By ZEKE MILLER and WILL WEISSERT &nbsp;Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/qatar">Qatar</a>&nbsp;during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft.

(video of President Trump touring the plane in February)

The Qatari government said a final decision hadn't been made. Still, Trump defended the idea — what would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government — as a fiscally smart move for the country.

“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. “Anybody can do that!”

ABC News&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511">reported</a>&nbsp;that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library.

The gift was expected to be announced when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/civilian-nuclear-program-saudi-arabia-trump-iran-be8697a1890d0158cef57babb47e7583">Trump visits</a>&nbsp;Qatar, according to ABC's report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term.

Before Trump's post trumpeting the idea, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, said in a statement that the “possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense."

“But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, administration officials,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-business-finances-conflicts-ethics-aa019f8f9bdfa4266e2d41b36ad01b4c">anticipating ethics concerns</a>, have prepared an analysis arguing that accepting the plane would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11086">Emoluments Clause</a>&nbsp;bars anyone holding government office from&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/759">accepting any present, emolument, office or title</a>&nbsp;from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.

One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being “committed to exploiting the federal government’s power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at Trump's “America first” political slogan.

“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar," the New York Democrat said in a statement. "It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”

Even some conservatives expressed dismay online, noting that an aircraft being offered by a foreign government could present security risks if used by a U.S. president.

Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the company has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-earnings-results-profit-revenue-628c704b8642693f0ba5060eeede22d3">lost billions of dollars on the project</a>.

Trump intends to convert the Qatari aircraft into a plane he can fly on as president, with the Air Force planning to add secure communications and other classified elements to it. But it will still have more limited capabilities than the existing planes that were built to serve as Air Force One, as well as two other aircraft currently under construction, according to a former U.S. official.

The official was briefed about the plane and spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not yet been made public.

The existing planes used as Air Force One are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.

The official told The Associated Press that it would be possible to quickly add some countermeasures and communications systems to the Qatari plane, but that it would be less capable than the existing Air Force One aircraft or long-delayed replacements.

Neither the Qatari plane nor the upcoming VC-25B aircraft will have the air-to-air refueling capabilities of the current VC-25A aircraft, which is the one the president currently flies on, the official said.

Jordan Libowitz, communications director for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called such a gift “unprecedented."

“The totality of gifts given to a president over their term doesn’t get close to this level,” Libowitz said, adding, “You have to ask, if he makes foreign policy — especially in regards to the Middle East — how much is he being influenced by his gifts and his business deals.”

ABC said the new plane is similar to a 13-year-old Boeing aircraft&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boeing-air-force-one-presidential-plane-61aec3dbc8ee10d840e160911c9f7cc2">Trump toured in February</a>, while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport and he was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club.

Trump faced lawsuits for violating the Emoluments Clause during his first term, but those were ended by the Supreme Court in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ends-trump-lawsuits-df42ef0eec5fa57edf3e294234051d88">which found the cases moot because the Republican had left office</a>.

Trump's family business, the Trump Organization, which is now largely run by his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, has vast and growing interests in the Middle East. That includes a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-qatar-deal-conflicts-saudi-arabia-emoluments-7379bee2e307d39bd43b534a05ae3207">new deal to build</a>&nbsp;a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country’s sovereign wealth fund.

Qatar, which is ruled by the Al Thani family, is home to the state-owned airline Qatar Airways. The country also has worked to have a close relationship to Trump after he apparently backed a boycott of Doha by four Arab nations in his first term. Trump later in his term applauded Qatar.

Administration officials have brushed off concerns about the president’s policy interests blurring with family's business profits. They note that Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children and that a voluntary ethics agreement released by the Trump Organization in January bars the company from striking deals directly with foreign governments.

But that same agreement allows deals with private companies abroad. That is a departure from Trump’s first term, when the organization released an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/events-united-states-presidential-election-7abb62e89cdc443bb5cc795631079488">ethics pact</a>&nbsp;prohibiting both foreign government and foreign company deals.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked Friday if the president might meet with people who have ties to his family’s business, said it was “ridiculous” to suggest Trump "is doing anything for his own benefit.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746987808468.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By ZEKE MILLER and WILL WEISSERT &nbsp;Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/qatar">Qatar</a>&nbsp;during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We&#39;re very disappointed that it&#39;s taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. We have an Air Force One that is 40 years old... if we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they&#39;re building the other ones,… <a href="https://t.co/YVnquDUcyI">pic.twitter.com/YVnquDUcyI</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921940653920895354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 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">ABC: &quot;What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;You&#39;re ABC Fake News right?... You should be embarrassed asking that question. They&#39;re giving us a free jet. I could say no... I want to pay you $1B... Or I could say thank you.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Q22i73Asle">pic.twitter.com/Q22i73Asle</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921943864518070776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/bNvoefce1c">pic.twitter.com/bNvoefce1c</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921728995827093567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>(video of President Trump touring the plane in February)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">NEWS: Pres. Trump accepts this luxury 747 from Qatar for use as Air Force One - he toured in Feb 2025 <a href="https://t.co/usQ8hlUcG2">pic.twitter.com/usQ8hlUcG2</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1921616343910011324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Qatari government said a final decision hadn't been made. Still, Trump defended the idea — what would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government — as a fiscally smart move for the country.“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. “Anybody can do that!”ABC News&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511">reported</a>&nbsp;that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library.The gift was expected to be announced when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/civilian-nuclear-program-saudi-arabia-trump-iran-be8697a1890d0158cef57babb47e7583">Trump visits</a>&nbsp;Qatar, according to ABC's report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term.Before Trump's post trumpeting the idea, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, said in a statement that the “possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense."“But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” the statement added.Meanwhile, administration officials,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-business-finances-conflicts-ethics-aa019f8f9bdfa4266e2d41b36ad01b4c">anticipating ethics concerns</a>, have prepared an analysis arguing that accepting the plane would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11086">Emoluments Clause</a>&nbsp;bars anyone holding government office from&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/759">accepting any present, emolument, office or title</a>&nbsp;from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being “committed to exploiting the federal government’s power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.”Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at Trump's “America first” political slogan.“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar," the New York Democrat said in a statement. "It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”Even some conservatives expressed dismay online, noting that an aircraft being offered by a foreign government could present security risks if used by a U.S. president.Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the company has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-earnings-results-profit-revenue-628c704b8642693f0ba5060eeede22d3">lost billions of dollars on the project</a>.Trump intends to convert the Qatari aircraft into a plane he can fly on as president, with the Air Force planning to add secure communications and other classified elements to it. But it will still have more limited capabilities than the existing planes that were built to serve as Air Force One, as well as two other aircraft currently under construction, according to a former U.S. official.The official was briefed about the plane and spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not yet been made public.The existing planes used as Air Force One are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.The official told The Associated Press that it would be possible to quickly add some countermeasures and communications systems to the Qatari plane, but that it would be less capable than the existing Air Force One aircraft or long-delayed replacements.Neither the Qatari plane nor the upcoming VC-25B aircraft will have the air-to-air refueling capabilities of the current VC-25A aircraft, which is the one the president currently flies on, the official said.Jordan Libowitz, communications director for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called such a gift “unprecedented."“The totality of gifts given to a president over their term doesn’t get close to this level,” Libowitz said, adding, “You have to ask, if he makes foreign policy — especially in regards to the Middle East — how much is he being influenced by his gifts and his business deals.”ABC said the new plane is similar to a 13-year-old Boeing aircraft&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boeing-air-force-one-presidential-plane-61aec3dbc8ee10d840e160911c9f7cc2">Trump toured in February</a>, while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport and he was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club.Trump faced lawsuits for violating the Emoluments Clause during his first term, but those were ended by the Supreme Court in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ends-trump-lawsuits-df42ef0eec5fa57edf3e294234051d88">which found the cases moot because the Republican had left office</a>.Trump's family business, the Trump Organization, which is now largely run by his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, has vast and growing interests in the Middle East. That includes a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-qatar-deal-conflicts-saudi-arabia-emoluments-7379bee2e307d39bd43b534a05ae3207">new deal to build</a>&nbsp;a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country’s sovereign wealth fund.Qatar, which is ruled by the Al Thani family, is home to the state-owned airline Qatar Airways. The country also has worked to have a close relationship to Trump after he apparently backed a boycott of Doha by four Arab nations in his first term. Trump later in his term applauded Qatar.Administration officials have brushed off concerns about the president’s policy interests blurring with family's business profits. They note that Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children and that a voluntary ethics agreement released by the Trump Organization in January bars the company from striking deals directly with foreign governments.But that same agreement allows deals with private companies abroad. That is a departure from Trump’s first term, when the organization released an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/events-united-states-presidential-election-7abb62e89cdc443bb5cc795631079488">ethics pact</a>&nbsp;prohibiting both foreign government and foreign company deals.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked Friday if the president might meet with people who have ties to his family’s business, said it was “ridiculous” to suggest Trump "is doing anything for his own benefit.”___

🎥 Trump explains why he should accept Qatar's gift of new Air Force One

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

As a Biden administration ban on so-called “junk fees” took effect Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-live-nation-ticketmaster-swift-cca2b9881881fb016d0862b945ccddee">Ticketmaster</a>&nbsp;said it would start displaying the full price of a ticket as soon as consumers begin shopping.

Ticketmaster, long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-concert-ticket-sale-reforms-taylor-swift-a5ddb8282a2c72f6dedafc8139c75921">a subject of complaints</a>&nbsp;about hidden fees and other issues, was among those targeted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-junk-fees-rule-hotels-tickets-085606d99f137040e9a86e5b1ac04068">new rule</a>, which was announced in December by the Federal Trade Commission. The rule requires ticket sellers, hotels, vacation rental platforms and others to disclose processing fees, cleaning fees and other charges up front.

Ticketmaster said it agreed with the FTC’s action.

“Ticketmaster has long advocated for all-in pricing to become the nationwide standard so fans can easily compare prices across all ticketing sites,” Ticketmaster Chief Operating Officer Michael Wichser said in a statement.

Ticketmaster said it will also tell customers where they are in line when they log in to buy tickets to an event. It will also give real-time updates to customers whose wait times exceed 30 minutes, letting them know ticket price ranges, availability and whether new event dates have been added.

Ticketmaster, which is owned by Beverly Hills, California-based concert promoter Live Nation, is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. Around 70% of tickets for major concert venues in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster said Monday's changes would bring North America in line with the rest of the world, where full ticket prices typically are displayed as soon as customers start shopping.

SeatGeek, a platform for buying and selling original and resale tickets, said it also updated its features Monday to make “all-in pricing the default” setting.

“Fans deserve pricing that’s clear from the start,” said SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger said. "We’re proud to roll this out across our platform and encouraged to see the industry move in this direction.”

Ticketmaster has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ticketmaster-entertainment-inc-amy-klobuchar-minnesota-business-fd6bd24fbe88a259aa83496a898a05f9">in the hot seat</a>&nbsp;since 2022, when its site crashed during a presale event for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">Taylor Swift’s</a>&nbsp;upcoming stadium tour. The company said its site was overwhelmed by both fans and attacks from bots, which were posing as consumers in order to scoop up tickets and sell them on secondary sites.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">Thousands of people lost tickets</a>&nbsp;after waiting for hours in an online queue.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-lawsuit-df9b552d127e1494db13e3cd625787a8">sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation</a>, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly that drives up U.S. ticket prices and asking a court to break them up. That case is ongoing.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is also eyeing the industry. In March, he signed an executive order that he said would help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ticket-scalpers-executive-action-live-events-f70082930c9efbeba454f5c2a13084fb">curb ticket scalping</a>&nbsp;and bring “commonsense” changes to the way live events are priced.

Under the order, the FTC must ensure “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process” and take enforcement to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct.

“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it’s a conundrum,” said Kid Rock, who joined Trump in the Oval Office as Trump signed the order.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668687399028.jpeg" alt="AP Photo" />
 <figcaption>AP Photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEE-ANN%20DURBIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEE-ANN DURBIN &nbsp;AP Business Writer</a>As a Biden administration ban on so-called “junk fees” took effect Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-live-nation-ticketmaster-swift-cca2b9881881fb016d0862b945ccddee">Ticketmaster</a>&nbsp;said it would start displaying the full price of a ticket as soon as consumers begin shopping.Ticketmaster, long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-concert-ticket-sale-reforms-taylor-swift-a5ddb8282a2c72f6dedafc8139c75921">a subject of complaints</a>&nbsp;about hidden fees and other issues, was among those targeted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-junk-fees-rule-hotels-tickets-085606d99f137040e9a86e5b1ac04068">new rule</a>, which was announced in December by the Federal Trade Commission. The rule requires ticket sellers, hotels, vacation rental platforms and others to disclose processing fees, cleaning fees and other charges up front.Ticketmaster said it agreed with the FTC’s action.“Ticketmaster has long advocated for all-in pricing to become the nationwide standard so fans can easily compare prices across all ticketing sites,” Ticketmaster Chief Operating Officer Michael Wichser said in a statement.Ticketmaster said it will also tell customers where they are in line when they log in to buy tickets to an event. It will also give real-time updates to customers whose wait times exceed 30 minutes, letting them know ticket price ranges, availability and whether new event dates have been added.Ticketmaster, which is owned by Beverly Hills, California-based concert promoter Live Nation, is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. Around 70% of tickets for major concert venues in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster.Ticketmaster said Monday's changes would bring North America in line with the rest of the world, where full ticket prices typically are displayed as soon as customers start shopping.SeatGeek, a platform for buying and selling original and resale tickets, said it also updated its features Monday to make “all-in pricing the default” setting.“Fans deserve pricing that’s clear from the start,” said SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger said. "We’re proud to roll this out across our platform and encouraged to see the industry move in this direction.”Ticketmaster has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ticketmaster-entertainment-inc-amy-klobuchar-minnesota-business-fd6bd24fbe88a259aa83496a898a05f9">in the hot seat</a>&nbsp;since 2022, when its site crashed during a presale event for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">Taylor Swift’s</a>&nbsp;upcoming stadium tour. The company said its site was overwhelmed by both fans and attacks from bots, which were posing as consumers in order to scoop up tickets and sell them on secondary sites.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">Thousands of people lost tickets</a>&nbsp;after waiting for hours in an online queue.Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-lawsuit-df9b552d127e1494db13e3cd625787a8">sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation</a>, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly that drives up U.S. ticket prices and asking a court to break them up. That case is ongoing.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is also eyeing the industry. In March, he signed an executive order that he said would help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ticket-scalpers-executive-action-live-events-f70082930c9efbeba454f5c2a13084fb">curb ticket scalping</a>&nbsp;and bring “commonsense” changes to the way live events are priced.Under the order, the FTC must ensure “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process” and take enforcement to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct.“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it’s a conundrum,” said Kid Rock, who joined Trump in the Oval Office as Trump signed the order.

As 'junk fee' rule takes effect, Ticketmaster says it will display fees more clearly

KANSAS CITY — It was another deadly weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. Police are investigating three more homicides.

Just after 2:30a.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to 11th and Wyandotte on the report of a dead body, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Security guards were conducting patrol rounds when they located an adult male victim in a nearby parking garage. Officers were directed to the upper floor of the parking garage and located the victim later identified as 22-year-old Russell Mason suffering from obvious bodily trauma.

KCFD EMS responded and medics pronounced the Mason deceased on scene. This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to the incident and what caused the victim’s fatal injuries.&nbsp;

Just after 2p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store. 

There they located a victim suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported the victim to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Police have not released his name. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck. Police released no additional details.

Just after 8p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 9300 block of Cleveland on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant DiMartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to an apartment building.&nbsp; There they located a man later identified as 20-year-old Morgan William suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing lifesaving measures until KCFD EMS arrived. Medics took over and transported William to a local hospital where he died a short time later.

Preliminary information revealed an argument occurred in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and William being struck.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest from the weekend violence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746790386685.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — It was another deadly weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. Police are investigating three more homicides.Just after 2:30a.m. Friday, patrol officers were dispatched to 11th and Wyandotte on the report of a dead body, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Security guards were conducting patrol rounds when they located an adult male victim in a nearby parking garage. Officers were directed to the upper floor of the parking garage and located the victim later identified as 22-year-old Russell Mason suffering from obvious bodily trauma.KCFD EMS responded and medics pronounced the Mason deceased on scene. This is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators are working to determine what led up to the incident and what caused the victim’s fatal injuries.&nbsp;Just after 2p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746924246378.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>There they located a victim suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported the victim to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Police have not released his name. Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck. Police released no additional details.Just after 8p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 9300 block of Cleveland on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant DiMartino.As officers arrived they were directed to an apartment building.&nbsp; There they located a man later identified as 20-year-old Morgan William suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing lifesaving measures until KCFD EMS arrived. Medics took over and transported William to a local hospital where he died a short time later.Preliminary information revealed an argument occurred in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and William being struck.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest from the weekend violence.

Another deadly weekend in KC; more homicide investigations

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rallied Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world’s two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.

The S&amp;P 500 shot up 3.3% to pull back within 5% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It’s been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,160 points, or 2.8%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 4.3%.

It wasn’t just stocks rising following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks, which reduced tariffs by more than what many investors expected.

Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less burdened by tariffs will likely burn more fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields jumped on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold’s price</a>&nbsp;fell, meanwhile, as investors felt less need to buy something safe.

The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy’s growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That’s a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.

The United States said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GquyafEXYAA5fu9?format=jpg&amp;name=large">joint statement</a>&nbsp;that it will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from as high as 145%. China, meanwhile, said its tariffs on U.S. goods will fall to 10% from 125%. The 90-day pause gives time for more talks following the weekend’s negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, which the U.S. side said yielded “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-20f32dd4f11b66bfd73bd105b7acad5a">substantial progress</a>.”

The 90-day reprieve also comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.

Of course, conditions could change quickly again, as Wall Street has seen all too often in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. Big challenges still remain in the negotiations between China and the United States, and there is “no reason to believe that this will be anything other than a slow process,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The U.S.-China pause followed a deal the United States announced last week with the United Kingdom that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">bring down tariffs on many U.K. imports</a>&nbsp;to 10% but will still require weeks to finalize all the details.

Economic reports scheduled for later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.

Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.4%.

Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 8.7%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7.3%.

Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.6%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.8%.

Many retailers rose because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy jumped 6.6%, and Amazon rallied 8.1%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 184.28 points to 5,844.19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1,160.72 to 42,410.10, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 779.43 to 18,708.34.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across most of Europe and Asia, though often by less than the U.S. market.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.47% from 4.37% late Friday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 4.00% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.

Many traders are now betting on just two cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rallying Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world's two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.

The S&amp;P 500 was up 3% in late trading and back within 5.1% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It's been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1,092 points, or 2.6%, with an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite was 4.1% higher.

Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less weakened by tariffs will likely be hungrier for fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields rallied on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold's price</a>&nbsp;fell as investors felt less need to buy something safe.

The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy's growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That's a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.

The 90-day reprieve comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.

Economic reports scheduled to be released later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.

Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.6%.

Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 7.8%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7%.

Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.5%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.3%.

Many retailers climbed because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy rose 5.6%, and Amazon jumped 7.9%.

India’s Sensex shot up 3.7% after India&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paksitan-india-ballistic-missile-kashmir-tensions-70ad575139eeef3673c0c99cbed30302">and Pakistan</a>&nbsp;agreed to a truce after talks to defuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-india-military-explainer-0708bbf29ea81126aeae0d141f5a4026">their most serious military confrontation</a>&nbsp;in decades. The two armies have exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people.

Pakistan’s KSE 100 jumped 9.4%, and trading was halted for one hour following a spike driven by the ceasefire and an International Monetary Fund decision Friday to disburse about $1 billion of a bailout package for its battered economy.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.45% from 4.37% late Friday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 3.99% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rallied Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world’s two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.The S&amp;P 500 shot up 3.3% to pull back within 5% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It’s been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,160 points, or 2.8%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 4.3%.It wasn’t just stocks rising following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks, which reduced tariffs by more than what many investors expected.Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less burdened by tariffs will likely burn more fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields jumped on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold’s price</a>&nbsp;fell, meanwhile, as investors felt less need to buy something safe.The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy’s growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That’s a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.The United States said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GquyafEXYAA5fu9?format=jpg&amp;name=large">joint statement</a>&nbsp;that it will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from as high as 145%. China, meanwhile, said its tariffs on U.S. goods will fall to 10% from 125%. The 90-day pause gives time for more talks following the weekend’s negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, which the U.S. side said yielded “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-20f32dd4f11b66bfd73bd105b7acad5a">substantial progress</a>.”The 90-day reprieve also comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.Of course, conditions could change quickly again, as Wall Street has seen all too often in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. Big challenges still remain in the negotiations between China and the United States, and there is “no reason to believe that this will be anything other than a slow process,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.The U.S.-China pause followed a deal the United States announced last week with the United Kingdom that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">bring down tariffs on many U.K. imports</a>&nbsp;to 10% but will still require weeks to finalize all the details.Economic reports scheduled for later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.4%.Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 8.7%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7.3%.Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.6%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.8%.Many retailers rose because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy jumped 6.6%, and Amazon rallied 8.1%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 184.28 points to 5,844.19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1,160.72 to 42,410.10, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 779.43 to 18,708.34.In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across most of Europe and Asia, though often by less than the U.S. market.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.47% from 4.37% late Friday.The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 4.00% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.Many traders are now betting on just two cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.____-------------NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rallying Monday after China and the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-b3f5174d086e39b2522ab848ddad9372">announced a 90-day truce</a>&nbsp;in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-england-trade-war-e8300b457256d4c23d64928c09ce2b63">trade war</a>. Each of the world's two largest economies agreed to take down temporarily most of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">its tariffs</a>&nbsp;against the other, which economists had warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.The S&amp;P 500 was up 3% in late trading and back within 5.1% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-asia-technology-5d60888d8ea6f1e9c7dc19e8c89833e8">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in February. It's been roaring higher since falling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">nearly 20% below</a>&nbsp;the mark last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs</a>&nbsp;after reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-interest-rates-federal-reserve-trump-tariffs-inflation-8ebf3f0d6c5bb0b0d90852cca08263ef">trade deals with other countries</a>. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">“Liberation Day,”</a>&nbsp;when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">ignited worries</a>&nbsp;about a potentially self-inflicted recession.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1,092 points, or 2.6%, with an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite was 4.1% higher.It wasn’t just stocks rising following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks, which reduced tariffs by more than what many investors expected.Crude oil prices climbed because a global economy less weakened by tariffs will likely be hungrier for fuel. The value of the U.S. dollar strengthened against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields rallied on expectations that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-trump-1e827f16bd34fb05ea7a339e3015c544">Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;as deeply this year as earlier expected in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gold-prices-new-record-trump-tariffs-0082e0040fb6095497ba93ee6454255b">Gold's price</a>&nbsp;fell as investors felt less need to buy something safe.The move announced Monday could add 0.4 percentage points to the U.S. economy's growth this year, according to Jonathan Pingle, U.S. chief economist at UBS. That's a significant chunk, and every bit counts when the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual rate in the first three months of the year.The 90-day reprieve comes at a vital time for the economy, allowing retailers and suppliers to “ensure that shelves are stocked for the all important back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth.The United States said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GquyafEXYAA5fu9?format=jpg&amp;name=large">joint statement</a>&nbsp;that it will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from as high as 145%. China, meanwhile, said its tariffs on U.S. goods will fall to 10% from 125%. The 90-day pause gives time for more talks following the weekend’s negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, which the U.S. side said yielded “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-switzerland-tariffs-negotiations-20f32dd4f11b66bfd73bd105b7acad5a">substantial progress</a>.”Of course, conditions could change quickly again, as Wall Street has seen all too often in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. Big challenges still remain in the negotiations between China and the United States, and there is “no reason to believe that this will be anything other than a slow process,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.The U.S.-China pause followed a deal the United States announced last week with the United Kingdom that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uk-trump-starmer-trade-deal-79d55b8ade0dd8c9265ada9400d079db">bring down tariffs on many U.K. imports</a>&nbsp;to 10% but will still require weeks to finalize all the details.Economic reports scheduled to be released later this week, including on inflation and sentiment among U.S. consumers, could also show how much damage the U.S. economy has already taken because of uncertainty about tariffs. But the mood was nevertheless ebullient across Wall Street on Monday, and gains were widespread.Stocks of smaller companies rallied. Their livelihoods can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger and more insulated rivals, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.6%.Apparel companies were also strong. Lululemon leaped 7.8%, for example. More than a quarter of its fabric came from mainland China last fiscal year, and a reduction in tariffs would mean a less-tough decision on whether to pass along increases to costs to customers or to eat them through reduced profits. Nike rose 7%.Travel companies jumped on hopes that lower tariffs would encourage more customers to feel comfortable enough to spend on trips. Carnival rose 9.5%, and Delta Air Lines climbed 5.3%.Many retailers climbed because much of what they sell comes from China and elsewhere in Asia. Best Buy rose 5.6%, and Amazon jumped 7.9%.In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across most of Europe and Asia, though often by less than the U.S. market.India’s Sensex shot up 3.7% after India&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paksitan-india-ballistic-missile-kashmir-tensions-70ad575139eeef3673c0c99cbed30302">and Pakistan</a>&nbsp;agreed to a truce after talks to defuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-india-military-explainer-0708bbf29ea81126aeae0d141f5a4026">their most serious military confrontation</a>&nbsp;in decades. The two armies have exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people.Pakistan’s KSE 100 jumped 9.4%, and trading was halted for one hour following a spike driven by the ceasefire and an International Monetary Fund decision Friday to disburse about $1 billion of a bailout package for its battered economy.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.45% from 4.37% late Friday.The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with interest rates, jumped even more. It rose to 3.99% from 3.88% as traders ratcheted back expectations for how many cuts to interest rates the Fed may deliver this year.Many traders are now betting on just two cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.

Markets soar following a 90-day truce in the US-China trade war

KANSAS CITY —A man critically injured in an April motorcycle accident in Kansas City has died.

Just after 3:30a.m. April 12, a motorcycle driven by Christopher Tibbits was involved in an accident at&nbsp;Front Street and Interstate 435, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

EMS transported Tibbits to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp; Over the weekend, the Jackson County, Missouri medical examiner's office notified KCKPD Tibbits had died due to "complications of multiple blunt traumatic injuries".&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

KANSAS CITY —A man critically injured in an April motorcycle accident in Kansas City has died.Just after 3:30a.m. April 12, a motorcycle driven by Christopher Tibbits was involved in an accident at&nbsp;Front Street and Interstate 435, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.EMS transported Tibbits to an area hospital in critical condition.&nbsp; Over the weekend, the Jackson County, Missouri medical examiner's office notified KCKPD Tibbits had died due to "complications of multiple blunt traumatic injuries".&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

Motorcyclist dies weeks after violent crash in Kansas City

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

GARNETT — Kansas farmers are sharing opinions ranging from concerned to “pi**ed” about trade tariffs with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, who toured a corn farm Friday southwest of Kansas City.

“When I’m talking to folks, I hear everything from concern and a cautious approach to how to navigate this tariff climate that we’re in, all the way to folks who are really, like, really worked up and are pi**ed,” Davids said, standing on a gravel road near the Phelon family corn farm outside Garnett.

Davids began visiting a variety of ag operations in 2023, including a goat farm in Miami County, a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County. She serves on the House Agriculture Committee and wanted to learn more about farmers and their needs, she said.

The farmers she’s met with expressed concerns about potential future impacts on the international markets for their products because of tariffs, Davids said.

“The time and investment it takes to get those customers in international markets, it’s not a lightswitch, and it takes a lot of work and effort and rebuilding of relationships to get those same customers back and continue to have that level of market share,” she said. “The impacts are there and people are feeling it.”

Davids spent Friday morning with Adam Phelon and his father, Raylen Phelon, discussing the farm bill and other issues while touring their fourth-generation corn operation.

“I would say that right now, the prospect of a farm bill is very much dependent on how the Congress moves forward on reconciliation,” Davids said. “We’re supposed to have a markup on the reconciliation bill next week. I think when it comes to the farm bill, we have a really strong starting place in this Congress.”

Davids said Republicans and Democrats see crop insurance as a top priority, for instance, and there is agreement on other agricultural provisions.

“I think that there’s a reason to be realistically optimistic, but similar to last Congress — it’s not the farm bill that is holding up the process of getting a farm bill done,” she said. “It’s that there are other legislative things going on before we can do the farm bill.”

Adam Phelon, who is a Kansas Soybean Association board member, said he would like to see Congress pass a farm bill but added that multiple issues are being watched by farmers.

“It’s not just tariffs — it’s trade, it’s EPA regulations, it’s the energy costs, it’s infrastructure. I mean, infrastructure is such a huge one for us,” he said. “And that goes to not just our roads around here, but that goes to rail, that goes to ships that are coming into ports, you know, everything that goes on there. All that’s important to us as farmers.”

But the priority right now is getting a farm bill, he said.

“We need updated reference prices,” he said. “We need to make sure that there’s a strong safety net, and we need to make sure the crop insurance is protected because we have weather uncertainties. Without having crop insurance and making sure there’s a strong safety net underneath us — those things can be life or death in terms of a farm and how we operate.”

Kaleb Little, CEO and administrator of the Kansas Soybean Association, was at the Phelon farm for the tour. He said he is hearing similar concerns as those expressed by Adam Phelon from others in the organization.

“There’s always so much uncertainty in farming and agriculture,” Little said. “There’s so much that’s just out of their hands. And then throw in what the federal government is and isn’t doing is just another layer of uncertainty in there, whether trade or not, getting a farm bill done, or bio fuels policy,” Little said. “Farmers are always optimists, right? Because they have to be.”

A lot of association members are hanging onto what Little termed “cautious optimism” that things will come out better. Still, he said, there is angst and concern.

For soybean farmers, half of their products go to the international market, he said. There were long-term impacts from tariffs put in place during President Donald Trump’s first administration.&nbsp;

“The world dynamics really changed,” Little said, adding that pre-2018 tariffs, about 60% of China’s soybean market came from U.S. farmers.

“That got cut in half,” he said of the impacts of previous tariffs. “Some of the good that came out of that was soybean farmers and groups like the United Soybean or the American Soybean Association, those organizations really worked to diversify the international market. So U.S. soy is going to a lot more individual markets than it did pre-China. There are some positives there, but it’s a lot more work to maintain 50 countries as customers versus 12 or 15, especially when you talk about infrastructure and things like that.”

Uncertainty is a part of running a farm, whether it be weather- or politics-related. But it makes planning difficult.

“The uncertainty is a huge issue,” Adam Phelon said. “So, yeah, maybe we won’t be making some bigger purchases that we planned on before, just so we can plan for the future in case, you know, things get worse before they get better.”

Even knowing the challenges, Adam Phelon never doubted that he’d continue his family’s farming tradition.

“This ground that we’re standing on today has been in my grandma’s family for around 100 years now,” he said. “Yeah, we’ve got VHS tapes of me in a crib being hauled up the side of a combine. I remember getting dropped off at youth group, and the look on my youth group teacher’s face when she saw me climb right into a tractor to go to work. Her jaw dropped. I was probably 11 or 12 years old.

“I love being out here working in the dirt, and seeing the crop grow from a seed to a final product, and taking pride in that,” Adam Phelon said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746994451297.png" alt=" Raylen Phelon, left, and his son, Adam Phelon, are corn and soybean farmers who are concerned about whether a farm bill will pass. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Raylen Phelon, left, and his son, Adam Phelon, are corn and soybean farmers who are concerned about whether a farm bill will pass. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>GARNETT — Kansas farmers are sharing opinions ranging from concerned to “pi**ed” about trade tariffs with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, who toured a corn farm Friday southwest of Kansas City.“When I’m talking to folks, I hear everything from concern and a cautious approach to how to navigate this tariff climate that we’re in, all the way to folks who are really, like, really worked up and are pi**ed,” Davids said, standing on a gravel road near the Phelon family corn farm outside Garnett.Davids began visiting a variety of ag operations in 2023, including a goat farm in Miami County, a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County. She serves on the House Agriculture Committee and wanted to learn more about farmers and their needs, she said.The farmers she’s met with expressed concerns about potential future impacts on the international markets for their products because of tariffs, Davids said.“The time and investment it takes to get those customers in international markets, it’s not a lightswitch, and it takes a lot of work and effort and rebuilding of relationships to get those same customers back and continue to have that level of market share,” she said. “The impacts are there and people are feeling it.”Davids spent Friday morning with Adam Phelon and his father, Raylen Phelon, discussing the farm bill and other issues while touring their fourth-generation corn operation.“I would say that right now, the prospect of a farm bill is very much dependent on how the Congress moves forward on reconciliation,” Davids said. “We’re supposed to have a markup on the reconciliation bill next week. I think when it comes to the farm bill, we have a really strong starting place in this Congress.”Davids said Republicans and Democrats see crop insurance as a top priority, for instance, and there is agreement on other agricultural provisions.“I think that there’s a reason to be realistically optimistic, but similar to last Congress — it’s not the farm bill that is holding up the process of getting a farm bill done,” she said. “It’s that there are other legislative things going on before we can do the farm bill.”Adam Phelon, who is a Kansas Soybean Association board member, said he would like to see Congress pass a farm bill but added that multiple issues are being watched by farmers.“It’s not just tariffs — it’s trade, it’s EPA regulations, it’s the energy costs, it’s infrastructure. I mean, infrastructure is such a huge one for us,” he said. “And that goes to not just our roads around here, but that goes to rail, that goes to ships that are coming into ports, you know, everything that goes on there. All that’s important to us as farmers.”But the priority right now is getting a farm bill, he said.“We need updated reference prices,” he said. “We need to make sure that there’s a strong safety net, and we need to make sure the crop insurance is protected because we have weather uncertainties. Without having crop insurance and making sure there’s a strong safety net underneath us — those things can be life or death in terms of a farm and how we operate.”<h2>Statewide insights</h2>Kaleb Little, CEO and administrator of the Kansas Soybean Association, was at the Phelon farm for the tour. He said he is hearing similar concerns as those expressed by Adam Phelon from others in the organization.“There’s always so much uncertainty in farming and agriculture,” Little said. “There’s so much that’s just out of their hands. And then throw in what the federal government is and isn’t doing is just another layer of uncertainty in there, whether trade or not, getting a farm bill done, or bio fuels policy,” Little said. “Farmers are always optimists, right? Because they have to be.”A lot of association members are hanging onto what Little termed “cautious optimism” that things will come out better. Still, he said, there is angst and concern.For soybean farmers, half of their products go to the international market, he said. There were long-term impacts from tariffs put in place during President Donald Trump’s first administration.&nbsp;“The world dynamics really changed,” Little said, adding that pre-2018 tariffs, about 60% of China’s soybean market came from U.S. farmers.“That got cut in half,” he said of the impacts of previous tariffs. “Some of the good that came out of that was soybean farmers and groups like the United Soybean or the American Soybean Association, those organizations really worked to diversify the international market. So U.S. soy is going to a lot more individual markets than it did pre-China. There are some positives there, but it’s a lot more work to maintain 50 countries as customers versus 12 or 15, especially when you talk about infrastructure and things like that.”<h2>In his blood</h2>Uncertainty is a part of running a farm, whether it be weather- or politics-related. But it makes planning difficult.“The uncertainty is a huge issue,” Adam Phelon said. “So, yeah, maybe we won’t be making some bigger purchases that we planned on before, just so we can plan for the future in case, you know, things get worse before they get better.”Even knowing the challenges, Adam Phelon never doubted that he’d continue his family’s farming tradition.“This ground that we’re standing on today has been in my grandma’s family for around 100 years now,” he said. “Yeah, we’ve got VHS tapes of me in a crib being hauled up the side of a combine. I remember getting dropped off at youth group, and the look on my youth group teacher’s face when she saw me climb right into a tractor to go to work. Her jaw dropped. I was probably 11 or 12 years old.“I love being out here working in the dirt, and seeing the crop grow from a seed to a final product, and taking pride in that,” Adam Phelon said.

Kansas farmers await farm bill passage, end of tariff uncertainty

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-05-11-2025-6a562aa1c6ce81bcc9ff4649e39ab937">Israeli-American soldier</a>&nbsp;held hostage for more than 19 months in the Gaza Strip was released Monday, Hamas said, in a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel.

The Israeli military confirmed that Edan Alexander had been turned over to the Red Cross and was being brought to Israeli forces.

Alexander was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza. His release would be the first since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-netanyahu-ff48f081b069e484955a72bc68261364">Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March</a>, unleashing fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds.

Israel has promised to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-05-2025-d22caabfd2cf89e83fe06e649e6438ba">intensify its offensive</a>, including by seizing the territory and displacing much of its population again. Days before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-04-17-2025-69292810abbd0512ded90fdfd0ba7692">deepening a humanitarian crisis</a>&nbsp;and sparking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-war-israel-1360c6d16902c163234b0eb1e96e694b">warnings about the risk of famine</a>&nbsp;if the blockade isn’t lifted. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel’s terms.

Israel says 59 hostages including Alexander remain in captivity, with about 24 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals.

Television footage showed Alexander’s mother, Yael Alexander, arriving at the Reim military base in southern Israel, where her son was expected to be taken first.

Alexander’s grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, said she had barely been able to sleep and had baked Edan’s favorite foods, some of which she sent to the military base.

Trump calls expected release ‘hopefully’ a step toward ending war

Hamas on Sunday announced its intention to release Alexander, shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive Tuesday in the Middle East on the first official foreign trip of his second term.

Trump on Sunday called the planned release “a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.”

“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Trump said on social media.

Trump, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is not scheduled to stop in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and discussed efforts to release the remaining hostages, his office said.

“To this end, Prime Minister Netanyahu directed that a negotiations team leave for Doha tomorrow,” the prime minister’s office said, adding that Netanyahu had “made it clear that the negotiations would only take place under fire.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing relatives of hostages, welcomed the news that an Israeli delegation was headed to Doha for talks.

“While Edan Alexander’s release gives us hope, all 58 of our loved ones must come home. Time is running out. These negotiations must bring everyone back,” the group said in a statement. “Trump’s plan offers a real path to freeing all hostages immediately. Every passing day puts their lives at greater risk. We cannot wait any longer.”

Israel says it still plans to escalate its offensive

On Monday, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said Israel was not granting any concessions for Alexander’s release.

The statement said Israel did not commit to a ceasefire or the freeing of Palestinian prisoners as part of the release and that it had only agreed to create a “safe corridor” to allow for Alexander to be returned.

The statement said Israel would carry on with plans to ramp up its offensive in Gaza. Israel says it won’t launch that plan until after Trump’s visit to the Middle East, to allow for a potential new ceasefire deal to emerge.

A statement by the office on Sunday said the U.S. had told Israel that Alexander’s release could lead to a new deal with Hamas to free more hostages.

Netanyahu faces criticism for not freeing all hostages

Israel’s involvement in Alexander’s expected release wasn’t immediately clear. But it created a backlash against Netanyahu, with critics accusing him of having to rely on a foreign leader to help free the remaining hostages.

At the opening of his trial for alleged corruption, where he is giving testimony, a woman in the courtroom asked whether he was “ashamed that the president of the United States is saving his citizens, and he is leaving them to die there in captivity.”

Critics assert that Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping up the war in Gaza is politically motivated. Netanyahu says he aims to achieve Israel’s goals of freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas.

Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in the 2023 attack. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians.

Israel’s offensive has obliterated vast swaths of Gaza’s urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-05-11-2025-6a562aa1c6ce81bcc9ff4649e39ab937">Israeli-American soldier</a>&nbsp;held hostage for more than 19 months in the Gaza Strip was released Monday, Hamas said, in a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbringhomenow%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02PhS3oK64rwyiMXTr4PWEtcYZtst1eFcZLnggSMdL33BMeNHDhXn2xBm1i9A1gUKel&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="673" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbringhomenow%2Fposts%2Fpfbid026ZcxH2zxhNpcmiL2NR8bmVRJRsTMLv9uNKjgnV7Vs4g9envVmSC8kncaN5h1U8REl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="690" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The Israeli military confirmed that Edan Alexander had been turned over to the Red Cross and was being brought to Israeli forces.Alexander was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza. His release would be the first since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-netanyahu-ff48f081b069e484955a72bc68261364">Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March</a>, unleashing fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds.Israel has promised to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-05-2025-d22caabfd2cf89e83fe06e649e6438ba">intensify its offensive</a>, including by seizing the territory and displacing much of its population again. Days before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-04-17-2025-69292810abbd0512ded90fdfd0ba7692">deepening a humanitarian crisis</a>&nbsp;and sparking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-war-israel-1360c6d16902c163234b0eb1e96e694b">warnings about the risk of famine</a>&nbsp;if the blockade isn’t lifted. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel’s terms.Israel says 59 hostages including Alexander remain in captivity, with about 24 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals.Television footage showed Alexander’s mother, Yael Alexander, arriving at the Reim military base in southern Israel, where her son was expected to be taken first.Alexander’s grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, said she had barely been able to sleep and had baked Edan’s favorite foods, some of which she sent to the military base.<h2>Trump calls expected release ‘hopefully’ a step toward ending war</h2>Hamas on Sunday announced its intention to release Alexander, shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive Tuesday in the Middle East on the first official foreign trip of his second term.Trump on Sunday called the planned release “a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.”“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Trump said on social media.Trump, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is not scheduled to stop in Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and discussed efforts to release the remaining hostages, his office said.“To this end, Prime Minister Netanyahu directed that a negotiations team leave for Doha tomorrow,” the prime minister’s office said, adding that Netanyahu had “made it clear that the negotiations would only take place under fire.”The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing relatives of hostages, welcomed the news that an Israeli delegation was headed to Doha for talks.“While Edan Alexander’s release gives us hope, all 58 of our loved ones must come home. Time is running out. These negotiations must bring everyone back,” the group said in a statement. “Trump’s plan offers a real path to freeing all hostages immediately. Every passing day puts their lives at greater risk. We cannot wait any longer.”<h2>Israel says it still plans to escalate its offensive</h2>On Monday, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said Israel was not granting any concessions for Alexander’s release.The statement said Israel did not commit to a ceasefire or the freeing of Palestinian prisoners as part of the release and that it had only agreed to create a “safe corridor” to allow for Alexander to be returned.The statement said Israel would carry on with plans to ramp up its offensive in Gaza. Israel says it won’t launch that plan until after Trump’s visit to the Middle East, to allow for a potential new ceasefire deal to emerge.A statement by the office on Sunday said the U.S. had told Israel that Alexander’s release could lead to a new deal with Hamas to free more hostages.<h2>Netanyahu faces criticism for not freeing all hostages</h2>Israel’s involvement in Alexander’s expected release wasn’t immediately clear. But it created a backlash against Netanyahu, with critics accusing him of having to rely on a foreign leader to help free the remaining hostages.At the opening of his trial for alleged corruption, where he is giving testimony, a woman in the courtroom asked whether he was “ashamed that the president of the United States is saving his citizens, and he is leaving them to die there in captivity.”Critics assert that Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping up the war in Gaza is politically motivated. Netanyahu says he aims to achieve Israel’s goals of freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas.Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in the 2023 attack. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians.Israel’s offensive has obliterated vast swaths of Gaza’s urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times.

Last living American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza is free

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Monday signed a sweeping executive order setting a 30-day deadline for drugmakers to lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. or face new limits over what the government will pay.

The order calls on the health department, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-trump-health-secretary-vote-5dbefeef0537dc241e6fb33b8f2a748b">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>, to broker new price tags for drugs. If a deal is not reached, a new rule will kick in that will tie the price of what the U.S. pays for medications to lower prices paid by other countries.

“We're going to equalize,” Trump said during a Monday morning press conference. “We're all going to pay the same. We're going to pay what Europe pays.”

It's unclear what — if any — impact the Republican president's executive order will have on millions of Americans who have private health insurance. The federal government has the most power to shape the price it pays for drugs covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars on prescription drugs, injectables, transfusions and other medications every year through Medicare, which covers nearly 70 million older Americans. Medicaid, meanwhile, covers nearly 80 million poor and disabled people in the U.S.

Ahead of the signing, the nation's leading pharmaceutical lobby on Sunday pushed back against Trump's plan, calling it a “bad deal” for American patients. Drugmakers have long argued that any threats to their profits could impact the research they do to develop new drugs.

“Importing foreign prices will cut billions of dollars from Medicare with no guarantee that it helps patients or improves their access to medicines,” Stephen J. Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, said in a statement. “It jeopardizes the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America, making us more reliant on China for innovative medicines.”

Trump's so-called “most favored nation” approach to Medicare drug pricing has been controversial since he first tried to implement it during his first term. He signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-health-politics-business-medicare-61c0e95ec43c72d6bc3464da6240d272">a similar executive order</a>&nbsp;in the final weeks of his presidency, which called for the U.S. to only pay a lower price that other countries pay for some drugs — injectables or cancer drugs given through infusions — administered in a doctor's office.

That narrow executive order faced hurdles, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-medicaid-medicare-courts-b3ddb5c7856f7a11fd569b303b63eb6b">a court order</a>&nbsp;that blocked the rule from going into effect under President Joe Biden's administration. The pharmaceutical industry argued that Trump’s 2020 attempt would give foreign governments the “upper hand” in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S.

Trump repeatedly defended pharmaceutical companies, instead blaming other countries for the high price Americans pay for drugs, during a wide-ranging speech at the White House on Monday. The president was flanked by Kennedy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya.

He did, however, threaten the companies with federal investigations into their practices and opening up the U.S. drug market to bring in more imported medications from other countries.

“The pharmaceutical companies make most of their profits from America,” Trump said. “That’s not a good thing.”

Trump has played up the announcement, saying it will save taxpayers big money. He boasted in one post that his plan could save “TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.”

“Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before,” Trump said in another post ahead of Monday's announcement.

The White House did not release an analysis of how much money his order would save or which drugs would be impacted.

Oz, speaking on Monday, said that he and the agency’s other top leaders would be meeting with drug company executives over the next 30 days to offer new prices on drugs that are based off what other countries pay.

The health department has the most authority to change the prices of drugs covered by Medicare and Medicaid because it can set regulations. Even still, the agency's power to do so is limited. Congress just approved in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drug-prices-medicare-prescriptions-34886d6f362c242be268c05d5efd5411">a new law</a>&nbsp;that allows Medicare to negotiate the price it pays for a handful of prescription drugs starting in 2026. Prior to the law, Medicare paid what the drug companies charged. Drug companies unsuccessfully sued over the implementation of the law.

The price that millions of Americans covered by private insurance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drug-prices-medicare-prescriptions-34886d6f362c242be268c05d5efd5411">pay for drugs</a>&nbsp;is even harder for the agency to manipulate.

The U.S. routinely outspends other nations on drug prices, compared with other large and wealthy countries, a problem that has long drawn the ire of both major political parties, but a lasting fix has never cleared Congress.

Trump came into his first term accusing pharmaceutical companies of “getting away with murder” and complaining that other countries whose governments set drug prices were taking advantage of Americans.

On Sunday, Trump took aim at the industry again, writing that the “Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the ‘suckers’ of America, ALONE.”

Referring to drug companies’ powerful lobbying efforts, he said that campaign contributions “can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party.”

“We are going to do the right thing,” he wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747061944102.png" alt="White House image from the Monday morning news conference" />
 <figcaption>White House image from the Monday morning news conference</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Monday signed a sweeping executive order setting a 30-day deadline for drugmakers to lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. or face new limits over what the government will pay.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> just signed an executive order implementing Most Favored Nation prescription drug pricing — which will deliver dramatically lower drug prices for the American people. Here&#39;s what it does: REDUCING DRUG PRICES FOR AMERICANS AND TAXPAYERS: Today, President Donald… <a href="https://t.co/wjT4A5XofI">pic.twitter.com/wjT4A5XofI</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921942976441282659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Holds a Press Conference with the Secretary of Health and Human Services <a href="https://t.co/3hgZDuVi5E">https://t.co/3hgZDuVi5E</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1921925761277026697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The order calls on the health department, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-trump-health-secretary-vote-5dbefeef0537dc241e6fb33b8f2a748b">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>, to broker new price tags for drugs. If a deal is not reached, a new rule will kick in that will tie the price of what the U.S. pays for medications to lower prices paid by other countries.“We're going to equalize,” Trump said during a Monday morning press conference. “We're all going to pay the same. We're going to pay what Europe pays.”It's unclear what — if any — impact the Republican president's executive order will have on millions of Americans who have private health insurance. The federal government has the most power to shape the price it pays for drugs covered by Medicare and Medicaid.The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars on prescription drugs, injectables, transfusions and other medications every year through Medicare, which covers nearly 70 million older Americans. Medicaid, meanwhile, covers nearly 80 million poor and disabled people in the U.S.Ahead of the signing, the nation's leading pharmaceutical lobby on Sunday pushed back against Trump's plan, calling it a “bad deal” for American patients. Drugmakers have long argued that any threats to their profits could impact the research they do to develop new drugs.“Importing foreign prices will cut billions of dollars from Medicare with no guarantee that it helps patients or improves their access to medicines,” Stephen J. Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, said in a statement. “It jeopardizes the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America, making us more reliant on China for innovative medicines.”Trump's so-called “most favored nation” approach to Medicare drug pricing has been controversial since he first tried to implement it during his first term. He signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-health-politics-business-medicare-61c0e95ec43c72d6bc3464da6240d272">a similar executive order</a>&nbsp;in the final weeks of his presidency, which called for the U.S. to only pay a lower price that other countries pay for some drugs — injectables or cancer drugs given through infusions — administered in a doctor's office.That narrow executive order faced hurdles, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-medicaid-medicare-courts-b3ddb5c7856f7a11fd569b303b63eb6b">a court order</a>&nbsp;that blocked the rule from going into effect under President Joe Biden's administration. The pharmaceutical industry argued that Trump’s 2020 attempt would give foreign governments the “upper hand” in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S.Trump repeatedly defended pharmaceutical companies, instead blaming other countries for the high price Americans pay for drugs, during a wide-ranging speech at the White House on Monday. The president was flanked by Kennedy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya.He did, however, threaten the companies with federal investigations into their practices and opening up the U.S. drug market to bring in more imported medications from other countries.“The pharmaceutical companies make most of their profits from America,” Trump said. “That’s not a good thing.”Trump has played up the announcement, saying it will save taxpayers big money. He boasted in one post that his plan could save “TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.”“Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before,” Trump said in another post ahead of Monday's announcement.The White House did not release an analysis of how much money his order would save or which drugs would be impacted.Oz, speaking on Monday, said that he and the agency’s other top leaders would be meeting with drug company executives over the next 30 days to offer new prices on drugs that are based off what other countries pay.The health department has the most authority to change the prices of drugs covered by Medicare and Medicaid because it can set regulations. Even still, the agency's power to do so is limited. Congress just approved in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drug-prices-medicare-prescriptions-34886d6f362c242be268c05d5efd5411">a new law</a>&nbsp;that allows Medicare to negotiate the price it pays for a handful of prescription drugs starting in 2026. Prior to the law, Medicare paid what the drug companies charged. Drug companies unsuccessfully sued over the implementation of the law.The price that millions of Americans covered by private insurance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drug-prices-medicare-prescriptions-34886d6f362c242be268c05d5efd5411">pay for drugs</a>&nbsp;is even harder for the agency to manipulate.The U.S. routinely outspends other nations on drug prices, compared with other large and wealthy countries, a problem that has long drawn the ire of both major political parties, but a lasting fix has never cleared Congress.Trump came into his first term accusing pharmaceutical companies of “getting away with murder” and complaining that other countries whose governments set drug prices were taking advantage of Americans.On Sunday, Trump took aim at the industry again, writing that the “Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the ‘suckers’ of America, ALONE.”Referring to drug companies’ powerful lobbying efforts, he said that campaign contributions “can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party.”“We are going to do the right thing,” he wrote.

🎥 Trump sets deadline for drugmakers to lower prescription drug costs

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man who hid from police for weeks following a fatal February gunfight made a first court appearance on Friday.

Jerry Johnson III, 20 of Wichita, was charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder.&nbsp;

Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.

Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified men dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.

Later on Feb. 11, an 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

On May 7, deputies booked Johnson into jail after the Wichita Police Department asked the public for information on his whereabouts.&nbsp; On February 14, Johnson was charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office in reference to his involvement in the homicide.

Johnson is now being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $1 million bond. He is due back in court May 30, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746700121329.png" alt="Johnson-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man who hid from police for weeks following a fatal February gunfight made a first court appearance on Friday.Jerry Johnson III, 20 of Wichita, was charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder.&nbsp;Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified men dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.Later on Feb. 11, an 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;On May 7, deputies booked Johnson into jail after the Wichita Police Department asked the public for information on his whereabouts.&nbsp; On February 14, Johnson was charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office in reference to his involvement in the homicide.Johnson is now being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $1 million bond. He is due back in court May 30, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. murder suspect, captured after hiding for weeks, appears before judge

NEWARK (AP) —Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-immigration-detention-center-delaney-hall-fa6b16870bd033c5a66499e5d5963c0c">a new federal immigration detention center</a>&nbsp;he has been protesting against and was held in custody for several hours.

Baraka was released around 8 p.m. after being accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall facility. Stepping out of an SUV with flashing emergency lights, he told waiting supporters: “The reality is this: I didn't do anything wrong.”

The mayor said he could not speak about his case, citing a promise he made to lawyers and the judge. But he voiced full-throated support for everyone living in his community, immigrants included.

“All of us here, every last one of us, I don’t care what background you come from, what nationality, what language you speak,” Baraka said, “at some point we have to stop these people from causing division between us.”

Baraka, a Democrat who is running to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy, has embraced the fight with the Trump administration over illegal immigration.

He has aggressively pushed back against the construction and opening of the 1,000-bed detention center, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.

Linda Baraka, the mayor’s wife, accused the federal government of targeting her husband.

NEWARK (AP) —Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-immigration-detention-center-delaney-hall-fa6b16870bd033c5a66499e5d5963c0c">a new federal immigration detention center</a>&nbsp;he has been protesting against and was held in custody for several hours.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Let’s check the tape. <a href="https://t.co/1S66cGSxct">https://t.co/1S66cGSxct</a> <a href="https://t.co/LqEFhTrnYl">pic.twitter.com/LqEFhTrnYl</a>&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1921573646281081028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Baraka was released around 8 p.m. after being accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall facility. Stepping out of an SUV with flashing emergency lights, he told waiting supporters: “The reality is this: I didn't do anything wrong.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨WATCH: US Congresswoman, LaMonica McIver (wearing a red blazer), storms the gate of Delaney Hall Detention Center ASSAULTING an ICE agent. <a href="https://t.co/4Q1deds1tl">pic.twitter.com/4Q1deds1tl</a>&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1921271072147546558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The mayor said he could not speak about his case, citing a promise he made to lawyers and the judge. But he voiced full-throated support for everyone living in his community, immigrants included.“All of us here, every last one of us, I don’t care what background you come from, what nationality, what language you speak,” Baraka said, “at some point we have to stop these people from causing division between us.”Baraka, a Democrat who is running to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy, has embraced the fight with the Trump administration over illegal immigration.He has aggressively pushed back against the construction and opening of the 1,000-bed detention center, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.Linda Baraka, the mayor’s wife, accused the federal government of targeting her husband.“They didn’t arrest anyone else. They didn’t ask anyone else to leave. They wanted to make an example out of the mayor,” she said, adding that she had not been allowed to see him.Alina Habba, interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said on the social platform X that Baraka trespassed at the detention facility, which is run by private prison operator Geo Group.Habba said Baraka had “chosen to disregard the law.”Video of the incident showed that Baraka was arrested after returning to the public side of the gate to the facility.<h2>Witnesses describe a heated argument</h2>Witnesses said the arrest came after Baraka attempted to join three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, in attempting to enter the facility.When federal officials blocked his entry, a heated argument broke out, according to Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. It continued even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates.“There was yelling and pushing,” Martinez said. “Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka in handcuffs and put him in an unmarked car.”The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the lawmakers had not asked for a tour of Delaney Hall, which the agency said it would have facilitated. The department said that as a bus carrying detainees was entering in the afternoon “a group of protestors, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility.”Watson Coleman spokesperson Ned Cooper said the three lawmakers went there unannounced because they planned to inspect it, not take a scheduled tour.“They arrived, explained to the guards and the officials at the facility that they were there to exercise their oversight authority,” he said, adding that they were allowed to enter and inspect the center sometime between 3 and 4 p.m.Watson Coleman later said the DHS statement inaccurately characterized the visit.“Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS we did not ‘storm’ the detention center,” she wrote. “The author of that press release was so unfamiliar with the facts on the ground that they didn’t even correctly count the number of Representatives present. We were exercising our legal oversight function as we have done at the Elizabeth Detention Center without incident.”<h2>Video shows the mayor standing on the public side of the gate</h2>In video of the altercation shared with The Associated Press, a federal official in a jacket with the logo of the Homeland Security Investigations can be heard telling Baraka he could not enter the facility because “you are not a congress member.”Baraka then left the secure area, rejoining protesters on the public side of the gate. Video showed him speaking through the gate to a man in a suit, who said: “They’re talking about coming back to arrest you.”“I’m not on their property. They can’t come out on the street and arrest me,” Baraka replied.Minutes later several ICE agents, some wearing face coverings, surrounded him and others on the public side. As protesters cried out, “Shame,” Baraka was dragged back through the gate in handcuffs.Several civil rights and immigration reform advocates, as well as government officials, condemned Baraka’s arrest. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, whose office is defending a state law barring private immigration detention facilities, criticized the arrest during a seemingly peaceful protest and said no state or local law enforcement agencies were involved.Rep. Menendez said in a statement that as members of Congress, they have the legal right to carry out oversight at DHS facilities without prior notice and have done so twice already this year. But on Friday, “Throughout every step of this visit, ICE attempted to intimidate everyone involved and impede our ability to conduct oversight.”<h2>The detention center</h2>The two-story building next to a county prison formerly operated as a halfway house.In February, ICE awarded a 15-year contract to The Geo Group Inc. to run the detention center. Geo valued the contract at $1 billion, in an unusually long and large agreement for ICE.The announcement was part of President Donald Trump’s plans to sharply increase detention beds nationwide from a budget of about 41,000 beds this year.Baraka sued Geo soon after the deal was announced.Geo touted the Delaney Hall contract during an earnings call with shareholders Wednesday, with CEO David Donahue saying it was expected to generate more than $60 million a year in revenue. He said the facility began the intake process May 1.Hall said the activation of the center and another in Michigan would increase capacity under contract with ICE from around 20,000 beds to around 23,000.DHS said in its statement that the facility has the proper permits and inspections have been cleared.___Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed.