WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts appears to hold the key vote over whether the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;will allow the nation's first publicly funded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-religious-catholic-charter-school-unconstitutional-oklahoma-e4ef414605094313331a39cc645ede8a">religious charter school</a>&nbsp;in Oklahoma.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24-394">Click here to listen to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments

Roberts was the only justice whose vote seemed in doubt after the court heard more than two hours of arguments Wednesday in a major culture-war clash involving the separation of church and state.

The court seemed otherwise deeply divided.

Four other conservative justices seemed firmly on the side of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School and the state charter school board that approved it.

“They’re not asking for special treatment, not asking for favoritism,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. “They’re just saying, ’Don’t treat us worse because we’re religious.”

The three liberal justices seemed just as likely to vote to affirm an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that held that the taxpayer-funded school would entangle church and state in violation of the First Amendment.

“Charter schools are in every respect equivalent to regular public schools,” Justice Elena Kagan said.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself without explanation. Barrett previously taught law at Notre Dame and is close friends with Notre Dame law professor Nicole Garnett, a leading proponent of publicly funded religious charter schools.

If Roberts sides with the liberals, the court would be tied 4-4, an outcome that would leave the state court decision in place, but would leave the issue unresolved nationally.

If he joins his conservative colleagues, on the other hand, the court could find that the taxpayer-funded school is in line with a string of high court decisions that have allowed public funds to flow to religious entities. Those rulings were based on a different part of the First Amendment that protects religious freedom.

Roberts wrote the last three of those decisions. He acknowledged at one point that the court had previously ruled that states “couldn't exclude religious participants,” suggesting support for St. Isidore.

But he also said the state's involvement in this case is “much more comprehensive” than in the earlier ones, a point that could lead him in the other direction.

St. Isidore, a K-12 online school, had planned to start classes for its first 200 enrollees last fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith.

Opponents warn a decision to allow the school to open would sap money from public schools and possibly upend the rules governing charter schools in almost every state.

Greg Garre, the lawyer defending the Oklahoma decision, repeatedly urged the justices to consider the broad impact of a ruling for the school.

“This is going to have a dramatic effect on charter schools across the country,” Garre said.

Representing the state charter school board, lawyer James Campbell said Oklahoma's charter school law discriminates against religion by encouraging diversity, but “deeming religion to be the wrong kind of diversity.”

The case comes to the court amid efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Those include a challenged Louisiana requirement that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-ten-commandments-displayed-classrooms-571a2447906f7bbd5a166d53db005a62">the Ten Commandments</a>&nbsp;be posted in classrooms and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-bible-schools-religion-ryan-walters-d15be2f74df2ffbbdfdc549569d06c4e">a mandate</a>&nbsp;from Oklahoma’s state schools superintendent that the Bible be placed in public school classrooms.

The state board and the school are backed by an array of Republican-led states and religious and conservative groups, though the case has divided some of Oklahoma’s Republican leaders.

Gov. Kevin Stitt and Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters support using public funds for religious schools, while Attorney General Gentner Drummond has opposed the idea and sued to overturn the state board’s approval of St. Isidore.

A key issue in the case is whether the school is public or private. Charter schools are deemed public in Oklahoma and the other 45 states and the District of Columbia where they operate. North Dakota recently enacted legislation allowing for charter schools.

They are free and open to all, receive state funding, abide by antidiscrimination laws and submit to oversight of curriculum and testing. But they also are run by independent boards that are not part of local public school systems.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
 <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts appears to hold the key vote over whether the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;will allow the nation's first publicly funded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-religious-catholic-charter-school-unconstitutional-oklahoma-e4ef414605094313331a39cc645ede8a">religious charter school</a>&nbsp;in Oklahoma.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24-394">Click here to listen to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral argumentsRoberts was the only justice whose vote seemed in doubt after the court heard more than two hours of arguments Wednesday in a major culture-war clash involving the separation of church and state.The court seemed otherwise deeply divided.Four other conservative justices seemed firmly on the side of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School and the state charter school board that approved it.“They’re not asking for special treatment, not asking for favoritism,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. “They’re just saying, ’Don’t treat us worse because we’re religious.”The three liberal justices seemed just as likely to vote to affirm an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that held that the taxpayer-funded school would entangle church and state in violation of the First Amendment.“Charter schools are in every respect equivalent to regular public schools,” Justice Elena Kagan said.Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself without explanation. Barrett previously taught law at Notre Dame and is close friends with Notre Dame law professor Nicole Garnett, a leading proponent of publicly funded religious charter schools.If Roberts sides with the liberals, the court would be tied 4-4, an outcome that would leave the state court decision in place, but would leave the issue unresolved nationally.If he joins his conservative colleagues, on the other hand, the court could find that the taxpayer-funded school is in line with a string of high court decisions that have allowed public funds to flow to religious entities. Those rulings were based on a different part of the First Amendment that protects religious freedom.Roberts wrote the last three of those decisions. He acknowledged at one point that the court had previously ruled that states “couldn't exclude religious participants,” suggesting support for St. Isidore.But he also said the state's involvement in this case is “much more comprehensive” than in the earlier ones, a point that could lead him in the other direction.St. Isidore, a K-12 online school, had planned to start classes for its first 200 enrollees last fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith.Opponents warn a decision to allow the school to open would sap money from public schools and possibly upend the rules governing charter schools in almost every state.Greg Garre, the lawyer defending the Oklahoma decision, repeatedly urged the justices to consider the broad impact of a ruling for the school.“This is going to have a dramatic effect on charter schools across the country,” Garre said.Representing the state charter school board, lawyer James Campbell said Oklahoma's charter school law discriminates against religion by encouraging diversity, but “deeming religion to be the wrong kind of diversity.”The case comes to the court amid efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Those include a challenged Louisiana requirement that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-ten-commandments-displayed-classrooms-571a2447906f7bbd5a166d53db005a62">the Ten Commandments</a>&nbsp;be posted in classrooms and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-bible-schools-religion-ryan-walters-d15be2f74df2ffbbdfdc549569d06c4e">a mandate</a>&nbsp;from Oklahoma’s state schools superintendent that the Bible be placed in public school classrooms.St. Isidore, a K-12 online school, had planned to start classes for its first 200 enrollees last fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith.Opponents warn a decision to allow the school to open would sap money from public schools and possibly upend the rules governing charter schools in almost every state.The state board and the school are backed by an array of Republican-led states and religious and conservative groups, though the case has divided some of Oklahoma’s Republican leaders.Gov. Kevin Stitt and Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters support using public funds for religious schools, while Attorney General Gentner Drummond has opposed the idea and sued to overturn the state board’s approval of St. Isidore.A key issue in the case is whether the school is public or private. Charter schools are deemed public in Oklahoma and the other 45 states and the District of Columbia where they operate. North Dakota recently enacted legislation allowing for charter schools.They are free and open to all, receive state funding, abide by antidiscrimination laws and submit to oversight of curriculum and testing. But they also are run by independent boards that are not part of local public school systems.

🎧 Will court allow first publicly funded religious charter school?

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-peace-ce025ba11929ceff0c90f94c25a47624">signed a deal</a>&nbsp;that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-trump-united-states-ukraine-minerals-57c6c566b330c8941a3ba6a7d5f8dd2f">critical minerals</a>&nbsp;and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia.

According to Ukrainian officials, the version of the deal signed Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-deal-minerals-ukraine-investment-fund-d8e03ddc86510cd4c4acca1fcb6fe253">previous versions</a>, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country's resources.

The agreement — which the Ukrainian parliament must ratify — would establish a reconstruction fund for Ukraine that Ukrainian officials hope will be a vehicle to ensure future American military assistance. A previous agreement was nearly signed before being derailed in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">tense Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;involving U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We have formed a version of the agreement that provides mutually beneficial conditions for both countries. This is an agreement in which the United States notes its commitment to promoting long-term peace in Ukraine and recognizes the contribution that Ukraine has made to global security by giving up its nuclear arsenal,” Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed the deal for Ukraine, said in a post on Facebook.

The signing comes during what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said would be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-trump-844dc8747a63ef6921f0b1f0e3348ccd">a “very critical” week</a>&nbsp;for U.S.-led efforts to end the war that appear to have stalled. Ukraine sees the deal as a way to ensure that its biggest and most consequential ally stays engaged and doesn’t freeze military support, which has been key in its 3-year-old fight against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s full-scale invasion</a>.

“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who signed for the U.S., said in a statement.

The deal covers minerals, including rare earth elements, but also other valuable resources, including oil and natural gas, according to the text released by Ukraine's government.

It does not include resources that are already a source of revenue for the Ukrainian state. In other words, any profits under the deal are dependent on the success of new investments. Ukrainian officials have also noted that it does not refer to any debt obligations for Kyiv, meaning profits from the fund will likely not go toward the paying the U.S. back for its previous support.

Officials have also emphasized that the agreement ensures full ownership of the resources remains with Ukraine, and the state will determine what can be extracted and where.

The text of the deal lists 55 minerals but says more can be agreed to.

Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in Ukraine's rare earth elements, and some of them are included in the list, as are other critical minerals, such as titanium, lithium and uranium.

They are a group of 17 elements that are essential to many kinds of consumer technology, including cellphones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles.

China is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/01902a5df8bf4a13bd46f401e914b46b">world’s largest producer</a>&nbsp;of rare earth elements, and both the U.S and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing, Trump’s chief geopolitical adversary.

They include elements such as lanthanum, cerium and scandium, which are listed in the deal.

The agreement establishes a reconstruction investment fund, and both the U.S. and Ukraine will have an equal say in its management, according to Svyrydenko.

The fund will be supported by the U.S. government through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation agency, which Ukraine hopes will attract investment and technology from American and European countries.

Ukraine is expected to contribute 50% of all future profits from government-owned natural resources into the fund. The United States will also contribute in the form of direct funds and equipment, including badly needed air defense systems and other military aid.

Contributions to the fund will be reinvested in projects related to mining, oil and gas as well as infrastructure.

No profits will not be taken from the fund for the first 10 years, Svyrydenko said.

Trump administration officials initially pushed for a deal in which Washington would receive $500 billion in profits from exploited minerals as compensation for its wartime support.

But Zelenskyy rejected the offer, saying he would not sign off on an agreement “that will be paid off by 10 generations of Ukrainians.”

What is the state of Ukraine's minerals industry?

Ukraine’s rare earth elements are largely untapped because of state policies regulating the industry, a lack of good information about deposits, and the war.

The industry’s potential is unclear since geological data is thin because mineral reserves are scattered across Ukraine, and existing studies are considered largely inadequate, according to businessmen and analysts.

In general, however, the outlook for Ukrainian natural resources is promising. The country's reserves of titanium, a key component for the aerospace, medical and automotive industries, are believed to be among Europe’s largest. Ukraine also holds some of Europe’s largest known reserves of lithium, which is required to produce batteries, ceramics and glass.

In 2021, the Ukrainian mineral industry accounted for 6.1% of the country’s gross domestic product and 30% of exports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740765031457.png" alt="President Trump greeting&nbsp; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. at the White House in April- photo courtesy the White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump greeting&nbsp; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. at the White House in April- photo courtesy the White House</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-peace-ce025ba11929ceff0c90f94c25a47624">signed a deal</a>&nbsp;that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-trump-united-states-ukraine-minerals-57c6c566b330c8941a3ba6a7d5f8dd2f">critical minerals</a>&nbsp;and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia.According to Ukrainian officials, the version of the deal signed Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-deal-minerals-ukraine-investment-fund-d8e03ddc86510cd4c4acca1fcb6fe253">previous versions</a>, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country's resources.The agreement — which the Ukrainian parliament must ratify — would establish a reconstruction fund for Ukraine that Ukrainian officials hope will be a vehicle to ensure future American military assistance. A previous agreement was nearly signed before being derailed in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">tense Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;involving U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.“We have formed a version of the agreement that provides mutually beneficial conditions for both countries. This is an agreement in which the United States notes its commitment to promoting long-term peace in Ukraine and recognizes the contribution that Ukraine has made to global security by giving up its nuclear arsenal,” Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed the deal for Ukraine, said in a post on Facebook.The signing comes during what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said would be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-trump-844dc8747a63ef6921f0b1f0e3348ccd">a “very critical” week</a>&nbsp;for U.S.-led efforts to end the war that appear to have stalled. Ukraine sees the deal as a way to ensure that its biggest and most consequential ally stays engaged and doesn’t freeze military support, which has been key in its 3-year-old fight against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s full-scale invasion</a>.“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who signed for the U.S., said in a statement.Here is a look at the deal.<h2>What does the</h2><h2>deal include?</h2>The deal covers minerals, including rare earth elements, but also other valuable resources, including oil and natural gas, according to the text released by Ukraine's government.It does not include resources that are already a source of revenue for the Ukrainian state. In other words, any profits under the deal are dependent on the success of new investments. Ukrainian officials have also noted that it does not refer to any debt obligations for Kyiv, meaning profits from the fund will likely not go toward the paying the U.S. back for its previous support.Officials have also emphasized that the agreement ensures full ownership of the resources remains with Ukraine, and the state will determine what can be extracted and where.The text of the deal lists 55 minerals but says more can be agreed to.Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in Ukraine's rare earth elements, and some of them are included in the list, as are other critical minerals, such as titanium, lithium and uranium.<h2>What are rare earth elements?</h2>They are a group of 17 elements that are essential to many kinds of consumer technology, including cellphones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles.China is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/01902a5df8bf4a13bd46f401e914b46b">world’s largest producer</a>&nbsp;of rare earth elements, and both the U.S and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing, Trump’s chief geopolitical adversary.They include elements such as lanthanum, cerium and scandium, which are listed in the deal.<h2>How will the fund work?</h2>The agreement establishes a reconstruction investment fund, and both the U.S. and Ukraine will have an equal say in its management, according to Svyrydenko.The fund will be supported by the U.S. government through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation agency, which Ukraine hopes will attract investment and technology from American and European countries.Ukraine is expected to contribute 50% of all future profits from government-owned natural resources into the fund. The United States will also contribute in the form of direct funds and equipment, including badly needed air defense systems and other military aid.Contributions to the fund will be reinvested in projects related to mining, oil and gas as well as infrastructure.No profits will not be taken from the fund for the first 10 years, Svyrydenko said.Trump administration officials initially pushed for a deal in which Washington would receive $500 billion in profits from exploited minerals as compensation for its wartime support.But Zelenskyy rejected the offer, saying he would not sign off on an agreement “that will be paid off by 10 generations of Ukrainians.”<h2>What is the state of Ukraine's minerals industry?</h2>Ukraine’s rare earth elements are largely untapped because of state policies regulating the industry, a lack of good information about deposits, and the war.The industry’s potential is unclear since geological data is thin because mineral reserves are scattered across Ukraine, and existing studies are considered largely inadequate, according to businessmen and analysts.In general, however, the outlook for Ukrainian natural resources is promising. The country's reserves of titanium, a key component for the aerospace, medical and automotive industries, are believed to be among Europe’s largest. Ukraine also holds some of Europe’s largest known reserves of lithium, which is required to produce batteries, ceramics and glass.In 2021, the Ukrainian mineral industry accounted for 6.1% of the country’s gross domestic product and 30% of exports.

Read what the U.S., Ukraine minerals deal includes

With vaccine skepticism on the rise, immunization rates in decline and public funds disappearing, the country faces its largest measles outbreak since 2019

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>

Amber Schmidtke, a microbiologist, remembers feeling a tinge of relief five years ago as COVID spread across communities.

“Measles is the most contagious disease we have,” said Schmidtke, who teaches at Kansas City University.

But now, she and other public health experts are watching with alarm as the largely preventable virus marches toward Kansas City in the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" target="_blank">largest outbreak</a>&nbsp;since 2019.

So far this year, health officials have confirmed 884 cases across the country, including 46 in southwest Kansas. One Missouri case reported on April 18 involved a child visiting the Branson area.

Marvia Jones, director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">Kansas City Health Department</a>, said her agency will be as prepared as possible when cases reach the metro. But there’s little doubt about whether they will come.

“It’s clear to us that measles is just a car ride away from Kansas Citians,” Jones said at an April 29 press conference that was called to urge people to get vaccinated before the virus gets here.

But rising vaccine skepticism, falling immunization rates and recent&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/02/massive-cuts-federal-health-care-grants-alarm-kansas-citys-health-departments/" target="_blank">major cuts</a>&nbsp;to federal public health funding are all working against efforts to quickly end the current measles outbreak, health officials said.

“This makes me heartsick,” said Lynelle Phillips, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://moimmunize.org/" target="_blank">Missouri Immunization Coalition</a>. “I think more children will be struck down and killed by a completely preventable outbreak of measles. And I think the question to us as Americans is how many of these children will have to die before we realize the mistake we’ve made?”

Three deaths have been attributed to the outbreak so far, including two children in Texas and an adult in New Mexico.

Unlike the start of COVID when there was no vaccine, a highly effective measles vaccine is widely available. Until recently it was also widely adopted.

By 2000, 37 years after the measles vaccine was introduced, United States health officials could declare measles&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html" target="_blank">eliminated</a>&nbsp;because there hadn’t been continuous spread for more than a year.

Now, that designation is in danger as measles cases spread. So far, the outbreak has reached 30 states. The largest cluster is in Texas, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025" target="_blank">663 cases</a>&nbsp;have been confirmed since late January.

The rise in measles infections, health leaders said, can be directly linked to low vaccination rates.

Herd immunity for measles, when the virus is unlikely to spread, requires a vaccination rate of 95%. But communities and schools are increasingly slipping below that mark. And where that happens, an outbreak becomes much more likely.

In Kansas City, three ZIP codes fall below the 95% threshold, city health officials said.

Jones said these undervaccinated ZIP codes will get special attention as the city works to convince more people to let their kids get vaccines. The health department plans to hold community meetings in these areas in hopes of answering questions and easing hesitancy.

“We are doing all we can to add outreach and have real conversations,” Jones said.

The health department also will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">extend the hours</a>&nbsp;it offers vaccinations. Beginning May 14, vaccines will be available at 2400 Troost Ave. until 7 p.m., and Saturday hours will begin May 17. For an appointment, people can call 311, but appointments are not required.

Parents, faced with an internet awash in inaccurate information about vaccinations in general and the measles vaccine specifically, are more often skipping routine childhood immunizations.

Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are recommended for children. The first dose is recommended at about 1 year old, and a second dose when a child starts school, between 4 and 6 years old.

During the 2023-24 school year, immunization rates for kindergartners&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html#cdc_data_surveillance_section_7-mmr-vaccine-coverage-for-kindergarteners-by-school-year-2009%e2%80%932024" target="_blank">fell to 92.7%</a>&nbsp;nationwide, from 95.2% during the 2019-20 school year. In Missouri, the rate went from 94.6% in 2019-20 to 90.4% in 2023-24. In those same years, Kansas’ rate climbed slightly, from 90% to 90.4%.

Six metro counties showed MMR vaccination rates below 95% for kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year.

Schools require children to have the MMR and other vaccinations in order to attend kindergarten, but states allow exemptions for religious or medical reasons. And those exemptions have been&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">on the rise</a>.

The Staley Farms ZIP code’s religious exemption rate doubled to 14% last year from 7% in 2019, city officials said. According to state records, private schools in Clay County, where the ZIP code is located, had a religious exemption rate of 13.4% in 2023, compared with 5.4% in 2019.

In Kansas, the statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2016/Kindergarten-Immunization-Data" target="_blank">exemption rate</a>&nbsp;was just over 1% in the 2010-11 school year. But by the 2023-24 year, it was up to almost 3%. And Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">statewide rate</a>&nbsp;is getting close to 5%, said Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri’s state epidemiologist.

Phillips said the increase can also be traced to a change in Missouri law that took effect at the beginning of 2024, lowering barriers for parents to get vaccine exemptions for their children. It’s now as simple as filling out a&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/immunizations/daycarerequirements.php" target="_blank">form online</a>&nbsp;and submitting it to the school.

“Prior to that, you would have to make an appointment at the health department and meet with a public health nurse,” Phillips said.

Parents who oppose vaccines objected to the state’s previous exemption requirements, saying they violated their speech and religious rights.

But Phillips said the added step of going to the health department gave parents an opportunity to learn about the health consequences of choosing to forgo their child’s vaccinations. And they also found out that children who are unvaccinated have to miss weeks of school if they are exposed — even if they don’t get sick.

Public health officials understand that a growing number of people are afraid of having their kids vaccinated. In part, they blame strong anti-vaccination views that took root during the COVID pandemic related to the vaccines developed to treat that virus.

“That (skepticism) spills over to other vaccines as well,” Turabelidze said.

In addition to fueling anti-vaccine views, the pandemic also led to more distrust of public health agencies, which became the face of shuttered schools and businesses and other restrictions that some people abhorred. That distrust has made it even harder to get accurate information to people who may be worried about unfounded claims about vaccines that flourish on the internet.

One of the most persistent myths — that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism — has been especially common, Turabelidze said.

“It’s been debunked so many times, I can’t even count,” he said. “But people keep repeating this myth.”

Now, many fear that the vaccine doubts have been given more credibility with the appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.

As Missouri’s immunization rates have slipped, Turabelidze said the state Department of Health and Senior Services has been working to increase outreach and education efforts, especially to schools or communities with lower vaccination rates.

Those communities are sitting ducks for such a highly contagious virus, health experts said.

Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to measles will get sick. And the virus can infect people who don’t even come into contact with someone who has it. Measles spreads when people talk, cough or sneeze, but can linger in the air for three hours.

“If I had a person in my class that had measles and didn’t know it and they left, everyone who enters that classroom for the next several hours could get it,” Phillips said. “It’s really difficult to manage transmission when you realize just how infectious measles is.”

And the measles virus can be dangerous. One in five people who get the virus end up in the hospital, Dr. Susanne Luedtke, an infectious disease specialist at University Health, told reporters during the April 29 press conference hosted by the Kansas City Health Department.

One in 20 children contract pneumonia with measles. The disease can cause brain swelling and serious long-term side effects like seizures, hearing loss and a condition called immune amnesia, which can destroy a child’s immune response. And between one and three of every 1,000 children who get measles will die.

“Measles is not a rash and a fever,” Luedtke said. “It’s a serious disease with real risks.”

Before the measles vaccine came along in 1963, almost everyone came down with measles before they turned 15. The telltale rash would begin at the hairline and move down the torso and out to the extremities. A high fever developed, along with symptoms like a runny nose and cough.

Of course, most people recovered as they would from the flu or another viral infection. But before the vaccine, every year an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html" target="_blank">400 to 500 people died</a>, 48,000 were hospitalized and 1,000 developed encephalitis or brain swelling.

“This is not a disease you joke around with,” Turabelidze said. “It’s highly contagious. And it can put you in the hospital. We already have three persons dead in this country. And you can also have long-term consequences.”

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services operates a 24-hour helpline that doctors can call if they run into a potential case of measles. Turabelidze said calls have increased as doctors, many of whom have never run into a case of measles before, grow increasingly wary of unidentifiable rashes.

“More often it’s not really measles,” he said. “But we would rather have a consultation” than an undetected case.

The state also has added capacity for the state laboratory to conduct PCR tests for measles. That service, which began in March, will reduce the time test results take, which could make a big difference in quelling an outbreak.

“We wanted to have a very, very quick response time because measles is so highly contagious,” Turabelidze said.

When measles is detected, public health agencies play a crucial role in quickly locating anyone an infected person has been around. They also track down people who have shared an inside space where the infected person could have left behind the virus.

Public health is critical in managing an outbreak. But for the system to work, experts said, the public needs to trust public health. And public health agencies need to be available to answer questions to assuage concerns, provide information to doctors and patients and offer easy access to the vaccine.

“Vaccines in the refrigerator never yet prevented a single case of infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “They have to be administered… This takes human beings and it takes time.”

It also takes money. But recent federal funding cuts by the Trump administration have slashed support for public health outreach efforts.

On March 24, the Missouri Immunization Coalition, Phillips’ organization, lost all of its funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That money funded the group’s entire budget, which means it is now “on life support,” Phillips said.

And like other public health organizations that had relied on those funds, the work the coalition had been doing — educating people about vaccines, providing transportation and other resources to improve access — is hanging by a thread.

“Vaccination rates are not going to raise themselves,” Phillips said. “The organizations involved with all of the education and logistics and support … have been dismantled. At a time when we’re witnessing a resurgence in measles, these are the ingredients of a perfect storm.”

Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services lost a combined $255 million in the March 24 CDC cuts. That included $135 million in projects currently underway to support the state’s public health system and about $119 million for projects that hadn’t been determined.

Turabelidze said it is unclear how the cuts will affect the state’s vaccine efforts.

The Kansas City Health Department has seen federal cuts so far of about $3 million, money that was allocated to pay for adult vaccinations and outreach, enhanced laboratory capacity and community health workers.

On April 25, the city&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2417/1746" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;it had joined a coalition of other local governments and a labor union representing government workers in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding cuts.

In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said, “It’s important that we as cities and people stand up for common sense and public health in the courts.”

It’s also worth remembering, Schmidtke said, that eliminating outreach programs may save money in the short term. But if measles cases increase as a result, the ultimate cost will be much more. While each MMR vaccine dose costs around $2, she said, managing a case of someone who contracts measles can cost $50,000.

“I know money isn’t everything,” Schmidtke said. “But when we don’t have enough money to get the outreach, to educate the public about the importance of vaccination, to educate them about where to find it, we run the risk of really expensive outbreaks that are hard to control.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/05/02/just-a-car-ride-away-as-a-measles-outbreak-creeps-toward-kansas-city/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.png</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>With vaccine skepticism on the rise, immunization rates in decline and public funds disappearing, the country faces its largest measles outbreak since 2019</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>Amber Schmidtke, a microbiologist, remembers feeling a tinge of relief five years ago as COVID spread across communities.At least it wasn’t measles.“Measles is the most contagious disease we have,” said Schmidtke, who teaches at Kansas City University.But now, she and other public health experts are watching with alarm as the largely preventable virus marches toward Kansas City in the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" target="_blank">largest outbreak</a>&nbsp;since 2019.So far this year, health officials have confirmed 884 cases across the country, including 46 in southwest Kansas. One Missouri case reported on April 18 involved a child visiting the Branson area.Marvia Jones, director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">Kansas City Health Department</a>, said her agency will be as prepared as possible when cases reach the metro. But there’s little doubt about whether they will come.“It’s clear to us that measles is just a car ride away from Kansas Citians,” Jones said at an April 29 press conference that was called to urge people to get vaccinated before the virus gets here.But rising vaccine skepticism, falling immunization rates and recent&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/02/massive-cuts-federal-health-care-grants-alarm-kansas-citys-health-departments/" target="_blank">major cuts</a>&nbsp;to federal public health funding are all working against efforts to quickly end the current measles outbreak, health officials said.“This makes me heartsick,” said Lynelle Phillips, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://moimmunize.org/" target="_blank">Missouri Immunization Coalition</a>. “I think more children will be struck down and killed by a completely preventable outbreak of measles. And I think the question to us as Americans is how many of these children will have to die before we realize the mistake we’ve made?”Three deaths have been attributed to the outbreak so far, including two children in Texas and an adult in New Mexico.<h2>Declining immunization rates</h2>Unlike the start of COVID when there was no vaccine, a highly effective measles vaccine is widely available. Until recently it was also widely adopted.By 2000, 37 years after the measles vaccine was introduced, United States health officials could declare measles&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html" target="_blank">eliminated</a>&nbsp;because there hadn’t been continuous spread for more than a year.Now, that designation is in danger as measles cases spread. So far, the outbreak has reached 30 states. The largest cluster is in Texas, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025" target="_blank">663 cases</a>&nbsp;have been confirmed since late January.The rise in measles infections, health leaders said, can be directly linked to low vaccination rates.Herd immunity for measles, when the virus is unlikely to spread, requires a vaccination rate of 95%. But communities and schools are increasingly slipping below that mark. And where that happens, an outbreak becomes much more likely.In Kansas City, three ZIP codes fall below the 95% threshold, city health officials said.<ul>
 <li>64114 in the Waldo area has an immunization rate of 93%.</li><li>64151, where Lake Waukomis is located north of the river, is at 92%.</li><li>And 64155, where the upscale Staley Farms development is located, has a vaccination rate of only 84%.</li>
 </ul>Jones said these undervaccinated ZIP codes will get special attention as the city works to convince more people to let their kids get vaccines. The health department plans to hold community meetings in these areas in hopes of answering questions and easing hesitancy.“We are doing all we can to add outreach and have real conversations,” Jones said.The health department also will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health" target="_blank">extend the hours</a>&nbsp;it offers vaccinations. Beginning May 14, vaccines will be available at 2400 Troost Ave. until 7 p.m., and Saturday hours will begin May 17. For an appointment, people can call 311, but appointments are not required.<h2>Growing vaccine skepticism</h2>Parents, faced with an internet awash in inaccurate information about vaccinations in general and the measles vaccine specifically, are more often skipping routine childhood immunizations.Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are recommended for children. The first dose is recommended at about 1 year old, and a second dose when a child starts school, between 4 and 6 years old.During the 2023-24 school year, immunization rates for kindergartners&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html#cdc_data_surveillance_section_7-mmr-vaccine-coverage-for-kindergarteners-by-school-year-2009%e2%80%932024" target="_blank">fell to 92.7%</a>&nbsp;nationwide, from 95.2% during the 2019-20 school year. In Missouri, the rate went from 94.6% in 2019-20 to 90.4% in 2023-24. In those same years, Kansas’ rate climbed slightly, from 90% to 90.4%.Six metro counties showed MMR vaccination rates below 95% for kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year.Schools require children to have the MMR and other vaccinations in order to attend kindergarten, but states allow exemptions for religious or medical reasons. And those exemptions have been&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">on the rise</a>.The Staley Farms ZIP code’s religious exemption rate doubled to 14% last year from 7% in 2019, city officials said. According to state records, private schools in Clay County, where the ZIP code is located, had a religious exemption rate of 13.4% in 2023, compared with 5.4% in 2019.In Kansas, the statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2016/Kindergarten-Immunization-Data" target="_blank">exemption rate</a>&nbsp;was just over 1% in the 2010-11 school year. But by the 2023-24 year, it was up to almost 3%. And Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/dashboard.php" target="_blank">statewide rate</a>&nbsp;is getting close to 5%, said Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri’s state epidemiologist.Phillips said the increase can also be traced to a change in Missouri law that took effect at the beginning of 2024, lowering barriers for parents to get vaccine exemptions for their children. It’s now as simple as filling out a&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/immunizations/daycarerequirements.php" target="_blank">form online</a>&nbsp;and submitting it to the school.“Prior to that, you would have to make an appointment at the health department and meet with a public health nurse,” Phillips said.Parents who oppose vaccines objected to the state’s previous exemption requirements, saying they violated their speech and religious rights.But Phillips said the added step of going to the health department gave parents an opportunity to learn about the health consequences of choosing to forgo their child’s vaccinations. And they also found out that children who are unvaccinated have to miss weeks of school if they are exposed — even if they don’t get sick.Public health officials understand that a growing number of people are afraid of having their kids vaccinated. In part, they blame strong anti-vaccination views that took root during the COVID pandemic related to the vaccines developed to treat that virus.“That (skepticism) spills over to other vaccines as well,” Turabelidze said.In addition to fueling anti-vaccine views, the pandemic also led to more distrust of public health agencies, which became the face of shuttered schools and businesses and other restrictions that some people abhorred. That distrust has made it even harder to get accurate information to people who may be worried about unfounded claims about vaccines that flourish on the internet.One of the most persistent myths — that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism — has been especially common, Turabelidze said.“It’s been debunked so many times, I can’t even count,” he said. “But people keep repeating this myth.”Now, many fear that the vaccine doubts have been given more credibility with the appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.<h2>Highly contagious</h2>As Missouri’s immunization rates have slipped, Turabelidze said the state Department of Health and Senior Services has been working to increase outreach and education efforts, especially to schools or communities with lower vaccination rates.Those communities are sitting ducks for such a highly contagious virus, health experts said.Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to measles will get sick. And the virus can infect people who don’t even come into contact with someone who has it. Measles spreads when people talk, cough or sneeze, but can linger in the air for three hours.“If I had a person in my class that had measles and didn’t know it and they left, everyone who enters that classroom for the next several hours could get it,” Phillips said. “It’s really difficult to manage transmission when you realize just how infectious measles is.”And the measles virus can be dangerous. One in five people who get the virus end up in the hospital, Dr. Susanne Luedtke, an infectious disease specialist at University Health, told reporters during the April 29 press conference hosted by the Kansas City Health Department.One in 20 children contract pneumonia with measles. The disease can cause brain swelling and serious long-term side effects like seizures, hearing loss and a condition called immune amnesia, which can destroy a child’s immune response. And between one and three of every 1,000 children who get measles will die.“Measles is not a rash and a fever,” Luedtke said. “It’s a serious disease with real risks.”Before the measles vaccine came along in 1963, almost everyone came down with measles before they turned 15. The telltale rash would begin at the hairline and move down the torso and out to the extremities. A high fever developed, along with symptoms like a runny nose and cough.Of course, most people recovered as they would from the flu or another viral infection. But before the vaccine, every year an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html" target="_blank">400 to 500 people died</a>, 48,000 were hospitalized and 1,000 developed encephalitis or brain swelling.“This is not a disease you joke around with,” Turabelidze said. “It’s highly contagious. And it can put you in the hospital. We already have three persons dead in this country. And you can also have long-term consequences.”The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services operates a 24-hour helpline that doctors can call if they run into a potential case of measles. Turabelidze said calls have increased as doctors, many of whom have never run into a case of measles before, grow increasingly wary of unidentifiable rashes.“More often it’s not really measles,” he said. “But we would rather have a consultation” than an undetected case.The state also has added capacity for the state laboratory to conduct PCR tests for measles. That service, which began in March, will reduce the time test results take, which could make a big difference in quelling an outbreak.“We wanted to have a very, very quick response time because measles is so highly contagious,” Turabelidze said.<h2>Importance of education</h2>When measles is detected, public health agencies play a crucial role in quickly locating anyone an infected person has been around. They also track down people who have shared an inside space where the infected person could have left behind the virus.Public health is critical in managing an outbreak. But for the system to work, experts said, the public needs to trust public health. And public health agencies need to be available to answer questions to assuage concerns, provide information to doctors and patients and offer easy access to the vaccine.“Vaccines in the refrigerator never yet prevented a single case of infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “They have to be administered… This takes human beings and it takes time.”It also takes money. But recent federal funding cuts by the Trump administration have slashed support for public health outreach efforts.On March 24, the Missouri Immunization Coalition, Phillips’ organization, lost all of its funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That money funded the group’s entire budget, which means it is now “on life support,” Phillips said.And like other public health organizations that had relied on those funds, the work the coalition had been doing — educating people about vaccines, providing transportation and other resources to improve access — is hanging by a thread.“Vaccination rates are not going to raise themselves,” Phillips said. “The organizations involved with all of the education and logistics and support … have been dismantled. At a time when we’re witnessing a resurgence in measles, these are the ingredients of a perfect storm.”Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services lost a combined $255 million in the March 24 CDC cuts. That included $135 million in projects currently underway to support the state’s public health system and about $119 million for projects that hadn’t been determined.Turabelidze said it is unclear how the cuts will affect the state’s vaccine efforts.The Kansas City Health Department has seen federal cuts so far of about $3 million, money that was allocated to pay for adult vaccinations and outreach, enhanced laboratory capacity and community health workers.On April 25, the city&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2417/1746" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;it had joined a coalition of other local governments and a labor union representing government workers in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding cuts.In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said, “It’s important that we as cities and people stand up for common sense and public health in the courts.”It’s also worth remembering, Schmidtke said, that eliminating outreach programs may save money in the short term. But if measles cases increase as a result, the ultimate cost will be much more. While each MMR vaccine dose costs around $2, she said, managing a case of someone who contracts measles can cost $50,000.“I know money isn’t everything,” Schmidtke said. “But when we don’t have enough money to get the outreach, to educate the public about the importance of vaccination, to educate them about where to find it, we run the risk of really expensive outbreaks that are hard to control.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/05/02/just-a-car-ride-away-as-a-measles-outbreak-creeps-toward-kansas-city/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

As a measles outbreak creeps toward Kansas City, public health leaders urge vaccination

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating another deadly shooting in Topeka.

Just before 10:30p.m. May 2, police responded to the area of SW 13th and SW Boswell in Topeka on the report of gunshots in the area, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.

 As officers arrived in the area, they located a man later identified as 27-year-old Treveon Carrington suffering from life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; While on scene, medical personnel pronounced him deceased.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested 30-year-old Derrick Mitchell of Topeka, was arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of first degree murder. This is the city’s 6 th homicide investigation of 2025 in Topeka, according to Connell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746313535257.png" alt="Mitchell photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Mitchell photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating another deadly shooting in Topeka.Just before 10:30p.m. May 2, police responded to the area of SW 13th and SW Boswell in Topeka on the report of gunshots in the area, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell. As officers arrived in the area, they located a man later identified as 27-year-old Treveon Carrington suffering from life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; While on scene, medical personnel pronounced him deceased.As a result of the investigation, police arrested 30-year-old Derrick Mitchell of Topeka, was arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of first degree murder. This is the city’s 6 th homicide investigation of 2025 in Topeka, according to Connell.

Police capture Kansas murder suspect, identify victim

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/claudia-sheinbaum">President Claudia Sheinbaum</a>&nbsp;said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump proposed sending American troops into Mexico to help her administration fight drug trafficking but that she rejected it.

Her remarks to supporters in eastern Mexico came in response to a Wall Street Journal article published the day before, describing a tense phone call last month in which Trump reportedly pressured her to accept a bigger role for the U.S. military in combating drug cartels in Mexico.

“He said, ‘How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the United States military come in and help you.’ And you know what I said to him? ‘No, President Trump.'"

She added: “Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended."

White House National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said in a statement later Saturday that Trump has worked closely with Mexico's president “to achieve the most secure southwest border in history.”

“Dangerous Foreign Terrorist Organizations, however, continue to threaten our shared security and the drugs and crime they spread threaten American communities across the country,” the statement said. "The President has been crystal clear that Mexico must do more do combat these gangs and cartels and the United States stands ready to assist and expand the already close cooperation between our two countries.”

The U.S. military presence has increased steadily along its southern border with Mexico in recent months, following Trump’s order in January to increase the army's role in stemming the flow of migrants.

The U.S. Northern Command has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-troops-border-trump-eb2dbf0bc15397a195033583c15df943">surged troops and equipment to the border</a>, increased manned surveillance flights to monitor fentanyl trafficking along the border and sought expanded authority for U.S. Special Forces to work closely with Mexican forces conducting operations against cartels.

Trump designated many of the gangs and cartels smuggling drugs into the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">as foreign terrorist organizations on Feb. 19,</a>&nbsp;restricting their movements and lending law enforcement more resources to act against them.

But Sheinbaum’s hardline stance Saturday signaled that U.S. pressure for unilateral military intervention would put her and Trump on a collision course&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-sheinbaum-trudeau-017efa8c3343b8d2a9444f7e65356ae9">after months of cooperation</a>&nbsp;on immigration and trade.

“We can work together, but you in your territory and us in ours,” Sheinbaum said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741280449187.png" alt="File photo Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo" />
 <figcaption>File photo Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo</figcaption>
 </figure>MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/claudia-sheinbaum">President Claudia Sheinbaum</a>&nbsp;said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump proposed sending American troops into Mexico to help her administration fight drug trafficking but that she rejected it.Her remarks to supporters in eastern Mexico came in response to a Wall Street Journal article published the day before, describing a tense phone call last month in which Trump reportedly pressured her to accept a bigger role for the U.S. military in combating drug cartels in Mexico.“He said, ‘How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the United States military come in and help you.’ And you know what I said to him? ‘No, President Trump.'"She added: “Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended."White House National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said in a statement later Saturday that Trump has worked closely with Mexico's president “to achieve the most secure southwest border in history.”“Dangerous Foreign Terrorist Organizations, however, continue to threaten our shared security and the drugs and crime they spread threaten American communities across the country,” the statement said. "The President has been crystal clear that Mexico must do more do combat these gangs and cartels and the United States stands ready to assist and expand the already close cooperation between our two countries.”The U.S. military presence has increased steadily along its southern border with Mexico in recent months, following Trump’s order in January to increase the army's role in stemming the flow of migrants.The U.S. Northern Command has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-troops-border-trump-eb2dbf0bc15397a195033583c15df943">surged troops and equipment to the border</a>, increased manned surveillance flights to monitor fentanyl trafficking along the border and sought expanded authority for U.S. Special Forces to work closely with Mexican forces conducting operations against cartels.Trump designated many of the gangs and cartels smuggling drugs into the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">as foreign terrorist organizations on Feb. 19,</a>&nbsp;restricting their movements and lending law enforcement more resources to act against them.But Sheinbaum’s hardline stance Saturday signaled that U.S. pressure for unilateral military intervention would put her and Trump on a collision course&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-sheinbaum-trudeau-017efa8c3343b8d2a9444f7e65356ae9">after months of cooperation</a>&nbsp;on immigration and trade.“We can work together, but you in your territory and us in ours,” Sheinbaum said.

Mexico's president rejects Trump's plan to send US troops across the border

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 2 p.m. April 30, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop at milepost 158 on Interstate 35 for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During the stop, the deputy found illegal narcotics.

Malaysia Brown, 31, of St. Louis, Missouri, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, Criminal possession of a weapon; felon in possession of a firearm and&nbsp;Driving while license revoked.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745974021607.png" alt="Brown-photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Brown-photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 2 p.m. April 30, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop at milepost 158 on Interstate 35 for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During the stop, the deputy found illegal narcotics.Malaysia Brown, 31, of St. Louis, Missouri, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, Criminal possession of a weapon; felon in possession of a firearm and&nbsp;Driving while license revoked.

Missouri woman was attempting to sell cocaine in Kansas

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faces charges for fatal shooting that took place earlier this year.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2605/KCottonham-COMPLAINTREDACTED">Kaveon Cottonham</a>, a SAVE KC client, faces 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in prison.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2604/KCottonham-PCREDACTED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to the 8700 block of East 63rd Street on Jan. 14 on a reported shooting and found the Cottonham t lying on the pavement suffering from trauma. He was transported to an area hospital. A witness said the shooting occurred at an apartment near the 6400 block of Manchester Avenue.&nbsp;

When officers arrived at the apartment, they found the victim suffering from apparent trauma in a bedroom. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Detectives determined based on surveillance footage and witness reports that Cottonham was in the apartment bedroom, striking the victim in the head, causing him to lose consciousness. 

A witness attempted to pull Cottonham off the victim but was unable to do so. Cottonham pulled a gun from the victim’s waistband and fired it into the victim’s face and then pointed the gun at the witness. The witness then fired at the Cottonham. who was struck by gunfire and left the scene as the witness attempted to render aid to the victim.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746308024297.png" alt="COTTONHAM-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>COTTONHAM-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faces charges for fatal shooting that took place earlier this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2605/KCottonham-COMPLAINTREDACTED">Kaveon Cottonham</a>, a SAVE KC client, faces 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in prison.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2604/KCottonham-PCREDACTED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to the 8700 block of East 63rd Street on Jan. 14 on a reported shooting and found the Cottonham t lying on the pavement suffering from trauma. He was transported to an area hospital. A witness said the shooting occurred at an apartment near the 6400 block of Manchester Avenue.&nbsp;When officers arrived at the apartment, they found the victim suffering from apparent trauma in a bedroom. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Detectives determined based on surveillance footage and witness reports that Cottonham was in the apartment bedroom, striking the victim in the head, causing him to lose consciousness. A witness attempted to pull Cottonham off the victim but was unable to do so. Cottonham pulled a gun from the victim’s waistband and fired it into the victim’s face and then pointed the gun at the witness. The witness then fired at the Cottonham. who was struck by gunfire and left the scene as the witness attempted to render aid to the victim.&nbsp;

KC murder suspect wounded in violent bedroom fight

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/warren-buffett">Revered investor Warren Buffett</a>&nbsp;shocked an arena full of his shareholders Saturday by announcing that he wants to retire at the end of the year.

Buffett said he will recommend to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-shareholders-annual-meeting-c48c85fc5e1aa24f5dd64b271e57ab2e">Berkshire Hathaway’s board</a>&nbsp;on Sunday that Vice Chairman Greg Abel should replace him.

“I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the chief executive officer of the company at year end,” Buffett said.

Abel has been Buffett's designated successor for years, and he already manages all of Berkshire's noninsurance businesses. But it was always assumed that he would not take over until after Buffett's death. Previously the 94-year-old Buffett always said he had no plans to retire.

Buffett announced the news at the end of a five-hour question and answer period without taking any questions about it. He said the only board members who knew this was coming were his two children, Howard and Susie Buffett. Abel, who was sitting next to Buffett on stage, had no warning.

Abel returned an hour later without Buffett to conduct the company's formal business meeting, and he responded to the news.

“I just want to say I couldn’t be more humbled and honored to be part of Berkshire as we go forward,” Abel said.

Many investors have said they believe Abel will do a good job running Berkshire, but it remains to be seen how good he will be at investing Berkshire's cash. Buffett endorsed him Saturday by pledging to keep his fortune invested in the company.

“I have no intention — zero — of selling one share of Berkshire Hathaway. I will give it away eventually,” Buffett said. “The decision to keep every share is an economic decision because I think the prospects of Berkshire will be better under Greg’s management than mine.”

Thousands of investors in the Omaha arena gave Buffett a prolonged standing ovation after his announcement in recognition of his 60 years leading the company.

CFRA research analyst Cathy Seifert said it had to be hard for Buffett to reach this decision to step down.

“This was probably a very tough decision for him, but better to leave on your own terms,” Seifert said. “I think there will be an effort at maintaining a ‘business as usual’ environment at Berkshire. That is still to be determined.”

In many respects, Abel has already been running much of the company for years. But he hasn't been managing Berkshire's insurance operations or deciding where to invest all of its cash. He will now take those tasks on, but Vice Chairman Ajit Jain will remain to help oversee the insurance companies.

Investment manager Omar Malik of Hosking Partners in London said before Buffett’s announcement that he wasn’t worried about Berkshire’s future under Abel.

“Not really (worried). He’s had such a long time alongside Warren and a chance to know the businesses,” Malik said about Abel. "The question is will he allocate capital as dynamically as Warren? And the answer is no. But I think he’ll do a fine job with the support of the others.”

Cole Smead of Smead Capital Management said he wasn't surprised Buffett is stepping down after watching him Saturday because the 94-year-old wasn't as sharp as in past years. At one point, he made a basic math mistake in one of his answers. At other points, he got off track while telling stories about Berkshire and his investing without answering the question he was asked.

Abel is well regarded by Berkshire's managers and Buffett has praised his business acumen for years. But he will have a hard time matching Buffett's legendary performance, and since he doesn't control 30% of Berkshire's stock like Buffett does, he won't have as much leeway.

“I think the challenge he’s going to have is if anyone is going to give him Buffett or (former Vice Chairman Charlie) Munger’s pass card? Not a chance in God’s name," Smead said. Buffett always enjoyed a devoted following among shareholders.

Buffett has said that Abel might even be a more hands-on manager than he is and get more out of Berkshire’s companies. Managers within the company say they have to be well prepared before talking to Abel because they know he will ask tough questions.

Steven Check, president of Check Capital Management, said he never thought he would see Buffett retire.

“I didn't think he would retire while his mind is still working so well, nor did I think it'd happen at the annual meeting,” Check said. “But overall I'm very happy for him.”

Buffett earlier warned that Trump's tariffs were harmful

Earlier Saturday, Buffett warned of dire global consequences from President Donald Trump's tariffs while telling the thousands of investors gathered at his annual meeting that “trade should not be a weapon” but "there's no question that trade can be an act of war.”

Buffett said Trump's trade policies have raised the risk of global instability by angering the rest of the world.

“It’s a big mistake in my view when you have 7.5 billion people who don’t like you very well, and you have 300 million who are crowing about how they have done,” Buffett said as he addressed the topic on everyone's mind at the start of the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.

While Buffett said it is best for trade to be balanced between countries, he doesn't think Trump is going about it the right way with his widespread tariffs. He said the world will be safer if more countries are prosperous.

Market turmoil doesn't create big opportunities

Buffett said he just doesn't see many attractively priced investments that he understands these days, so Berkshire is sitting on $347.7 billion in cash, but he predicted that one day Berkshire will be “bombarded with opportunities that we will be glad we have the cash for.”

Buffett said the recent turmoil in the markets that generated headlines after Trump's tariff announcement last month “is really nothing.” He dismissed the recent drop as relatively small. He cited when the Dow Jones industrial average went from 240 on the day he was born in 1930 down to 41 during the Great Depression as a truly significant drop in the markets. Currently the Dow Jones Industrial Average sits at 41,317.43.

“This has not been a dramatic bear market or anything of the sort," he said.

Buffett said he hasn't bought back any of Berkshire's shares this year either because they don't seem to be a bargain either.

Investor Chris Bloomstran, who is president of Semper Augustus Investments Group, told the Gabelli investment conference Friday that a financial crisis might be the best thing for Berkshire because it would create opportunities to invest at attractive prices.

“Berkshire needs a crisis. I mean Berkshire thrives in crisis,” Bloomstran said.

The meeting attracts some 40,000 people every year who want to hear from Buffett, including some celebrities and well-known investors. This year, Hillary Rodham Clinton also attended. Clinton was the last candidate Buffett backed publicly because he has shied away from politics and any controversial topic in recent years for fear of hurting Berkshire’s businesses.

One investor even camped outside the arena overnight to be first in line.

Devan Bisher, 72, said he has faith in Berkshire's future and does not plan to sell the stock he started buying in the 1980s.

“It’s been a good train to ride,” Bisher said, “and I’m going to stay with it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746305876140.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/warren-buffett">Revered investor Warren Buffett</a>&nbsp;shocked an arena full of his shareholders Saturday by announcing that he wants to retire at the end of the year.Buffett said he will recommend to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-shareholders-annual-meeting-c48c85fc5e1aa24f5dd64b271e57ab2e">Berkshire Hathaway’s board</a>&nbsp;on Sunday that Vice Chairman Greg Abel should replace him.“I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the chief executive officer of the company at year end,” Buffett said.Abel has been Buffett's designated successor for years, and he already manages all of Berkshire's noninsurance businesses. But it was always assumed that he would not take over until after Buffett's death. Previously the 94-year-old Buffett always said he had no plans to retire.Buffett announced the news at the end of a five-hour question and answer period without taking any questions about it. He said the only board members who knew this was coming were his two children, Howard and Susie Buffett. Abel, who was sitting next to Buffett on stage, had no warning.Abel returned an hour later without Buffett to conduct the company's formal business meeting, and he responded to the news.“I just want to say I couldn’t be more humbled and honored to be part of Berkshire as we go forward,” Abel said.Many investors have said they believe Abel will do a good job running Berkshire, but it remains to be seen how good he will be at investing Berkshire's cash. Buffett endorsed him Saturday by pledging to keep his fortune invested in the company.“I have no intention — zero — of selling one share of Berkshire Hathaway. I will give it away eventually,” Buffett said. “The decision to keep every share is an economic decision because I think the prospects of Berkshire will be better under Greg’s management than mine.”Thousands of investors in the Omaha arena gave Buffett a prolonged standing ovation after his announcement in recognition of his 60 years leading the company.CFRA research analyst Cathy Seifert said it had to be hard for Buffett to reach this decision to step down.“This was probably a very tough decision for him, but better to leave on your own terms,” Seifert said. “I think there will be an effort at maintaining a ‘business as usual’ environment at Berkshire. That is still to be determined.”<h2>Abel expected to do well</h2>In many respects, Abel has already been running much of the company for years. But he hasn't been managing Berkshire's insurance operations or deciding where to invest all of its cash. He will now take those tasks on, but Vice Chairman Ajit Jain will remain to help oversee the insurance companies.Investment manager Omar Malik of Hosking Partners in London said before Buffett’s announcement that he wasn’t worried about Berkshire’s future under Abel.“Not really (worried). He’s had such a long time alongside Warren and a chance to know the businesses,” Malik said about Abel. "The question is will he allocate capital as dynamically as Warren? And the answer is no. But I think he’ll do a fine job with the support of the others.”Cole Smead of Smead Capital Management said he wasn't surprised Buffett is stepping down after watching him Saturday because the 94-year-old wasn't as sharp as in past years. At one point, he made a basic math mistake in one of his answers. At other points, he got off track while telling stories about Berkshire and his investing without answering the question he was asked.Abel is well regarded by Berkshire's managers and Buffett has praised his business acumen for years. But he will have a hard time matching Buffett's legendary performance, and since he doesn't control 30% of Berkshire's stock like Buffett does, he won't have as much leeway.“I think the challenge he’s going to have is if anyone is going to give him Buffett or (former Vice Chairman Charlie) Munger’s pass card? Not a chance in God’s name," Smead said. Buffett always enjoyed a devoted following among shareholders.Buffett has said that Abel might even be a more hands-on manager than he is and get more out of Berkshire’s companies. Managers within the company say they have to be well prepared before talking to Abel because they know he will ask tough questions.Steven Check, president of Check Capital Management, said he never thought he would see Buffett retire.“I didn't think he would retire while his mind is still working so well, nor did I think it'd happen at the annual meeting,” Check said. “But overall I'm very happy for him.”<h2>Buffett earlier warned that Trump's tariffs were harmful</h2>Earlier Saturday, Buffett warned of dire global consequences from President Donald Trump's tariffs while telling the thousands of investors gathered at his annual meeting that “trade should not be a weapon” but "there's no question that trade can be an act of war.”Buffett said Trump's trade policies have raised the risk of global instability by angering the rest of the world.“It’s a big mistake in my view when you have 7.5 billion people who don’t like you very well, and you have 300 million who are crowing about how they have done,” Buffett said as he addressed the topic on everyone's mind at the start of the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.While Buffett said it is best for trade to be balanced between countries, he doesn't think Trump is going about it the right way with his widespread tariffs. He said the world will be safer if more countries are prosperous.<h2>Market turmoil doesn't create big opportunities</h2>Buffett said he just doesn't see many attractively priced investments that he understands these days, so Berkshire is sitting on $347.7 billion in cash, but he predicted that one day Berkshire will be “bombarded with opportunities that we will be glad we have the cash for.”Buffett said the recent turmoil in the markets that generated headlines after Trump's tariff announcement last month “is really nothing.” He dismissed the recent drop as relatively small. He cited when the Dow Jones industrial average went from 240 on the day he was born in 1930 down to 41 during the Great Depression as a truly significant drop in the markets. Currently the Dow Jones Industrial Average sits at 41,317.43.“This has not been a dramatic bear market or anything of the sort," he said.Buffett said he hasn't bought back any of Berkshire's shares this year either because they don't seem to be a bargain either.Investor Chris Bloomstran, who is president of Semper Augustus Investments Group, told the Gabelli investment conference Friday that a financial crisis might be the best thing for Berkshire because it would create opportunities to invest at attractive prices.“Berkshire needs a crisis. I mean Berkshire thrives in crisis,” Bloomstran said.<h2>Berkshire meeting attracts thousands</h2>The meeting attracts some 40,000 people every year who want to hear from Buffett, including some celebrities and well-known investors. This year, Hillary Rodham Clinton also attended. Clinton was the last candidate Buffett backed publicly because he has shied away from politics and any controversial topic in recent years for fear of hurting Berkshire’s businesses.One investor even camped outside the arena overnight to be first in line.Devan Bisher, 72, said he has faith in Berkshire's future and does not plan to sell the stock he started buying in the 1980s.“It’s been a good train to ride,” Bisher said, “and I’m going to stay with it.”

Warren Buffett shocks shareholders, announces retirement 

NEW YORK (AP) — More U.S. children have died this flu season than at any time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, according to a federal report released Friday.

The 216 pediatric deaths&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-17.html">reported</a>&nbsp;by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported last year. It's the most since the 2009-2010 H1N1 global flu pandemic.

It's a startlingly high number, given that the flu season is still going on. The final pediatric death tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn't counted until autumn.

“This number that we have now is almost certainly an undercount, and one that — when the season is declared over, and they compile all the data — it's almost certain to go up,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There are likely several contributors to this season's severity, but a big one is that fewer children are getting flu shots, added O'Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist.

The flu vaccination rate for U.S. children has plummeted from about 64% five years ago to 49% this season.

Flu vaccinations may not prevent people from coming down with symptoms, but research shows they are highly effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, O'Leary said.

The season has not only been hard on children. CDC officials have described it as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-flu-season-cdc-a640e8fe0bffa4a8f6bdbd7ea8e5608a">highly severe</a>,” and estimate that so far there have been at least 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746207181552.png" alt="CDC flu map in Mid February 2025" />
 <figcaption>CDC flu map in Mid February 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — More U.S. children have died this flu season than at any time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, according to a federal report released Friday.The 216 pediatric deaths&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-17.html">reported</a>&nbsp;by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported last year. It's the most since the 2009-2010 H1N1 global flu pandemic.It's a startlingly high number, given that the flu season is still going on. The final pediatric death tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn't counted until autumn.“This number that we have now is almost certainly an undercount, and one that — when the season is declared over, and they compile all the data — it's almost certain to go up,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.There are likely several contributors to this season's severity, but a big one is that fewer children are getting flu shots, added O'Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist.The flu vaccination rate for U.S. children has plummeted from about 64% five years ago to 49% this season.Flu vaccinations may not prevent people from coming down with symptoms, but research shows they are highly effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, O'Leary said.The season has not only been hard on children. CDC officials have described it as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-flu-season-cdc-a640e8fe0bffa4a8f6bdbd7ea8e5608a">highly severe</a>,” and estimate that so far there have been at least 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths this season.CDC officials have information about underlying conditions on nearly 5,200 adults who were hospitalized with flu this season, and 95% had at least one existing health problem. But among 2,000 hospitalized children with more detailed health information, only about 53% had an underlying condition — including asthma and obesity.The CDC report did not say how many of the children who died were vaccinated. The agency did not make an expert available to talk about the flu season.The good news is that flu indicators have been waning since February, and last week all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/usmap.html">50 states</a>&nbsp;were reporting low or minimal flu activity.The season has seen more of a mix of flu strain circulating than in many other years, with two different Type A strains — H1N1 and H3N2 — causing a lot of infections. But CDC data released earlier this year suggested flu shots were doing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flu-vaccine-shots-kids-brain-complication-af4d9e28952f89f260fb0848ebe80626">a pretty good job</a>&nbsp;at preventing deaths and hospitalizations.The CDC continues to recommend that everyone ages 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.Childhood vaccinations in general have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccinations-kindergarten-exemptions-cdc-1c0f9a196a70491fccf48b9125090de0">declining</a>, driven by online misinformation and the political schism that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also echoed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-measles-vaccine-rhetoric-19552867102b19e6df3ff14ed5030263">some of the rhetoric</a>&nbsp;of antivaccine activists since taking over as the nation's health secretary.But there may be other reasons fewer children got flu shots this year, O'Leary said.Many pediatricians offices are understaffed and are not holding as many after-hours vaccination clinics as in the past. Also, more Americans are getting their vaccinations at pharmacies, but some drugstores don’t vaccinate children, he said.”My hope is that this season will be a bit of wake up call for folks that we actually do need to vaccinate our kids against influenza,” O’Leary said.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.