KANSAS CITY—The police officer shot during a traffic stop on Tuesday morning in North Kansas City has died, according to a statement from the Clay County Sheriff's Department.

Just after 10:40a.m., Officer Daniel Vasquez, 32, stopped a Ford Taurus for an expired temporary license plate near 21 Street North and Clay Street, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The driver exited the vehicle and began firing on the officer causing serious injury, according to the patrol.

EMS transported Vasquez to North Kansas City Hospital and he was later transferred to KU Medical Center where he died.

After the patrol issued a Blue Alert, for when an officer is seriously injured or killed, a search for the suspect's gray Ford Taurus lasted a couple of hours.

The suspect eventually turned himself in, according to the sheriff's department. Kansas City Police is now in charge of the investigation. Police will release additional details on the suspect after charges are filed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Vasquez joined the North Kansas City Police Department in 2021.

KANSAS CITY —The search for a suspect who shot a police officer in North Kansas City Tuesday morning is over. Just after 1:30p.m., the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed they had a suspect in custody.

According to the patrol, the officer stopped a Ford Taurus for an expired temporary license plate just after 10:40a.m near 21 Street North and Clay Street. 

The driver exited the vehicle and began firing on the officer causing serious injury, according to a statement from the  patrol.

EMS transported the officer North Kansas City Hospital and he was later transferred to KU Medical Center, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; 

Authorities have released no additional details on the officer's condition or the identity of the suspect.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

KANSAS CITY—The Missouri State Highway Patrol in north Kansas City issued a Blue Alert late Tuesday morning for a white male with brown hair driving a gray Ford Taurus with a temporary Missouri license plate 03GU43.

Just after 10:40a.m., the officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle near 21 Street North and Clay Street in Kansas City. The driver exited the vehicle and began firing on the officer causing serious injury, according to a statement from the&nbsp; patrol.&nbsp;The vehicle was headed westbound on 21st Street from Clay Street, according to the alert.

A Blue Alert is issued when an officer is seriously injured killed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658261841972.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—The police officer shot during a traffic stop on Tuesday morning in North Kansas City has died, according to a statement from the Clay County Sheriff's Department.Just after 10:40a.m., Officer Daniel Vasquez, 32, stopped a Ford Taurus for an expired temporary license plate near 21 Street North and Clay Street, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.The driver exited the vehicle and began firing on the officer causing serious injury, according to the patrol.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658265015795.png" alt="Officer Daniel Vasquez-photo North KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Officer Daniel Vasquez-photo North KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>EMS transported Vasquez to North Kansas City Hospital and he was later transferred to KU Medical Center where he died.After the patrol issued a Blue Alert, for when an officer is seriously injured or killed, a search for the suspect's gray Ford Taurus lasted a couple of hours.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658250459437.png" alt="Image of the suspect vehicle in the Blue Alert-photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Image of the suspect vehicle in the Blue Alert-photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect eventually turned himself in, according to the sheriff's department. Kansas City Police is now in charge of the investigation. Police will release additional details on the suspect after charges are filed.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of North Kansas City Police Officer Daniel Vasquez. All of us in Kansas City extend our sincere condolences to Officer Vasquez’s family, his law enforcement brothers and sisters, and the people of North Kansas City.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1549482809416376325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Vasquez joined the North Kansas City Police Department in 2021.--------------KANSAS CITY —The search for a suspect who shot a police officer in North Kansas City Tuesday morning is over. Just after 1:30p.m., the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed they had a suspect in custody.According to the patrol, the officer stopped a Ford Taurus for an expired temporary license plate just after 10:40a.m near 21 Street North and Clay Street. The driver exited the vehicle and began firing on the officer causing serious injury, according to a statement from the patrol.EMS transported the officer North Kansas City Hospital and he was later transferred to KU Medical Center, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; Authorities have released no additional details on the officer's condition or the identity of the suspect.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.---------KANSAS CITY—The Missouri State Highway Patrol in north Kansas City issued a Blue Alert late Tuesday morning for a white male with brown hair driving a gray Ford Taurus with a temporary Missouri license plate 03GU43.Just after 10:40a.m., the officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle near 21 Street North and Clay Street in Kansas City. The driver exited the vehicle and began firing on the officer causing serious injury, according to a statement from the&nbsp; patrol.&nbsp;The vehicle was headed westbound on 21st Street from Clay Street, according to the alert.A Blue Alert is issued when an officer is seriously injured killed.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Kansas City officer shot during traffic stop has died

BEIJING (AP) — China will take “resolute and strong measures” should the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi proceed with reported plans to visit Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Pelosi, who is second in line to the presidency, is due to visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-government-and-politics-china-california-dadf001a4bf302b2b7bc82717aaa9af1">self-governing island</a>&nbsp;China claims as its own territory in August, according to a report in the Financial Times.

She was originally scheduled to visit in April but had to postpone after she tested positive for COVID-19.

Pelosi would be the highest ranking American lawmaker to visit the close U.S. ally since her predecessor as speaker, Newt Gingrich, traveled there 25 years ago.

China has vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-beijing-taiwan-joint-chiefs-of-staff-c65148f1ebccf639f3db91cd359086c5">annex Taiwan</a>&nbsp;by force if necessary, and has advertised that threat by flying warplanes near Taiwanese airspace and holding military exercises based on invasion scenarios. It says those actions are aimed at deterring advocates of the island’s formal independence and foreign allies - principally the U.S. - from coming to its aid, more than 70 years after the sides split amid civil war.

A visit by Pelosi would “severely undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely impact the foundation of China-U.S. relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang said at a daily briefing.

“If the U.S. were to insist on going down the wrong path, China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Zhao said.

China in recent days has also ratcheted up its rhetoric over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, demanding the cancellation of a deal worth approximately $108 million that would boost its armed forces’ chances of survival against its much bigger foe. China has the world’s largest standing military, with an increasingly sophisticated navy and a huge inventory of missiles pointed across the 180 kilometer (100 mile) -wide Taiwan Strait.

“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army ... will resolutely thwart any form of interference by external forces and separatist plots of ‘Taiwan independence,’” the Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on its website Tuesday.

While Washington maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether it would defend Taiwan in a conflict with China, U.S. law requires it must ensure the island has the means to defend itself and consider threats to its security as matters of “grave concern.”

Washington maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan in deference to Beijing, but is the island’s strongest political ally and source of defensive arms.

Zhao gave no details about what potential actions China might take in response to Pelosi’s visit, but Beijing has generally used military flights and war games to indicate its discontent. Chinese pilots have also been accused of aggressive action toward surveillance aircraft from the U.S. and its allies operating in international airspace off the Chinese coast, while using lasers and other methods to harass foreign warships in the South China Sea.

China’s most serious threat against Taiwan came in 1995-96, when it held military exercises and lobbed missiles into waters north and south of the island in response to a visit to the U.S. by then-President Lee Teng-hui.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646879429488.png" alt="Pelosi, who is second in line to the presidency, is due to visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-government-and-politics-china-california-dadf001a4bf302b2b7bc82717aaa9af1">self-governing island</a>&nbsp;China claims as its own territory in August, according to a report in the Financial Times.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office" />
 <figcaption>Pelosi, who is second in line to the presidency, is due to visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-government-and-politics-china-california-dadf001a4bf302b2b7bc82717aaa9af1">self-governing island</a>&nbsp;China claims as its own territory in August, according to a report in the Financial Times.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office</figcaption>
 </figure>BEIJING (AP) — China will take “resolute and strong measures” should the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi proceed with reported plans to visit Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.Pelosi, who is second in line to the presidency, is due to visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-government-and-politics-china-california-dadf001a4bf302b2b7bc82717aaa9af1">self-governing island</a>&nbsp;China claims as its own territory in August, according to a report in the Financial Times.She was originally scheduled to visit in April but had to postpone after she tested positive for COVID-19.Pelosi would be the highest ranking American lawmaker to visit the close U.S. ally since her predecessor as speaker, Newt Gingrich, traveled there 25 years ago.China has vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-beijing-taiwan-joint-chiefs-of-staff-c65148f1ebccf639f3db91cd359086c5">annex Taiwan</a>&nbsp;by force if necessary, and has advertised that threat by flying warplanes near Taiwanese airspace and holding military exercises based on invasion scenarios. It says those actions are aimed at deterring advocates of the island’s formal independence and foreign allies - principally the U.S. - from coming to its aid, more than 70 years after the sides split amid civil war.A visit by Pelosi would “severely undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely impact the foundation of China-U.S. relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang said at a daily briefing.“If the U.S. were to insist on going down the wrong path, China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Zhao said.China in recent days has also ratcheted up its rhetoric over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, demanding the cancellation of a deal worth approximately $108 million that would boost its armed forces’ chances of survival against its much bigger foe. China has the world’s largest standing military, with an increasingly sophisticated navy and a huge inventory of missiles pointed across the 180 kilometer (100 mile) -wide Taiwan Strait.“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army ... will resolutely thwart any form of interference by external forces and separatist plots of ‘Taiwan independence,’” the Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on its website Tuesday.While Washington maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether it would defend Taiwan in a conflict with China, U.S. law requires it must ensure the island has the means to defend itself and consider threats to its security as matters of “grave concern.”Washington maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan in deference to Beijing, but is the island’s strongest political ally and source of defensive arms.Zhao gave no details about what potential actions China might take in response to Pelosi’s visit, but Beijing has generally used military flights and war games to indicate its discontent. Chinese pilots have also been accused of aggressive action toward surveillance aircraft from the U.S. and its allies operating in international airspace off the Chinese coast, while using lasers and other methods to harass foreign warships in the South China Sea.China’s most serious threat against Taiwan came in 1995-96, when it held military exercises and lobbed missiles into waters north and south of the island in response to a visit to the U.S. by then-President Lee Teng-hui.

China threatens ‘strong measures’ if Pelosi visits Taiwan

By FRANK MORRIS <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-07-18/kansas-is-a-national-abortion-battleground-again-with-the-prospect-of-an-outright-ban">Kansas News Service</a>

In the early 1990s, anti-abortion activists from around the country 
flocked to Kansas and made it the epicenter of protests over what may 
have been the country’s most contentious social issue.

In the 
years that followed, the state imposed ever stricter regulations on 
abortion. Places like Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas went even further.

So
 when the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the state Constitution
 included a woman’s right to an abortion, Kansas became a refuge. <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-21/women-across-the-midwest-and-south-are-coming-to-kansas-for-abortions-that-could-end-next-year" target="_blank">Today abortions for out-of-staters now outnumber</a> those performed on women from the state.

Those days could be numbered. A ban could be coming.

On Aug. 2, voters will decide whether to amend the Kansas 
Constitution — effectively overruling the state’s high court and 
stripping out the right to abortion.

With the U.S. Supreme Court’s
 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last month, the country is again 
looking to Kansas and its first-in-the-nation vote on abortion. Passage 
of the amendment would open the door for tighter restrictions, and the 
very real possibility of the Republican-dominated Legislature imposing 
an outright ban.

“People are really energized right now,” said 
ACLU of Kansas legal director Sharon Brett, a volunteer for the Kansans 
for Constitutional Freedom group working to keep abortion legal in 
Kansas. “They’re mad. They’re angry and they want to fight.”

After
 the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, neighboring states Missouri and Oklahoma
 immediately banned abortion. Missouri’s law has no exemption for rape 
or incest.

The Value Them Both Coalition pushing to pass the 
amendment has argued that a change in the state constitution merely 
gives officials elected by Kansans the power to regulate abortion in 
line with the beliefs of people in the state. Supporters of the 
amendment have been coy about saying whether they’d push for an abortion
 ban.

Yet it’s becoming clearer that a ban would almost certainly follow.

A
 regional director of the Value Them Both Coalition told Reno County 
Republicans last month that the organization has legislation ready to 
ban abortion in Kansas if the amendment passes, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/15/kansas-abortion-ban-is-the-plan-officials-pushing-constitutional-amendment-tell-gop-crowd/" target="_blank">according to a report from the Kansas Reflector</a>.

A state senator also told the crowd he wanted to pass laws “with my goal of life starting at conception.”

Kansas
 University Law Professor Stephen McAllister, who was a clerk for 
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the U.S. Attorney for Kansas 
under President Trump, said it comes down to political control of the 
state.

“This is about basically, given the Republican Party’s 
control of the Legislature, the ability to ban abortion,” McAllister 
says. “That’s the bottom line. Next session, if this amendment passes, 
there will be bills to ban abortion right out of the gate.”

Even 
if Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly wins reelection in November, 
conservatives in the Legislature would likely have the numbers to 
override a veto of an abortion ban.

So the state would quickly shift from being an abortion destination to a place where the procedure is outlawed.

Kansas
 already bans abortions after 22 weeks, imposes a waiting period and 
requires that abortion medication be provided in person, among many 
other restrictions.

Jessie Hogan, who, like Brett, was 
volunteering recently for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, said 
seeing Roe fall jolted her into action on the state amendment.

“It just dawned on me that this is an issue that each person is going to have to stand up for,” Hogan said.

But University of Kansas political science professor Patrick Miller said abortion rights advocates are playing catchup.

“Amendment
 opponents were behind the ball on this. The public campaign of abortion
 rights supporters, of the opponents of the amendment, was pathetic to 
non-existent,” Miller said.

By contrast, abortion opponents have been gearing up for this fight for years.

At
 a roundtable convened recently by the Value Them Both Coalition, 
Republican State Rep. Susan Humphries said the event aimed to combat 
misinformation about the amendment.

“I’m trying to make it clear 
that we are not banning abortion,” Humphries said. “That's not what 
we’re talking about. And so we’ve got to fight that misinformation.”

Matt
 Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Coalition, or 
CPAC, argued at the roundtable that the amendment is needed to maintain 
state restrictions on abortion.

“The thing that’s important about 
these laws that were stripped off the books by the (Kansas) Supreme 
Court and a very elite decision and dishonest decision to say that the 
right to abortion is enshrined in the Kansas Constitution, it’s simply 
not enshrined in the Kansas Constitution,” he said. “They didn’t have 
the right to take all those laws off the books.”

That 2019 ruling 
struck down some actions by the Legislature, but a host of restrictions —
 including the waiting period and a ban after 22 weeks — remain.

And
 then there’s the ballot language. The first sentence of the proposed 
amendment suggests that approving it will prohibit state funding of 
abortion.

“That’s just a red herring that would be up to the 
Legislature,” McAllister said. “Our Legislature is not going to publicly
 fund abortions. (The ballot language is) purposely misleading.”

The
 wording of the amendment, and the messaging around it, aren’t the only 
factors aimed at securing passage of the amendment. The timing of the 
election was also designed to favor passage.

“The state 
Legislature, of course, put this on the ballot in August on purpose, so 
fewer people would vote,” says Gina Spade, who opposes the amendment and
 was ringing doorbells with her daughter in their suburban-style 
subdivision on the outskirts of Lawrence.

Turnout for Republican 
primaries typically outpaces that for Democratic primaries. But even 
voters who aren’t affiliated with a political party <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-09/kansas-abortion-amendment-how-all-registered-voters-can-cast-a-ballot-in-augusts-primary-election" target="_blank">can cast ballots</a>. in the Aug. 2 election. Conventional wisdom suggests the amendment will pass, but a <a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2021-kansas-speaks-report-final_1.pdf" target="_blank">survey of Kansans suggests</a> most still support some form of abortion rights.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658175799351.png" alt="File Photos / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>File Photos / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By FRANK MORRIS <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-07-18/kansas-is-a-national-abortion-battleground-again-with-the-prospect-of-an-outright-ban">Kansas News Service</a>In the early 1990s, anti-abortion activists from around the country 
flocked to Kansas and made it the epicenter of protests over what may 
have been the country’s most contentious social issue.In the 
years that followed, the state imposed ever stricter regulations on 
abortion. Places like Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas went even further.So
 when the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the state Constitution
 included a woman’s right to an abortion, Kansas became a refuge. <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-21/women-across-the-midwest-and-south-are-coming-to-kansas-for-abortions-that-could-end-next-year" target="_blank">Today abortions for out-of-staters now outnumber</a> those performed on women from the state.Those days could be numbered. A ban could be coming.<div><iframe title="If Roe v. Wade is overturned, a patchwork of restrictive laws would take effect" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-aebuB" src=https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/aebuB/16/ scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="587"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data["datawrapper-height"][a]+"px"}}}))}();
</script></div>On Aug. 2, voters will decide whether to amend the Kansas 
Constitution — effectively overruling the state’s high court and 
stripping out the right to abortion.With the U.S. Supreme Court’s
 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last month, the country is again 
looking to Kansas and its first-in-the-nation vote on abortion. Passage 
of the amendment would open the door for tighter restrictions, and the 
very real possibility of the Republican-dominated Legislature imposing 
an outright ban.“People are really energized right now,” said 
ACLU of Kansas legal director Sharon Brett, a volunteer for the Kansans 
for Constitutional Freedom group working to keep abortion legal in 
Kansas. “They’re mad. They’re angry and they want to fight.”After
 the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, neighboring states Missouri and Oklahoma
 immediately banned abortion. Missouri’s law has no exemption for rape 
or incest.The Value Them Both Coalition pushing to pass the 
amendment has argued that a change in the state constitution merely 
gives officials elected by Kansans the power to regulate abortion in 
line with the beliefs of people in the state. Supporters of the 
amendment have been coy about saying whether they’d push for an abortion
 ban.Yet it’s becoming clearer that a ban would almost certainly follow.A
 regional director of the Value Them Both Coalition told Reno County 
Republicans last month that the organization has legislation ready to 
ban abortion in Kansas if the amendment passes, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/15/kansas-abortion-ban-is-the-plan-officials-pushing-constitutional-amendment-tell-gop-crowd/" target="_blank">according to a report from the Kansas Reflector</a>.A state senator also told the crowd he wanted to pass laws “with my goal of life starting at conception.”Kansas
 University Law Professor Stephen McAllister, who was a clerk for 
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the U.S. Attorney for Kansas 
under President Trump, said it comes down to political control of the 
state.“This is about basically, given the Republican Party’s 
control of the Legislature, the ability to ban abortion,” McAllister 
says. “That’s the bottom line. Next session, if this amendment passes, 
there will be bills to ban abortion right out of the gate.”Even 
if Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly wins reelection in November, 
conservatives in the Legislature would likely have the numbers to 
override a veto of an abortion ban.So the state would quickly shift from being an abortion destination to a place where the procedure is outlawed.Kansas
 already bans abortions after 22 weeks, imposes a waiting period and 
requires that abortion medication be provided in person, among many 
other restrictions.Jessie Hogan, who, like Brett, was 
volunteering recently for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, said 
seeing Roe fall jolted her into action on the state amendment.“It just dawned on me that this is an issue that each person is going to have to stand up for,” Hogan said.But University of Kansas political science professor Patrick Miller said abortion rights advocates are playing catchup.“Amendment
 opponents were behind the ball on this. The public campaign of abortion
 rights supporters, of the opponents of the amendment, was pathetic to 
non-existent,” Miller said.By contrast, abortion opponents have been gearing up for this fight for years.At
 a roundtable convened recently by the Value Them Both Coalition, 
Republican State Rep. Susan Humphries said the event aimed to combat 
misinformation about the amendment.“I’m trying to make it clear 
that we are not banning abortion,” Humphries said. “That's not what 
we’re talking about. And so we’ve got to fight that misinformation.”Matt
 Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Coalition, or 
CPAC, argued at the roundtable that the amendment is needed to maintain 
state restrictions on abortion.“The thing that’s important about 
these laws that were stripped off the books by the (Kansas) Supreme 
Court and a very elite decision and dishonest decision to say that the 
right to abortion is enshrined in the Kansas Constitution, it’s simply 
not enshrined in the Kansas Constitution,” he said. “They didn’t have 
the right to take all those laws off the books.”That 2019 ruling 
struck down some actions by the Legislature, but a host of restrictions —
 including the waiting period and a ban after 22 weeks — remain.And
 then there’s the ballot language. The first sentence of the proposed 
amendment suggests that approving it will prohibit state funding of 
abortion.“That’s just a red herring that would be up to the 
Legislature,” McAllister said. “Our Legislature is not going to publicly
 fund abortions. (The ballot language is) purposely misleading.”The
 wording of the amendment, and the messaging around it, aren’t the only 
factors aimed at securing passage of the amendment. The timing of the 
election was also designed to favor passage.“The state 
Legislature, of course, put this on the ballot in August on purpose, so 
fewer people would vote,” says Gina Spade, who opposes the amendment and
 was ringing doorbells with her daughter in their suburban-style 
subdivision on the outskirts of Lawrence.Turnout for Republican 
primaries typically outpaces that for Democratic primaries. But even 
voters who aren’t affiliated with a political party <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-09/kansas-abortion-amendment-how-all-registered-voters-can-cast-a-ballot-in-augusts-primary-election" target="_blank">can cast ballots</a>. in the Aug. 2 election. Conventional wisdom suggests the amendment will pass, but a <a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/2021-kansas-speaks-report-final_1.pdf" target="_blank">survey of Kansans suggests</a> most still support some form of abortion rights.

With vote looming, Kansas a national abortion battleground again

WASHINGTON— Senator Roger Marshall has announced his support for&nbsp; state Senator Kellie Warren in the GOP primary for Kansas Attorney General.

On social media Tuesday, Warren&nbsp; wrote "couldn’t be prouder to have Roger Marshall's&nbsp;full support. He’s a conservative who knows how to fight and win for Kansas, and when I’m Attorney General, I’ll work with him to fight back against Biden’s overreach." Marshall retweeted the twitter statement.

Warren faces two Republican opponents including one with star power in former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and&nbsp; the one without name recognition&nbsp;former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi.

In 2020, Marshall defeated Kobach in the GOP&nbsp;Senate primary&nbsp;by 14 percentage points. He then easily won the general election.

The Kansas Chamber of Commerce has also endorsed Warren in the attorney general’s race.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658243837441.png" alt="Sen. Kellie Warren is a Leawood Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee." />
 <figcaption>Sen. Kellie Warren is a Leawood Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON— Senator Roger Marshall has announced his support for&nbsp; state Senator Kellie Warren in the GOP primary for Kansas Attorney General.On social media Tuesday, Warren&nbsp; wrote "couldn’t be prouder to have Roger Marshall's&nbsp;full support. He’s a conservative who knows how to fight and win for Kansas, and when I’m Attorney General, I’ll work with him to fight back against Biden’s overreach." Marshall retweeted the twitter statement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Republicans must get out and vote for <a href="https://twitter.com/KellieWarren4AG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KellieWarren4AG</a>, a conservative who will fight to stop the woke Biden agenda and win this November. <a href="https://t.co/UNG0rZZSB8">pic.twitter.com/UNG0rZZSB8</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1549389845952225280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Warren faces two Republican opponents including one with star power in former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and&nbsp; the one without name recognition&nbsp;former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi.In 2020, Marshall defeated Kobach in the GOP&nbsp;Senate primary&nbsp;by 14 percentage points. He then easily won the general election.The Kansas Chamber of Commerce has also endorsed Warren in the attorney general’s race.

Marshall endorses Warren in primary for Kan. attorney general

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 4 p.m., Monday, sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop for an alleged traffic violation in the 2400 block of 6th Street in Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

During the investigation Sheriff’s Office K9 Maxx was deployed and indicated the presence of controlled substances in or around the vehicle. Deputies found Methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and brass knuckles.

The driver, identified as Leona Bahr-Strecker, age 35 of Great Bend, was arrested and transported to the Barton County Jail without incident. 

Strecker was booked on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal carrying of a weapon. Strecker is being held in the Barton County jail in lieu of a $20,000 bond.

A passenger in the vehicle, identified as Justin Herren, age 38 of Great Bend, was found to have outstanding warrants from the City of Great Bend. He was also in possession of methamphetamine. 

Herren was transported the Barton County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and two Great Bend municipal warrants. Herren is being held on a $10,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658242423885.jpeg" alt="K-9 Maxx with his handler from the Barton County Sheriff's Office." />
 <figcaption>K-9 Maxx with his handler from the Barton County Sheriff's Office.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a traffic stop.Just before 4 p.m., Monday, sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop for an alleged traffic violation in the 2400 block of 6th Street in Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.During the investigation Sheriff’s Office K9 Maxx was deployed and indicated the presence of controlled substances in or around the vehicle. Deputies found Methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and brass knuckles.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658242466147.jpeg" alt="Leona Bahr-Strecker" />
 <figcaption>Leona Bahr-Strecker</figcaption>
 </figure>The driver, identified as Leona Bahr-Strecker, age 35 of Great Bend, was arrested and transported to the Barton County Jail without incident. Strecker was booked on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal carrying of a weapon. Strecker is being held in the Barton County jail in lieu of a $20,000 bond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658242492147.jpeg" alt="Justin Herren" />
 <figcaption>Justin Herren</figcaption>
 </figure>A passenger in the vehicle, identified as Justin Herren, age 38 of Great Bend, was found to have outstanding warrants from the City of Great Bend. He was also in possession of methamphetamine. Herren was transported the Barton County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and two Great Bend municipal warrants. Herren is being held on a $10,000 bond.

Sheriff: Kansas woman found with drugs, brass knuckles

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is set to vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, a direct confrontation with the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access</a>&nbsp;has sparked concerns that other rights enjoyed by countless Americans may be in jeopardy.

Tuesday’s vote in the House is part political strategy setting up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bills-house-vote-fc24d99f184d7aeec4926a6520311da5">an election-year roll call</a>&nbsp;that will force all lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, to go on the record with their views on the high-profile social issue. It’s also part of the legislative branch asserting its authority, pushing back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-right-to-privacy-6e1d7ee2a6d26bef09392971fd4948b5">an aggressive court that appears intent on revisiting many settled U.S. laws.</a>

“As this Court may take aim at other fundamental rights, we cannot sit idly by,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.

While the Respect for Marriage Act is expected to pass the House, it is almost certain to stall in the Senate, where most Republicans would surely block it. It’s one of several bills, including those enshrining abortion access, that Democrats are pushing to confront the court’s conservative majority. Another bill, guaranteeing access to contraceptive services, is set for a vote later this week.

The Respect for Marriage Act would repeal a leftover law still on the books from the Clinton era that defines marriage as a heterogeneous relationship between man and woman. It would also provide legal protections for interracial marriages by prohibiting any state from denying out-of-state marriage licenses and benefits on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.

The 1996 law, the Defense of Marriage Act, had basically been sidelined by Obama-era court rulings, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">Obergefell v. Hodges, which established the rights of same-sex couples to marry nationwide,</a>&nbsp;a landmark case for gay rights.

But last month, in doing away with the Roe v. Wade constitutional right to an abortion, the conservative court majority put in place during the Trump era left critics concerned there may be more to come.

In writing for the majority overturning Roe, Justice Samuel Alito argued for a more narrow interpretation of the rights guaranteed to Americans, saying the right to an abortion is not spelled out in the Constitution.

“We therefore hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion,” Alito wrote.

In a concurring opinion, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas went further, saying other rulings similar to Roe, including those around same-sex marriage and the right for couples to use contraception,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">should be reconsidered</a>.

While Alito insisted in the majority opinion that “this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right,” others have taken notice.

Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage and now running as a Democrat for the Ohio House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">said after the court’s ruling on abortion</a>, “When we lose one right that we have relied on and enjoyed, other rights are at risk.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658238554165.png" alt="“As this Court may take aim at other fundamental rights, we cannot sit idly by,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement." />
 <figcaption>“As this Court may take aim at other fundamental rights, we cannot sit idly by,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is set to vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, a direct confrontation with the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access</a>&nbsp;has sparked concerns that other rights enjoyed by countless Americans may be in jeopardy.Tuesday’s vote in the House is part political strategy setting up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bills-house-vote-fc24d99f184d7aeec4926a6520311da5">an election-year roll call</a>&nbsp;that will force all lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, to go on the record with their views on the high-profile social issue. It’s also part of the legislative branch asserting its authority, pushing back against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-right-to-privacy-6e1d7ee2a6d26bef09392971fd4948b5">an aggressive court that appears intent on revisiting many settled U.S. laws.</a>“As this Court may take aim at other fundamental rights, we cannot sit idly by,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.While the Respect for Marriage Act is expected to pass the House, it is almost certain to stall in the Senate, where most Republicans would surely block it. It’s one of several bills, including those enshrining abortion access, that Democrats are pushing to confront the court’s conservative majority. Another bill, guaranteeing access to contraceptive services, is set for a vote later this week.The Respect for Marriage Act would repeal a leftover law still on the books from the Clinton era that defines marriage as a heterogeneous relationship between man and woman. It would also provide legal protections for interracial marriages by prohibiting any state from denying out-of-state marriage licenses and benefits on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.The 1996 law, the Defense of Marriage Act, had basically been sidelined by Obama-era court rulings, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">Obergefell v. Hodges, which established the rights of same-sex couples to marry nationwide,</a>&nbsp;a landmark case for gay rights.But last month, in doing away with the Roe v. Wade constitutional right to an abortion, the conservative court majority put in place during the Trump era left critics concerned there may be more to come.In writing for the majority overturning Roe, Justice Samuel Alito argued for a more narrow interpretation of the rights guaranteed to Americans, saying the right to an abortion is not spelled out in the Constitution.“We therefore hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion,” Alito wrote.In a concurring opinion, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas went further, saying other rulings similar to Roe, including those around same-sex marriage and the right for couples to use contraception,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">should be reconsidered</a>.While Alito insisted in the majority opinion that “this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right,” others have taken notice.Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage and now running as a Democrat for the Ohio House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-government-and-politics-marriage-a0cee537c6f9f10d29fa71f6e7a4d19d">said after the court’s ruling on abortion</a>, “When we lose one right that we have relied on and enjoyed, other rights are at risk.”

House set to vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriage 

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/anthony-fauci">Dr. Anthony Fauci,</a>&nbsp;the government's top infectious disease expert, said Monday he plans to retire by the end of President Joe Biden's term in January 2025.&nbsp;Fauci said his decision to eventually leave his role was unrelated to politics.

During a January 11, 2022 hearing, Fauci lost his temper when Senator Roger Marshall accused him of hiding financial disclosure forms required of public officials. <a href="https://store.kansansformarshall.com/storefront/moron-white-t-shirt/details/">Marshall's campaign is selling t-shirts</a> over the heated exchange. (Click below to watch the exchange)

Fauci testified repeatedly to Congress about the virus, and he and other Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, engaged in heated exchanges over the origins of the virus.

&nbsp;"My decision has nothing to do with pressures, nothing to do with all of the other nonsense that you hear about, all the barbs, the slings and the arrows. That has no influence on me,” he said.

Fauci, 81, was appointed director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1984, and has led research in HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, Ebola, Zika and the coronavirus. He has advised seven presidents and is Biden's chief medical adviser.

In an interview with Politico, Fauci said he hoped to "leave behind an institution where I have picked the best people in the country, if not the world, who will continue my vision.”

Asked Monday on CNN when he planned to retire, Fauci said he does not have a specific retirement date in mind and hasn't started the process. He said he expects to leave government before the end of Biden’s current term, which ends in January 2025.

“By the time we get to the end of Biden’s first term, I will very likely (retire),” Fauci said. He added: “it is extremely unlikely — in fact, for sure — that I am not going to be here beyond January 2025.”

Fauci, long a prominent figure of the government's response to infectious disease, was thrust even more into the spotlight at the height of the coronavirus pandemic under then-President Donald Trump. As the pandemic response became politicized, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-pandemics-1b92ce21f8ddf7eefb634b92fee38fed">Trump suggesting the pandemic would “fade away,” promoting unproven treatment methods and vilifying scientists</a>&nbsp;who countered him, Fauci had to get security protection when he and his family received death threats and harassment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642525933058.png" alt="In January, Fauci angrily accused Kansas Senator Roger Marshall of making false accusations that are leading to threats against him -- all to raise political cash.&nbsp; Marshall's campaign is&nbsp;<a href="https://store.kansansformarshall.com/storefront/moron-white-t-shirt/details/">selling t-shirts over</a>&nbsp;the heated exchange during the Senate hearing." />
 <figcaption>In January, Fauci angrily accused Kansas Senator Roger Marshall of making false accusations that are leading to threats against him -- all to raise political cash.&nbsp; Marshall's campaign is&nbsp;<a href="https://store.kansansformarshall.com/storefront/moron-white-t-shirt/details/">selling t-shirts over</a>&nbsp;the heated exchange during the Senate hearing.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/anthony-fauci">Dr. Anthony Fauci,</a>&nbsp;the government's top infectious disease expert, said Monday he plans to retire by the end of President Joe Biden's term in January 2025.&nbsp;Fauci said his decision to eventually leave his role was unrelated to politics.During a January 11, 2022 hearing, Fauci lost his temper when Senator Roger Marshall accused him of hiding financial disclosure forms required of public officials. <a href="https://store.kansansformarshall.com/storefront/moron-white-t-shirt/details/">Marshall's campaign is selling t-shirts</a> over the heated exchange. (Click below to watch the exchange)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gB4Q4tCBsh4?start=80" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Fauci testified repeatedly to Congress about the virus, and he and other Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, engaged in heated exchanges over the origins of the virus.&nbsp;"My decision has nothing to do with pressures, nothing to do with all of the other nonsense that you hear about, all the barbs, the slings and the arrows. That has no influence on me,” he said.Fauci, 81, was appointed director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1984, and has led research in HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, Ebola, Zika and the coronavirus. He has advised seven presidents and is Biden's chief medical adviser.In an interview with Politico, Fauci said he hoped to "leave behind an institution where I have picked the best people in the country, if not the world, who will continue my vision.”Asked Monday on CNN when he planned to retire, Fauci said he does not have a specific retirement date in mind and hasn't started the process. He said he expects to leave government before the end of Biden’s current term, which ends in January 2025.“By the time we get to the end of Biden’s first term, I will very likely (retire),” Fauci said. He added: “it is extremely unlikely — in fact, for sure — that I am not going to be here beyond January 2025.”Fauci, long a prominent figure of the government's response to infectious disease, was thrust even more into the spotlight at the height of the coronavirus pandemic under then-President Donald Trump. As the pandemic response became politicized, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-pandemics-1b92ce21f8ddf7eefb634b92fee38fed">Trump suggesting the pandemic would “fade away,” promoting unproven treatment methods and vilifying scientists</a>&nbsp;who countered him, Fauci had to get security protection when he and his family received death threats and harassment.

🎥 Dr. Fauci: Retirement announcement unrelated to politics

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend stabbing asked the public for help to locate a suspect identified as&nbsp;&nbsp;27-year-old Aaron Andres Arreola, for questioning. 

He was last seen driving a black 2013 Cadillac CTS bearing Kansas tag DEDPULL. Police reported late Monday they had located the car.&nbsp;

Just after 8a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a stabbing in the 2800 block of 6th Avenue in Dodge City, according to a media release.

When officers arrived they located 24-year-old Christian Zamora of Dodge City suffering from multiple stab wounds.

EMS transported Zamora to St. Catherine’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The search for Arreola continues. If you see him, contact police or call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658141137352.png" alt=" Arreola-photo Dodge City Police" />
 <figcaption> Arreola-photo Dodge City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend stabbing asked the public for help to locate a suspect identified as&nbsp;&nbsp;27-year-old Aaron Andres Arreola, for questioning. He was last seen driving a black 2013 Cadillac CTS bearing Kansas tag DEDPULL. Police reported late Monday they had located the car.&nbsp;Just after 8a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a stabbing in the 2800 block of 6th Avenue in Dodge City, according to a media release.When officers arrived they located 24-year-old Christian Zamora of Dodge City suffering from multiple stab wounds.EMS transported Zamora to St. Catherine’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.The search for Arreola continues. If you see him, contact police or call 911.

Police locate suspect vehicle in deadly SW Kansas stabbing

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—A Kansas man died in a small plane crash just before 10a.m. Monday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 AA Newport 28 Single-engine fixed wing aircraft piloted by Gary L. Knight, 68, Lansing, was southbound south of U.S. 24 just west of 151st Street when it made a hard right turn causing the nose to face eastbound. 

The pilot attempted an emergency landing in a bean field. When the aircraft landed, it burst into flames and became fully engulfed.

Knight was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics.

This was the second fatal small plane crash in three days.&nbsp; On Saturday,&nbsp; a 2007 PV-7 piloted by 72-year-old Steven D. Stuckey of Topeka took off southbound.&nbsp;The pilot attempted to incline and turn west when the plane stalled, flipped and went nose first into the ground at 5501 NE Shaffer Road in Topeka.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658197372558.png" alt="Investigators at the scene of the fatal crash and fire -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Investigators at the scene of the fatal crash and fire -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—A Kansas man died in a small plane crash just before 10a.m. Monday in Leavenworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 AA Newport 28 Single-engine fixed wing aircraft piloted by Gary L. Knight, 68, Lansing, was southbound south of U.S. 24 just west of 151st Street when it made a hard right turn causing the nose to face eastbound. The pilot attempted an emergency landing in a bean field. When the aircraft landed, it burst into flames and became fully engulfed.Knight was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics.This was the second fatal small plane crash in three days.&nbsp; On Saturday,&nbsp; a 2007 PV-7 piloted by 72-year-old Steven D. Stuckey of Topeka took off southbound.&nbsp;The pilot attempted to incline and turn west when the plane stalled, flipped and went nose first into the ground at 5501 NE Shaffer Road in Topeka.

Kansas pilot dies in small plane crash, fire

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Three people escaped a fire at their Kansas home on Monday evening.

Just&nbsp;before 5:30p.m.&nbsp; Monday, crews responded to a house fire at 1332 SW Boswell Avenue in Topeka, according to&nbsp;Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.

&nbsp;As they arrived, crews found smoke and flames coming from the two-story house. An adult and two child escaped prior to the fire departments arrival. 

Preliminary investigation indicates the fire cause to be accidental, associated with the malfunction of an electrical device. The estimated dollar loss – $75,000.00; of which $50,000.00 is associated with structural loss and $25,000.00 is associated with contents loss.

The occupants were displaced as a result of the fire damage. Working smoke detectors were not located within the home, according to Stahl.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Three people escaped a fire at their Kansas home on Monday evening.Just&nbsp;before 5:30p.m.&nbsp; Monday, crews responded to a house fire at 1332 SW Boswell Avenue in Topeka, according to&nbsp;Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.&nbsp;As they arrived, crews found smoke and flames coming from the two-story house. An adult and two child escaped prior to the fire departments arrival. Preliminary investigation indicates the fire cause to be accidental, associated with the malfunction of an electrical device. The estimated dollar loss – $75,000.00; of which $50,000.00 is associated with structural loss and $25,000.00 is associated with contents loss.The occupants were displaced as a result of the fire damage. Working smoke detectors were not located within the home, according to Stahl.

$75,000 damage after fire at Kansas home

Geary County Sheriff's authorities said Monday afternoon that they have arrested Cameron Lawson, Fort Riley, in connection with the death of his wife, Enfinnity Hayes Lawson, on Oct. 3rd, 2021.

The Sheriff's Department confirmed Cameron Lawson was arrested on a Geary County District Court warrant issued for his arrest and that charged him with First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder.&nbsp; Sheriff Dan Jackson noted that there was an "extensive investigation,&nbsp; involved numerous agencies because it was difficult.&nbsp; He was a suspect for quite some time in the case but it took time to get to the point where it was time to make an arrest."

Enfinnity Hayes Lawson, 22, Fort Riley, was identified by authorities as the victim in a fatal shooting that occurred Oct. 3, 2021&nbsp; at the Milford State Park Group Shelter. At the time authorities were told that the victim was approached by a man described as 6'1 or taller dressed in all black who approached the victim and her husband and attempted to rob the couple at gun point. There was a gun shot and she fell to the ground. She was driven to Geary Community Hospital by her husband but later died of her injuries.

The Sheriff's Office along with the Army Criminal Investigations Division arrested Cameron Lawson at the Sheriff's Office. He is being held at the Geary County Detention Center. His bond has been set at one million dollars.

The S-O thanked the Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Bureau of Investigations, Wichita Police Department and Army Criminal Investigations Division for their assistance in the case.

This matter is still an ongoing investigation and authorities are asking that if anyone has information about this case to contact the Sheriff's Department at 785-238-2261 or Geary County Crime Stoppers at 785-762-8477.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658192008297.png" alt="Lawson-photo Geary County" />
 <figcaption>Lawson-photo Geary County</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey TerrillJC PostGeary County Sheriff's authorities said Monday afternoon that they have arrested Cameron Lawson, Fort Riley, in connection with the death of his wife, Enfinnity Hayes Lawson, on Oct. 3rd, 2021.The Sheriff's Department confirmed Cameron Lawson was arrested on a Geary County District Court warrant issued for his arrest and that charged him with First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder.&nbsp; Sheriff Dan Jackson noted that there was an "extensive investigation,&nbsp; involved numerous agencies because it was difficult.&nbsp; He was a suspect for quite some time in the case but it took time to get to the point where it was time to make an arrest."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637156736481.png" alt="Enfinnity Hayes- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Enfinnity Hayes- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Enfinnity Hayes Lawson, 22, Fort Riley, was identified by authorities as the victim in a fatal shooting that occurred Oct. 3, 2021&nbsp; at the Milford State Park Group Shelter. At the time authorities were told that the victim was approached by a man described as 6'1 or taller dressed in all black who approached the victim and her husband and attempted to rob the couple at gun point. There was a gun shot and she fell to the ground. She was driven to Geary Community Hospital by her husband but later died of her injuries.The Sheriff's Office along with the Army Criminal Investigations Division arrested Cameron Lawson at the Sheriff's Office. He is being held at the Geary County Detention Center. His bond has been set at one million dollars.The S-O thanked the Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Bureau of Investigations, Wichita Police Department and Army Criminal Investigations Division for their assistance in the case.This matter is still an ongoing investigation and authorities are asking that if anyone has information about this case to contact the Sheriff's Department at 785-238-2261 or Geary County Crime Stoppers at 785-762-8477.

Sheriff: Man arrested for 2021 murder of wife at Kansas lake

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting on the Kickapoo Reservation, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office received a call of a possible shooting in the 1300 Block of Firefly on the Reservation. First responders found a victim identified as William&nbsp;Blacksmith, 35, Whiting who was unresponsive in the yard near that address with multiple gunshot wounds.

A short time later, the suspect, Stryder Dane Keo, 32, was arrested without incident at his home on the reservation.

Keo was booked into the Brown County Jail just before 9 a.m. Sunday. He is being held without bond on requested charges of of Murder in the 1st Degree.&nbsp; The incident is being investigated by the Brown County Sheriff's Office, coordinated with the Brown County Attorney and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658145480978.png" alt="Keo-photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Keo-photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting on the Kickapoo Reservation, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.Just after 7:30 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office received a call of a possible shooting in the 1300 Block of Firefly on the Reservation. First responders found a victim identified as William&nbsp;Blacksmith, 35, Whiting who was unresponsive in the yard near that address with multiple gunshot wounds.A short time later, the suspect, Stryder Dane Keo, 32, was arrested without incident at his home on the reservation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658173612717.png" alt="Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas -Google map" />
 <figcaption>Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas -Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>Keo was booked into the Brown County Jail just before 9 a.m. Sunday. He is being held without bond on requested charges of of Murder in the 1st Degree.&nbsp; The incident is being investigated by the Brown County Sheriff's Office, coordinated with the Brown County Attorney and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FBI investigating fatal shooting on Kan. Kickapoo Reservation

WOODSON COUNTY—A Kansas woman died and another was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Monday in Woodson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Ranger driven by Sandra E. Campbell, 54, Yates Center, was southbound on U.S. 75 five miles north of U.S. 54.

The pickup and the oversized load of a northbound 2012 Kenworth Semi driven by William M. Allen, 56, Manhattan, collided. The impact sent the pickup into a counter-clockwise rotation. 

The Ford crossed the centerline into the northbound lanes and collided with a northbound 2016 Ram driven by Juda A. Lake, 69, Manhattan.&nbsp; The Ford overturned in the east ditch. The Dodge came to rest in the northbound lane facing east.

Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Campbell Funeral Home in Yates Center.&nbsp; EMS transported Lake to Stormont Vail. Allen was not injured.

WOODSON COUNTY—A Kansas woman died and another was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Monday in Woodson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Ranger driven by Sandra E. Campbell, 54, Yates Center, was southbound on U.S. 75 five miles north of U.S. 54.The pickup and the oversized load of a northbound 2012 Kenworth Semi driven by William M. Allen, 56, Manhattan, collided. The impact sent the pickup into a counter-clockwise rotation. The Ford crossed the centerline into the northbound lanes and collided with a northbound 2016 Ram driven by Juda A. Lake, 69, Manhattan.&nbsp; The Ford overturned in the east ditch. The Dodge came to rest in the northbound lane facing east.Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Campbell Funeral Home in Yates Center.&nbsp; EMS transported Lake to Stormont Vail. Allen was not injured.

Kan. woman dead, another injured in 3-vehicle crash

ELLSWORTH — A Kansas man has been convicted of child sex crimes under the Kansas version of Jessica’s Law, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt

Jason Cunningham, 36, Wilson, was found guilty late Friday by an Ellsworth County jury of two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count of indecent liberties with a child, one count of aggravated intimidation of a victim, and two counts of promoting obscenity to a minor. 

The jury acquitted the defendant on other counts.&nbsp;The verdict was accepted by Ellsworth County District Judge Carey Hipp. The sentencing date for Cunningham has not yet been set.

The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Northeast Child Victim Task force with the assistance from additional KBI agents, the Wilson Police Department and the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said the crimes occurred between 2014 and 2020 and involved two minor children at the time the crimes were committed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658180745683.png" alt="Cunningham-photo Ellsworth County" />
 <figcaption>Cunningham-photo Ellsworth County</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH — A Kansas man has been convicted of child sex crimes under the Kansas version of Jessica’s Law, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek SchmidtJason Cunningham, 36, Wilson, was found guilty late Friday by an Ellsworth County jury of two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count of indecent liberties with a child, one count of aggravated intimidation of a victim, and two counts of promoting obscenity to a minor. The jury acquitted the defendant on other counts.&nbsp;The verdict was accepted by Ellsworth County District Judge Carey Hipp. The sentencing date for Cunningham has not yet been set.The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Northeast Child Victim Task force with the assistance from additional KBI agents, the Wilson Police Department and the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said the crimes occurred between 2014 and 2020 and involved two minor children at the time the crimes were committed.

Kansas  man convicted on child sex charges

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Three suspects arrested after a fatal drug deal shooting appeared before a judge Friday to face charges.

Brian Youngman, 20 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder and attempted distribution of a controlled substance, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Myrashia Griffin, 20 and&nbsp;Lanita Baugh, 19, both of Wichita, were charged with 1st degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the DA's office.

Just after 7:30p.m. July 11, deputies were sent to a shooting call near the intersection of 47th Street South and Clifton in Wichita, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.

 The call location was quickly updated to the QuikTrip at 47th Street South and Hydraulic. When deputies arrived at the convenience store they found a 19-year-old later identified as Donovan Graves of Wichita, in a vehicle deceased from a gunshot wound. Two adult woman were with him.

Deputies were directed to a mobile home in the 5200 block of south Clifton where the shooting occurred. 

Deputies arrested 20-year-old Brian Youngman of Wichita at the mobile home and booked him on requested charges of first degree murder.

Investigators learned that Graves, 19-year-old Lanita Baugh and 20-year-old Myrashia Griffin drove to the 5200 Block of South Clifton for a drug transaction, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter. 

Graves attempted to rob a 17-year-old girl of marijuana, according to Easter. Youngman pulled a gun and shot Graves during the robbery.

Deputies arrested the two women with Graves, according to Blick.&nbsp; Deputies also arrested the 17-year-old girl for marijuana possession with intent to sell, according to Easter. She and Graves knew each other.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the trio on July 21 before Judge Kevin Smith, according to the district attorney's office. Each is being held on a $500,000 bond

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657641940268.png" alt="Youngman-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Youngman-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Three suspects arrested after a fatal drug deal shooting appeared before a judge Friday to face charges.Brian Youngman, 20 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder and attempted distribution of a controlled substance, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Myrashia Griffin, 20 and&nbsp;Lanita Baugh, 19, both of Wichita, were charged with 1st degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery, according to the DA's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657634255367.png" alt="Deputies on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Deputies on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 7:30p.m. July 11, deputies were sent to a shooting call near the intersection of 47th Street South and Clifton in Wichita, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick. The call location was quickly updated to the QuikTrip at 47th Street South and Hydraulic. When deputies arrived at the convenience store they found a 19-year-old later identified as Donovan Graves of Wichita, in a vehicle deceased from a gunshot wound. Two adult woman were with him.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657636612949.png" alt="Griffin-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Griffin-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies were directed to a mobile home in the 5200 block of south Clifton where the shooting occurred. Deputies arrested 20-year-old Brian Youngman of Wichita at the mobile home and booked him on requested charges of first degree murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657636527733.png" alt="Baugh-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Baugh-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators learned that Graves, 19-year-old Lanita Baugh and 20-year-old Myrashia Griffin drove to the 5200 Block of South Clifton for a drug transaction, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter. Graves attempted to rob a 17-year-old girl of marijuana, according to Easter. Youngman pulled a gun and shot Graves during the robbery.Deputies arrested the two women with Graves, according to Blick.&nbsp; Deputies also arrested the 17-year-old girl for marijuana possession with intent to sell, according to Easter. She and Graves knew each other.A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the trio on July 21 before Judge Kevin Smith, according to the district attorney's office. Each is being held on a $500,000 bond

3 charged in Kan. killing during attempt to steal marijuana 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—The 190th Air refueling wing of the Kansas Air National guard remembered fondly a Kansas pilot who died in a small plane crash Saturday morning in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 PV-7 piloted by 72-year-old Steven D. Stuckey of Topeka took off southbound.

The pilot attempted to incline and turn west when the plane stalled, flipped and went nose first into the ground at 5501 NE Shaffer Road in Topeka.

Stuckey was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. He was the only person on the aircraft. The FAA is investigating.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—The 190th Air refueling wing of the Kansas Air National guard remembered fondly a Kansas pilot who died in a small plane crash Saturday morning in Shawnee County.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F190ARW%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02gv1y4gd2rKQdT885Es7wLKPQUeDN2PfyY98F5vxGCtRVdwbrggLnWr8YFR8VBVMdl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="787" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 PV-7 piloted by 72-year-old Steven D. Stuckey of Topeka took off southbound.The pilot attempted to incline and turn west when the plane stalled, flipped and went nose first into the ground at 5501 NE Shaffer Road in Topeka.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658174190289.png" alt="Photo by Rick Felsburg courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Rick Felsburg courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Stuckey was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. He was the only person on the aircraft. The FAA is investigating.

Kan. Air National Guard honors pilot who died in weekend crash

By KATHRYN H. JACOBSEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-monkeypox-a-pandemic-an-epidemiologist-explains-why-it-isnt-likely-to-become-as-widespread-as-covid-19-but-is-worth-watching-186872">The Conversation</a>

Monkeypox is the latest global public health threat to make 
headlines. Most people who contract the monkeypox virus experience 
flu-like symptoms and a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html">blistery rash</a> that lasts two to four weeks, but a small percentage of infected people develop sepsis or other severe and <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox">potentially fatal complications</a>.

It is not uncommon for there to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007791">small outbreaks of monkeypox</a> in Central and West Africa, but in the last few weeks, dozens of countries from other world regions have reported <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/monkeypox">thousands of cases of monkeypox</a>.

As an infectious disease epidemiologist, I’ve received many inquiries
 from colleagues and friends about whether a monkeypox pandemic will be 
the next big disruption to our lives. A disease is considered to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897855.003.0002">pandemic</a>
 when two separate conditions are met: cases are occurring globally and 
the number of cases being diagnosed is large enough to qualify as <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-pandemic-epidemic-and-outbreak-133048">epidemic</a>. An epidemic is characterized by new cases of a disease occurring at a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section11.html">higher than typical rate in at least several communities</a>.

While the monkeypox situation is certainly newsworthy, as of mid-July
 2022, it did not clearly meet both of the requirements for pandemic 
status. More importantly, the current evidence suggests that <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-monkeypox-a-microbiologist-explains-whats-known-about-this-smallpox-cousin-183499">monkeypox</a> is very unlikely to become a global health catastrophe even if the virus spreads and becomes pandemic.

Both the 2009 <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/influenza-a-(h1n1)-outbreak">H1N1 influenza</a> virus and the <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019">SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus</a>
 that emerged in 2019 quickly spread to every region of the world. 
Global health experts were in full agreement that those were pandemic 
events. By contrast, the <a href="https://www.who.int/groups/ebola-virus-disease-in-west-africa-(2014-2015)-ihr-emergency-committee">Ebola virus</a> epidemic in West Africa from 2014 to 2016 was mostly contained to just that one region of the world and never spread globally.

The <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/monkeypox-oubreak-2022">current distribution</a> of monkeypox cases is somewhere between those two scenarios. As of mid-July 2022, about <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-covid-19-media-briefing--12-july-2022">9,200 total cases</a>
 of monkeypox had been reported by 63 countries. For reasons that are 
not yet fully understood, almost all of those cases happened in <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/2021-dha-docs/20220706_monkeypox_external_sitrep_final.pdf">Europe and the Americas</a>, and only a few cases were reported by <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/monkeypox">African, Asian and Middle Eastern</a> countries.

Is that distribution sufficiently global to meet the definition of a pandemic? Maybe. 

The next condition to meet the pandemic threshold is whether places where monkeypox is present are experiencing epidemics.

Europe and the Americas typically have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010141">zero cases</a> of monkeypox per year, so the current case counts in these regions are much higher than normal.

But it is also important to look at how much community transmission 
is happening. If hundreds of people get sick after attending a single 
event – like a concert or festival – that would typically be classified 
as an outbreak. The situation would only become an epidemic if 
infections started occurring among many people who were not close 
contacts of event attendees. Once widespread and sustained community 
transmission begins occurring, it is much harder to control a virus. 

Most of the people diagnosed with monkeypox in May and June 2022 were 20- to 50-year-old men who identify as members of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add5497">LGBT+ community</a>. In July 2022, cases were not yet occurring at significant levels in multiple age and sociodemographic groups.

Is the current pattern of spread sufficient to classify monkeypox as 
an epidemic rather than an outbreak? Maybe, but only in some of the 
countries that have reported monkeypox cases this year.

Since the answers to whether monkeypox is global and an epidemic are 
both “maybe” rather than “yes,” this suggests that monkeypox is not a 
pandemic – at least not yet. But it could become one soon.

How worried should you be about monkeypox?

Pathogens like <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00241">monkeypox</a> are usually spread through touch and other types of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html">close contact</a>
 with an infected person. Epidemiologists worry much less about 
pathogens with “person-to-person” transmission than they do about 
respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that can spread 
easily through the air.

Over the course of just a few months, COVID-19 transitioned from a 
local concern in Wuhan, China, into the worst pandemic in a century. 
That is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cit703">not going to happen with monkeypox</a>.

Why? First, the monkeypox virus is <a href="https://doi.org/10.2471%2FBLT.19.242347">much less contagious</a> than the circulating strains of coronavirus. Second, monkeypox is less deadly than COVID-19. The <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/2021-dha-docs/20220706_monkeypox_external_sitrep_final.pdf">case fatality rate</a>
 during the current international outbreak is less than one death for 
every 1,000 adult cases, which is lower than the percentage of 
unvaccinated people who die after getting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30244-9">COVID-19</a>. And, third, <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1433527/retrieve">existing vaccines</a> will be able to help slow the spread of monkeypox in high-risk populations if <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/public-health-clinics-running-out-of-monkeypox-vaccine-as-lines-form-and-systems-crash/ar-AAZxMuv">problems with limited supplies</a> can be resolved.

The World Health Organization follows a set of rules called the <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241580496">International Health Regulations</a>
 that guide global public health responses to emerging threats. Under 
these regulations, the WHO has the authority to declare a “public health
 emergency of international concern” – commonly shortened to the acronym
 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fjtm%2Ftaaa227">PHEIC</a> – when an 
infectious disease is spreading internationally and might “potentially 
require a coordinated international response.” The goal is to detect and
 respond to potential global health crises and prevent them from 
becoming pandemics.

An <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/monkeypox-oubreak-2022">expert panel convened by the World Health Organization on June 23</a>
 determined that monkeypox was a “multi-country outbreak” but did not 
meet the criteria to be a public health emergency of international 
concern. The panel will meet again on July 21 to examine the 
distribution and frequency of new case reports. If the rate of new cases
 continues to increase and there is evidence of transmission within more
 diverse populations, monkeypox may be declared a public health 
emergency.

But even if monkeypox is declared to be a public health emergency of 
international concern, it is not going to become a devastating pandemic 
like COVID-19.

Kathryn H. Jacobsen is William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair, Professor of Health Studies, University of Richmond.

By KATHRYN H. JACOBSEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-monkeypox-a-pandemic-an-epidemiologist-explains-why-it-isnt-likely-to-become-as-widespread-as-covid-19-but-is-worth-watching-186872">The Conversation</a>Monkeypox is the latest global public health threat to make 
headlines. Most people who contract the monkeypox virus experience 
flu-like symptoms and a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html">blistery rash</a> that lasts two to four weeks, but a small percentage of infected people develop sepsis or other severe and <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox">potentially fatal complications</a>.It is not uncommon for there to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007791">small outbreaks of monkeypox</a> in Central and West Africa, but in the last few weeks, dozens of countries from other world regions have reported <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/monkeypox">thousands of cases of monkeypox</a>. As an infectious disease epidemiologist, I’ve received many inquiries
 from colleagues and friends about whether a monkeypox pandemic will be 
the next big disruption to our lives. A disease is considered to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897855.003.0002">pandemic</a>
 when two separate conditions are met: cases are occurring globally and 
the number of cases being diagnosed is large enough to qualify as <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-pandemic-epidemic-and-outbreak-133048">epidemic</a>. An epidemic is characterized by new cases of a disease occurring at a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section11.html">higher than typical rate in at least several communities</a>.While the monkeypox situation is certainly newsworthy, as of mid-July
 2022, it did not clearly meet both of the requirements for pandemic 
status. More importantly, the current evidence suggests that <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-monkeypox-a-microbiologist-explains-whats-known-about-this-smallpox-cousin-183499">monkeypox</a> is very unlikely to become a global health catastrophe even if the virus spreads and becomes pandemic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657902105594.png" alt=" As of mid-July 2022, monkeypox cases associated with the current outbreak (shown in red on the map, with previous outbreaks in other colors) were occurring mostly in Europe and the Americas, and few cases were being reported from Africa and Asia. ArcMachaon/Wikimedia Commons " />
 <figcaption> As of mid-July 2022, monkeypox cases associated with the current outbreak (shown in red on the map, with previous outbreaks in other colors) were occurring mostly in Europe and the Americas, and few cases were being reported from Africa and Asia. ArcMachaon/Wikimedia Commons </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Is monkeypox global?</h2>Both the 2009 <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/influenza-a-(h1n1)-outbreak">H1N1 influenza</a> virus and the <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019">SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus</a>
 that emerged in 2019 quickly spread to every region of the world. 
Global health experts were in full agreement that those were pandemic 
events. By contrast, the <a href="https://www.who.int/groups/ebola-virus-disease-in-west-africa-(2014-2015)-ihr-emergency-committee">Ebola virus</a> epidemic in West Africa from 2014 to 2016 was mostly contained to just that one region of the world and never spread globally. The <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/monkeypox-oubreak-2022">current distribution</a> of monkeypox cases is somewhere between those two scenarios. As of mid-July 2022, about <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-covid-19-media-briefing--12-july-2022">9,200 total cases</a>
 of monkeypox had been reported by 63 countries. For reasons that are 
not yet fully understood, almost all of those cases happened in <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/2021-dha-docs/20220706_monkeypox_external_sitrep_final.pdf">Europe and the Americas</a>, and only a few cases were reported by <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/monkeypox">African, Asian and Middle Eastern</a> countries.Is that distribution sufficiently global to meet the definition of a pandemic? Maybe. <h2>Is monkeypox an epidemic?</h2>The next condition to meet the pandemic threshold is whether places where monkeypox is present are experiencing epidemics.Europe and the Americas typically have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010141">zero cases</a> of monkeypox per year, so the current case counts in these regions are much higher than normal. But it is also important to look at how much community transmission 
is happening. If hundreds of people get sick after attending a single 
event – like a concert or festival – that would typically be classified 
as an outbreak. The situation would only become an epidemic if 
infections started occurring among many people who were not close 
contacts of event attendees. Once widespread and sustained community 
transmission begins occurring, it is much harder to control a virus. Most of the people diagnosed with monkeypox in May and June 2022 were 20- to 50-year-old men who identify as members of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add5497">LGBT+ community</a>. In July 2022, cases were not yet occurring at significant levels in multiple age and sociodemographic groups. Is the current pattern of spread sufficient to classify monkeypox as 
an epidemic rather than an outbreak? Maybe, but only in some of the 
countries that have reported monkeypox cases this year.Since the answers to whether monkeypox is global and an epidemic are 
both “maybe” rather than “yes,” this suggests that monkeypox is not a 
pandemic – at least not yet. But it could become one soon.<h2>How worried should you be about monkeypox?</h2>Pathogens like <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00241">monkeypox</a> are usually spread through touch and other types of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html">close contact</a>
 with an infected person. Epidemiologists worry much less about 
pathogens with “person-to-person” transmission than they do about 
respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that can spread 
easily through the air.Over the course of just a few months, COVID-19 transitioned from a 
local concern in Wuhan, China, into the worst pandemic in a century. 
That is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cit703">not going to happen with monkeypox</a>.Why? First, the monkeypox virus is <a href="https://doi.org/10.2471%2FBLT.19.242347">much less contagious</a> than the circulating strains of coronavirus. Second, monkeypox is less deadly than COVID-19. The <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/2021-dha-docs/20220706_monkeypox_external_sitrep_final.pdf">case fatality rate</a>
 during the current international outbreak is less than one death for 
every 1,000 adult cases, which is lower than the percentage of 
unvaccinated people who die after getting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30244-9">COVID-19</a>. And, third, <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1433527/retrieve">existing vaccines</a> will be able to help slow the spread of monkeypox in high-risk populations if <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/public-health-clinics-running-out-of-monkeypox-vaccine-as-lines-form-and-systems-crash/ar-AAZxMuv">problems with limited supplies</a> can be resolved.The World Health Organization follows a set of rules called the <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241580496">International Health Regulations</a>
 that guide global public health responses to emerging threats. Under 
these regulations, the WHO has the authority to declare a “public health
 emergency of international concern” – commonly shortened to the acronym
 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fjtm%2Ftaaa227">PHEIC</a> – when an 
infectious disease is spreading internationally and might “potentially 
require a coordinated international response.” The goal is to detect and
 respond to potential global health crises and prevent them from 
becoming pandemics.An <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/monkeypox-oubreak-2022">expert panel convened by the World Health Organization on June 23</a>
 determined that monkeypox was a “multi-country outbreak” but did not 
meet the criteria to be a public health emergency of international 
concern. The panel will meet again on July 21 to examine the 
distribution and frequency of new case reports. If the rate of new cases
 continues to increase and there is evidence of transmission within more
 diverse populations, monkeypox may be declared a public health 
emergency. But even if monkeypox is declared to be a public health emergency of 
international concern, it is not going to become a devastating pandemic 
like COVID-19.Kathryn H. Jacobsen is William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair, Professor of Health Studies, University of Richmond.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186872/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>