Lawrence

• The Lawrence City Commission voted 3-2 to approve $184 million in debt to fund capital projects, despite public concern over an annual debt payment spike by 2030. →
• A proposal for a third-party forensic audit of all city capital projects over $25,000 was deferred after commissioners questioned the timing and feasibility of the review. →
• A contract was approved to replace a failing 1957 water main on Learnard Avenue, with work scheduled to avoid traffic disruptions during the 2026 World Cup. →
• Eligibility for homeownership projects was increased to help middle-income residents priced out of the local real estate market. →
• New housing developments receiving public trust funds must now guarantee affordability for at least 30 years. →
• Douglas County Commissioners reviewed an $11.6 million capital improvement plan for Consolidated Fire District No. 1 to address an aging fleet where 12 vehicles are at high risk for mechanical failure. The district is exploring lease-purchase options and potential station consolidations to manage a significant funding shortfall and three-year lead times for custom fire engines. →
• Commissioners unanimously approved a 7.1% increase in health care premiums for county employees to stabilize a benefits fund depleted by high medical and medication costs. →
• The Cultural Arts Commission recommended a binding ordinance to automatically allocate a portion of capital improvement budgets to a dedicated public art fund, protecting it from budget cuts. →
• Following the cancellation of a proposed permanent supportive housing development due to financial hurdles at Bert Nash Community Health Center, the board voted to claw back $558,000 in previously awarded trust funds. →
• It’s going to be a warm and partly sunny day in Lawrence with a high near 83, but hold onto your hats because those south winds could gust as high as 40 mph.

🌾 Kansas

• The Kansas Legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's vetoes on 17 of 24 bills before adjourning Friday, including measures on immigration enforcement, abortion provider liability, and legislative oversight of agency rulemaking. →

• A Kansas property tax relief bill died Friday after Republican House leaders declined to attempt an override of Gov. Laura Kelly's veto, letting the deadline expire without a vote. →

• An effort to expand Kansas' private-school scholarship program is dead for the year after Republican legislative leaders opted not to challenge Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of House Bill 2468. →

• Unauthorized immigrants in Kansas will not face a sweeping ban on state and local public benefits after Republican lawmakers walked away from Senate Bill 254, allowing the Senate to adjourn April 10 without attempting to override Gov. Laura Kelly's veto. →

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first Class VI underground injection permit in Kansas, authorizing PureField Carbon Capture to store carbon dioxide deep underground near Russell. →

🇺🇸 US

• President Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after overnight negotiations with Iran collapsed, threatening a two-week ceasefire and sending oil prices above $100 a barrel. →

• Trump's Hormuz blockade targets China's oil supply as Beijing imports 1.38 million barrels per day from Iran and depends on the strait for 45% of its oil imports ahead of May summit talks. →

• The expiration of federal pandemic relief funding is forcing municipalities nationwide toward sharp service cuts or steep tax increases as healthcare costs surge and state aid declines. →

• NASA's Artemis II crew splashed down off California after completing a historic lunar flyby that carried humans farther from Earth than any previous spaceflight. →

• The AI boom is exhausting global computing capacity, triggering service outages, product cancellations and GPU rental price increases of 48% in two months. →

Weather

APRIL 13 1970: APOLLO 13 OXYGEN TANK EXPLODES

An oxygen tank on the Apollo 13 spacecraft exploded about 200,000 miles from Earth, crippling the mission and forcing NASA to abort its planned lunar landing. Astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert, and Fred Haise instead focused on survival as mission control devised emergency procedures that helped them safely return to Earth four days later.

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