CLEVELAND (AP) — Gabriel Arias had three hits — including a three-run homer — Angel Martínez had his second career three-hit game and the Cleveland Guardians extended their winning streak to four, beating the Kansas City Royals 7-0 on Friday night.

Five Cleveland pitchers combined for the second shutout of the homestand. Tim Herrin (2-0) got the win after starter Tanner Bibee went 4 1/3 innings.

Arias snapped an 0 for 15 skid with a base hit in the second inning. He then connected on a first-pitch fastball from Royals' starter Kris Bubic (0-1) in the fourth inning and put it into the stands in right-center for his second homer of the season.

The three runs were the first earned runs Bubic had allowed in 26 2/3 innings dating to last season.

Martínez, called up from Triple A Columbus on Wednesday, also had a sacrifice fly in a four-run eighth inning to drive in Nolan Jones. Steven Kwan and Carlos Santana added RBI singles and Brayan Rocchio scored from second base after Royals' second baseman Jonathan India had a fly ball by José Ramírez pop out of his glove. It was India's second error of the game.

Kyle Manzardo was safe at second base when the throw by India after fielding Jhonkensy Noel’s grounder was wide and pulled Michael Massey off the bag. That put runners at first and second when Arias came up.

Cleveland's starting pitchers have posted a 1.42 ERA in the team's last five games and have given up only four earned runs in 25 1/3 innings. The Guardians' rotation had a 7.05 ERA in their first eight games.

Kansas City right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 3.18 ERA), who reached 10 years of major-league service on Tuesday, faces Cleveland right-hander Luis Ortiz (0-2, 8.44 ERA) in the middle game of the series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744426314387.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Hunter Renfroe (16) reacts in front of Cleveland Guardians' Austin Hedges, left, after being called out on strikes in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Hunter Renfroe (16) reacts in front of Cleveland Guardians' Austin Hedges, left, after being called out on strikes in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — Gabriel Arias had three hits — including a three-run homer — Angel Martínez had his second career three-hit game and the Cleveland Guardians extended their winning streak to four, beating the Kansas City Royals 7-0 on Friday night.Five Cleveland pitchers combined for the second shutout of the homestand. Tim Herrin (2-0) got the win after starter Tanner Bibee went 4 1/3 innings.Arias snapped an 0 for 15 skid with a base hit in the second inning. He then connected on a first-pitch fastball from Royals' starter Kris Bubic (0-1) in the fourth inning and put it into the stands in right-center for his second homer of the season.The three runs were the first earned runs Bubic had allowed in 26 2/3 innings dating to last season.Martínez, called up from Triple A Columbus on Wednesday, also had a sacrifice fly in a four-run eighth inning to drive in Nolan Jones. Steven Kwan and Carlos Santana added RBI singles and Brayan Rocchio scored from second base after Royals' second baseman Jonathan India had a fly ball by José Ramírez pop out of his glove. It was India's second error of the game.<h2>Key moment</h2>Kyle Manzardo was safe at second base when the throw by India after fielding Jhonkensy Noel’s grounder was wide and pulled Michael Massey off the bag. That put runners at first and second when Arias came up.<h2>Key stat</h2>Cleveland's starting pitchers have posted a 1.42 ERA in the team's last five games and have given up only four earned runs in 25 1/3 innings. The Guardians' rotation had a 7.05 ERA in their first eight games.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas City right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 3.18 ERA), who reached 10 years of major-league service on Tuesday, faces Cleveland right-hander Luis Ortiz (0-2, 8.44 ERA) in the middle game of the series.

⚾ Arias 3-run homer helps Guardians shut out the Royals

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A pastor was abducted by armed and masked men as he was preaching a sermon before a congregation in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, police said Friday.

Four men broke into the Fellowship Baptist church in Motherwell Township on Thursday evening, stole two cellphones from members of the congregation and took away the pastor in his own truck, said police, who have now initiated an investigation into abduction and armed robbery.

Local media named the victim as Josh Sullivan, 45, from the U.S. state of Tennessee, but police would not confirm the identification.

According to the Fellowship Baptist church blog, Sullivan, who described himself as a “church-planting missionary,” his wife Meagan and two children arrived in South Africa in November 2018 to run the Motherwell branch.

An image showing Sullivan preaching behind a pulpit was uploaded on X by a user going by the name of Tom Hatley. Sullivan identifies a man with the same name as his childhood and training pastor on his own blog. Hatley claimed that he was posting on Sullivan’s wife’s behalf and prayed for a safe return.

A Maryville, Tennessee woman by the name Tonya Rinker, who lists Sullivan as her son in her profile, expressed heartbreak on Facebook and asked for prayers for her son, daughter-in-law and grandkids, adding that the American embassy in South Africa was working on finding him.

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed in a statement that the stolen truck, a silver Toyota Fortuner, was found abandoned in Motherwell a short while after the incident.

Additionally, the police Anti-Gang Unit has now taken over the investigation that was opened by the South African Police Service in Motherwell.

Beetge would not be drawn to give any particulars about the victim but said protocol dictated that once a ransom was demanded, the case would be handed over to the Hawks — a specialized police unit that investigates organized crime, economic crime, corruption, and other serious crimes.

“As I understand, there has been no ransom raised,” said Beetge, urging anyone with information to come forward.

As they await Sullivan’s safe return, supporters flocked to the pastor’s personal blog site and other social media platforms to offer their well-wishes.

“We are now praying that you delivered from these evil men,” a poster named Richard Stockton said on the church website. “Praying the Holy Spirit well work on their hearts and be saved. And release you!!!”

Another supporter called Kody Moore said Josh was a “faithful brother doing much to make Christ known in Africa."

“Please pray for Josh to be brought home safely and especially his family during this absolutely terrible time. May Christ be magnified,” he tweeted on X.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744386076602.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A pastor was abducted by armed and masked men as he was preaching a sermon before a congregation in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, police said Friday.Four men broke into the Fellowship Baptist church in Motherwell Township on Thursday evening, stole two cellphones from members of the congregation and took away the pastor in his own truck, said police, who have now initiated an investigation into abduction and armed robbery.Local media named the victim as Josh Sullivan, 45, from the U.S. state of Tennessee, but police would not confirm the identification.According to the Fellowship Baptist church blog, Sullivan, who described himself as a “church-planting missionary,” his wife Meagan and two children arrived in South Africa in November 2018 to run the Motherwell branch.An image showing Sullivan preaching behind a pulpit was uploaded on X by a user going by the name of Tom Hatley. Sullivan identifies a man with the same name as his childhood and training pastor on his own blog. Hatley claimed that he was posting on Sullivan’s wife’s behalf and prayed for a safe return.A Maryville, Tennessee woman by the name Tonya Rinker, who lists Sullivan as her son in her profile, expressed heartbreak on Facebook and asked for prayers for her son, daughter-in-law and grandkids, adding that the American embassy in South Africa was working on finding him.Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed in a statement that the stolen truck, a silver Toyota Fortuner, was found abandoned in Motherwell a short while after the incident.Additionally, the police Anti-Gang Unit has now taken over the investigation that was opened by the South African Police Service in Motherwell.Beetge would not be drawn to give any particulars about the victim but said protocol dictated that once a ransom was demanded, the case would be handed over to the Hawks — a specialized police unit that investigates organized crime, economic crime, corruption, and other serious crimes.“As I understand, there has been no ransom raised,” said Beetge, urging anyone with information to come forward.As they await Sullivan’s safe return, supporters flocked to the pastor’s personal blog site and other social media platforms to offer their well-wishes.“We are now praying that you delivered from these evil men,” a poster named Richard Stockton said on the church website. “Praying the Holy Spirit well work on their hearts and be saved. And release you!!!”Another supporter called Kody Moore said Josh was a “faithful brother doing much to make Christ known in Africa."“Please pray for Josh to be brought home safely and especially his family during this absolutely terrible time. May Christ be magnified,” he tweeted on X.

American pastor abducted at gunpoint in South Africa while preaching a sermon

Taking advantage of favorable weather forecasts, the City of Hays Parks Department began reopening restrooms in city parks this week.

The reopening process is expected to continue over the next couple of days, with all park restroom facilities anticipated to be fully operational by Friday.

Jeff Boyle, director of parks for the City of Hays, said the reopening process requires careful attention and takes time due to the steps involved in restoring plumbing systems after the winter shutdown.

"We’re pleased to be reopening our restrooms this week," Boyle said. "It’s always a clear sign that warmer weather is here, and we know residents look forward to enjoying our parks with full amenities. However, it does take a couple of days to ensure that each restroom is thoroughly checked and ready for public use."

Each year, the Parks Department winterizes park restrooms by draining water systems and disassembling plumbing fixtures to prevent damage from freezing temperatures.

Reconnecting and testing these systems each spring ensures facilities operate safely and efficiently.

While restroom facilities are returning to service, drinking fountains and the city’s splash pad will remain closed for now.

The splash pad, also undergoes an extensive winterization process involving pipes, tanks, and filtration systems.

Boyle said that the splash pad will be opened at a later date when warmer weather patterns stabilize.

The decision is aimed at avoiding potential maintenance setbacks, unnecessary expenses, and resource waste due to fluctuating spring temperatures.

"We know families are eager to use the splash pad again," Boyle said. "However, opening it prematurely could lead to additional maintenance and operational disruptions if temperatures suddenly drop again. We will continue monitoring weather conditions closely and announce the splash pad opening as soon as possible."

Boyle encouraged residents to follow updates via the City of Hays website and social media channels, where the Parks Department regularly posts information about the availability of park facilities and amenities.

The City of Hays Parks Department oversees several parks throughout the community, offering amenities including playgrounds, trails, sports fields, picnic areas, restroom facilities, and water fountains designed to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744296557382.jpeg" alt="Restrooms opened this week in Hays city parks. City of Hays photo" />
 <figcaption>Restrooms opened this week in Hays city parks. City of Hays photo</figcaption>
 </figure>City of Hays&nbsp;Taking advantage of favorable weather forecasts, the City of Hays Parks Department began reopening restrooms in city parks this week.The reopening process is expected to continue over the next couple of days, with all park restroom facilities anticipated to be fully operational by Friday.Jeff Boyle, director of parks for the City of Hays, said the reopening process requires careful attention and takes time due to the steps involved in restoring plumbing systems after the winter shutdown."We’re pleased to be reopening our restrooms this week," Boyle said. "It’s always a clear sign that warmer weather is here, and we know residents look forward to enjoying our parks with full amenities. However, it does take a couple of days to ensure that each restroom is thoroughly checked and ready for public use."Each year, the Parks Department winterizes park restrooms by draining water systems and disassembling plumbing fixtures to prevent damage from freezing temperatures.Reconnecting and testing these systems each spring ensures facilities operate safely and efficiently.While restroom facilities are returning to service, drinking fountains and the city’s splash pad will remain closed for now.The splash pad, also undergoes an extensive winterization process involving pipes, tanks, and filtration systems.Boyle said that the splash pad will be opened at a later date when warmer weather patterns stabilize.The decision is aimed at avoiding potential maintenance setbacks, unnecessary expenses, and resource waste due to fluctuating spring temperatures."We know families are eager to use the splash pad again," Boyle said. "However, opening it prematurely could lead to additional maintenance and operational disruptions if temperatures suddenly drop again. We will continue monitoring weather conditions closely and announce the splash pad opening as soon as possible."Boyle encouraged residents to follow updates via the City of Hays website and social media channels, where the Parks Department regularly posts information about the availability of park facilities and amenities.The City of Hays Parks Department oversees several parks throughout the community, offering amenities including playgrounds, trails, sports fields, picnic areas, restroom facilities, and water fountains designed to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

 City begins reopening park restrooms amid favorable weather conditions

KANSAS CITY — A woman has established an online fundraiser for her nephew after a deadly home explosion on Wednesday night in the Kansas City suburb of Lexington, Missouri.

<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jacob-cami-after-tragic-explosion?attribution_id=sl:bbd7666e-a17d-46eb-89a9-49432439c68f&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp13_t1-amp15_t3&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link">Click here to view the online fundraiser.</a>

&nbsp;"The fundraiser is for Jacob Cunningham's family who were tragically impacted by this gas leak turned explosion."

"Jake, Cami and Alistair had just returned home for the evening. I am being told that when Jake flipped the light switch, the home exploded. Leaving only debris. Also causing damage to several other homes on the block, the woman wrote on the online fundraiser."

"Jake his 10 year old daughter Cami Lamb were transported to a local hospital. Soon after Jake was Life Flighted to Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. Cami was Life Flighted to Children's Mercy Hospital. Both were severely burned." 

" Jake's 5 year old son Alistair died as a result of the explosion. Both Jake and Cami are considered critical but stable." 

The immediate need is for funeral cost for Alistar. Then costs associated with the medical care for both Jake and Cami, There will loss of income while Jake is out of work recovering from injuries. as he is the sole provider for his family.

The family has also set up an Account at Bank Midwest Bank 1211 Main street, Lexington, MO 64067 c/o Catherine Woods (Cathie). She is handling all the arrangements at this time for the family.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SARAH%20RAZA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A gas explosion leveled a home on Wednesday evening in a Kansas City suburb after a gas main was damaged.

City officials in Lexington, Missouri, said there were injuries to the family who lived in the home but would not specify the extent of the injuries or if anyone died. More details will be given after the family can inform relatives, Lexington city administrator Shawnna Funderburk said at a press conference Thursday morning.

The explosion happened about 7:45 p.m. after a subcontractor hit a gas main while installing a fiber optic cable, the city said in a social media post.

The explosion caused a fire in the home and, multiple structures nearby also were damaged, Funderburk said.

Liberty Utilities shut off gas to the town of 4,500 people following the incident and is still investigating the cause, the company's director of operations, Jeff McChristian, said during the press conference. Repairs are ongoing, and he could not specify when gas service would be restored to the town.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744302842121.jpeg" alt="View from above the damaged home courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>View from above the damaged home courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — A woman has established an online fundraiser for her nephew after a deadly home explosion on Wednesday night in the Kansas City suburb of Lexington, Missouri.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744331759176.png" alt="Jacob Cunningham with his two children-photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Jacob Cunningham with his two children-photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jacob-cami-after-tragic-explosion?attribution_id=sl:bbd7666e-a17d-46eb-89a9-49432439c68f&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp13_t1-amp15_t3&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link">Click here to view the online fundraiser.</a>&nbsp;"The fundraiser is for Jacob Cunningham's family who were tragically impacted by this gas leak turned explosion.""Jake, Cami and Alistair had just returned home for the evening. I am being told that when Jake flipped the light switch, the home exploded. Leaving only debris. Also causing damage to several other homes on the block, the woman wrote on the online fundraiser.""Jake his 10 year old daughter Cami Lamb were transported to a local hospital. Soon after Jake was Life Flighted to Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. Cami was Life Flighted to Children's Mercy Hospital. Both were severely burned." " Jake's 5 year old son Alistair died as a result of the explosion. Both Jake and Cami are considered critical but stable." The immediate need is for funeral cost for Alistar. Then costs associated with the medical care for both Jake and Cami, There will loss of income while Jake is out of work recovering from injuries. as he is the sole provider for his family.The family has also set up an Account at Bank Midwest Bank 1211 Main street, Lexington, MO 64067 c/o Catherine Woods (Cathie). She is handling all the arrangements at this time for the family.-----------<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SARAH%20RAZA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A gas explosion leveled a home on Wednesday evening in a Kansas City suburb after a gas main was damaged.City officials in Lexington, Missouri, said there were injuries to the family who lived in the home but would not specify the extent of the injuries or if anyone died. More details will be given after the family can inform relatives, Lexington city administrator Shawnna Funderburk said at a press conference Thursday morning.The explosion happened about 7:45 p.m. after a subcontractor hit a gas main while installing a fiber optic cable, the city said in a social media post.The explosion caused a fire in the home and, multiple structures nearby also were damaged, Funderburk said.Liberty Utilities shut off gas to the town of 4,500 people following the incident and is still investigating the cause, the company's director of operations, Jeff McChristian, said during the press conference. Repairs are ongoing, and he could not specify when gas service would be restored to the town.

Online fundraiser for family in deadly KC area home explosion

By BECKY KISER&nbsp; Hays Post

Another positive review with no significant deficiencies was the outcome of the City of Hays' 2024 audit by Adams Brown, Hays, presented during Thursday's city commission meeting.

"I owe gratitude to the city clerk and finance staff because they dot the i's and cross the t's to make sure we get a report like this," said Kim Rupp, finance director.&nbsp;

Auditors tested the airport improvement program, which they noted had several minor deficiencies in FAA grant paperwork not being turned in on time.&nbsp;

Rupp noted that Hays Regional Airport is currently involved in seven FAA grant programs.

 "I love the fact that you picked on the place that had the most going on and it still came out that clean," said Reese Barrick, commissioner.

The Youth Leadership Advisory Board presented an update of its current projects.&nbsp;

"Our goal and what we're here to do is to promote and encourage community development, involvement, and other participation with young leaders within Hays," said Isabelle Jones, chairwoman and Hays High School senior.

Jones talked about the mock election and voting initiative the group organized for Hays Middle School eighth graders last fall. The first year it was held for junior high students at Thomas More Prep-Marian.&nbsp;

City, county, and state elected officials were on hand along with Hays USD 489 school board members to introduce the students to the workings of local government. They were joined by American Democracy Project representatives from Fort Hays State University.&nbsp;

"We also wanted them to become familiar with voting as they get to voting age because low voter turnout is an issue in our town and across the nation," Jones said.&nbsp;

Erin Ruder, also a Hays High student, told commissioners about her mental health initiative and bullying which she premiered at a TMP-Marian school assembly in February. Special guests included Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun and Kaley Conner of High Plains Mental Health Center.&nbsp;Ruder plans to take the program to Hays High later this month.

Preston Mermis, TMP, talked about his dream project that came to fruition after a year and a half.

The new Explorer Post 1893 in cooperation with the Hays Fire Department has had six training events with five members. Recruitment for new participants is&nbsp; open.&nbsp;

"It's been a great initiative and the fire department seems to enjoy it," Mermis told commissioners.

"Having met with EMS and the Kansas Forest Service, they seem to enjoy it as well, and we hope to see good things come from this."

"These aren't small projects," said Vice-Mayor Mason Ruder, brother of Erin Ruder.&nbsp;"I know, Preston, you especially, had to go through a lot of legal boundaries." 

"You guys have all picked programs that are needed and we'll be able to grow," said Alaina Cunningham, commissioner.&nbsp;

Mermis, Ruder, and Brull have all been appointed to serve again on the advisory board for 2025-26.

Joining them will be Reghan Byer, TMP-Marian and Hays High students Mario Hernandez, Jr., Elizabeth Nickell, and Eliana Pineda.

The students' applications were vetted by the current advisory board members and approved by city commissioners.

Other mayoral appointments approved were Hays Public Library Board members Michelle Bryant and Mary Toepfer, and Al Klaus, Hays Housing Authority.&nbsp;

City commissioner Shaun Musil was absent from the meeting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744332327809.jpeg" alt="Alexis Crispin and Jamie Benyshek, Adams Brown, Hays, audit team. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Alexis Crispin and Jamie Benyshek, Adams Brown, Hays, audit team. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER&nbsp; Hays PostAnother positive review with no significant deficiencies was the outcome of the City of Hays' 2024 audit by Adams Brown, Hays, presented during Thursday's city commission meeting."I owe gratitude to the city clerk and finance staff because they dot the i's and cross the t's to make sure we get a report like this," said Kim Rupp, finance director.&nbsp;Auditors tested the airport improvement program, which they noted had several minor deficiencies in FAA grant paperwork not being turned in on time.&nbsp;Rupp noted that Hays Regional Airport is currently involved in seven FAA grant programs. "I love the fact that you picked on the place that had the most going on and it still came out that clean," said Reese Barrick, commissioner.<h2>YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVISORY BOARD</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744326075186.png" alt="Youth Leadership Advisory Board, City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>Youth Leadership Advisory Board, City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>The Youth Leadership Advisory Board presented an update of its current projects.&nbsp;"Our goal and what we're here to do is to promote and encourage community development, involvement, and other participation with young leaders within Hays," said Isabelle Jones, chairwoman and Hays High School senior.Jones talked about the mock election and voting initiative the group organized for Hays Middle School eighth graders last fall. The first year it was held for junior high students at Thomas More Prep-Marian.&nbsp;City, county, and state elected officials were on hand along with Hays USD 489 school board members to introduce the students to the workings of local government. They were joined by American Democracy Project representatives from Fort Hays State University.&nbsp;"We also wanted them to become familiar with voting as they get to voting age because low voter turnout is an issue in our town and across the nation," Jones said.&nbsp;Erin Ruder, also a Hays High student, told commissioners about her mental health initiative and bullying which she premiered at a TMP-Marian school assembly in February. Special guests included Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun and Kaley Conner of High Plains Mental Health Center.&nbsp;Ruder plans to take the program to Hays High later this month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744328549034.jpeg" alt="Recruitment poster for the Hays Fire Department Explorer Post 1893. Courtesy Preston Mermis" />
 <figcaption>Recruitment poster for the Hays Fire Department Explorer Post 1893. Courtesy Preston Mermis</figcaption>
 </figure>Preston Mermis, TMP, talked about his dream project that came to fruition after a year and a half.The new Explorer Post 1893 in cooperation with the Hays Fire Department has had six training events with five members. Recruitment for new participants is&nbsp; open.&nbsp;"It's been a great initiative and the fire department seems to enjoy it," Mermis told commissioners."Having met with EMS and the Kansas Forest Service, they seem to enjoy it as well, and we hope to see good things come from this.""These aren't small projects," said Vice-Mayor Mason Ruder, brother of Erin Ruder.&nbsp;"I know, Preston, you especially, had to go through a lot of legal boundaries." Commissioner Alaina Cunninga"You guys have all picked programs that are needed and we'll be able to grow," said Alaina Cunningham, commissioner.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744329346869.png" alt="Hays Youth Leadership Advisory Board 2025-26. City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>Hays Youth Leadership Advisory Board 2025-26. City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>Mermis, Ruder, and Brull have all been appointed to serve again on the advisory board for 2025-26.Joining them will be Reghan Byer, TMP-Marian and Hays High students Mario Hernandez, Jr., Elizabeth Nickell, and Eliana Pineda.The students' applications were vetted by the current advisory board members and approved by city commissioners.Other mayoral appointments approved were Hays Public Library Board members Michelle Bryant and Mary Toepfer, and Al Klaus, Hays Housing Authority.&nbsp;City commissioner Shaun Musil was absent from the meeting.

Clean 2024 audit for City of Hays

KANSAS CITY — Charges&nbsp; have been filed against a man who broke into a Kansas CIty wine bar last Month, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2563/Werts_Evan--Complaint_Redacted2">Evan A. Werts faces</a>&nbsp;2nd Degree Burglary, 1st Degree Property Damage, and two counts of Stealing.&nbsp;

Werts was previously charged with two counts of 2nd Degree Property Damage for an incident last year and posted bond. He had been complying with a GPS monitoring system and strict special conditions of his bond for months, which led to the court’s decision to allow modifications of some of his restrictions.&nbsp;

While out on bond, the defendant turned off his GPS monitoring system right before committing a weekend’s burglary. As a result, the Prosecutor’s Office has filed a motion to revoke bond, and the court issued a no-bond warrant.&nbsp;

“In this case, the defendant was given an opportunity, based on his compliance and positive behavior, to have access to tools to improve himself, but instead chose to commit a new felony," said Prosecutor Johnson.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2562/Werts_Evan--PC-Statement_redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to Vita’s Place on a burglary call on March 30. Video footage revealed a male, later identified as Werts attempt to kick in the rear door of the business but was unsuccessful. He then broke in and entered a window on the front door of the business. Two bottles of wine, one bottle of whiskey, and cash from the register were missing from the business.&nbsp;

Werts is being held for a mental health evaluation and will be taken into custody as soon as he is released.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744317708339.png" alt="Werts as seen in security camera images from Vitas Place" />
 <figcaption>Werts as seen in security camera images from Vitas Place</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — Charges&nbsp; have been filed against a man who broke into a Kansas CIty wine bar last Month, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2563/Werts_Evan--Complaint_Redacted2">Evan A. Werts faces</a>&nbsp;2nd Degree Burglary, 1st Degree Property Damage, and two counts of Stealing.&nbsp;Werts was previously charged with two counts of 2nd Degree Property Damage for an incident last year and posted bond. He had been complying with a GPS monitoring system and strict special conditions of his bond for months, which led to the court’s decision to allow modifications of some of his restrictions.&nbsp;While out on bond, the defendant turned off his GPS monitoring system right before committing a weekend’s burglary. As a result, the Prosecutor’s Office has filed a motion to revoke bond, and the court issued a no-bond warrant.&nbsp;“In this case, the defendant was given an opportunity, based on his compliance and positive behavior, to have access to tools to improve himself, but instead chose to commit a new felony," said Prosecutor Johnson.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2562/Werts_Evan--PC-Statement_redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to Vita’s Place on a burglary call on March 30. Video footage revealed a male, later identified as Werts attempt to kick in the rear door of the business but was unsuccessful. He then broke in and entered a window on the front door of the business. Two bottles of wine, one bottle of whiskey, and cash from the register were missing from the business.&nbsp;Werts is being held for a mental health evaluation and will be taken into custody as soon as he is released.&nbsp;

Doorbell camera saw man breaking into KC wine bar

McPHERSON -&nbsp;The Hays High boys golf team finishes fifth at Thursday's McPherson Invitational at the Turkey Creek Golf Course. Caleb Thompson led the Indians with an 85 and finished in 19th place.

The Indians are at Newton on Friday, April 17.

Hays High Results Caleb Thompson - 85 - 19th place Braiden Bickle - 86 - 24th place Cooper Johnson - 88 - 26th place Miles Weimer - 92 - 39th place 351 - 5th place Trey Oakley 97 - 52nd place Mason Simmons 99 - 59th place

Team Results Place - School - Score 1. Salina Sacred Heart - 318 2. Buhler - 320 3. Winfield - 339 4. McPherson - 347 5. Hays High - 351 6. Derby - 352 7. Hutchinson - 355 8. Salina South - 355 9. Great Bend - 358 10. Sterling - 375 11. Newton - 388 12. El Dorado - 390 13. Campus - 396 14. Arkansas City - 405

Top 15 Medalists Place - Name - School - Score 1. Drew DeMeyer - Buhler - 73 2. Jackson Perry - Salina South - 75 3. Will Tuttle - Salina Sacred Heart - 77 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Mitchell Rice - Hutchinson - 77 5. Dominic Matteucci - Salina Sacred Heart -&nbsp; 78 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drew Graham - Winfield - 78 7. Zach Chance - Buhler - 79 8. Nick Chance - Buhler - 80 9. Ethan Newell - Salina Sacred Heart - 81 &nbsp; &nbsp; Hudson Krehbiel - McPherson - 81 11. Luke Newell - Salina Sacred Heart - 82 12. Mason Price - Winfield - 83 13. Nash Lindberg - Great Bend - 84 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Heath Oetken - Derby - 84 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ledger Michel - Salina South - 84 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Parker Owens - Winfield - 84

Hays Post SportsMcPHERSON -&nbsp;The Hays High boys golf team finishes fifth at Thursday's McPherson Invitational at the Turkey Creek Golf Course. Caleb Thompson led the Indians with an 85 and finished in 19th place.UP NEXTThe Indians are at Newton on Friday, April 17.Hays High Results Caleb Thompson - 85 - 19th place Braiden Bickle - 86 - 24th place Cooper Johnson - 88 - 26th place Miles Weimer - 92 - 39th place 351 - 5th place Trey Oakley 97 - 52nd place Mason Simmons 99 - 59th placeTeam Results Place - School - Score 1. Salina Sacred Heart - 318 2. Buhler - 320 3. Winfield - 339 4. McPherson - 347 5. Hays High - 351 6. Derby - 352 7. Hutchinson - 355 8. Salina South - 355 9. Great Bend - 358 10. Sterling - 375 11. Newton - 388 12. El Dorado - 390 13. Campus - 396 14. Arkansas City - 405 Top 15 Medalists Place - Name - School - Score 1. Drew DeMeyer - Buhler - 73 2. Jackson Perry - Salina South - 75 3. Will Tuttle - Salina Sacred Heart - 77 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Mitchell Rice - Hutchinson - 77 5. Dominic Matteucci - Salina Sacred Heart -&nbsp; 78 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drew Graham - Winfield - 78 7. Zach Chance - Buhler - 79 8. Nick Chance - Buhler - 80 9. Ethan Newell - Salina Sacred Heart - 81 &nbsp; &nbsp; Hudson Krehbiel - McPherson - 81 11. Luke Newell - Salina Sacred Heart - 82 12. Mason Price - Winfield - 83 13. Nash Lindberg - Great Bend - 84 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Heath Oetken - Derby - 84 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ledger Michel - Salina South - 84 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Parker Owens - Winfield - 84

⛳ HHS boys 5th at McPherson Inviational

LIBERAL - The Hays High girls soccer team got back into the win column Thursday with a 6-2 win over Liberal.

Dani Willeford and Annie Humphrey both have hat tricks.

The Indians are now 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. They host Manhattan at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hays High School.

Hays Post SportsLIBERAL - The Hays High girls soccer team got back into the win column Thursday with a 6-2 win over Liberal.Dani Willeford and Annie Humphrey both have hat tricks.The Indians are now 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. They host Manhattan at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hays High School.

⚽ Willeford, Humphrey hat tricks lead HHS girls to win in Liberal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's top health agency will undertake a “massive testing and research effort” to determine the cause&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/hub/autism">of autism</a>, Health and Human Services Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>. announced Thursday.

Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic who has pushed a discredited theory that routine childhood shots cause the developmental disability, said the effort will be completed by September and involve hundreds of scientists. He shared the plans with President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;during a televised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-second-term-staff/">Cabinet meeting</a>.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-rates-vaccines-trump-rfk-polio-4d1ef5bd69dc20533e95e8e34e0b1e86">suggested that vaccines</a>&nbsp;could be to blame for autism rates, although decades of research have concluded there is no link between the two.

“There's got to be something artificial out there that's doing this,” Trump told Kennedy. “If you can come up with that answer, where you stop taking something, eating something, or maybe it's a shot. But something's causing it."

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/adult-autism-diagnosis-spectrum-4babb9b0eea3335dddc93c35f7fcd913">Autism is</a>&nbsp;a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. It presents with a wide range of symptoms that can include delays in language, learning, and social or emotional skills.

There’s scientific consensus that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism. Leading autism advocacy groups, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-causes-autism">Autism Speaks</a>, agree.

Research, including studies of twins, shows genes play a large role. No single environmental factor has been deemed a culprit. The National Institutes of Health, which already spends more than $300 million yearly researching autism, lists some possible risk factors such as prenatal exposure to pesticides or air pollution, extreme prematurity or low birth weight, certain maternal health problems or parents conceiving at an older age.

Kennedy has offered no details on how his study will be different or what researchers will be involved. Leading autism organizations, such as the Autism Society of America, have not been included in discussions about the research, said ASA spokeswoman Kristyn Roth.

Roth said many agree that more research is needed to determine what causes autism, but Kennedy’s approach has raised alarms.

"There is a deep concern that we are going backward and evaluating debunked theories,” Roth said.

Trump and Kennedy have both expressed concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/profound-autism-rate-us-bc21057fabe11774843d4ac2197956a4">rising autism diagnoses rates</a>.

Some of that increase is due to increased awareness and a change in how the disability is diagnosed. For decades, the diagnosis was given only to kids with severe problems communicating or socializing and those with unusual, repetitive behaviors. But around 30 years ago, the term became shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions known as ″autism spectrum disorders.” Milder autism cases are far more common than severe ones.

With improved screening and autism services, diagnosis is increasingly happening at younger ages, too. And there’s been more awareness and advocacy for Black and Hispanic families, leading to an increase in autism diagnosed among those groups.

Still, anti-vaccine advocates, including Kennedy, have claimed that vaccines are to blame. The theory largely stems from a 1998 paper that was later retracted.

Scientists have since ruled out a link between vaccines and autism, finding no evidence of increased rates of autism among those who are vaccinated compared to those who are not.

Kennedy has hired David Geier, a man who has repeatedly claimed a link between vaccines and autism, to lead the autism research effort. The hiring of Geier, who the state of Maryland found was practicing medicine on a child without a doctor's license, was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/25/vaccine-skeptic-hhs-rfk-immunization-autism/">first reported by The Washington Post</a>.

HHS did not immediately response to a request for comment.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's top health agency will undertake a “massive testing and research effort” to determine the cause&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/hub/autism">of autism</a>, Health and Human Services Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>. announced Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 LET&#39;S GO! HHS Secretary RFK Jr. says by September of THIS YEAR, the U.S. will unveil the cause of the autism epidemic &quot;We&#39;ll be able to eliminate those exposures.&quot; TRUMP: &quot;It was 1 in 10,000... now it&#39;s 1 in 31. That is a HORRIBLE statistic.&quot; MAHA!<a href="https://t.co/ozJTgQ9LVT">pic.twitter.com/ozJTgQ9LVT</a>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1910388516246167751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic who has pushed a discredited theory that routine childhood shots cause the developmental disability, said the effort will be completed by September and involve hundreds of scientists. He shared the plans with President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;during a televised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-second-term-staff/">Cabinet meeting</a>.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-rates-vaccines-trump-rfk-polio-4d1ef5bd69dc20533e95e8e34e0b1e86">suggested that vaccines</a>&nbsp;could be to blame for autism rates, although decades of research have concluded there is no link between the two.“There's got to be something artificial out there that's doing this,” Trump told Kennedy. “If you can come up with that answer, where you stop taking something, eating something, or maybe it's a shot. But something's causing it."<a href="https://apnews.com/article/adult-autism-diagnosis-spectrum-4babb9b0eea3335dddc93c35f7fcd913">Autism is</a>&nbsp;a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. It presents with a wide range of symptoms that can include delays in language, learning, and social or emotional skills.There’s scientific consensus that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism. Leading autism advocacy groups, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-causes-autism">Autism Speaks</a>, agree.Research, including studies of twins, shows genes play a large role. No single environmental factor has been deemed a culprit. The National Institutes of Health, which already spends more than $300 million yearly researching autism, lists some possible risk factors such as prenatal exposure to pesticides or air pollution, extreme prematurity or low birth weight, certain maternal health problems or parents conceiving at an older age.Kennedy has offered no details on how his study will be different or what researchers will be involved. Leading autism organizations, such as the Autism Society of America, have not been included in discussions about the research, said ASA spokeswoman Kristyn Roth.Roth said many agree that more research is needed to determine what causes autism, but Kennedy’s approach has raised alarms."There is a deep concern that we are going backward and evaluating debunked theories,” Roth said.Trump and Kennedy have both expressed concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/profound-autism-rate-us-bc21057fabe11774843d4ac2197956a4">rising autism diagnoses rates</a>.Some of that increase is due to increased awareness and a change in how the disability is diagnosed. For decades, the diagnosis was given only to kids with severe problems communicating or socializing and those with unusual, repetitive behaviors. But around 30 years ago, the term became shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions known as ″autism spectrum disorders.” Milder autism cases are far more common than severe ones.With improved screening and autism services, diagnosis is increasingly happening at younger ages, too. And there’s been more awareness and advocacy for Black and Hispanic families, leading to an increase in autism diagnosed among those groups.Still, anti-vaccine advocates, including Kennedy, have claimed that vaccines are to blame. The theory largely stems from a 1998 paper that was later retracted.Scientists have since ruled out a link between vaccines and autism, finding no evidence of increased rates of autism among those who are vaccinated compared to those who are not.Kennedy has hired David Geier, a man who has repeatedly claimed a link between vaccines and autism, to lead the autism research effort. The hiring of Geier, who the state of Maryland found was practicing medicine on a child without a doctor's license, was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/25/vaccine-skeptic-hhs-rfk-immunization-autism/">first reported by The Washington Post</a>.HHS did not immediately response to a request for comment.___

🎥RFK Jr. says HHS will determine the cause of autism by September

By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

The Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milberger, Kansas was built in 1887. The
church was moved from the unincorporated community in south Russell County to
south Hoisington in 1971. Mostly unused for decades, Debbie Deutsch has had her
eye on the structure for years.

Deutsch opened the Corinthians Hill Event
Center, just north of Great Bend and Barton Community College, in 2020 with the
idea to have a church on site for wedding ceremonies and receptions.


"This was always the vision," said Deutsch. "I wanted to be able to offer weddings that can be done in a church as well as for inclement weather. Rather than having to sit at a table to watch a bride and groom when it's pouring outside. You can at least go inside a church while it's pouring. It was always the plan."

With more than 40 years of interior design experience, Deutsch operates
Cornerstone Interiors in Great Bend, and eventually started decorating for
people’s weddings. 


Along with a house and venues on site for receptions and events, Deutsch hired
a moving company to haul the church Wednesday morning from its location near Hoisington
to the foundation installed at Corinthians Hill.


"I have wanted this church for about 10 years," said Deutsch. "Probably five years ago, I approached the owner and asked him if he would be willing to sell it. He said yes. I wasn't quite ready for it. When I was ready for it about a month ago, I approached him again. We made a deal, and the movers had availability."

Deutsch said the church is roughly 61 feet long by 32 feet wide and was listed
to fit “300 souls” inside. Renovations to the church will get started soon in
its new location.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

"I have a vision for the whole thing," added Deutsch. "I'm not done, trust me."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744218088588.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milberger, Kansas was built in 1887. The
church was moved from the unincorporated community in south Russell County to
south Hoisington in 1971. Mostly unused for decades, Debbie Deutsch has had her
eye on the structure for years.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DFjBjgl076Q?si=_ttp4d6RoSmjnAK9&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Deutsch opened the Corinthians Hill Event
Center, just north of Great Bend and Barton Community College, in 2020 with the
idea to have a church on site for wedding ceremonies and receptions.
"This was always the vision," said Deutsch. "I wanted to be able to offer weddings that can be done in a church as well as for inclement weather. Rather than having to sit at a table to watch a bride and groom when it's pouring outside. You can at least go inside a church while it's pouring. It was always the plan."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744218056494.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>With more than 40 years of interior design experience, Deutsch operates
Cornerstone Interiors in Great Bend, and eventually started decorating for
people’s weddings. 
Along with a house and venues on site for receptions and events, Deutsch hired
a moving company to haul the church Wednesday morning from its location near Hoisington
to the foundation installed at Corinthians Hill.
"I have wanted this church for about 10 years," said Deutsch. "Probably five years ago, I approached the owner and asked him if he would be willing to sell it. He said yes. I wasn't quite ready for it. When I was ready for it about a month ago, I approached him again. We made a deal, and the movers had availability."Deutsch said the church is roughly 61 feet long by 32 feet wide and was listed
to fit “300 souls” inside. Renovations to the church will get started soon in
its new location.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;"I have a vision for the whole thing," added Deutsch. "I'm not done, trust me."

🎥Historic Kansas church moved a second time

Hay - Hays High (7-0, 3-0) completed their three game sweep of the Dodge City Red Demons (0-7, 0-5) with a pair of run rule wins on Thursday.

Game 1: Hays 15, Dodge City 0 (4 inn.) Hays High collected 17 hits in the first game of the double header. Six players recorded a multi-hit game. Lauren Klein, Riley Dreher and Lanie Becker had three hits apiece.

Hays scored six runs in the first inning. Dreher drove in the first of her five RBIs on a double that plated Klein. Dreher then scored on a wild pitch and on the same pitch Shae Augustine scored to make the score 3-0.&nbsp;

Becker drove in Brynlee Rupp and Adalie Kippes with a single later in the inning. She then scored on a Katie Klein single to cap the six run inning.

Hays added a run in the second inning on a Avery Solida ground out that scored Dreher.

The Indians scored five in the third inning Jaylee Summers lifted a sacrifice fly to the outfield that scored Becker. Hays then loaded the bases for Dreher who just cleared the left field fence into a 35 mile-per-hour wind for a grand slam home run and a 12-0 lead.

Three more runs in the fourth inning ended the game. Summers scored Kippes and Becker with a double. Summers scored the game ending run on a single by Lauren Klein.

Jaylee Summers (1-0) worked all four innings for the win. She allowed no hits, did not walk a batter while striking out six.

Game 2: Hays 15, Dodge City 0 (4 inn.s) Hays High scored the exact same amount of runs per inning in game two as they did in game one for another 15-0 win.

Like in game one the Indians sent 11 to the plate in the first inning. Five of the first batters reached and scored. Alyse Zimmerman and Lauren Klein scored on a Riley Dreher triple to open the scoring. Dreher took advantage of a passed ball for a 3-0 lead. Lanie Becker drove in Adalie Kippes who was a courtesy runner for Avery Solida and a 4-0 advantage. Jaylee Summers capped the inning with by driving in two runs on a single.

The third inning they added five more runs. Kacie Jones led off the inning with a single and later scored on a single by Summers. The first four batters of the inning all singled. The fourth was Zimmerman who drove in a run. Klein used a sacrifice bunt to add o the lead. Dreher and Brynlee Brous added to the scoreboard with run scoring singles for a 12-0 score.

Hays ended the game with three runs in the fourth once again. Jones, Rupp and Summers all scored. A Zimmerman sacrifice fly and Dreher single drove in the runs.

Dreher again drove in five runs which gave her a total of ten RBI on the day. She went 10-10 against Dodge City in three games this week and raised her batting average to .769. She has 20 hits on the season with half of those being for extra bases.

Lanie Becker (2-0) took the win in the circle. She allowed no runs, no walks, struck out six and allowed two hits.

Hays returns to action on Tuesday when they host Garden City in a double header.

Hays Post SportsHay - Hays High (7-0, 3-0) completed their three game sweep of the Dodge City Red Demons (0-7, 0-5) with a pair of run rule wins on Thursday.Game 1: Hays 15, Dodge City 0 (4 inn.) Hays High collected 17 hits in the first game of the double header. Six players recorded a multi-hit game. Lauren Klein, Riley Dreher and Lanie Becker had three hits apiece.Hays scored six runs in the first inning. Dreher drove in the first of her five RBIs on a double that plated Klein. Dreher then scored on a wild pitch and on the same pitch Shae Augustine scored to make the score 3-0.&nbsp;Becker drove in Brynlee Rupp and Adalie Kippes with a single later in the inning. She then scored on a Katie Klein single to cap the six run inning.Hays added a run in the second inning on a Avery Solida ground out that scored Dreher.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2075901860&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-sb-dh-highlights-vs-dodge" title="HHS SB DH Highlights VS Dodge City (Apr 10th) Game 1" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS SB DH Highlights VS Dodge City (Apr 10th) Game 1</a></div></div>The Indians scored five in the third inning Jaylee Summers lifted a sacrifice fly to the outfield that scored Becker. Hays then loaded the bases for Dreher who just cleared the left field fence into a 35 mile-per-hour wind for a grand slam home run and a 12-0 lead.Three more runs in the fourth inning ended the game. Summers scored Kippes and Becker with a double. Summers scored the game ending run on a single by Lauren Klein.Jaylee Summers (1-0) worked all four innings for the win. She allowed no hits, did not walk a batter while striking out six.Game 2: Hays 15, Dodge City 0 (4 inn.s) Hays High scored the exact same amount of runs per inning in game two as they did in game one for another 15-0 win.Like in game one the Indians sent 11 to the plate in the first inning. Five of the first batters reached and scored. Alyse Zimmerman and Lauren Klein scored on a Riley Dreher triple to open the scoring. Dreher took advantage of a passed ball for a 3-0 lead. Lanie Becker drove in Adalie Kippes who was a courtesy runner for Avery Solida and a 4-0 advantage. Jaylee Summers capped the inning with by driving in two runs on a single.Hays again added one run in the second.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2075902056&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/hhs-sb-dh-highlights-vs-1" title="HHS SB DH Highlights VS Dodge City (Apr 10th) Game 2" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS SB DH Highlights VS Dodge City (Apr 10th) Game 2</a></div></div>The third inning they added five more runs. Kacie Jones led off the inning with a single and later scored on a single by Summers. The first four batters of the inning all singled. The fourth was Zimmerman who drove in a run. Klein used a sacrifice bunt to add o the lead. Dreher and Brynlee Brous added to the scoreboard with run scoring singles for a 12-0 score.Hays ended the game with three runs in the fourth once again. Jones, Rupp and Summers all scored. A Zimmerman sacrifice fly and Dreher single drove in the runs.Dreher again drove in five runs which gave her a total of ten RBI on the day. She went 10-10 against Dodge City in three games this week and raised her batting average to .769. She has 20 hits on the season with half of those being for extra bases.Hays managed 13 hits in the second game.Lanie Becker (2-0) took the win in the circle. She allowed no runs, no walks, struck out six and allowed two hits.Hays returns to action on Tuesday when they host Garden City in a double header.Coach Abby Gillan<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2075901168&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/abby-gillan-postgame-interview" title="Abby Gillan Postgame Interview Vs Dodge City (Apr 10th)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Abby Gillan Postgame Interview Vs Dodge City (Apr 10th)</a></div></div>

🥎 Hays High sweeps Dodge City in run rule games

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dove Thursday and surrendered a chunk of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">historic gains</a>&nbsp;from the day before as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;trade war continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-pause-businesses-reaction-a61a1adcaf6332f6188ae1d70664b898">threaten the economy</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 tumbled 3.5%, slicing into Wednesday’s surge of 9.5% following Trump’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">pause many of his tariffs worldwide</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014 points, or 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 4.3%.

“Trump blinks,” UBS strategist Bhanu Baweja wrote in a report about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-one-week-liberation-day-1aad750dc90829f07473fe17f913b8ba">president’s decision on tariffs</a>, “but the damage isn’t all undone.”

Trump has focused more on China, raising tariffs on its products to well above 100%. Even if that were to get negotiated down to something like 50%, and even if only 10% tariffs remained on other countries, Baweja said the hit to the U.S. economy could still be large enough to hurt expected growth for upcoming U.S. corporate profits.

The losses for U.S. stocks accelerated Thursday after the White House clarified that the United States will tax Chinese imports at 145%, not the 125% rate that Trump had written about in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114309144289505174">his posting on Truth Social Wednesday</a>, once other previously announced tariffs were included. The drop for the S&amp;P 500 exceeded 6% at one point.

“Everything is still very volatile, because with Donald Trump, you don’t know what to expect,” said Francis Lun, chief executive of Geo Securities. “This is really big uncertainty in the market. The threat of recession has not faded.”

China, meanwhile, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-negotiations-f5acfd1ef8f3573f92e8963a8150bdfb">reached out to other countries</a>&nbsp;around the world in apparent hopes of forming a united front against Trump. The world's second-largest economy is also ramping up its own countermeasures to Trump's tariffs.

The stock price of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company behind “A Minecraft Movie,” dropped 12.5% for one of Wall Street’s sharpest losses after China said Thursday it will “appropriately reduce the number of imported U.S. films.” The Walt Disney Co.’s stock sank 6.8%

A spokesperson for the China Film Administration said it is “inevitable” that Chinese audiences would find American films less palatable given the “wrong move by the U.S. to wantonly implement tariffs on China.”

That was after Trump and his Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, sent a clear message to other countries Wednesday after announcing their pause on tariffs for most countries: “Do not retaliate, and you will be rewarded.”

The European Union said Thursday it will put its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-tariffs-retaliation-trade-eu-vdl-ad6cde9920b6336789b9e2e9935c69fb">trade retaliation measures on hold</a>&nbsp;for 90 days and leave room for a negotiated solution.

Thursday’s swings also hit the bond market, which had been showing encouraging signals earlier in the day that stress may be easing.

The bond market has historically played the role of enforcer against politicians and economic policies it deemed imprudent. It helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/liz-truss-economy-book-donald-trump-bbd694da6150d6f851af805b462e92fb">topple the United Kingdom’s Liz Truss</a>&nbsp;in 2022, for example, whose 49 days made her Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister. James Carville, adviser to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, also famously said he’d like to be reincarnated as the bond market because of how much power it wields.

Earlier this week, big jumps for U.S. Treasury yields had rattled the market, so much that Trump said Wednesday he had been watching how investors were “getting a little queasy.”

Several reasons could have been behind the sharp, sudden rise in yields. Hedge funds may have sold Treasurys in order to raise cash, and investors outside the United States may be dumping their U.S. government bonds because of the trade war. Regardless of the reasons behind it, higher Treasury yields crank up pressure on the stock market and push rates higher for mortgages and other loans for U.S. households and businesses.

The 10-year Treasury yield had calmed following Trump’s U-turn on tariffs, dropping all the way back to 4.30% shortly after the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-964784cc5697c2f0df5bb79806392e3c">better-than-expected report on inflation</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning. That’s after it had shot up to nearly 4.50% Wednesday morning from just 4.01% at the end of last week.

As Thursday progressed, though, the 10-year Treasury yield climbed once again and reached 4.40%.

It all demonstrates why many on Wall Street are preparing for more swings in markets, after the S&amp;P 500 at one point nearly dropped into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bear-market-stocks-market-tariffs-trump-sp-500-c5d106a80666c0ff4f0e71624d525158">“bear market”</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">almost closing 20% below its record</a>.

Often, the market’s whipsaw moves have come not just day to day but also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-nikkei-tariffs-trump-76d0de278a6cad291ace624a74a6a1b6">hour to hour</a>. The S&amp;P 500 still remains below where it was when Trump announced his sweeping set of tariffs last week on “Liberation Day.”

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 188.85 points Thursday to 5,268.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014.79 to 39,593.66, and the Nasdaq composite sank 737.66 to 16,387.31.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rallied across Europe and Asia in their first chances to trade following Trump’s pause on many of his tariffs. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 9.1%, South Korea’s Kospi leaped 6.6% and Germany’s DAX returned 4.5%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722962507580.png" alt="File (AP Photo/Richard Drew)" />
 <figcaption>File (AP Photo/Richard Drew)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dove Thursday and surrendered a chunk of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-trump-721a3a5971f1b254981d32f4acb9eb17">historic gains</a>&nbsp;from the day before as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;trade war continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-pause-businesses-reaction-a61a1adcaf6332f6188ae1d70664b898">threaten the economy</a>.The S&amp;P 500 tumbled 3.5%, slicing into Wednesday’s surge of 9.5% following Trump’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">pause many of his tariffs worldwide</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014 points, or 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 4.3%.“Trump blinks,” UBS strategist Bhanu Baweja wrote in a report about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-one-week-liberation-day-1aad750dc90829f07473fe17f913b8ba">president’s decision on tariffs</a>, “but the damage isn’t all undone.”Trump has focused more on China, raising tariffs on its products to well above 100%. Even if that were to get negotiated down to something like 50%, and even if only 10% tariffs remained on other countries, Baweja said the hit to the U.S. economy could still be large enough to hurt expected growth for upcoming U.S. corporate profits.The losses for U.S. stocks accelerated Thursday after the White House clarified that the United States will tax Chinese imports at 145%, not the 125% rate that Trump had written about in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114309144289505174">his posting on Truth Social Wednesday</a>, once other previously announced tariffs were included. The drop for the S&amp;P 500 exceeded 6% at one point.“Everything is still very volatile, because with Donald Trump, you don’t know what to expect,” said Francis Lun, chief executive of Geo Securities. “This is really big uncertainty in the market. The threat of recession has not faded.”China, meanwhile, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tariffs-negotiations-f5acfd1ef8f3573f92e8963a8150bdfb">reached out to other countries</a>&nbsp;around the world in apparent hopes of forming a united front against Trump. The world's second-largest economy is also ramping up its own countermeasures to Trump's tariffs.The stock price of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company behind “A Minecraft Movie,” dropped 12.5% for one of Wall Street’s sharpest losses after China said Thursday it will “appropriately reduce the number of imported U.S. films.” The Walt Disney Co.’s stock sank 6.8%A spokesperson for the China Film Administration said it is “inevitable” that Chinese audiences would find American films less palatable given the “wrong move by the U.S. to wantonly implement tariffs on China.”That was after Trump and his Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, sent a clear message to other countries Wednesday after announcing their pause on tariffs for most countries: “Do not retaliate, and you will be rewarded.”The European Union said Thursday it will put its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-tariffs-retaliation-trade-eu-vdl-ad6cde9920b6336789b9e2e9935c69fb">trade retaliation measures on hold</a>&nbsp;for 90 days and leave room for a negotiated solution.Thursday’s swings also hit the bond market, which had been showing encouraging signals earlier in the day that stress may be easing.The bond market has historically played the role of enforcer against politicians and economic policies it deemed imprudent. It helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/liz-truss-economy-book-donald-trump-bbd694da6150d6f851af805b462e92fb">topple the United Kingdom’s Liz Truss</a>&nbsp;in 2022, for example, whose 49 days made her Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister. James Carville, adviser to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, also famously said he’d like to be reincarnated as the bond market because of how much power it wields.Earlier this week, big jumps for U.S. Treasury yields had rattled the market, so much that Trump said Wednesday he had been watching how investors were “getting a little queasy.”Several reasons could have been behind the sharp, sudden rise in yields. Hedge funds may have sold Treasurys in order to raise cash, and investors outside the United States may be dumping their U.S. government bonds because of the trade war. Regardless of the reasons behind it, higher Treasury yields crank up pressure on the stock market and push rates higher for mortgages and other loans for U.S. households and businesses.The 10-year Treasury yield had calmed following Trump’s U-turn on tariffs, dropping all the way back to 4.30% shortly after the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-964784cc5697c2f0df5bb79806392e3c">better-than-expected report on inflation</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning. That’s after it had shot up to nearly 4.50% Wednesday morning from just 4.01% at the end of last week.As Thursday progressed, though, the 10-year Treasury yield climbed once again and reached 4.40%.It all demonstrates why many on Wall Street are preparing for more swings in markets, after the S&amp;P 500 at one point nearly dropped into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bear-market-stocks-market-tariffs-trump-sp-500-c5d106a80666c0ff4f0e71624d525158">“bear market”</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">almost closing 20% below its record</a>.Often, the market’s whipsaw moves have come not just day to day but also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-nikkei-tariffs-trump-76d0de278a6cad291ace624a74a6a1b6">hour to hour</a>. The S&amp;P 500 still remains below where it was when Trump announced his sweeping set of tariffs last week on “Liberation Day.”All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 188.85 points Thursday to 5,268.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,014.79 to 39,593.66, and the Nasdaq composite sank 737.66 to 16,387.31.In stock markets abroad, indexes rallied across Europe and Asia in their first chances to trade following Trump’s pause on many of his tariffs. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 9.1%, South Korea’s Kospi leaped 6.6% and Germany’s DAX returned 4.5%.

US stocks dive as euphoria on Wall Street reverts to fear about US-China trade war

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744302842121.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SARAH%20RAZA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By SARAH RAZA&nbsp;</a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SARAH%20RAZA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A gas explosion leveled a home on Wednesday evening in a Kansas City suburb after a gas main was damaged.City officials in Lexington, Missouri, said there were injuries to the family who lived in the home but would not specify the extent of the injuries or if anyone died. More details will be given after the family can inform relatives, Lexington city administrator Shawnna Funderburk said at a press conference Thursday morning.The explosion happened about 7:45 p.m. after a subcontractor hit a gas main while installing a fiber optic cable, the city said in a social media post.The explosion caused a fire in the home and, multiple structures nearby also were damaged, Funderburk said.Liberty Utilities shut off gas to the town of 4,500 people following the incident and is still investigating the cause, the company's director of operations, Jeff McChristian, said during the press conference. Repairs are ongoing, and he could not specify when gas service would be restored to the town.

Gas explosion levels a home in a Kansas City suburb after a gas main is hit

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans narrowly approved their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">budget framework</a>&nbsp;Thursday, a political turnaround after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;worked into the night to satisfy GOP holdouts who had refused to advance trillions of dollars in tax breaks without deeper spending cuts.

Johnson stood with Senate Majority Leader John Thune early in the morning at the Capitol and said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;“big, beautiful bill,” which seeks as much as $1.5 trillion in cuts to federal programs and services, was on track. The speaker had abruptly halted voting Wednesday night.

“I believe we have the votes,” said Johnson, R-La. “We’ll take the next big step.”

Thune, R-S.D., also tried to assure House conservatives that many GOP senators are aligned with their pursuit of spending reductions.

“We certainly are going to do everything we can,” Thune said.

The 216-214 vote pushed the budget plan forward, one more milestone for Johnson, and the next step in a lengthy process to unlock the centerpiece to the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-9-2025">domestic agenda</a>&nbsp;of tax cuts,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-deportation-salvador-maryland-40136c5aa844b6c12ba20ee67ab4df9a">mass deportations</a>&nbsp;and a smaller federal government. Kansas GOP members of the House Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Derek Schmitt voted with the majority. Kansas Democrat Congresswoman Sharice Davids voted against the bill.

A failed vote, particularly as the economy was convulsing over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/stock-market-economy-tariffs-updates-4-9-2025">Trump’s trade wars</a>, would have been a major setback for the party in power in Washington. Two conservative Republicans voted against it, as did all Democrats.

Trump, at a black-tie fundraising dinner this week, had admonished Republicans to "stop grandstanding” on the budget.

By Thursday morning, Trump had shifted his tone, posting on social media that it's “coming along really well."

“Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!! Getting close,” Trump said.

The House action still leaves weeks, if not months, ahead, on a final product, with more votes in Congress. Johnson could lose only a few detractors from his slim Republican majority. Democrats, in the minority, lack the votes to stop the package, but they have warned against it.

But by Wednesday afternoon, the outcome was in flux. At least a dozen conservative Republicans, if not more, were firmly against the plan. Several of them, including members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, made the unusual move of walking across the Capitol to meet privately with Senate GOP leaders to insist on deeper cuts.

As night fell, Johnson pulled a group of Republicans into a private meeting room as House proceedings came to a standstill. They stayed into the night hashing out alternatives, and were back at it in the morning.

Johnson said he spoke with Trump for about five minutes while the GOP meeting was taking place. The speaker said they were trying to figure out the minimal number of cuts and savings “that will satisfy everyone.”

“The president is very anxious for us to get this done,” Johnson said.

But House GOP conservatives, including several of those who met with Trump this week, were concerned that the Senate GOP's blueprint,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-tax-cuts-trump-485845a9c0b7dfc5d2194d4c1e4723ae">approved last weekend</a>, did not cut spending to the level they believe necessary to help prevent soaring deficits.

“The Math Does Not Add Up,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, had posted earlier on social media.

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the Freedom Caucus chair, led others to met with the senators.

“All we can do is make sure that they understand where we’re coming from and how close we want to work with them to get to the final product,” Thune said afterward.

But he panned the idea of the House sending back an amended version, which would require another potential all-night voting session like the one senators endured last weekend. “We can’t do that,” Thune said.

In the end, Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted “no.”

The House and Senate are at the beginning phase of a process that will take weeks, if not months, as they turn their budget resolutions into legislative text — a final product with more votes ahead later this spring or summer.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the budget plan is reckless and callous, proposing cuts to give tax breaks to the wealthy.

“We’re here to make it clear,” Jeffries said. “Hands off everyday Americans struggling to make ends meet.”

Central to the budget framework is the Republican effort to preserve the tax breaks approved in 2017, during Trump's first term, while potentially adding the new ones he promised during his 2024 campaign. That includes no taxes on tipped wages, Social Security income and others, ballooning the price tag to some $7 trillion over the decade.

The package also allows for budget increases with some $175 billion to pay for Trump's deportation operation and as much for the Defense Department to bolster military spending.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744299694388.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune during the press briefing ahead of the vote -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune during the press briefing ahead of the vote -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans narrowly approved their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnson-trump-republicans-budget-vote-tax-cuts-4cb74ca15f6a74a7344355e4507ab9fe">budget framework</a>&nbsp;Thursday, a political turnaround after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;worked into the night to satisfy GOP holdouts who had refused to advance trillions of dollars in tax breaks without deeper spending cuts.Johnson stood with Senate Majority Leader John Thune early in the morning at the Capitol and said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;“big, beautiful bill,” which seeks as much as $1.5 trillion in cuts to federal programs and services, was on track. The speaker had abruptly halted voting Wednesday night.“I believe we have the votes,” said Johnson, R-La. “We’ll take the next big step.”Thune, R-S.D., also tried to assure House conservatives that many GOP senators are aligned with their pursuit of spending reductions.“We certainly are going to do everything we can,” Thune said.The 216-214 vote pushed the budget plan forward, one more milestone for Johnson, and the next step in a lengthy process to unlock the centerpiece to the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-4-9-2025">domestic agenda</a>&nbsp;of tax cuts,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-deportation-salvador-maryland-40136c5aa844b6c12ba20ee67ab4df9a">mass deportations</a>&nbsp;and a smaller federal government. Kansas GOP members of the House Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Derek Schmitt voted with the majority. Kansas Democrat Congresswoman Sharice Davids voted against the bill.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to my good friends <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepArrington?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepArrington</a> for getting the budget resolution across the finish line. Congress is united in advancing President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s America First Agenda to lower taxes, save American taxpayer dollars, and unleash America’s…&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1910358127284834520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A failed vote, particularly as the economy was convulsing over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/stock-market-economy-tariffs-updates-4-9-2025">Trump’s trade wars</a>, would have been a major setback for the party in power in Washington. Two conservative Republicans voted against it, as did all Democrats.Trump, at a black-tie fundraising dinner this week, had admonished Republicans to "stop grandstanding” on the budget.By Thursday morning, Trump had shifted his tone, posting on social media that it's “coming along really well."“Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!! Getting close,” Trump said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 NEW from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: <a href="https://t.co/Alk5zCmypH">pic.twitter.com/Alk5zCmypH</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1910354658641461724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The House action still leaves weeks, if not months, ahead, on a final product, with more votes in Congress. Johnson could lose only a few detractors from his slim Republican majority. Democrats, in the minority, lack the votes to stop the package, but they have warned against it.But by Wednesday afternoon, the outcome was in flux. At least a dozen conservative Republicans, if not more, were firmly against the plan. Several of them, including members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, made the unusual move of walking across the Capitol to meet privately with Senate GOP leaders to insist on deeper cuts.As night fell, Johnson pulled a group of Republicans into a private meeting room as House proceedings came to a standstill. They stayed into the night hashing out alternatives, and were back at it in the morning.Johnson said he spoke with Trump for about five minutes while the GOP meeting was taking place. The speaker said they were trying to figure out the minimal number of cuts and savings “that will satisfy everyone.”“The president is very anxious for us to get this done,” Johnson said.But House GOP conservatives, including several of those who met with Trump this week, were concerned that the Senate GOP's blueprint,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-tax-cuts-trump-485845a9c0b7dfc5d2194d4c1e4723ae">approved last weekend</a>, did not cut spending to the level they believe necessary to help prevent soaring deficits.“The Math Does Not Add Up,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, had posted earlier on social media.Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the Freedom Caucus chair, led others to met with the senators.“All we can do is make sure that they understand where we’re coming from and how close we want to work with them to get to the final product,” Thune said afterward.But he panned the idea of the House sending back an amended version, which would require another potential all-night voting session like the one senators endured last weekend. “We can’t do that,” Thune said.In the end, Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted “no.”The House and Senate are at the beginning phase of a process that will take weeks, if not months, as they turn their budget resolutions into legislative text — a final product with more votes ahead later this spring or summer.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the budget plan is reckless and callous, proposing cuts to give tax breaks to the wealthy.“We’re here to make it clear,” Jeffries said. “Hands off everyday Americans struggling to make ends meet.”Central to the budget framework is the Republican effort to preserve the tax breaks approved in 2017, during Trump's first term, while potentially adding the new ones he promised during his 2024 campaign. That includes no taxes on tipped wages, Social Security income and others, ballooning the price tag to some $7 trillion over the decade.The package also allows for budget increases with some $175 billion to pay for Trump's deportation operation and as much for the Defense Department to bolster military spending.It would be partly paid for with deep cuts to domestic programs, including health care, as part of the $2 trillion in reductions outlined in the House version. Several Republican senators have signaled they are not willing to go that far.To clip costs, the Senate is using an unusual accounting method that does not count the costs of preserving the 2017 tax cuts, some $4.5 trillion, as new spending, another factor that is enraging the House conservatives.Two Republican senators voted “no” last weekend. Maine Sen. Susan Collins objected to Medicaid cuts in the House's framework, while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul argued the whole package relied on “fishy” math that would add to the debt.The plan would also raise the nation's debt limit to allow more borrowing to pay the bills. Trump had wanted lawmakers to take the politically difficult issue off the table. With debt now at $36 trillion, the Treasury Department has said it will run out of funds by August.But the House and Senate need to resolve their differences on the debt limit, as well. The House GOP increases the debt limit by $4 trillion, but the Senate lifted it to $5 trillion so Congress would not have to revisit the issue again until after the midterm elections in November 2026.With Trump's trade wars hovering over the debate, House Republicans tucked a provision into a procedural vote that would prevent House action — as the Senate has taken — to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taxes-tariffs-house-speaker-johnson-trump-da4af55882f7cb185da57ed0c80479aa">disapprove of Trump’s tariffs</a>.___