Worker and Dad of 3 Dies After Falling 60 Feet at Construction Site

David Rodriguez, a 45-year-old construction worker and father of three, died after a 60-foot fall in Kansas

NEED TO KNOW

• A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support his family

• Midwest Drywall and OSHA are investigating the incident, and work at the site has been temporarily suspended

A 45-year-old construction worker and father of three has died after falling approximately 60 feet at a job site in Wichita, Kan., according to local reports.

David Rodriguez was working at the Bio-Med building near English Street and Topeka Avenue, a few blocks west of INTRUST Bank Arena, when the incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time on March 30,12 Newsreported.

The first responding crew began patient care upon arrival, and Rodriguez was considered in critical condition because of how far he fell, Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz toldKAKE.

Rodriguez later died from his injuries.

Midwest Drywall confirmed in a statement to KAKE, 12 News andThe Wichita Eaglethat one of its employees had died following the incident.

"Midwest Drywall is heartbroken to confirm that a member of our team passed away following an incident today at a construction site in downtown Wichita," Midwest Drywall's statement read. "Our prayers and deepest sympathies are with the individual's family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. The site has been secured, and work has been temporarily suspended while the incident is reviewed."

Rodriguez is survived by his wife, Rosemary, and their three children, ages 9, 8 and 6. In a postshared to Facebook, the nonprofit League 42 described him as a "hard worker and devoted family man," noting that all three of his children play baseball for the organization.

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"We offer our deepest condolences to David's family and friends," the group said in part.

AGoFundMe campaigncreated on behalf of Rodriguez's family describes him as "one of the hardest workers" who "lived to serve his friends and family."

"I will always remember David as genuine, kind, and funny, he always was making his friends laugh and was definitely the life of the party, he always lit up every room he walked into," the fundraiser reads.

The campaign has raised over $27,000 of its $40,000 goal so far. It aims to help cover funeral and living expenses for his family as they grieve.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating Rodriguez's death, 12 News reported.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE reached out to OSHA, Midwest Drywall and the Wichita fire and police departments.

Read the original article onPeople

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 03, 2026

Worker and Dad of 3 Dies After Falling 60 Feet at Construction Site

David Rodriguez, a 45-year-old construction worker and father of three, died after a 60-foot fall in Kansas NEE...

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Man arrested after threatening an attack on a high-speed train in Germany

A man was arrested on Thursday after threatening an attack on a high-speed train in Germany, police said. Several people were slightly injured when firecrackers were set off.

Germany Attack Threat

The train was en route from Cologne to Frankfurt on Thursday evening. It was evacuated in Siegburg, not far from Cologne, and federal police said the man was restrained and arrested, German news agency dpa reported. They said he had a knife in his backpack.

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The man had shut himself in a bathroom on the train, according to police. German newspaper Bild reported that the firecrackers were thrown into an aisle. Police said several people sustained superficial flesh wounds.

There was no immediate information on the suspect.

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North American farmers pinch pennies on farm machinery as profitless growing season approaches

By Ed White

REGINA, Saskatchewan, April 3 (Reuters) - Farm machinery salespeople are wrapping up a dismal season of farm shows across North America as farmers gear up for spring planting without much new equipment.

Farmers have not stopped buying, but many have ‌slashed spending and are avoiding big-ticket items due to high machinery, fertilizer and fuel prices, as well as a global grains ‌glut pushing down crop prices.

"They might not buy the million-dollar combine, but they'll buy a $100,000 implement," said Chad Jones of manufacturer Degelman Industries, standing among his company's rockpickers, harrows, ​rippers and other yellow-painted equipment at Canada's Farm Show in March.

Farmers are still spending money, but far less than in other years, according to sales data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the organization that represents big players in the North American industry.

The group told Reuters that sales of big-ticket items like tractors and combines were down between 30% and 40% in the U.S. in March compared to a year ago.

Farm machinery sales have been hammered by a squeeze ‌on farmer finances exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump's ⁠trade war tariffs that have escalated the production cost of already-expensive machines like tractors and combines. These items, known by farmers as "big iron," are manufactured from large amounts of steel and often with imported components.

The Trump administration ⁠is reported to be planning a 25% tariff on the value of finished imported goods that contain steel and aluminum, rather than just 50% on the metals content of those goods. That will likely raise the overall price of those products. However, goods that are mostly made from steel and aluminum, including ​tractors ​and combines, will still face the 50% tariff that has been in place ​for almost a year.

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In its most recent quarterly earnings call, ‌a John Deere official said the company estimates tariffs will cost it $1.2 billion in 2026, and that not all of 2025's tariff costs had been passed on to farmers.

Last Friday, Trump called on the manufacturers to cut prices in order to help farmers.

But for the beleaguered industry, Trump's tariffs are the problem. The easiest way to bring the cost of machinery down would be "to significantly scale back on the tariffs that are hitting the manufacturers, and the retaliatory tariffs that are hitting farmers," said Kip Eideberg of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

Trade fights have hurt U.S. ‌crop export sales, with China absent from the U.S. soybean exports market for ​months, depressing North American crop prices and creating huge stockpiles.

"They were looking at profitability ​being very tight to even potentially negative for the upcoming growing ​season, and this has led to slower decisions on equipment replacement," said Farm Credit Canada economist Leigh Anderson. ‌Farmers have delayed planned purchases, hanging on to aging equipment ​for longer, he said.

Signs of that ​lack of interest could be seen at the farm show in Regina, with few farmers kicking the tires of tractors and other large machinery. Despite over 5,000 people attending the show, many of the equipment displays were relatively quiet.

"It's fair to characterize it as ​purchasing behavior shifting from wants to needs," said ‌Eideberg of AEM. Fertilizer and machinery production costs are hard to reduce once they have risen, which is why the ​AEM is hoping to see tariffs chopped.

"That's the immediate relief that will make a significant difference for farmers and manufacturers," ​said Eideberg.

(Reporting by Ed White, Editing by Emily Schmall and Aurora Ellis)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 03, 2026

North American farmers pinch pennies on farm machinery as profitless growing season approaches

By Ed White REGINA, Saskatchewan, April 3 (Reuters) - Farm machinery salespeople are wrapping up a dismal seas...

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US journalist abducted in Iraq was 'stressed out' by kidnap training: Colleague

As thesearch continuedin Iraq on Thursday for American journalist Shelly Kittleson, whom U.S. and Iraqi authorities say was kidnapped in Baghdad, a colleague described her as a resilient reporter who knew the country well and was careful to avoid danger.

"I do think she was certainly targeted because she's American. So that's a huge factor," Kiran Nazish, director of the Coalition for Women in Journalism, told ABC News. "Also, she is one of the very few journalists who go into the region. A lot of people know her. It's possible that she was on the radar."

Kittleson, a 49-year-old freelance journalist originally from Wisconsin, was abducted off a street in Baghdad in broad daylight on Tuesday, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.

Nazish described Kittleson as not only "brilliant in her reporting" but someone who is "very vigilant and careful."

"She has a very strong, perhaps like the most I know of someone, network of trusted allies who would protect her and she would feel safe with, and I don't think she would go without that," Nazish said.

Nazish said that just a couple of weeks ago, Kittleson underwent hostile environment and first aid training (HEFAT).

"One of the things that is always done in HEFAT training is that you practice as a journalist ... in case you would be kidnapped," Nazish said. "She went through that and I know from some people who were with her in the training as well that it was hard for her to process that. And so in that particular part, she was a little stressed out."

The case remains under investigation, but the Iraqi interior ministry said Thursday there was no new information on Kittleson's whereabouts.

Security video verified by ABC News and confirmed by Iraq's interior ministry captured the moment Kittleson was kidnapped while standing on a sidewalk. The footage showed a silver car approach Kittleson as several people grabbed her and forced her into the vehicle before it sped away.

A second car allegedly involved in the abduction crashed as it tried to flee and one occupant was arrested by Iraqi security forces, according to Dylan Johnson, U.S. assistant secretary of state for global public affairs.

The suspect under arrest has ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hezbollah, Johnson said in a statement Tuesday.

As the search for Kittleson continued on Thursday, U.S. officials issued anew warning to Americansstill in Iraq, advising them to leave the country immediately as Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may "intend to conduct attacks" in central Baghdad.

The new alert comes as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second month.

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"Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours," states the warning from the United States Embassy and Consulate in Iraq. "Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist militias have conducted widespread attacks against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR)."

Johnson said in his statement this week that the State Department had warned Kittleson "multiple times" of threats against her and was coordinating with the FBI to ensure her release.

But Nazish said threats against journalists working in Iraq and across the Middle East are common and that Kittleson had been threatened before.

Trump tells nation that Iran is no longer a threat

"Working with Shelly and knowing her over the years, we do know that ... she would often get threats," Nazish said.

Nazish said she spoke to Kittleson, who was based in Rome, by phone on Wednesday or Thursday of last week, but more about personal issues.

"We do know that Shelly was coordinating with colleagues and other people, including sources, to work on a story that she wanted to work on, which required her to go into Iraq to speak to a few families," Nazish said.

Nazish said it remains unclear if Kittleson had been commissioned by a news outlet to work on the story in Iraq.

Iran live updates: Iran fires dozens of projectiles across the region after Trump speech

Al-Monitor,a Washington, D.C.-based news website covering the Middle East, which Kittleson contributed to,issued a statementthis week calling for her "safe and immediate release."

"We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday," the publication said. "We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work."

Nazish said Kittleson is passionate about her work in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

"Shelly has stuck around the region because she really cares about it and she really knows the region. What I also know about Shelly is that she's very well-connected," said Nazish, adding that Kittleson spoke Arabic and would often work on a shoestring budget. "People in the region know Shelly as someone who has been there and she's really built trust with different communities."

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 03, 2026

US journalist abducted in Iraq was 'stressed out' by kidnap training: Colleague

As thesearch continuedin Iraq on Thursday for American journalist Shelly Kittleson, whom U.S. and Iraqi authorities say w...

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Dozens of nations are searching for a diplomatic solution to the Hormuz blockade

Foreign ministers and officials from over 40 countries met Thursday as they search for a peaceful resolution to Iran's ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The delegates have said that Iran must unconditionally and immediately open the strait.

The countries lay the blame at the foot of Iran for keeping the strait closed, with just a trickle of ships friendly to Iran being allowed through.

There were three main outcomes from the meeting: One was to increase international diplomatic pressure against Iran at the United Nations. The second was to look into what potential sanctions options there were against Iran. And thirdly, nations agreed to work with shipping operators to share information.

RELATED NEWS |Trump pressures allies to secure oil routes as Iran war strains NATO

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Summit representatives came from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. They came from Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, and Chile in the Americas, and in Africa, Nigeria and Somalia.

The meeting comes after President Donald Trump signaled that the United States is looking to other countries to exert pressure on Iran.

President Trumprepeated comments Wednesdaysaying other countries affected by the lack of oil would need to go and get it themselves.

Leaders at the meeting say that it won't be easy, even with the option of military power being considered. Further details may be resolved next week during a meeting with a smaller coalition of nations.

None of the participating countries are looking for a direct confrontation with Iran, but they are potentially looking at how their militaries may allow the strait to reopen once the conflict has finished, for example by helping to demine the waterway.

In the meantime, around 20,000 seafarers reportedly remain trapped aboard about 2,000 vessels in the waterway.

byCristiano Ronaldo

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April 03, 2026

Dozens of nations are searching for a diplomatic solution to the Hormuz blockade

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Iranian president in letter says Iran doesn't pose a threat to US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that his nation is posing a threat to the U.S. in an open letter, and defended Iran's actions in the ongoing war, citing it as "legitimate self-defense."

In the translatedfour-page letter posted on Xaddressed to the "people of the United States" on April 1, Pezeshkian wrote that the Iranian people "harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries."

"This is a deeply rooted principle in Iranian culture and collective consciousness – not a temporary political stance," Pezeshkian said. "For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts."

Pezeshkian's letter came hours beforePresident Donald Trumpthreatened that the U.S. would bring Iran "back to the Stone Ages where they belong" while making another case publicly for thewar on Iranduring aprimetime address. While his speech did not reveal any major updates regarding the war, Trump reiterated his stance that the administration's goal is to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. The president also did not give a timeframe for when the war would end, after saying on March 31 that it could conclude in "two weeks, maybe three."

President Trump speaks to the nation on Iran from the White House

In his letter, Pezeshkian also accused the U.S. of being a "proxy for Israel," and said the U.S. launched "two acts of aggression" during negotiations to end the war. He encouraged Americans to question the Trump administration's claims about Iran.

Additionally, Pezeshkian said the war is further damaging the "global standing" of the United States.

Trump's war:A head for the exits in Iran leaves complications behind

The notion of Iran as a threat is 'invented'

Pezeshkian noted that the perception of Iran as a danger was invented. The Iranian president said that notion is "the product of political and economic whims of the powerful — the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets.

"In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented," Pezeshkian added.

The Iranian president also urged Americans to "look beyond the machinery of misinformation," and speak with visitors to Iran or observe the contributions of Iranian immigrants in Western academia and technology as a counter-narrative to official rhetoric.

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Pezeshkianwrote that the world "stands at a crossroads."

"Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before," Pezeshkian said. "The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come."

What did Trump say in his speech?:Key takeaways from Iran address

Do Pezeshkian's words carry any weight?

Despite a well-constructed letter, foreign policy experts believe Pezeshkian's words could fall short as the war continues.

While Pezeshkian is speaking symbolically as president, the remaining leadership of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is now in command of all things Iran, especially the war, saidAlp Sevimlisoy, a geopolitical strategist and 2021 Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

"The power (Pezeshkian) holds is very minimal now because IRGC is running the show," Sevimlisoy told USA TODAY from Istanbul, Turkey. "A lot of their generals are acting independently of the central command of the Iranian state in the absence of a credible supreme leader.

"(Pezeshkian) is posturing as this is narrative building to reposition the Iranian people for the next stage of this conflict, which is likely the deployment of U.S. ground forces," Sevimlisoy added.

While Pezeshkian's letter mentioned negotiations and a desire to end the war, the Iranian president's comments could also be seen by some as propaganda, saidMark Cancian, a retired U.S. Marine colonel and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic International Studies.

"In terms of getting traction with a majority of Americans, his words are only as important if they are reflected in the actual negotiations taking place," said Cancian, who spent more than 30 years in the Marine Corps and served on multiple tours in Iraq. "Time will tell."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Iranian president denies Iran is a threat to US in letter to America

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Iranian president in letter says Iran doesn't pose a threat to US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that his nation is posing a threat to the U.S. in an open letter, and defended...

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Iran Threatens ‘Crushing and Broader’ Attacks After Trump’s Speech

Iranian officials warned the U.S. and Israel of "crushing, broader, and more destructive" attacks following President DonaldTrump's national address, during which he said America is close to achieving its core military objectives but threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks.

Iran Threatens 'Crushing and Broader' Attacks After Trump's Speech

"You must pay the price for the aggression you initiated to the honorable, dear, and Muslim nation," said Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for theIranian military."You know nothing about our very extensive and strategic capacities."

Thewarwill continue, he said, until the "permanent regret and surrender" of Iran's adversaries.

The spokesperson also rejected Trump's assessment that "Iran has been essentially decimated." He claimed the targeted facilities have been "insignificant" and insisted the U.S. military cannot reach key production sites.

The warning,sharedby the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, is the latest indication that the Iran war, which is in its 34th day, has no tangible end in sight.

Iran continued strikes across the Persian Gulf Thursday morning, despite Trump's warning.

The Israeli military alsocarried outa new wave of strikes across Tehran, targeting IRGC ground forces and missile production facilities.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said Thursday that Tehran has "no choice but to fight back strongly."

"We will not tolerate this vicious cycle of war, negotiations, cease-fire, and then repeating the same pattern," he said in a statementreportedby state media. "This is catastrophic not only for Iran, but for the entire region and beyond."

Oil prices soar as war rages on

Following Trump's speech and the continued trading of strikes, the price of crude oil soared once more Thursday morning, with Brentrisingto $108 per barrel.

TheStrait of Hormuz, a key passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which around a fifth of global oil production flows, remains largely blocked.

Iran has used the vital waterway as a political bargaining chip following the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, and despite Trump's threats for it to be reopened, very few vessels have been granted safe passage, bringing trade to a virtual standstill.

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Trump, during his address on Wednesday, once again took aim at allies who refused to send warships to reopen the Strait.

"To those countries that can't get fuel—many of which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves—I have a suggestion," he said. "Number one, buy oil from the United States of America; we have plenty. We have so much. And number two, build up some delayed courage… Go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves. Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done."

Read More:'Learn How to Fight for Yourself': Trump Says U.K. and Others Should Go to Strait of Hormuz and 'Take' Oil

Echoingremarkspreviously made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said the Strait would likely "just open up naturally" at the close of the war.

In what appeared to be an attempt to reassure Americans amid mounting concerns over U.S. gas topping $4 per gallon, Trump referred to the increase as a "short-term" matter and argued "the United States has never been better prepared economically to confront this threat."

U.K. hosts Strait of Hormuz talks with around 30 nations

Trump, in an interview published Wednesday, threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO, after allied nations opted not to actively join the Iran war.

He singled out the U.K., issuing another public rebuke of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has refused, beyond defensive measures, to be an active participant in the conflict.

Starmer defended his position once more during a press briefing, insisting the U.K. won't be "dragged" into a war and vowing to act in the "British national interest," despite outside pressures.

Read More:Trump Threatens to Pull U.S. Out of NATO Amid Fallout Over Iran War. Can He Legally Do That?

On Thursday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted a virtual coalition of around 30 nations to discuss efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. reportedly did not attend.

TIME has reached out to the U.K. Foreign Office for comment.

Meanwhile, during a state visit to South Korea,French President Emmanuel Macrontold reporters it's "unrealistic" to think the Strait can be reopened by force. Instead, he said, the vital waterway must be secured "in coordination with Iran."

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 02, 2026

Iran Threatens ‘Crushing and Broader’ Attacks After Trump’s Speech

Iranian officials warned the U.S. and Israel of "crushing, broader, and more destructive" attacks following Pre...

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