Lawrence

• Initial plans to adaptively reuse the vacant 1001 Massachusetts St. building into residential housing were forwarded for further architectural review to preserve historic features. →
• A new city survey shows that while residents are satisfied with public transit, they hold significant concerns regarding the local economy and trust in government. →
• The Douglas County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the 2026 grant cycle to support local projects focused on preserving the county's natural and cultural history. →
• Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health is launching an integrated care model with Bert Nash and expanding the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to Eudora and Baldwin City. →
• The county health center achieved an 85% success rate for patients completing follow-up outpatient visits, surpassing its adjusted target of 75% for crisis intervention. →
• Following a rise in crisis calls from park spaces, 20 signs featuring the 988 lifeline will be installed using funding from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. →
• Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a public apology for inappropriate remarks she made about Justice Brett Kavanaugh during an appearance at the University of Kansas School of Law. →
• Located at 110 McDonald Drive, the USD 487 Family Engagement Center will provide wraparound supports, parent learning opportunities, and community resources to foster authentic family engagement. →
• It's going to be a gorgeous sunny day in Lawrence with a high of 77, though you'll want to watch out for those southwesterly wind gusts reaching up to 30 mph.

🌾 Kansas

• Kansas's first 3D-printed home in Topeka has completed its wall construction, with the two-bedroom structure costing about $170 per square foot compared to $225 or more for traditional builds and expected to be move-in ready by June. →

• Connie Palacioz, a 101-year-old World War II-era "Rosie the Riveter" who helped build B-29 Superfortresses in Wichita and later volunteered on the B-29 DOC restoration project, died Sunday. →

• Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rallied Kansas Democrats at Century II in Wichita on Friday, urging the party to pay closer attention to Kansas voters ahead of the 2026 midterms. →

• A Legislative Post Audit review found that an estimated $700,000 to $1.2 million in federal SNAP benefits may have been paid to recipients living outside Kansas during fiscal years 2023 and 2024, less than 1% of state spending. →

• The U.S. Department of Education determined Friday that four Kansas school districts — Kansas City, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Topeka — violated Title IX and FERPA through their gender-inclusive policies and threatened to terminate federal funding if agreements are not reached. →

🇺🇸 US

• U.S. manufacturing production rose 2.3% since January 2025 despite losing 100,000 factory jobs, driven by AI infrastructure demand that has fueled 16 consecutive quarters of capacity expansion—the longest sustained growth streak in nearly two decades. →

• Users who deactivated Facebook or Instagram for six weeks before the 2020 election reported measurable improvements in happiness, depression and anxiety compared with those who stayed on the platforms, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. →

• Florida's population boom is reversing as working-age residents leave for more affordable states while the influx of newcomers slows, threatening an economy dependent on continued growth and real-estate development. →

• Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully reused and re-landed its first stage Sunday but failed to deliver AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite to its intended orbit, forcing the spacecraft to be de-orbited. →

• U.S. forces fired on and boarded the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska after it violated the American blockade of Iran, marking the first use of force since the blockade took effect. →

Weather

APRIL 20 2010: DEEPWATER HORIZON EXPLOSION TRIGGERS MASSIVE GULF OIL SPILL

An offshore drilling rig operated for BP exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and injuring 17 others. The blowout unleashed roughly 4.9 million barrels of crude oil, causing the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history and long-term damage to Gulf coast ecosystems and economies.

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