On Tuesday night, the faithful from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-pope-francis-prayers-health-0775b256a93dc3175efe8c48d2904aa0">Francis' homeland</a>&nbsp;gathered in the Argentine church of Rome for a special Mass presided over by Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, the pope’s vicar for Rome. Reina was also celebrating the lunchtime Mass on Wednesday at Gemelli to pray for Francis.The rector of the Argentine church, the Rev. Fernando Laguna, said that he hoped the pope could feel the embrace of the community's prayer.“I can’t go to Gemelli, because for him to recover he must be isolated,” he said. "I know that I hug him and that he hugs me when I pray. And now I would like to embrace the pope.”Sister Nilda Trejo, an Argentine nun, said that she knew Francis' health has always been delicate, with problems breathing and speaking loudly, and that's why she always prayed for him.“We knew that he often found it difficult,” she said. "In fact, you see that at the beginning of Mass, the microphone always has to be turned up because he has a bit of trouble. But he always spoke to the people. To the heart of the people.”--------------ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was in critical but stable condition Tuesday, with his blood parameters remaining stable and no new respiratory crises, as he worked from the hospital while battling double pneumonia, the Vatican said.The Vatican’s evening update said the 88-year-old pope underwent a follow-up CAT scan in Tuesday evening to check the lung infection. But it provided no details of what the scan showed, suggesting the results weren’t back yet. Doctors said regardless he hadn’t had any further respiratory crises, and that his prognosis remained guarded.“In the morning, after receiving the Eucharist, he resumed work activities,” the Vatican statement said.Earlier Tuesday, the Vatican had said that the pope was well enough to meet with the Vatican secretary of state to approve new decrees for possible saints. That suggested he was getting essential work done, firmly in charge and looking ahead despite being hospitalized in critical condition.<h2>Decisions on saints and a formal meeting of cardinals</h2>The Vatican's Tuesday noon bulletin contained a series of significant decisions, most importantly that Francis had met on Monday with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the Vatican “substitute” or chief of staff. It was the first known time the pope had met with Parolin, who is essentially the Vatican prime minister, since his Feb. 14 hospitalization.During the audience, Francis approved decrees for two new saints and five people for beatification — the first step toward possible sainthood. Francis also decided to convene a consistory, or a formal meeting of cardinals, to set the dates for the future canonizations.Francis regularly approves decrees from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-6cd32c6a3f0b4e81ba2f6399e7d6b90c">Vatican's saint-making office</a>&nbsp;when he is at the Vatican, albeit during audiences with the head of the office, not Parolin. A consistory is a necessary ceremonial step in that saint-making process. It wasn't clear why there was such urgency to approve the decrees, when some of the new proposed saints have been waiting years if not decades for their causes to advance, though the signing showed the pope fully in charge.No date was set for the meeting. But it was also at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-vatican-city-language-99d97bf69b8d1b3b16e919183d0a551c">a banal consistory to set dates</a>&nbsp;for canonizations on Feb. 11, 2013, that Pope Benedict XVI announced, in Latin, that he would resign because he couldn't keep up with the rigors of the papacy. Francis has said he, too, would consider resigning after Benedict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-retirement-papacy-dcca464e7c1fd910568d07d6bf4d9994">“opened the door”</a>&nbsp;and became the first pope in 600 years to retire.Giovanna Chirri, the reporter for the Italian news agency ANSA who was covering the consistory that day and broke the story because she understood Latin, said that she didn't think Francis would follow in Benedict's footsteps, “even if some would want it.”“I could be wrong, but I hope not,” she told The Associated Press. “As long as he's alive, the world and the church need him.”Francis' English biographer, Austen Ivereigh, said that it was possible, and that all that matters is that Francis be “wholly free to make the right decision.”“The pope has always said that the papacy is for life, and he has shown that there is no problem with a frail and elderly pope,” Ivereigh said. “But he has also said that should he ever have a long-term degenerative or debilitating condition which prevents him from fully carrying out the exercise of the papal ministry, he would consider resigning. And so would any pope.”<h2>Francis' ideas about resignation</h2>Francis has said that if he were to resign, he would live in Rome, outside the Vatican, and be called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-rome-argentina-6a3f9a4aa7d93b43b5788968e6155031">''emeritus bishop of Rome"</a>&nbsp;rather than emeritus pope given the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/benedict-xvi-vatican-the-two-popes-0abdff0c3f85289d91e4970d5f3aaa58">problems that occurred</a>&nbsp;with Benedict's experiment as a retired pope. Despite his best efforts, Benedict remained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-europe-italy-vatican-city-7ebcbd70ec601546fba793d4e60eeec4">a point of reference</a>&nbsp;for conservatives before he died in 2022, and his home inside the Vatican gardens something of a pilgrimage destination for the right.Francis has also written a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-0d803e11f12d34d276e3ff295e695fb3">letter of resignation</a>, to be invoked if he became medically incapacitated.Speculation about a possible resignation has swirled ever since Francis was hospitalized, but the Vatican hierarchy has tamped it down. Parolin himself told Corriere della Sera over the weekend that such speculation was “useless” and that what mattered was Francis' health.In addition to the audience with Parolin, the Vatican released Francis' message for Lent, the period leading up to Easter, in yet another forward-looking sign. In a subsequent bulletin, Francis named a handful of new bishops for Brazil, a new archbishop for Vancouver and modified the law for the Vatican City State to create a new hierarchy.Many if not all of these decisions were likely in the works for some time. But the Vatican has said that Francis has been doing some work in the hospital, including signing documents.<h2>The pope slept well</h2>On Tuesday morning, the Vatican’s typically brief morning update said: “The pope slept well, all night.”Doctors have said the condition of the Argentine pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and preexisting lung disease before the pneumonia set in.<h2>Allies and ordinary faithful hopeful</h2>Francis’ right-wing critics have been spreading dire rumors about his condition, but his allies have cheered him on and expressed hope that he will pull through. Many noted that from the very night of his election as pope, Francis had asked for the prayers of ordinary faithful, a request he repeats daily.“I’m a witness of everything he did for the church, with a great love of Jesus,” Honduran Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga told La Repubblica. “Humanly speaking, I don’t think it’s time for him to go to Paradise.”At Gemelli on a rainy Tuesday morning, ordinary Romans and visitors alike were also praying for the pope. Hoang Phuc Nguyen, who lives in Canada but was visiting Rome to participate in a Holy Year pilgrimage, took the time to come to Gemelli to say a special prayer for the pope at the statue of St. John Paul II outside the main entrance.“We heard that he is in the hospital right now and we are very worried about his health,” Nguyen said. "He is our father and it is our responsibility to pray for him.”___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope Francis shows improvement as prayers for his recovery continue

ATCHISON COUNTY —Janice Buttron has been found and is safe according to the Atchison Police Department.

ATCHISON COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued a statewide silver alert for a missing Atchison woman.

The whereabouts of 77-year-old Janice Buttron are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her, according to a media release from the KBI. Buttron was last seen around 11:00 p.m. on Feb. 25 missing from her home near S 8th Street and Spruce Street in Atchison.

 Buttron is on foot. Buttron is a white female who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs around 135 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing jeans, a long sleeve cream colored t-shirt, smiley face slippers, and wearing glasses. 

Buttron has a condition impairing memory.

If you see Janice Buttron, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, call the Atchison County Sheriff’s Office at 913-367-4323

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740567137249.png" alt="Buttron photo Atchison Police" />
 <figcaption>Buttron photo Atchison Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Janice Buttron has been found and is safe according to the Atchison Police Department.---------ATCHISON COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued a statewide silver alert for a missing Atchison woman.The whereabouts of 77-year-old Janice Buttron are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her, according to a media release from the KBI. Buttron was last seen around 11:00 p.m. on Feb. 25 missing from her home near S 8th Street and Spruce Street in Atchison. Buttron is on foot. Buttron is a white female who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs around 135 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing jeans, a long sleeve cream colored t-shirt, smiley face slippers, and wearing glasses. Buttron has a condition impairing memory.If you see Janice Buttron, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, call the Atchison County Sheriff’s Office at 913-367-4323

Statewide Silver Alert canceled; missing Kan. woman is safe

KANSAS CITY—Prosecutors secured a guilty plea in the fatal wrong-way crash that occurred on 291 Highway near Sugar Creek, Missouri in 2022, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson/.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2516/2316-CR01585-01-Dominic-ConwayRedacted">Dominic Conway, 42,&nbsp; pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to Driving While Intoxicated and Involuntary Manslaughter in the 1st Degree. The defendant was also sentenced to the maximum sentence for the DWI charge—six months, and seven years on the involuntary manslaughter charge. The counts are running concurrently with one another.&nbsp;

According to court records, Sugar Creek police were called to the scene of a head-on crash on Missouri 291 Highway on Oct. 14, 2022. 

The victim. Independence, Mo. firefighter Harold "Gene" Eddins, Jr., was driving home after finishing his shift at the fire department when the crash occurred.&nbsp; He died at the scene of the crash.

The investigation determined Eddins was driving northbound on the highway when he encountered Conway's vehicle, which was driving the wrong-way on the divided, four-lane roadway. The two vehicles struck head-on. The defendant was impaired at the time of the crash, and his blood alcohol content was at least .490 when the crash occurred.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740521420729.png" alt="Conway photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Conway photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Prosecutors secured a guilty plea in the fatal wrong-way crash that occurred on 291 Highway near Sugar Creek, Missouri in 2022, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson/.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2516/2316-CR01585-01-Dominic-ConwayRedacted">Dominic Conway, 42,&nbsp; pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to Driving While Intoxicated and Involuntary Manslaughter in the 1st Degree. The defendant was also sentenced to the maximum sentence for the DWI charge—six months, and seven years on the involuntary manslaughter charge. The counts are running concurrently with one another.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740521548480.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, Sugar Creek police were called to the scene of a head-on crash on Missouri 291 Highway on Oct. 14, 2022. The victim. Independence, Mo. firefighter Harold "Gene" Eddins, Jr., was driving home after finishing his shift at the fire department when the crash occurred.&nbsp; He died at the scene of the crash.The investigation determined Eddins was driving northbound on the highway when he encountered Conway's vehicle, which was driving the wrong-way on the divided, four-lane roadway. The two vehicles struck head-on. The defendant was impaired at the time of the crash, and his blood alcohol content was at least .490 when the crash occurred.

Prison for wrong-way crash that killed KC area firefighter

JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.

On Feb. 20, Jackson County Deputies and Detectives executed a search warrant on the residences of 405 W 5th Street and 407 W 5th Street in Soldier for illegal drugs or narcotics, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

During the search deputies discovered illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and weapons. 

Christopher Kolterman, 52, of Soldier, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; &nbsp;possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740361072786.png" alt="Kolterman photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Kolterman photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.On Feb. 20, Jackson County Deputies and Detectives executed a search warrant on the residences of 405 W 5th Street and 407 W 5th Street in Soldier for illegal drugs or narcotics, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.During the search deputies discovered illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and weapons. Christopher Kolterman, 52, of Soldier, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; &nbsp;possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm.

Sheriff: Kansas felon was hiding drugs and gun at home

The NTSB on Tuesday issued a statement in regards to the ongoing investigation of the gas line explosion from Saturday.&nbsp; Here is the context of the statment:

"The NTSB is investigating the Feb. 22 natural gas fueled commercial building explosion, in Hutchinson, Kansas.

A team of five investigators arrived on site Monday (one investigator arrived Sunday), to begin the on-scene portion of the investigation which included inspecting the failed pipe. Today, investigators oversaw the extraction and securement of the failed pipe for shipping to the NTSB materials lab in Washington, D.C., for examination.

In the coming days, the team will be conducting interviews with personnel and witnesses.

During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident.

For information about the status of evacuation orders, please contact local authorities.

The next update will be the preliminary report, which will be available within 30 days; it can be accessed by searching our pipeline investigations pages. A link to the report will also be posted on NTSB Newsroom Twitter.

The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A final report is expected to be released within 12 - 24 months. "

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740421883145.png" alt="Image from video released by Hutchinson Fire Dept." />
 <figcaption>Image from video released by Hutchinson Fire Dept.</figcaption>
 </figure>The NTSB on Tuesday issued a statement in regards to the ongoing investigation of the gas line explosion from Saturday.&nbsp; Here is the context of the statment:"The NTSB is investigating the Feb. 22 natural gas fueled commercial building explosion, in Hutchinson, Kansas.A team of five investigators arrived on site Monday (one investigator arrived Sunday), to begin the on-scene portion of the investigation which included inspecting the failed pipe. Today, investigators oversaw the extraction and securement of the failed pipe for shipping to the NTSB materials lab in Washington, D.C., for examination.In the coming days, the team will be conducting interviews with personnel and witnesses.During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident.For information about the status of evacuation orders, please contact local authorities.The next update will be the preliminary report, which will be available within 30 days; it can be accessed by searching our pipeline investigations pages. A link to the report will also be posted on NTSB Newsroom Twitter.The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A final report is expected to be released within 12 - 24 months. "

NTSB statement regarding Hutch gas explosion investigation

Tours of the White House resumed on Tuesday under the new administration.

President Trump&nbsp;stopped to say hello to the first official White House tour group of the year.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/visit/">Click here to</a> book a White House tour.

Tours of the White House resumed on Tuesday under the new administration.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> stops to say hello to the first official White House tour group of the year! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/fjPlKQgzI1">pic.twitter.com/fjPlKQgzI1</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1894426618480697563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Trump&nbsp;stopped to say hello to the first official White House tour group of the year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Happening now, behind the scenes as President Trump stops by to say hello to a group touring the <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WhiteHouse</a>… Book your tour today at: <a href="https://t.co/kdwqkyOt2h">https://t.co/kdwqkyOt2h</a> <a href="https://t.co/3OnYE5ijjo">pic.twitter.com/3OnYE5ijjo</a>&mdash; Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1894431242982232345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/visit/">Click here to</a> book a White House tour.

🎥President Trump Surprises First White House Tour Group in Years

SEDGWICK COUNTY— The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office has identified the individual who died in an occupational incident at Textron Aviation’s east campus on Monday as 61-year-old Rocky Baldwin of Wichita.

Just after noon Monday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputies, Sedgwick County EMS, and firefighters from Sedgwick County Fire District 1 and the Wichita Fire Department responded to the 9700 block of East Central for a report of an employee not breathing.

Fire and EMS personnel found Mr. Baldwin in a facility paint booth, wearing a ventilator mask and not breathing. Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His death remains under investigation by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and the Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office has identified the individual who died in an occupational incident at Textron Aviation’s east campus on Monday as 61-year-old Rocky Baldwin of Wichita.Just after noon Monday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputies, Sedgwick County EMS, and firefighters from Sedgwick County Fire District 1 and the Wichita Fire Department responded to the 9700 block of East Central for a report of an employee not breathing.Fire and EMS personnel found Mr. Baldwin in a facility paint booth, wearing a ventilator mask and not breathing. Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene.His death remains under investigation by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and the Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office.

Sheriff IDs victim who died in an occupational incident in Wichita

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

TOPEKA — Kansas organizations advocating for sustained funding for Medicaid services said hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed federal budget cuts to the national health program&nbsp;can be deadly to vulnerable people with disabilities as well as seniors and children.

Medicaid, the public health insurance program serving millions of Americans, is a target of many Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., who seek to reduce expenditures as part of a government-efficiency effort. Medicaid covers about one in five Americans.

Kansas representatives from the fields of health care, disability rights, senior care and youths told reporters during a news conference Monday at the state Capitol the potential budget reductions are “unfathomable” and “draconian,” and they run the risk of creating “devastating” consequences.

The U.S. House has been working toward a vote&nbsp;this week on a budget resolution that includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid over a 10-year period.

President Donald Trump previously vowed to protect Medicaid, but he recently gave his blessing to the U.S. House’s budget outline that includes reforms to Medicaid-related programs.

“It’s already frustratingly difficult for people with disabilities or parents of kids with disabilities to get the care they need,” said Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas. “Making large, deadly cuts to Medicaid will make it dramatically harder to get that care and will greatly increase the number of Kansans who languish and die on HCBS waitlists while waiting for the very services they need to accommodate their disabilities.”

April Holman, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, said slashing spending to Medicaid, or KanCare as it’s known in Kansas, will come at the expense of seniors&nbsp;who live in nursing homes or require in-home care, low-income children and their parents as well as pregnant women and people with disabilities.

“There is no way that cuts of this level would not take coverage away from the Kansans the program was intended to protect: seniors, children and people with disabilities,” Holman said.

Adoption of sweeping federal reductions to Medicaid will weaken Kansas’ system of&nbsp;nursing homes and long-term care facilities. It may force facilities closures and cast providers and caregivers out of the state’s workforce.

“Medicaid is a critical part of senior care because tens of thousands of Kansans rely on it for everyday services,” said Dan Goodman, executive director of Kansas Advocates for Better Care.

On average, a semi-private room in a nursing home costs $7,700 per month, and Goodman said he’s puzzled as to how seniors will be able to afford care if Medicaid assistance is reduced.

“It is a business model,” Goodman said, “and this industry doesn’t give discounts.”

He questioned whether American taxpayers will be on the hook for plugging the gaps left behind by proposed cuts. The threat of Medicaid reductions isn’t a new threat, he said.

“I think the concern this time is how it’s being done in a reckless manner without regard to the consequences,” Goodman said.

Adrienne Olejnik, vice president of Kansas Action for Children, said less federal aid funneled into Kansas likely means state legislators will be forced to make decisions about where cuts take place and who they impact.&nbsp;Thousands of Kansans with disabilities rely on Medicaid to cover in-home care.

“Kansas lawmakers have worked so hard to make sure that people with disabilities can stay in their homes and receive the services they need,” Olejnik said. “I think that, unfortunately, is probably going to be one of the first places they’re going to have to look to cut here in Kansas.”&nbsp;

Nearly one in three children&nbsp;in Kansas get health coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Children in rural Kansas communities are especially reliant on Medicaid for health coverage.

“Large cuts to Medicaid would mean children would lose access to screening and detection services needed to identify developmental delays, behavioral challenges, and health issues,” Olejnik said.

The proposed cuts are only a sliver of the $2.3 trillion in Medicaid cuts that congressional leaders have shown interest in.

“This is going to be on the backs of Kansas kids and families,” Olejnik said.

Kansas is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, so it already misses out on hundreds of millions annually in federal funding for health care. Restrictions on Medicaid coverage, eligibility and reimbursement rates are likely to swell if federal cuts are implemented, advocates said.

Federal expenditure changes are likely to impact the 40 expansion states and the non-expansion states like Kansas differently.

Democratic House and Senate members in Kansas attempted last week to amend legislation to expand eligibility for Medicaid to about 150,000 people. Gov. Laura Kelly has endorsed a series of expansion plans and has included a work requirement for new enrollees demanded by Republicans.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740498658331.png" alt="April Holman, the executive director of the Medicaid expansion advocacy organization Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, talks to reporters on Feb. 24, 2025, in Topeka about a federal proposal to slash billions of dollars from the public health insurance program. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>April Holman, the executive director of the Medicaid expansion advocacy organization Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, talks to reporters on Feb. 24, 2025, in Topeka about a federal proposal to slash billions of dollars from the public health insurance program. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas organizations advocating for sustained funding for Medicaid services said hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed federal budget cuts to the national health program&nbsp;can be deadly to vulnerable people with disabilities as well as seniors and children.Medicaid, the public health insurance program serving millions of Americans, is a target of many Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., who seek to reduce expenditures as part of a government-efficiency effort. Medicaid covers about one in five Americans.Kansas representatives from the fields of health care, disability rights, senior care and youths told reporters during a news conference Monday at the state Capitol the potential budget reductions are “unfathomable” and “draconian,” and they run the risk of creating “devastating” consequences.The U.S. House has been working toward a vote&nbsp;this week on a budget resolution that includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid over a 10-year period.President Donald Trump previously vowed to protect Medicaid, but he recently gave his blessing to the U.S. House’s budget outline that includes reforms to Medicaid-related programs.“It’s already frustratingly difficult for people with disabilities or parents of kids with disabilities to get the care they need,” said Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas. “Making large, deadly cuts to Medicaid will make it dramatically harder to get that care and will greatly increase the number of Kansans who languish and die on HCBS waitlists while waiting for the very services they need to accommodate their disabilities.”April Holman, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, said slashing spending to Medicaid, or KanCare as it’s known in Kansas, will come at the expense of seniors&nbsp;who live in nursing homes or require in-home care, low-income children and their parents as well as pregnant women and people with disabilities.“There is no way that cuts of this level would not take coverage away from the Kansans the program was intended to protect: seniors, children and people with disabilities,” Holman said.<h2>The elderly</h2>Adoption of sweeping federal reductions to Medicaid will weaken Kansas’ system of&nbsp;nursing homes and long-term care facilities. It may force facilities closures and cast providers and caregivers out of the state’s workforce.“Medicaid is a critical part of senior care because tens of thousands of Kansans rely on it for everyday services,” said Dan Goodman, executive director of Kansas Advocates for Better Care.On average, a semi-private room in a nursing home costs $7,700 per month, and Goodman said he’s puzzled as to how seniors will be able to afford care if Medicaid assistance is reduced.“It is a business model,” Goodman said, “and this industry doesn’t give discounts.”He questioned whether American taxpayers will be on the hook for plugging the gaps left behind by proposed cuts. The threat of Medicaid reductions isn’t a new threat, he said.“I think the concern this time is how it’s being done in a reckless manner without regard to the consequences,” Goodman said.<h2>And, the kids</h2>Adrienne Olejnik, vice president of Kansas Action for Children, said less federal aid funneled into Kansas likely means state legislators will be forced to make decisions about where cuts take place and who they impact.&nbsp;Thousands of Kansans with disabilities rely on Medicaid to cover in-home care.“Kansas lawmakers have worked so hard to make sure that people with disabilities can stay in their homes and receive the services they need,” Olejnik said. “I think that, unfortunately, is probably going to be one of the first places they’re going to have to look to cut here in Kansas.”&nbsp;Nearly one in three children&nbsp;in Kansas get health coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Children in rural Kansas communities are especially reliant on Medicaid for health coverage.“Large cuts to Medicaid would mean children would lose access to screening and detection services needed to identify developmental delays, behavioral challenges, and health issues,” Olejnik said.The proposed cuts are only a sliver of the $2.3 trillion in Medicaid cuts that congressional leaders have shown interest in.“This is going to be on the backs of Kansas kids and families,” Olejnik said.Kansas is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, so it already misses out on hundreds of millions annually in federal funding for health care. Restrictions on Medicaid coverage, eligibility and reimbursement rates are likely to swell if federal cuts are implemented, advocates said.Federal expenditure changes are likely to impact the 40 expansion states and the non-expansion states like Kansas differently.Democratic House and Senate members in Kansas attempted last week to amend legislation to expand eligibility for Medicaid to about 150,000 people. Gov. Laura Kelly has endorsed a series of expansion plans and has included a work requirement for new enrollees demanded by Republicans.

Kansas advocates condemn U.S. House budget tied to Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) —White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that more than 1 million federal workers had responded to Elon Musk’s request for a list of five things they accomplished the previous week.

That’s less than half of the total government workforce.

Musk had originally said employees would be fired if they didn’t comply, although the Office of Personnel Management later said it was voluntary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740270477857.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that more than 1 million federal workers had responded to Elon Musk’s request for a list of five things they accomplished the previous week.That’s less than half of the total government workforce.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Rc7f1JEmrr">https://t.co/Rc7f1JEmrr</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1894465488484536536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Musk had originally said employees would be fired if they didn’t comply, although the Office of Personnel Management later said it was voluntary.

How many responded to Musk’s call to list their accomplishments?

The Catholic Diocese of Wichita&nbsp;

Good news from Rome: Father Kapaun has been named Venerable.

Bishop Carl Kemme announced that on February 24, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the Decree concerning the offer of life of Servant of God Emil Kapaun.

“As bishop of the Diocese of Wichita, where Father Emil Kapaun was ordained and served and where he is now entombed in the Cathedral, I join his family, our diocesan family, parishioners in Pilsen, his brother priests, men and women in the armed forces, past, present and future, and indeed every one of faith in giving thanks that Pope Francis has advanced his cause by declaring him to be Venerable. I encourage everyone to continue to pray for his intercession in every situation so that many more graces and divine favors will be received because of his powerful prayers. Venerable Emil Kapaun, pray for us!” Bishop Carl A. Kemme

This Decree is a formal recognition that, after a life of virtue, Kapaun freely and voluntarily made the supreme act of charity: offering his life for his fellow prisoners of war.&nbsp; “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” says Jesus (John 15:13).

The publication of the Decree opens the door for the investigation of alleged miracles needed as supernatural evidence to further the cause.&nbsp; One miracle will need to be approved for beatification.&nbsp; A second approved miracle, occurring after the beatification itself, will be needed for canonization as a saint.

Over the years we have received testimony of several instances of alleged miraculous intercession by Father Kapaun.&nbsp; Some of these potential miracles date back nearly two decades, while others occurred very recently.&nbsp; One or two will be sent in detail to the Dicastery for Saints in Rome for review by both theologians and medical experts before papal approval is given.&nbsp; This process will likely take many years before beatification could happen.

Bishop Kemme and all of us here at Father Kapaun’s Cause are immensely grateful for your prayers and support.&nbsp; This is a thrilling step, and we can now begin to address Father Kapaun as the Venerable Servant of God Emil Kapaun, or more commonly, “Venerable Emil Kapaun”.

Now, as much as ever, our work is to continue to pray and share Venerable Kapaun’s story.&nbsp; We ask him to intercede for us, that we all may follow his example of hope, courage, and selfless sacrifice for God and the good of those around us.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631705866678.png" alt="In Sept. 2021, Fr. Kapaun’s 5,400 lb. marble tomb placed on the concrete foundation in the east transept of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita-photo Catholic Diocese of Wichita&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>In Sept. 2021, Fr. Kapaun’s 5,400 lb. marble tomb placed on the concrete foundation in the east transept of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita-photo Catholic Diocese of Wichita&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The Catholic Diocese of Wichita&nbsp;Good news from Rome: Father Kapaun has been named Venerable.Bishop Carl Kemme announced that on February 24, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the Decree concerning the offer of life of Servant of God Emil Kapaun.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614944899732.png" alt="Father Kapaun -image Catholic Diocese of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>Father Kapaun -image Catholic Diocese of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>“As bishop of the Diocese of Wichita, where Father Emil Kapaun was ordained and served and where he is now entombed in the Cathedral, I join his family, our diocesan family, parishioners in Pilsen, his brother priests, men and women in the armed forces, past, present and future, and indeed every one of faith in giving thanks that Pope Francis has advanced his cause by declaring him to be Venerable. I encourage everyone to continue to pray for his intercession in every situation so that many more graces and divine favors will be received because of his powerful prayers. Venerable Emil Kapaun, pray for us!” Bishop Carl A. KemmeThis Decree is a formal recognition that, after a life of virtue, Kapaun freely and voluntarily made the supreme act of charity: offering his life for his fellow prisoners of war.&nbsp; “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” says Jesus (John 15:13).The publication of the Decree opens the door for the investigation of alleged miracles needed as supernatural evidence to further the cause.&nbsp; One miracle will need to be approved for beatification.&nbsp; A second approved miracle, occurring after the beatification itself, will be needed for canonization as a saint.Over the years we have received testimony of several instances of alleged miraculous intercession by Father Kapaun.&nbsp; Some of these potential miracles date back nearly two decades, while others occurred very recently.&nbsp; One or two will be sent in detail to the Dicastery for Saints in Rome for review by both theologians and medical experts before papal approval is given.&nbsp; This process will likely take many years before beatification could happen.Bishop Kemme and all of us here at Father Kapaun’s Cause are immensely grateful for your prayers and support.&nbsp; This is a thrilling step, and we can now begin to address Father Kapaun as the Venerable Servant of God Emil Kapaun, or more commonly, “Venerable Emil Kapaun”.Now, as much as ever, our work is to continue to pray and share Venerable Kapaun’s story.&nbsp; We ask him to intercede for us, that we all may follow his example of hope, courage, and selfless sacrifice for God and the good of those around us.

Revered Kansas priest moves one step closer to sainthood

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Missouri woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge accusing her of concocting a brazen plot to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-sale-lawsuit-elvis-presley-bd864f24ff76205ce23885c182a56a66">halted the mysterious foreclosure sale</a>.

During a hearing in front of a Memphis federal judge, Lisa Jeanine Findley pleaded guilty to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-sale-fraudulent-d6431df76860570e5d31526e81974f7d">charge of mail fraud</a>&nbsp;related to the scheme. She previously pleaded not guilty to the two-count indictment, which also includes a count of aggravated identity theft that will now be dropped.

When asked by the judge if Findley was admitting guilt and accepting responsibility, she said “Yes.”

Findley will be sentenced on June 19. She would have faced up to 20 years if convicted, but she is expected to receive less than that under the plea deal.

Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">her death in January 2023</a>, prosecutors said when she was charged in August 2024. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley’s family didn’t pay a $2.85 million settlement, according to authorities.

Findley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents, and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May 2024, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley’s granddaughter sued.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-auction-lawsuit-riley-keough-4c5d2dda1c189997319d331794e8f8d0">Experts were baffled</a>&nbsp;by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony.

Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Presley died in August 1977, at the age of 42.

In May, a public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/riley-keough">Riley Keough</a>, Presley’s granddaughter and an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">Lisa Marie Presley</a>.

Keough filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-auction-elvis-presley-359098fd64877f2e826b7309dba2bbb3">a lawsuit claiming fraud,</a>&nbsp;and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending — the bogus lender authorities say Findley created — said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.

Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit brings into question “the authenticity of the signature.”

The judge halted the foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction, saying Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.

The Tennessee attorney general’s office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-foreclosure-auction-1541d4a07db1b0a9870b0557eb073307">had been investigating</a>&nbsp;the Graceland controversy, then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elvis-presley-graceland-foreclosure-sale-lawsuit-93a42d151462e299fee88b5a6eca9743">confirmed in June</a>&nbsp;that it handed the probe over to federal authorities.

A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.

After the scheme fell apart, Findley tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent May 25 to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the internet to steal money.

In a statement, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called the scheme “nonsense” and praised the work of federal authorities.

“Graceland matters so much to so many people around the world – just go to Memphis during Elvis Week and listen to all the different accents and languages of fans who make the pilgrimage,” Skrmetti said. “All of Tennessee is glad that Graceland remains safely in the possession of Elvis’s heir and that it will remain a celebrated Memphis landmark for generations to come.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740502725805.png" alt="Findley photo Greene Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Findley photo Greene Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Missouri woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge accusing her of concocting a brazen plot to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-sale-lawsuit-elvis-presley-bd864f24ff76205ce23885c182a56a66">halted the mysterious foreclosure sale</a>.During a hearing in front of a Memphis federal judge, Lisa Jeanine Findley pleaded guilty to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-sale-fraudulent-d6431df76860570e5d31526e81974f7d">charge of mail fraud</a>&nbsp;related to the scheme. She previously pleaded not guilty to the two-count indictment, which also includes a count of aggravated identity theft that will now be dropped.When asked by the judge if Findley was admitting guilt and accepting responsibility, she said “Yes.”Findley will be sentenced on June 19. She would have faced up to 20 years if convicted, but she is expected to receive less than that under the plea deal.Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">her death in January 2023</a>, prosecutors said when she was charged in August 2024. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley’s family didn’t pay a $2.85 million settlement, according to authorities.Findley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents, and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May 2024, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley’s granddaughter sued.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-auction-lawsuit-riley-keough-4c5d2dda1c189997319d331794e8f8d0">Experts were baffled</a>&nbsp;by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony.Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Presley died in August 1977, at the age of 42.In May, a public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/riley-keough">Riley Keough</a>, Presley’s granddaughter and an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">Lisa Marie Presley</a>.Keough filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-auction-elvis-presley-359098fd64877f2e826b7309dba2bbb3">a lawsuit claiming fraud,</a>&nbsp;and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending — the bogus lender authorities say Findley created — said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit brings into question “the authenticity of the signature.”The judge halted the foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction, saying Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.The Tennessee attorney general’s office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-foreclosure-auction-1541d4a07db1b0a9870b0557eb073307">had been investigating</a>&nbsp;the Graceland controversy, then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elvis-presley-graceland-foreclosure-sale-lawsuit-93a42d151462e299fee88b5a6eca9743">confirmed in June</a>&nbsp;that it handed the probe over to federal authorities.A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.After the scheme fell apart, Findley tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent May 25 to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the internet to steal money.In a statement, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called the scheme “nonsense” and praised the work of federal authorities.“Graceland matters so much to so many people around the world – just go to Memphis during Elvis Week and listen to all the different accents and languages of fans who make the pilgrimage,” Skrmetti said. “All of Tennessee is glad that Graceland remains safely in the possession of Elvis’s heir and that it will remain a celebrated Memphis landmark for generations to come.”___

Woman enters plea to federal charge in plot to sell Graceland

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;MICHAEL KUNZELMAN&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lindsay-whitehurst">LINDSAY WHITEHURS</a>T

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday blocked immigration agents from conducting enforcement operations in houses of worship for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-immigration-california-migrants-c23754f4ed025097af119c660cf6b788">Quakers</a>&nbsp;and a handful of other religious groups.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chang found that the Trump administration policy could violate their religious freedom and should be blocked while a lawsuit challenging it plays out.

The preliminary injunction from the Maryland-based judge only applies to the plaintiffs, which also include a Georgia-based network of Baptist churches and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-sikh-pilgrims-guru-nanak-shrine-india-5e51ffab30432805b2014a93a3f00bb0">Sikh</a>&nbsp;temple in California.

They sued after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportation-immigration-homan-asylum-inauguration-ac10480dc636b758ab3c435b974aeb19">the Trump administration</a>&nbsp;threw out Department of Homeland Security policies limiting where migrant arrests could happen as President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-macron-ukraine-russia-starmer-8869d05f2cd8db5da277dd927cf959d4">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;seeks to make good on campaign promises to carry out mass deportations.

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;MICHAEL KUNZELMAN&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lindsay-whitehurst">LINDSAY WHITEHURS</a>TGREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday blocked immigration agents from conducting enforcement operations in houses of worship for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-immigration-california-migrants-c23754f4ed025097af119c660cf6b788">Quakers</a>&nbsp;and a handful of other religious groups.U.S. District Judge Theodore Chang found that the Trump administration policy could violate their religious freedom and should be blocked while a lawsuit challenging it plays out.The preliminary injunction from the Maryland-based judge only applies to the plaintiffs, which also include a Georgia-based network of Baptist churches and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-sikh-pilgrims-guru-nanak-shrine-india-5e51ffab30432805b2014a93a3f00bb0">Sikh</a>&nbsp;temple in California.They sued after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportation-immigration-homan-asylum-inauguration-ac10480dc636b758ab3c435b974aeb19">the Trump administration</a>&nbsp;threw out Department of Homeland Security policies limiting where migrant arrests could happen as President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-macron-ukraine-russia-starmer-8869d05f2cd8db5da277dd927cf959d4">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;seeks to make good on campaign promises to carry out mass deportations.The policy change said field agents using “common sense” and “discretion” can conduct immigration enforcement operations at houses of worship without a supervisor’s approval.Plaintiffs’ attorneys argue that the new DHS directive departs from the government’s 30-year-old policy against staging immigration enforcement operations in “protected areas,” or “sensitive locations.”Five Quaker congregations from Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia sued DHS and its secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-enforcement-trump-rubio-bondi-hegseth-fb0c2a5351334f4615706033b820bf92">Kristi Noem</a>, on Jan. 27, less than a week after the new policy was announced.Many immigrants are afraid to attend religious services while the government enforces the new rule, lawyers for the congregations said in&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.575074/gov.uscourts.mdd.575074.26.1.pdf" target="_blank">a court filing</a>.“It’s a fear that people are experiencing across the county,” plaintiffs’ attorney Bradley Girard told the judge during a February hearing. “People are not showing up, and the plaintiffs are suffering as a result.”Government lawyers&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.575074/gov.uscourts.mdd.575074.34.0.pdf" target="_blank">claim the plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;are asking the court to interfere with law-enforcement activities based on mere speculation.“Plaintiffs have provided no evidence indicating that any of their religious organizations have been targeted,” Justice Department attorney Kristina Wolfe told the judge, who was appointed by President Barack Obama.More than two dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans have also filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arrests-church-ban-lawsuit-trump-administration-7e0f3060033fc25c5982bc583587562c">a similar but separate lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C.Plaintiffs in the Maryland case are represented by the Democracy Forward Foundation, whose lawyers asked the judge to block DHS enforcement of the policy on a nationwide basis.“DHS’s new policy gives it the authority to enter any house of worship across the country, no matter its religious beliefs,” the attorneys wrote.Government lawyers say immigration enforcement activities have been allowed in sensitive places, including houses of worship, for decades. The only change in the policy is that a supervisor’s approval is no longer mandatory, they added.<h2>__</h2>