SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate a suspect who didn't show up for a scheduled sentencing hearing for his role in a homicide that occurred in 2023.

According to Wichita Police, 64-year-old&nbsp;Kevin Harris was out on bond&nbsp; and&nbsp; cut off his ankle monitor.

In August of 2023, police arrested Harris of Lawrence after a 16-hour standoff in Lawrence for the death of&nbsp;51-year-old Jose Lumbreras of Wichita.

Just after 11 p.m. August 22, police learned Harris had fled Wichita and was believed to be inside an apartment in the 1400 block of Bristol Terrace in Lawrence, according to Police Sgt. Drew Fennelly

While working to gather more information from Wichita, officers in Lawrence set up a perimeter on the apartment building, and gathered information that led investigators to believe Harris was there.

The Lawrence Police Crisis Response Team was activated and responded to the area, as well our Crisis Response Negotiators and&nbsp; the Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle team.

Crisis Negotiators were able to establish contact with people in the apartment and verified Harris was there. The Lawrence Police tactical team then began methodically evacuating the apartment building when it was clear the suspect was not going to come out, and was allegedly armed.

After multiple hours of discussion, negotiators were able to convince Harris to allow a woman in the apartment to leave.&nbsp; Following multiple additional hours of discussion, negotiators convinced Harris to also leave the apartment and he peacefully surrendered at&nbsp;3:30 p.m., according to Fennelly.

If you know Harris or know where he is call police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693343138410.png" alt="Harris-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Harris-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate a suspect who didn't show up for a scheduled sentencing hearing for his role in a homicide that occurred in 2023.According to Wichita Police, 64-year-old&nbsp;Kevin Harris was out on bond&nbsp; and&nbsp; cut off his ankle monitor.In August of 2023, police arrested Harris of Lawrence after a 16-hour standoff in Lawrence for the death of&nbsp;51-year-old Jose Lumbreras of Wichita.Just after 11 p.m. August 22, police learned Harris had fled Wichita and was believed to be inside an apartment in the 1400 block of Bristol Terrace in Lawrence, according to Police Sgt. Drew FennellyWhile working to gather more information from Wichita, officers in Lawrence set up a perimeter on the apartment building, and gathered information that led investigators to believe Harris was there.The Lawrence Police Crisis Response Team was activated and responded to the area, as well our Crisis Response Negotiators and&nbsp; the Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle team.Crisis Negotiators were able to establish contact with people in the apartment and verified Harris was there. The Lawrence Police tactical team then began methodically evacuating the apartment building when it was clear the suspect was not going to come out, and was allegedly armed.After multiple hours of discussion, negotiators were able to convince Harris to allow a woman in the apartment to leave.&nbsp; Following multiple additional hours of discussion, negotiators convinced Harris to also leave the apartment and he peacefully surrendered at&nbsp;3:30 p.m., according to Fennelly.If you know Harris or know where he is call police.

Kan. man cut off ankle monitor, skips sentencing for role in murder

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a> State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to embark on a year-long study beginning next month that will test samples for evidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza from former dairy cattle moved into meat production.

Emilio Esteban, the under secretary for food safety at the USDA, told reporters on a call Tuesday the new testing program follows three studies undertaken during the spring and summer that all found beef in the nation’s food supply is safe to eat.

“However, we want to move forward with an additional step,” Esteban said. “And what this means is that when those carcasses are tested, they are held and are not going to go into commerce until we get the results back.”

The virus, also referred to as bird flu or H5N1, has been found in wild bird and domestic poultry flocks within the United States for years. But the ongoing outbreak in dairy cattle has forced animal and human health experts to establish testing for a new community of agriculture workers and livestock.

The news of additional testing for the country’s meat supply came alongside the results of a study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that reinforced the safety of pasteurized dairy products.

Steve Grube, chief medical officer for the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/updates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai#secondtesting" target="_blank">most recent round of dairy product testing</a>&nbsp;included 167 foods that were processed in 27 states in June and July.

“None of the product samples contained viable H5N1, reaffirming that pasteurization is effective,” he said. “The second survey was intended to address geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk and dairy product supply that the FDA conducted during April and May.”

Federal officials have also launched a voluntary program for farmers to test the milk in bulk tanks for H5N1, a step that’s intended to make it easier for them to move their cows between states without having to individually test each one.

Eric Deeble, deputy under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs at USDA, said the department’s Farm Service Agency has approved 23 of the 35 applications it has received so far to help ease the financial burden on dairy farmers who take their herds out of production after testing positive.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/emergency-assist-for-livestock-honey-bees-fish/index" target="_blank">program</a>&nbsp;— known as Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish — has approved more than $1 million in payments.

The price paid to farmers is based on a formula that includes the price of milk from the preceding month as well as the number of dairy cattle that contract H5N1.

Deeble said on the call with reporters that of the approved applications, a dozen are from Colorado, which has seen a sharp increase in the number of positive H5N1 tests within its dairy industry.

Deeble argued the uptick is due to certain factors within the state and cautioned people against assuming that if testing was increased in other areas of the country, the number of positive H5N1 tests for dairy cattle would spike.

“I don’t think that it is accurate necessarily to extrapolate from the situation in Weld County, Colorado,” Deeble said. “Weld County and Colorado dairy in particular is rather unique in the degree to which the dairies are all closely associated with one another; both spatially and the way in which there is a lot of movement between the facilities.”

“It is a tightly integrated dairy community that’s isolated from much of the rest of the state, and there is a lot of connectivity between the premises in the way in which they use vehicles, support services, milk trucks,” Deeble added.

During the last 30 days, five states have had dairy cattle test positive for H5N1, including Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas.

Colorado holds a disproportionate number of cases with 26 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock" target="_blank">dairy herds to test positive</a>, while the other four states combined hold a total of six herds.

Other mammals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/mammals" target="_blank">diagnosed</a>&nbsp;with H5N1 during the last six weeks are overwhelmingly in Colorado, which has found the virus in house mice, deer mice, domestic cats, a desert cottontail and a prairie vole.

Public health officials said during the call Tuesday they are beginning to look more closely at when and why cats are being affected by the spread of H5N1.

Barn cats as well as those that hunt outside, coming into regular contact with wild birds that hold a reservoir of H5N1, have tested positive for the virus before.

But a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.colovma.org/cvma-news/influenza-a-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-h5n1-in-domestic-cats/" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association earlier this month noted that two of the six cats diagnosed with H5N1 in that state this year “were indoor only cats with no direct exposures to the virus.”

Public health officials on the call were unable to answer a question about how indoor-only cats would have come into contact with H5N1.

Experts on the call cautioned that as fall approaches, wild birds will begin migrating and dairy farmers will likely ship their cattle at higher rates, both of which could lead to an uptick in the number of positive cases of H5N1 being reported in dairy cattle as well as other animals.

Lia Chien contributed to this report.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722448527185.png" alt="Photo courtesy of Iowa State Dairy Association)." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Iowa State Dairy Association).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a> State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to embark on a year-long study beginning next month that will test samples for evidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza from former dairy cattle moved into meat production.Emilio Esteban, the under secretary for food safety at the USDA, told reporters on a call Tuesday the new testing program follows three studies undertaken during the spring and summer that all found beef in the nation’s food supply is safe to eat.“However, we want to move forward with an additional step,” Esteban said. “And what this means is that when those carcasses are tested, they are held and are not going to go into commerce until we get the results back.”The virus, also referred to as bird flu or H5N1, has been found in wild bird and domestic poultry flocks within the United States for years. But the ongoing outbreak in dairy cattle has forced animal and human health experts to establish testing for a new community of agriculture workers and livestock.The news of additional testing for the country’s meat supply came alongside the results of a study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that reinforced the safety of pasteurized dairy products.Steve Grube, chief medical officer for the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/updates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai#secondtesting" target="_blank">most recent round of dairy product testing</a>&nbsp;included 167 foods that were processed in 27 states in June and July.“None of the product samples contained viable H5N1, reaffirming that pasteurization is effective,” he said. “The second survey was intended to address geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk and dairy product supply that the FDA conducted during April and May.”<h2>Testing milk in bulk tanks</h2>Federal officials have also launched a voluntary program for farmers to test the milk in bulk tanks for H5N1, a step that’s intended to make it easier for them to move their cows between states without having to individually test each one.Eric Deeble, deputy under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs at USDA, said the department’s Farm Service Agency has approved 23 of the 35 applications it has received so far to help ease the financial burden on dairy farmers who take their herds out of production after testing positive.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/emergency-assist-for-livestock-honey-bees-fish/index" target="_blank">program</a>&nbsp;— known as Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish — has approved more than $1 million in payments.The price paid to farmers is based on a formula that includes the price of milk from the preceding month as well as the number of dairy cattle that contract H5N1.Deeble said on the call with reporters that of the approved applications, a dozen are from Colorado, which has seen a sharp increase in the number of positive H5N1 tests within its dairy industry.Deeble argued the uptick is due to certain factors within the state and cautioned people against assuming that if testing was increased in other areas of the country, the number of positive H5N1 tests for dairy cattle would spike.“I don’t think that it is accurate necessarily to extrapolate from the situation in Weld County, Colorado,” Deeble said. “Weld County and Colorado dairy in particular is rather unique in the degree to which the dairies are all closely associated with one another; both spatially and the way in which there is a lot of movement between the facilities.”“It is a tightly integrated dairy community that’s isolated from much of the rest of the state, and there is a lot of connectivity between the premises in the way in which they use vehicles, support services, milk trucks,” Deeble added.During the last 30 days, five states have had dairy cattle test positive for H5N1, including Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas.Colorado holds a disproportionate number of cases with 26 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/hpai-confirmed-cases-livestock" target="_blank">dairy herds to test positive</a>, while the other four states combined hold a total of six herds.Other mammals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/mammals" target="_blank">diagnosed</a>&nbsp;with H5N1 during the last six weeks are overwhelmingly in Colorado, which has found the virus in house mice, deer mice, domestic cats, a desert cottontail and a prairie vole.<h2>Effect on cats</h2>Public health officials said during the call Tuesday they are beginning to look more closely at when and why cats are being affected by the spread of H5N1.Barn cats as well as those that hunt outside, coming into regular contact with wild birds that hold a reservoir of H5N1, have tested positive for the virus before.But a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.colovma.org/cvma-news/influenza-a-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-h5n1-in-domestic-cats/" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association earlier this month noted that two of the six cats diagnosed with H5N1 in that state this year “were indoor only cats with no direct exposures to the virus.”Public health officials on the call were unable to answer a question about how indoor-only cats would have come into contact with H5N1.Experts on the call cautioned that as fall approaches, wild birds will begin migrating and dairy farmers will likely ship their cattle at higher rates, both of which could lead to an uptick in the number of positive cases of H5N1 being reported in dairy cattle as well as other animals.Lia Chien contributed to this report.&nbsp;

USDA to take ‘additional step’ in testing beef from former dairy cattle for bird flu 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A prosecutor says five people have been charged in connection with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/matthew-perry">Matthew Perry's</a>&nbsp;death from a ketamine overdose last year, including the actor's assistant and two doctors.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday, saying the doctors supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine and even wondered in a text message how much the former “Friends” star would be willing to pay.

“These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong," Estrada said.

Perry died in October due to a ketamine overdose and received several injections of the drug on the day he died from his live-in personal assistant. The assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is the one who found Perry dead later that day.

Two of the people, including one of the doctors charged, have been arrested, Estrada said. Two of the defendants, including Iwamasa, have pleaded guilty to charges already, and a third person has agreed to plead guilty.

Iwamasa's attorneys did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Among those arrested Thursday are Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and also two charges related to allegations he falsified records after Perry's death.

The other person arrested Thursday is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors described as a drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen.” Ketamine supplied by Sangha caused Perry's death, authorities said.

Messages to her attorneys were not immediately returned. Attempts to leave messages at Plasencia’s medical office were unsuccessful because its voicemail was full and an email was not immediately returned.

Sangha and Plasencia could make their first court appearances later Thursday.

Records show Plascencia's medical license has been in good standing with no records of complaints, though it is set to expire in October.

The prosecutor said the defendants exchanged messages soon after Perry's death referencing ketamine as the cause of death. Estrada said they tried to cover up their involvement in supplying Perry ketamine, a powerful anesthetic that is sometimes used to treat chronic pain and depression.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-investigation-290b5aa5a7c63ca67bfaa43e4f711f70">Los Angeles police said in May</a>&nbsp;that they were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system.

Iwamasa found the actor face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-cause-054e67f7495845804f801c57a1ae2522">His autopsy, released in December, found</a>&nbsp;that the amount of ketamine in his blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery.

The decades-old drug has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. People close to Perry told coroner’s investigators that he was undergoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-pain-drugs-psychedelic-fda-2c67eeac1932962a7b0affc07d24c09a">ketamine infusion therapy</a>.

But the medical examiner said Perry’s last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn’t explain the levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours. At least two doctors were treating Perry, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who served as his primary care physician, the medical examiner’s report said. No illicit drugs or paraphernalia were found at his house.

Ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said. Drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors, the coroner said.

Perry had years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-foundation-death-addiction-aa74b3e424c652a4325166231057ecd4">struggles with addiction</a>&nbsp;dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest television stars of his generation as Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">NBC’s megahit sitcom</a>.

Drug-related celebrity deaths have in other cases led authorities to prosecute the people who supplied them.

After rapper&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mac-miller">Mac Miller</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/9e65656745a741cfbff6874df91ffa2d">died from an overdose</a>&nbsp;of cocaine, alcohol and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ad75f002ba304577ad1e1a09720d2a31">counterfeit oxycodone that contained fentanyl,</a>&nbsp;two of the men who provided him the fentanyl were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-arts-and-los-angeles-mac-miller-354df3dc8e8a7558236e5bd4a95b120e">convicted of distributing the drug</a>. One was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison, the other to 10 years.

And after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3e996992a2674d48afe544d87053583c">Michael Jackson</a>&nbsp;died in 2009 from a lethal dose of propofol, a drug intended for use only during surgery and other medical procedures, not for the insomnia the singer sought it for, his doctor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/conrad-murray">Conrad Murray</a>, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011. Murray has maintained his innocence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698541233773.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — A prosecutor says five people have been charged in connection with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/matthew-perry">Matthew Perry's</a>&nbsp;death from a ketamine overdose last year, including the actor's assistant and two doctors.U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday, saying the doctors supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine and even wondered in a text message how much the former “Friends” star would be willing to pay.“These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong," Estrada said.Perry died in October due to a ketamine overdose and received several injections of the drug on the day he died from his live-in personal assistant. The assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is the one who found Perry dead later that day.Two of the people, including one of the doctors charged, have been arrested, Estrada said. Two of the defendants, including Iwamasa, have pleaded guilty to charges already, and a third person has agreed to plead guilty.Iwamasa's attorneys did not immediately return a message seeking comment.Among those arrested Thursday are Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and also two charges related to allegations he falsified records after Perry's death.The other person arrested Thursday is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors described as a drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen.” Ketamine supplied by Sangha caused Perry's death, authorities said.Messages to her attorneys were not immediately returned. Attempts to leave messages at Plasencia’s medical office were unsuccessful because its voicemail was full and an email was not immediately returned.Sangha and Plasencia could make their first court appearances later Thursday.Records show Plascencia's medical license has been in good standing with no records of complaints, though it is set to expire in October.The prosecutor said the defendants exchanged messages soon after Perry's death referencing ketamine as the cause of death. Estrada said they tried to cover up their involvement in supplying Perry ketamine, a powerful anesthetic that is sometimes used to treat chronic pain and depression.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-investigation-290b5aa5a7c63ca67bfaa43e4f711f70">Los Angeles police said in May</a>&nbsp;that they were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system.Iwamasa found the actor face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-cause-054e67f7495845804f801c57a1ae2522">His autopsy, released in December, found</a>&nbsp;that the amount of ketamine in his blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery.The decades-old drug has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. People close to Perry told coroner’s investigators that he was undergoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-pain-drugs-psychedelic-fda-2c67eeac1932962a7b0affc07d24c09a">ketamine infusion therapy</a>.But the medical examiner said Perry’s last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn’t explain the levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours. At least two doctors were treating Perry, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who served as his primary care physician, the medical examiner’s report said. No illicit drugs or paraphernalia were found at his house.Ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said. Drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors, the coroner said.Perry had years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-foundation-death-addiction-aa74b3e424c652a4325166231057ecd4">struggles with addiction</a>&nbsp;dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest television stars of his generation as Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">NBC’s megahit sitcom</a>.Drug-related celebrity deaths have in other cases led authorities to prosecute the people who supplied them.After rapper&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mac-miller">Mac Miller</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/9e65656745a741cfbff6874df91ffa2d">died from an overdose</a>&nbsp;of cocaine, alcohol and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ad75f002ba304577ad1e1a09720d2a31">counterfeit oxycodone that contained fentanyl,</a>&nbsp;two of the men who provided him the fentanyl were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-arts-and-los-angeles-mac-miller-354df3dc8e8a7558236e5bd4a95b120e">convicted of distributing the drug</a>. One was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison, the other to 10 years.And after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3e996992a2674d48afe544d87053583c">Michael Jackson</a>&nbsp;died in 2009 from a lethal dose of propofol, a drug intended for use only during surgery and other medical procedures, not for the insomnia the singer sought it for, his doctor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/conrad-murray">Conrad Murray</a>, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011. Murray has maintained his innocence.

2 doctors among 5 charged in Matthew Perry’s overdose death

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Thursday that drug price negotiations will knock hundreds of dollars — in some cases thousands — off the list prices of 10 of Medicare’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-negotiated-prices-initial-price-applicability-year-2026.pdf">most popular and costliest drugs</a>.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/15/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-lower-prices-for-first-ten-drugs-selected-for-medicare-price-negotiation-to-lower-costs-for-millions-of-americans/">The discounts</a>, agreed to after months of negotiations with drug manufacturers, range between 38% and 79% on the medication's list price, which is the cost of medication before discounts or rebates are applied — not the price people actually pay for prescriptions.

Medicare&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-selected-drug-negotiation-list-ipay-2026.pdf">spent</a>&nbsp;$50 billion covering the drugs last year and taxpayers are expected to save $6 billion on the new prices, which do not go into effect until 2026. Older adults could save as much as $1.5 billion in total on their medications in out-of-pocket costs. Administration officials released few details about how they arrived at those calculations.

The newly negotiated prices will impact the price of drugs used by millions of older Americans to help manage diabetes, blood cancers and prevent heart failure or blood clots. The drugs include the blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis and diabetes drugs Jardiance and Januvia.

It's a landmark deal for the Medicare program, which provides health care coverage for more than 67 million older and disabled Americans. For decades, the federal government had been barred from bartering with pharmaceutical companies over the price of their drugs, even though it's a routine process for private insurers.

“For years, millions of Americans were forced to choose between paying for medications or putting food on the table, while Big Pharma blocked Medicare from being able to negotiate prices on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “But we fought back -– and won.”

The drug deals will become a focal point for Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris’</a>&nbsp;presidential campaign, especially since she cast the tiebreaking vote to pass the law. She will join Biden on Thursday to announce the drug prices, in what will be their first joint speaking appearance since she replaced him at the top of the Democratic ticket, as they both struggle to persuade voters that costs will trend down after years of above-normal inflation.

Harris is set to release part of her economic agenda on Friday in North Carolina, where she plans to detail other ways to help cut costs and boost incomes for the middle class.

The pair last appeared publicly together to welcome back to the U.S. Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-gershkovich-whelan-prisoner-swap-354df585ad321ecdbea4c0f2c557f0aa">detained</a>&nbsp;in Russia who were freed as part of a massive prisoner swap earlier this month.

Powerful drug companies unsuccessfully tried to file lawsuits to stop the negotiations, which became law in 2022, when a Democratic-controlled Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), overhauling several Medicare prescription drug regulations. But executives of those companies have also hinted in recent weeks during earnings calls that they don't expect the negotiations to impact their bottom line.

Pharmaceutical officials blasted the news from the White House, saying it will spread health care costs to taxpayers in other ways, including their Medicare premiums.

“The administration is using the IRA’s price-setting scheme to drive political headlines, but patients will be disappointed when they find out what it means for them," Steve Ubl, the president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). “The ironically named Inflation Reduction Act is a bad deal being forced on American patients: higher costs, more frustrating insurance denials and fewer treatments and cures for our loved ones.”

Next year, the Department of Health and Human Services can select another 15 drugs for price negotiations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Thursday that drug price negotiations will knock hundreds of dollars — in some cases thousands — off the list prices of 10 of Medicare’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-negotiated-prices-initial-price-applicability-year-2026.pdf">most popular and costliest drugs</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Right now, Americans pay two to three times more for prescription drugs than they would anywhere else. But the Biden-Harris Administration beat Big Pharma. And after months of negotiations, Medicare has reached agreements to lower the price for 10 of the highest-cost drugs. <a href="https://t.co/eGVtAtJsVO">pic.twitter.com/eGVtAtJsVO</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1824057502389968965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/15/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-lower-prices-for-first-ten-drugs-selected-for-medicare-price-negotiation-to-lower-costs-for-millions-of-americans/">The discounts</a>, agreed to after months of negotiations with drug manufacturers, range between 38% and 79% on the medication's list price, which is the cost of medication before discounts or rebates are applied — not the price people actually pay for prescriptions.Medicare&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-selected-drug-negotiation-list-ipay-2026.pdf">spent</a>&nbsp;$50 billion covering the drugs last year and taxpayers are expected to save $6 billion on the new prices, which do not go into effect until 2026. Older adults could save as much as $1.5 billion in total on their medications in out-of-pocket costs. Administration officials released few details about how they arrived at those calculations.The newly negotiated prices will impact the price of drugs used by millions of older Americans to help manage diabetes, blood cancers and prevent heart failure or blood clots. The drugs include the blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis and diabetes drugs Jardiance and Januvia.It's a landmark deal for the Medicare program, which provides health care coverage for more than 67 million older and disabled Americans. For decades, the federal government had been barred from bartering with pharmaceutical companies over the price of their drugs, even though it's a routine process for private insurers.“For years, millions of Americans were forced to choose between paying for medications or putting food on the table, while Big Pharma blocked Medicare from being able to negotiate prices on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “But we fought back -– and won.”The drug deals will become a focal point for Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris’</a>&nbsp;presidential campaign, especially since she cast the tiebreaking vote to pass the law. She will join Biden on Thursday to announce the drug prices, in what will be their first joint speaking appearance since she replaced him at the top of the Democratic ticket, as they both struggle to persuade voters that costs will trend down after years of above-normal inflation.Harris is set to release part of her economic agenda on Friday in North Carolina, where she plans to detail other ways to help cut costs and boost incomes for the middle class.The pair last appeared publicly together to welcome back to the U.S. Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-gershkovich-whelan-prisoner-swap-354df585ad321ecdbea4c0f2c557f0aa">detained</a>&nbsp;in Russia who were freed as part of a massive prisoner swap earlier this month.Powerful drug companies unsuccessfully tried to file lawsuits to stop the negotiations, which became law in 2022, when a Democratic-controlled Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), overhauling several Medicare prescription drug regulations. But executives of those companies have also hinted in recent weeks during earnings calls that they don't expect the negotiations to impact their bottom line.Pharmaceutical officials blasted the news from the White House, saying it will spread health care costs to taxpayers in other ways, including their Medicare premiums.“The administration is using the IRA’s price-setting scheme to drive political headlines, but patients will be disappointed when they find out what it means for them," Steve Ubl, the president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). “The ironically named Inflation Reduction Act is a bad deal being forced on American patients: higher costs, more frustrating insurance denials and fewer treatments and cures for our loved ones.”Next year, the Department of Health and Human Services can select another 15 drugs for price negotiations.

Billions saved: See what popular Medicare drugs will drop in price after Biden deal

OSAGE COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement officials are investigating a Great Bend woman for allegedly selling drugs in Osage County south of Topeka.

Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 35 in Osage County for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the deputy found illegal narcotics.

Amanda Rigby, 44, of Great Bend was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia and No drug tax stamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723723063685.png" alt="Rigby photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Rigby photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement officials are investigating a Great Bend woman for allegedly selling drugs in Osage County south of Topeka.Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 35 in Osage County for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the deputy found illegal narcotics.Amanda Rigby, 44, of Great Bend was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia and No drug tax stamp.

Sheriff: Kansas woman jailed for selling methamphetamine

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Minnesota Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;and Ohio Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;have agreed to debate each other on Oct. 1, setting up a matchup of potential vice presidents as early voting in some states gets underway for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the general election</a>.

CBS News on Wednesday posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates — Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 — as options.

Walz reposted that message from his own campaign account, “See you on October 1, JD.” The Harris-Walz campaign followed up with a message of its own, saying Walz "looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”

Vance posted on X that he would accept the Oct. 1 invitation. He also challenged Walz to meet on Sept. 18.

Officials with the Kamala Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Vance’s acceptance of the earlier debate that he said would be on CNN or whether Walz would participate in that one as well.

Representatives for CNN confirmed that Vance had accepted the network's debate invitation.

“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan of “Face the Nation” will moderate the Oct. 1 debate, according to the network.

Whether or not Walz and Vance would debate before the Nov. 5 general election had been in question. In just the past several weeks, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;left the campaign and Democrats selected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Harris</a>&nbsp;to lead their ticket.

Vance has largely kept his focus trained on Harris, whom he would have been set to debate before Biden's departure from the race. Vance has lobbed critiques against Walz, including questioning the retired Army National Guardsman's service record.

Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, the GOP presidential nominee, has said he wanted Vance to debate Walz on CBS, which had been discussing potential dates for that meeting.

The debate is expected weeks after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-abc-debate-814786cc3ad7c11498c71f09f0172db3">Sept. 10 top-of-the-ticket debate</a>&nbsp;recently solidified between Trump and Harris on ABC News.

Trump has said he negotiated several other debate dates, on three different networks. Fox News has also proposed a debate between Harris and Trump to take place on Sept. 4, and NBC News is angling to air one on Sept. 25.

During an appearance in Michigan, Harris said she was “happy to have that conversation” about an additional debate.

NEW YORK (AP) —Sen. JD Vance has now committed to debating his Democratic foil, Gov. Tim Walz, on Sept. 18 and also Oct. 1.

Trump’s running mate said Wednesday on Fox News that he only learned of CBS News’ debate invitation several hours earlier, as he was landing following a campaign event in Michigan.

Earlier Wednesday, CBS News posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates — Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 — as options.

Walz reposted that message from his own campaign account, “See you on October 1, JD.” The Harris-Walz campaign followed up with a message of its own, saying Walz “looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”

Vance said Wednesday that “hopefully” he would debate Walz on that date, adding, “I strongly suspect that we’re going to be there on Oct. 1,” but made no firm commitment, saying he wanted to see specifics on debate moderators and whether an audience would be present. On social media Thursday morning Vance wrote,&nbsp; &nbsp;"Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723725509674.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Minnesota Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;and Ohio Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;have agreed to debate each other on Oct. 1, setting up a matchup of potential vice presidents as early voting in some states gets underway for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the general election</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already. Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both! <a href="https://t.co/63FyI99dKU">https://t.co/63FyI99dKU</a>&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1824075920216310262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>CBS News on Wednesday posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates — Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 — as options.Walz reposted that message from his own campaign account, “See you on October 1, JD.” The Harris-Walz campaign followed up with a message of its own, saying Walz "looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”Vance posted on X that he would accept the Oct. 1 invitation. He also challenged Walz to meet on Sept. 18.Officials with the Kamala Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Vance’s acceptance of the earlier debate that he said would be on CNN or whether Walz would participate in that one as well.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">See you on October 1, JD. <a href="https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9">https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1823824781873176770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Representatives for CNN confirmed that Vance had accepted the network's debate invitation.“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan of “Face the Nation” will moderate the Oct. 1 debate, according to the network.Whether or not Walz and Vance would debate before the Nov. 5 general election had been in question. In just the past several weeks, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;left the campaign and Democrats selected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Harris</a>&nbsp;to lead their ticket.Vance has largely kept his focus trained on Harris, whom he would have been set to debate before Biden's departure from the race. Vance has lobbed critiques against Walz, including questioning the retired Army National Guardsman's service record.Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, the GOP presidential nominee, has said he wanted Vance to debate Walz on CBS, which had been discussing potential dates for that meeting.The debate is expected weeks after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-abc-debate-814786cc3ad7c11498c71f09f0172db3">Sept. 10 top-of-the-ticket debate</a>&nbsp;recently solidified between Trump and Harris on ABC News.Trump has said he negotiated several other debate dates, on three different networks. Fox News has also proposed a debate between Harris and Trump to take place on Sept. 4, and NBC News is angling to air one on Sept. 25.During an appearance in Michigan, Harris said she was “happy to have that conversation” about an additional debate.-------------NEW YORK (AP) —Sen. JD Vance has now committed to debating his Democratic foil, Gov. Tim Walz, on Sept. 18 and also Oct. 1.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already. Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both! <a href="https://t.co/63FyI99dKU">https://t.co/63FyI99dKU</a>&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1824075920216310262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump’s running mate said Wednesday on Fox News that he only learned of CBS News’ debate invitation several hours earlier, as he was landing following a campaign event in Michigan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">See you on October 1, JD. <a href="https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9">https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1823824781873176770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Earlier Wednesday, CBS News posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates — Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 — as options.Walz reposted that message from his own campaign account, “See you on October 1, JD.” The Harris-Walz campaign followed up with a message of its own, saying Walz “looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”Vance said Wednesday that “hopefully” he would debate Walz on that date, adding, “I strongly suspect that we’re going to be there on Oct. 1,” but made no firm commitment, saying he wanted to see specifics on debate moderators and whether an audience would be present. On social media Thursday morning Vance wrote,&nbsp; &nbsp;"Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well."

Candidates make commitment to vice-presidential debate

KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement are investigating another deadly shooting in Kansas City.

Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, the Kansas City Fire Department&nbsp;was responding to a medical call at the&nbsp;Georgian Court Apartment Complex in the 400 block of E. Armour Boulevard in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

While on scene at that location a shooting occurred either just outside or just inside the lobby of the

The fire department crew on scene heard the gunshots and requested Police emergency response and additional resources.

 One patient was treated and and transported in critical condition. He died a short time later, according to Kansas City Police.&nbsp; The original medical call was handled by the additional resources ordered, according to Hopkins.

Responding officers located a person of interest near the scene. The potential suspect was being held on a 24-hour investigative hold.

&nbsp;A preliminary investigation led police to believe that there was a confrontation between the victim and the person of interest prior to the shooting. KC Fire crews were not in danger at the time of the shooting, according to Hopkins.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723718390903.png" alt="photo by Grace Smith courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>photo by Grace Smith courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement are investigating another deadly shooting in Kansas City.Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, the Kansas City Fire Department&nbsp;was responding to a medical call at the&nbsp;Georgian Court Apartment Complex in the 400 block of E. Armour Boulevard in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.While on scene at that location a shooting occurred either just outside or just inside the lobby of theThe fire department crew on scene heard the gunshots and requested Police emergency response and additional resources. One patient was treated and and transported in critical condition. He died a short time later, according to Kansas City Police.&nbsp; The original medical call was handled by the additional resources ordered, according to Hopkins.Responding officers located a person of interest near the scene. The potential suspect was being held on a 24-hour investigative hold.&nbsp;A preliminary investigation led police to believe that there was a confrontation between the victim and the person of interest prior to the shooting. KC Fire crews were not in danger at the time of the shooting, according to Hopkins.

Fatal shooting delays KC fire crews responding to medical call

BARBER COUNTY —The Silver Alert for 73-year-old David Reese remains active, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. He is still missing. Please keep an eye out for him or his vehicle, a white 2017 Chevy Silverado bearing Kansas tag 885NEW.

On Aug. 5, the Harper Police Department, the Barber County Sheriff’s Office, the Harper County Sheriff’s Office, the Elwood Township Fire, the Kansas Fire Marshall, Kiowa Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Medicine Lodge Fire Department, Kiowa Fire Department, Barber County Rural Fire Department, and Barber County Emergency Management, conducted a search for Reese over 700 square miles in an 8-hour time frame.

The search utilized aircraft, multiple drones, vehicles, and off-road vehicles. The area searched was over half of Barber County surrounding the last known location of Reese which was near Little Mule and Hardtner Shortcut.

 No evidence of Reese or his vehicle were found. The search continues. If you own property in Barber or Harper County, you are asked to check your land for anything out of the ordinary.&nbsp;Reese is a white male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds. He has brown eyes, a white beard, and is balding. He may be traveling with a chocolate Labrador retriever, and is likely wearing a baseball cap. Reese has diabetes, anxiety, and a condition impairing cognition and memory. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722706150273.png" alt="David Reese courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>David Reese courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BARBER COUNTY —The Silver Alert for 73-year-old David Reese remains active, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. He is still missing. Please keep an eye out for him or his vehicle, a white 2017 Chevy Silverado bearing Kansas tag 885NEW.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722939061343.png" alt="Photo Barber Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Barber Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>On Aug. 5, the Harper Police Department, the Barber County Sheriff’s Office, the Harper County Sheriff’s Office, the Elwood Township Fire, the Kansas Fire Marshall, Kiowa Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Medicine Lodge Fire Department, Kiowa Fire Department, Barber County Rural Fire Department, and Barber County Emergency Management, conducted a search for Reese over 700 square miles in an 8-hour time frame.The search utilized aircraft, multiple drones, vehicles, and off-road vehicles. The area searched was over half of Barber County surrounding the last known location of Reese which was near Little Mule and Hardtner Shortcut. No evidence of Reese or his vehicle were found. The search continues. If you own property in Barber or Harper County, you are asked to check your land for anything out of the ordinary.&nbsp;Reese is a white male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds. He has brown eyes, a white beard, and is balding. He may be traveling with a chocolate Labrador retriever, and is likely wearing a baseball cap. Reese has diabetes, anxiety, and a condition impairing cognition and memory.

Silver Alert for Kansas man remains active

PHOENIX (AP) — An informational pamphlet for Arizona voters who will decide in the fall whether to guarantee a constitutional right to an abortion can refer to a fetus as an “unborn human being,” the state's highest court ruled Wednesday.

Arizona voters will get to decide in November whether to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">add the right to an abortion</a>&nbsp;to the state constitution.

The proposed amendment would allow abortions until a fetus could survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would restrict the state from adopting or enforcing any law that would prohibit access to the procedure.

The justices of the Arizona Supreme Court, in Wednesday's decision, sided with Republican lawmakers over proponents of the ballot measure on abortion rights.

The ruling drew swift criticism from abortion rights advocates who had argued that the phrase “unborn human being” is neither impartial nor objective. They also said they were concerned that Arizonans would be subjected to biased and politically charged words.

“We are deeply disappointed in this ruling, but will not be deterred from doing everything in our power to communicate to voters the truth of the Arizona Abortion Access Act and why it’s critical to vote YES to restore and protect access to abortion care this fall,” the group, Arizona for Abortion Access, said in a statement.

The pamphlet gives voters information on candidates and ballot measures to help inform their choices. It was unclear, however, whether any specific language contained in the pamphlet would appear on the ballot.

The Arizona secretary of state’s office said Monday that it had certified 577,971 signatures — far above the required number that the coalition supporting the ballot measure had to submit in order to put the question before voters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723688353974.png" alt="File photo courtesy Arizona Abortion access" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy Arizona Abortion access</figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — An informational pamphlet for Arizona voters who will decide in the fall whether to guarantee a constitutional right to an abortion can refer to a fetus as an “unborn human being,” the state's highest court ruled Wednesday.Arizona voters will get to decide in November whether to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">add the right to an abortion</a>&nbsp;to the state constitution.The proposed amendment would allow abortions until a fetus could survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks, with exceptions to save the mother’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would restrict the state from adopting or enforcing any law that would prohibit access to the procedure.The justices of the Arizona Supreme Court, in Wednesday's decision, sided with Republican lawmakers over proponents of the ballot measure on abortion rights.The ruling drew swift criticism from abortion rights advocates who had argued that the phrase “unborn human being” is neither impartial nor objective. They also said they were concerned that Arizonans would be subjected to biased and politically charged words.“We are deeply disappointed in this ruling, but will not be deterred from doing everything in our power to communicate to voters the truth of the Arizona Abortion Access Act and why it’s critical to vote YES to restore and protect access to abortion care this fall,” the group, Arizona for Abortion Access, said in a statement.The pamphlet gives voters information on candidates and ballot measures to help inform their choices. It was unclear, however, whether any specific language contained in the pamphlet would appear on the ballot.The Arizona secretary of state’s office said Monday that it had certified 577,971 signatures — far above the required number that the coalition supporting the ballot measure had to submit in order to put the question before voters.

Court: Fetus can be referred as ‘unborn human being’ in voter pamphlet

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a knife attack killing in 2021.

Last week, Judge Thomas Sutherland sentenced John Daniel Crawford Murry to 371 months for second degree intentional murder, agggravated robbery and aggravated burglary of a dwelling, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In June, Murry pleaded guilty to the death of Chargles Dillon in October of 2022. In November of 2022, police arrested Murry and c0-defendant Devin Braswell following an investigation by the Merriam Police Department, Johnson County Crime Lab, the Metro Squad and the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just after 11p.m. on October 21, 2021 Merriam police responded to a reported stabbing&nbsp;near Royalty Way and Kings Cove Drive. First responders located a victim, who was later identified as Dillon. He died at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719090625167.png" alt="Murry -photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Murry -photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a knife attack killing in 2021.Last week, Judge Thomas Sutherland sentenced John Daniel Crawford Murry to 371 months for second degree intentional murder, agggravated robbery and aggravated burglary of a dwelling, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In June, Murry pleaded guilty to the death of Chargles Dillon in October of 2022. In November of 2022, police arrested Murry and c0-defendant Devin Braswell following an investigation by the Merriam Police Department, Johnson County Crime Lab, the Metro Squad and the district attorney's office.&nbsp;Just after 11p.m. on October 21, 2021 Merriam police responded to a reported stabbing&nbsp;near Royalty Way and Kings Cove Drive. First responders located a victim, who was later identified as Dillon. He died at the scene.

Prison for Kansas man in knife attack killing

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

Just after&nbsp;6:30 a.m. August 11,&nbsp; Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 300 block of 222nd Road in reference to a stolen vehicle report, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 Deputies located a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle parked in a driveway in the 2600 block of K-16 Highway.

&nbsp;Deputies found a woman slumped over the wheel of the vehicle and observed what they believe was illegal drug contraband inside the vehicle. 

The occupant of the vehicle later identified as Leianne Faye Jones, 38,&nbsp; Havensville, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, felony theft, driving under the influence, driving while habitual violator and driving while revoked.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723632181595.png" alt="Jones photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jones photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just after&nbsp;6:30 a.m. August 11,&nbsp; Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 300 block of 222nd Road in reference to a stolen vehicle report, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. Deputies located a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle parked in a driveway in the 2600 block of K-16 Highway.&nbsp;Deputies found a woman slumped over the wheel of the vehicle and observed what they believe was illegal drug contraband inside the vehicle. The occupant of the vehicle later identified as Leianne Faye Jones, 38,&nbsp; Havensville, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, felony theft, driving under the influence, driving while habitual violator and driving while revoked.

Fentanyl: Kan. woman was passed out in stolen vehicle

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>

Six months after Gabriella Magers-Darger’s legs were burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February, the 14-year-old is ready to leave the past behind.

She is dreading the pitfalls of being a high school freshman, even as she looks forward to being back with friends and at color guard, dance, and volleyball. She might even join the wrestling team to get some respect at school.

At a July Fourth gathering, a family friend brought noise-canceling headphones in case the fireworks became too much. Earlier in the summer Gabriella had a hard time viewing a relative’s gun collection, the handguns in particular. And she hyperventilated when she saw a family friend’s finger after it was sliced by accident — the sight of blood reminds her of seeing a fatally wounded Lisa Lopez-Galvan minutes after she was shot outside Union Station, the only person killed that day.

Her mom, Bridget Barton, said Gabriella has had a chip on her shoulder since the parade.

“She’s lost some softness to her, some gentleness to her,” Barton said.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the stresses of gun violence, and 10 of 24 people injured by bullets at the Feb. 14 parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children like Gabriella experienced the trauma firsthand. They’ve endured fear, anger, sleep problems, and hypersensitivity to crowds and noises.

A 15-year-old girl who was shot through the jaw and shoulder effectively dropped out of school for a time and daily panic attacks kept her from summer school, too. An 11-year-old boy shot in the side described feeling angry at school for reasons he couldn’t explain. A 5-year-old girl who was on her father’s shoulders when he was hit by gunfire panics each time her dad feels sick, fearing he has been shot again.

“She’s not the same kid. I mean, she’s definitely not,” said Erika Nelson, mother of the 15-year-old, Mireya, who has scars on her jaw and face. “You never know when she’s going to snap. You never know. You might say something or someone might bring up something that reminds her of that day.”

Guns overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children in 2020, but a far higher number of kids are hit by gunfire and survive.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-and-adolescents/" target="_blank">Research suggests</a>&nbsp;that kids sustain nonfatal firearm injuries anywhere from two to four times more often than they are killed by guns.

Scientists say the long-term effects of gun violence on kids are little researched and poorly understood. But the harm is pervasive. Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00587" target="_blank">researchers found</a>&nbsp;that during the first year after a firearm injury, child survivors experienced a 117% increase in pain disorders, a 68% increase in psychiatric disorders, and a 144% increase in substance use disorders. The mental health effects spill over — to mothers, fathers, siblings.

For many affected by the shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, the triggers began right away.

Just 10 days after Samuel Arellano was shot at the parade, he attended another big sporting event.

Samuel was invited to attend a University of Kansas men’s basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. During a break in the game, with a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KUHoops/status/1761593643909972045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1761593643909972045%7Ctwgr%5Ea69f3f0052dd3c1233485c50399f888e7abe6c39%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kshb.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fparade-shooting%2Fboy-injured-in-chiefs-rally-shooting-invited-to-ku-basketball-game-receives-video-message-from-jalen-wilson" target="_blank">video camera pointed at Samuel</a>&nbsp;and his parents, former KU star Jalen Wilson appeared on the scoreboard and addressed him directly.

“I heard about your story,” Wilson, who now plays in the NBA, said on the big screen. “I’m so very thankful that you are here today and it is a blessing that we can have you to give you the love and support you truly deserve.”

Wilson asked the 16,000 fans in attendance to stand and give Samuel a round of applause. As the crowd clapped and an announcer bellowed about him being a “brave young man,” Samuel looked at his parents, then down at his feet, smiling shyly.

But minutes later when the game resumed, Samuel started to cry and had to leave the auditorium with his mom, Abigail.

“When it got pretty loud, that’s when he started breaking up again,” his dad, Antonio, said. “So she had to step out with him for a minute. So any loud places, if it’s too loud, it’s affecting him.”

Samuel, who turned 11 in March, was shot in the ribs on his right side. The scar on his back is barely noticeable now, but lingering effects from the parade shooting are obvious. He is seeing a therapist — as is his father, though Abigail has had a tough time finding a Spanish-speaking one and still hasn’t had an appointment.

Samuel had trouble sleeping in the first weeks after the shooting and often crawled in bed with his mom and dad. He used to get good grades, but that became more difficult, Abigail said. His personality has changed, which sometimes has shown up at school.

“I get mad easily,” Samuel said. “I [have] never been like this before but like, if they tell me to sit down, I get mad. I don’t know why.”

Traumatized children often have difficulty expressing emotions and may be given to outbursts of anger, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://csw.osu.edu/faculty/johnson-motoyama-michelle-ph-d/" target="_blank">Michelle Johnson-Motoyama</a>, a professor of social work at Ohio State University.

“I’m sure for that child there is a sense of tremendous injustice about what happened,” Johnson-Motoyama said.

Especially right after the shooting, Samuel had panic attacks, Antonio said, and he’d break out in a sweat. Therapists told them that was normal. But the parents also kept him off his phone for a while, as there was so much about the shooting on the news and online.

Abigail, who works at a car dealership with Antonio, is anxious about seeing her son change, his suffering and sadness. She is also concerned for her three daughters, a 16-year-old and 13-year-old twins. Her father, Victor Salas, who was with Samuel at the parade, was also reeling in its aftermath.

“I’m crying and crying and crying about what happened,” Salas said in Spanish four days after the parade. “Because it was chaos. It doesn’t mean that families don’t love their family, but everyone took off to save their own lives. I saved my grandchildren’s lives, but what happens to the rest of the people? We’re not prepared.”

On the good side, Samuel felt very supported by the community in Kansas City, Kansas. Many people from his school stopped by in the first few days to visit, including friends and even a former bus driver, who was in tears. He has a “room full of candy,” Abigail said, mostly Skittles, his favorite.

An autographed football from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes arrived on his birthday. It made him cry, his father said, which happens pretty often.

“There are good and bad days, days that are more normal and easier, and then there are days where the family has to be a little bit more aware and supportive,” Abigail said in Spanish. “He’s always been outgoing and talkative like his mom, but that has changed since the parade.”

The Fourth of July was particularly harrowing for many of the young survivors and their families. Should they buy fireworks? Will they want to celebrate? And why do all the firecrackers going off in the neighborhood sound like gunshots?

Fourteen-year-old Gabriella needed help from her stepfather, Jason Barton, to light her fireworks this year, something she is ordinarily enthusiastic about doing herself. At the parade, like many people, the Barton family initially mistook the sound of gunfire for fireworks.

And Erika Nelson, a single mom in Belton, Missouri, feared even bringing up the holiday with Mireya, who has always loved Independence Day. Eventually Mireya said she didn’t want any big fireworks this year and wanted only her mom to set theirs off.

“Just any little trigger — I mean, it could be a light crackle — and she just clenched,” Erika Nelson said.

Patty Davis, a program manager for trauma-informed care at Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City, said even her clients who were at the parade but were not injured still flinch at the sounds of sirens or other loud noises. It’s a powerful response to gun violence, she said.

“So not just an accidental trauma,” she said, “but a trauma that was perpetrated for violent purposes, which can cause an increased level of anxiety for persons around that to wonder if it’s going to happen again. And how safe are they?”

Random sounds, bright lights, and crowds can catch the kids and their parents off guard. In June, Mireya Nelson was waiting for her older sister after a dance recital, hoping to see a boy she knew give a flower to a girl everyone said he had a crush on. Her mom wanted to go, but Mireya shushed her.

“Then all of a sudden, there was a loud boom,” Erika said. “She dropped low to the ground. And then she jumped back up. She goes, ‘Oh my God, I was getting shot again!’”

Mireya said it so loudly people were staring, so it was Erika’s turn to shush her and try to soothe her.

“I was like, ‘Mireya, it’s OK. You’re all right. They dropped a table. They’re just moving stuff out. It was an accident,’” Erika said.

It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off and Mireya later giggled about it, but Erika is always on watch.

Her daughter’s early sadness — she watched movies for hours, crying throughout — has since changed to a cheekiness. Half a year later, Mireya will joke about the shooting, which tears her mother up. But maybe that is part of the healing process, Erika says.

Before the Fourth of July, Mireya went to Worlds of Fun, a large amusement park, and had a good time. She felt OK because there were security guards everywhere. She also enjoyed a visit to the local FBI office with a friend who was with her the day of the shooting. But when someone suggested a trip to the ballet, Mireya squashed it quickly — it’s near Union Station, the site of the shooting. She doesn’t want to go downtown anymore.

Erika said the doctor appointments and financial strains have been a lot to juggle and that her biggest frustration as a parent is that she’s not able to fix things for her daughter.

“They have to go their own way, their own process of healing. I can’t shake her, like, ‘Get back to yourself,’” Erika said. “It could take months, years. Who knows? It could be the rest of her life. But I hope that she can overcome a little bit of it.”

James Lemons noticed a change in his 5-year-old daughter, Kensley, who was on his shoulders when he was shot at the parade. Before the shooting Kensley was outgoing and engaged, James said, but now she is withdrawn, like she has closed off her bubble and disconnected from people.

Large crowds and police officers remind Kensley of the parade. Both were present at a high school graduation the family attended this summer, prompting Kensley to ask repeatedly to leave. James took her to an empty football field, where, he said, she broke out in goose bumps and complained of being cold despite the sweltering heat.

Bedtime is a particular problem for the Lemons family. Kensley has been sleeping with her parents. Another child, 10-year-old Jaxson, has had bad dreams. One night, he dreamt that the shooter was coming near his dad and he tripped him, said Brandie Lemons, Jaxson’s stepmom.

Younger children like Kensley exposed to gun violence are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than older children, according to Ohio State’s Johnson-Motoyama.

Davis, of Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, said children whose brains are not fully developed can have a hard time sleeping and understanding that they are safe in their homes at night.

James got the family a new puppy — an American bulldog that already weighs 32 pounds — to help them feel protected.

“I looked up the pedigree,” he said, “They’re real protective. They’re real loving.”

Gabriella took up boxing after the shooting. Her mother, Bridget, said it restored some of her confidence and control that dimmed after the parade.

“I like beating people up — not in a mean way, I swear,” Gabriella said in April as she molded a mouthguard to her teeth before leaving for training.

She has since stopped boxing, however, so the money can instead go toward a trip to Puerto Rico with her Spanish class. They’re paying $153 a month for 21 months to cover the trip. Boxing classes were $60 a month.

Bridget thought boxing was a good outlet for leftover anger, but by the end of July Gabriella wasn’t sure if she still had the drive to fight back that way.

“The past is the past but we’re still gonna all, like, go through stuff. Does that make sense?” Gabriella asked.

“You’re mostly OK but you still have triggers. Is that what you mean?” her mother asked.

After the shooting, Mireya Nelson tried online classes, which didn’t work well. The first few days of summer school, Mireya had a panic attack every day in the car and her mother took her home.

Mireya wants to return to high school this fall, and Erika is wary.

“You know, if I do go back to school, there’s a chance at school of being shot, because most schools nowadays get shot up,” Erika recalled her daughter saying. “And I’m like, ‘Well, we can’t think like that. You never know what’s gonna happen.’”

<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723664076489.png" alt=" Ten of 24 people injured by bullets at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children experienced the trauma firsthand. Gabriella Magers-Darger (left) was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet. Samuel Arellano was shot in the side (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News)" />
 <figcaption> Ten of 24 people injured by bullets at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children experienced the trauma firsthand. Gabriella Magers-Darger (left) was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet. Samuel Arellano was shot in the side (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>Six months after Gabriella Magers-Darger’s legs were burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February, the 14-year-old is ready to leave the past behind.She is dreading the pitfalls of being a high school freshman, even as she looks forward to being back with friends and at color guard, dance, and volleyball. She might even join the wrestling team to get some respect at school.But the past remains ever present.At a July Fourth gathering, a family friend brought noise-canceling headphones in case the fireworks became too much. Earlier in the summer Gabriella had a hard time viewing a relative’s gun collection, the handguns in particular. And she hyperventilated when she saw a family friend’s finger after it was sliced by accident — the sight of blood reminds her of seeing a fatally wounded Lisa Lopez-Galvan minutes after she was shot outside Union Station, the only person killed that day.Her mom, Bridget Barton, said Gabriella has had a chip on her shoulder since the parade.“She’s lost some softness to her, some gentleness to her,” Barton said.Children are particularly vulnerable to the stresses of gun violence, and 10 of 24 people injured by bullets at the Feb. 14 parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children like Gabriella experienced the trauma firsthand. They’ve endured fear, anger, sleep problems, and hypersensitivity to crowds and noises.A 15-year-old girl who was shot through the jaw and shoulder effectively dropped out of school for a time and daily panic attacks kept her from summer school, too. An 11-year-old boy shot in the side described feeling angry at school for reasons he couldn’t explain. A 5-year-old girl who was on her father’s shoulders when he was hit by gunfire panics each time her dad feels sick, fearing he has been shot again.“She’s not the same kid. I mean, she’s definitely not,” said Erika Nelson, mother of the 15-year-old, Mireya, who has scars on her jaw and face. “You never know when she’s going to snap. You never know. You might say something or someone might bring up something that reminds her of that day.”Guns overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children in 2020, but a far higher number of kids are hit by gunfire and survive.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-and-adolescents/" target="_blank">Research suggests</a>&nbsp;that kids sustain nonfatal firearm injuries anywhere from two to four times more often than they are killed by guns.Scientists say the long-term effects of gun violence on kids are little researched and poorly understood. But the harm is pervasive. Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00587" target="_blank">researchers found</a>&nbsp;that during the first year after a firearm injury, child survivors experienced a 117% increase in pain disorders, a 68% increase in psychiatric disorders, and a 144% increase in substance use disorders. The mental health effects spill over — to mothers, fathers, siblings.For many affected by the shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, the triggers began right away.<h2>‘I get mad easily’</h2>Just 10 days after Samuel Arellano was shot at the parade, he attended another big sporting event.Samuel was invited to attend a University of Kansas men’s basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. During a break in the game, with a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KUHoops/status/1761593643909972045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1761593643909972045%7Ctwgr%5Ea69f3f0052dd3c1233485c50399f888e7abe6c39%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kshb.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fparade-shooting%2Fboy-injured-in-chiefs-rally-shooting-invited-to-ku-basketball-game-receives-video-message-from-jalen-wilson" target="_blank">video camera pointed at Samuel</a>&nbsp;and his parents, former KU star Jalen Wilson appeared on the scoreboard and addressed him directly.“I heard about your story,” Wilson, who now plays in the NBA, said on the big screen. “I’m so very thankful that you are here today and it is a blessing that we can have you to give you the love and support you truly deserve.”Wilson asked the 16,000 fans in attendance to stand and give Samuel a round of applause. As the crowd clapped and an announcer bellowed about him being a “brave young man,” Samuel looked at his parents, then down at his feet, smiling shyly.But minutes later when the game resumed, Samuel started to cry and had to leave the auditorium with his mom, Abigail.“When it got pretty loud, that’s when he started breaking up again,” his dad, Antonio, said. “So she had to step out with him for a minute. So any loud places, if it’s too loud, it’s affecting him.”Samuel, who turned 11 in March, was shot in the ribs on his right side. The scar on his back is barely noticeable now, but lingering effects from the parade shooting are obvious. He is seeing a therapist — as is his father, though Abigail has had a tough time finding a Spanish-speaking one and still hasn’t had an appointment.Samuel had trouble sleeping in the first weeks after the shooting and often crawled in bed with his mom and dad. He used to get good grades, but that became more difficult, Abigail said. His personality has changed, which sometimes has shown up at school.“I get mad easily,” Samuel said. “I [have] never been like this before but like, if they tell me to sit down, I get mad. I don’t know why.”Traumatized children often have difficulty expressing emotions and may be given to outbursts of anger, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://csw.osu.edu/faculty/johnson-motoyama-michelle-ph-d/" target="_blank">Michelle Johnson-Motoyama</a>, a professor of social work at Ohio State University.“I’m sure for that child there is a sense of tremendous injustice about what happened,” Johnson-Motoyama said.Especially right after the shooting, Samuel had panic attacks, Antonio said, and he’d break out in a sweat. Therapists told them that was normal. But the parents also kept him off his phone for a while, as there was so much about the shooting on the news and online.Abigail, who works at a car dealership with Antonio, is anxious about seeing her son change, his suffering and sadness. She is also concerned for her three daughters, a 16-year-old and 13-year-old twins. Her father, Victor Salas, who was with Samuel at the parade, was also reeling in its aftermath.“I’m crying and crying and crying about what happened,” Salas said in Spanish four days after the parade. “Because it was chaos. It doesn’t mean that families don’t love their family, but everyone took off to save their own lives. I saved my grandchildren’s lives, but what happens to the rest of the people? We’re not prepared.”On the good side, Samuel felt very supported by the community in Kansas City, Kansas. Many people from his school stopped by in the first few days to visit, including friends and even a former bus driver, who was in tears. He has a “room full of candy,” Abigail said, mostly Skittles, his favorite.An autographed football from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes arrived on his birthday. It made him cry, his father said, which happens pretty often.“There are good and bad days, days that are more normal and easier, and then there are days where the family has to be a little bit more aware and supportive,” Abigail said in Spanish. “He’s always been outgoing and talkative like his mom, but that has changed since the parade.”<h2>Fourth of July a weeklong trigger</h2>The Fourth of July was particularly harrowing for many of the young survivors and their families. Should they buy fireworks? Will they want to celebrate? And why do all the firecrackers going off in the neighborhood sound like gunshots?Fourteen-year-old Gabriella needed help from her stepfather, Jason Barton, to light her fireworks this year, something she is ordinarily enthusiastic about doing herself. At the parade, like many people, the Barton family initially mistook the sound of gunfire for fireworks.And Erika Nelson, a single mom in Belton, Missouri, feared even bringing up the holiday with Mireya, who has always loved Independence Day. Eventually Mireya said she didn’t want any big fireworks this year and wanted only her mom to set theirs off.“Just any little trigger — I mean, it could be a light crackle — and she just clenched,” Erika Nelson said.Patty Davis, a program manager for trauma-informed care at Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City, said even her clients who were at the parade but were not injured still flinch at the sounds of sirens or other loud noises. It’s a powerful response to gun violence, she said.“So not just an accidental trauma,” she said, “but a trauma that was perpetrated for violent purposes, which can cause an increased level of anxiety for persons around that to wonder if it’s going to happen again. And how safe are they?”<h2>Reliving getting shot</h2>Random sounds, bright lights, and crowds can catch the kids and their parents off guard. In June, Mireya Nelson was waiting for her older sister after a dance recital, hoping to see a boy she knew give a flower to a girl everyone said he had a crush on. Her mom wanted to go, but Mireya shushed her.“Then all of a sudden, there was a loud boom,” Erika said. “She dropped low to the ground. And then she jumped back up. She goes, ‘Oh my God, I was getting shot again!’”Mireya said it so loudly people were staring, so it was Erika’s turn to shush her and try to soothe her.“I was like, ‘Mireya, it’s OK. You’re all right. They dropped a table. They’re just moving stuff out. It was an accident,’” Erika said.It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off and Mireya later giggled about it, but Erika is always on watch.Her daughter’s early sadness — she watched movies for hours, crying throughout — has since changed to a cheekiness. Half a year later, Mireya will joke about the shooting, which tears her mother up. But maybe that is part of the healing process, Erika says.Before the Fourth of July, Mireya went to Worlds of Fun, a large amusement park, and had a good time. She felt OK because there were security guards everywhere. She also enjoyed a visit to the local FBI office with a friend who was with her the day of the shooting. But when someone suggested a trip to the ballet, Mireya squashed it quickly — it’s near Union Station, the site of the shooting. She doesn’t want to go downtown anymore.Erika said the doctor appointments and financial strains have been a lot to juggle and that her biggest frustration as a parent is that she’s not able to fix things for her daughter.“They have to go their own way, their own process of healing. I can’t shake her, like, ‘Get back to yourself,’” Erika said. “It could take months, years. Who knows? It could be the rest of her life. But I hope that she can overcome a little bit of it.”<h2>Goose bumps in the sweltering heat</h2>James Lemons noticed a change in his 5-year-old daughter, Kensley, who was on his shoulders when he was shot at the parade. Before the shooting Kensley was outgoing and engaged, James said, but now she is withdrawn, like she has closed off her bubble and disconnected from people.Large crowds and police officers remind Kensley of the parade. Both were present at a high school graduation the family attended this summer, prompting Kensley to ask repeatedly to leave. James took her to an empty football field, where, he said, she broke out in goose bumps and complained of being cold despite the sweltering heat.Bedtime is a particular problem for the Lemons family. Kensley has been sleeping with her parents. Another child, 10-year-old Jaxson, has had bad dreams. One night, he dreamt that the shooter was coming near his dad and he tripped him, said Brandie Lemons, Jaxson’s stepmom.Younger children like Kensley exposed to gun violence are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than older children, according to Ohio State’s Johnson-Motoyama.Davis, of Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, said children whose brains are not fully developed can have a hard time sleeping and understanding that they are safe in their homes at night.James got the family a new puppy — an American bulldog that already weighs 32 pounds — to help them feel protected.“I looked up the pedigree,” he said, “They’re real protective. They’re real loving.”<h2>Searching for an outlet to let off steam</h2>Gabriella took up boxing after the shooting. Her mother, Bridget, said it restored some of her confidence and control that dimmed after the parade.“I like beating people up — not in a mean way, I swear,” Gabriella said in April as she molded a mouthguard to her teeth before leaving for training.She has since stopped boxing, however, so the money can instead go toward a trip to Puerto Rico with her Spanish class. They’re paying $153 a month for 21 months to cover the trip. Boxing classes were $60 a month.Bridget thought boxing was a good outlet for leftover anger, but by the end of July Gabriella wasn’t sure if she still had the drive to fight back that way.“The past is the past but we’re still gonna all, like, go through stuff. Does that make sense?” Gabriella asked.“You’re mostly OK but you still have triggers. Is that what you mean?” her mother asked.“Yeah,” she replied.After the shooting, Mireya Nelson tried online classes, which didn’t work well. The first few days of summer school, Mireya had a panic attack every day in the car and her mother took her home.Mireya wants to return to high school this fall, and Erika is wary.“You know, if I do go back to school, there’s a chance at school of being shot, because most schools nowadays get shot up,” Erika recalled her daughter saying. “And I’m like, ‘Well, we can’t think like that. You never know what’s gonna happen.’”<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.