OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons allegations.

Just after 10 p.m. March 1, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on U.S 75 Highway, near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During the stop, deputies found narcotics and a firearm.&nbsp; The driver of the vehicle and a passenger were taken into custody. The driver Blake A. Coffman, 39, of Topeka is being held on requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia and Defacing Identification Marks on a Firearm.

Jessica R. Castle, 31, of Topeka is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of Methamphetamin and Possession of Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677796280245.png" alt="Coffman-photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Coffman-photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons allegations.Just after 10 p.m. March 1, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on U.S 75 Highway, near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677796327594.png" alt="Castle-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Castle-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>During the stop, deputies found narcotics and a firearm.&nbsp; The driver of the vehicle and a passenger were taken into custody. The driver Blake A. Coffman, 39, of Topeka is being held on requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia and Defacing Identification Marks on a Firearm.Jessica R. Castle, 31, of Topeka is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of Methamphetamin and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Kansas man accused of defacing ID marks on firearm

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police officers involved in a violent incident on New Year's Eve at&nbsp; Roller City in the 3200 block of S. Meridian in Wichita will not face charges, according to Sedgwick County District attorney Mark Bennett.&nbsp; The investigation determined the officer involved was acting in self defense and is immune from prosecution, Bennett reported in a Friday news conference.

<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://KAKE.images.worldnow.com/library/e48d1cce-d9a1-4b3f-93ff-91f5c5d9fc4a.pdf">Click here to read the </a>District Attorney's report

According to Wichita Police, management at the rink reported a 15-year-old girl had become upset and threatened staff at the business. Officers, working an off-duty job at the business, asked the girl to collect her belongings and leave. Still, she continued yelling threats toward employees and officers and refused to leave as a crowd gathered inside the business.

Officers repeatedly asked the girl to leave the business, and she attempted to strike an officer but missed. The officer then tried to take her into custody, and a physical altercation ensued.

During the altercation, as another officer assisted with attempting to take her into custody, a 16-year-old boy intervened by striking the second officer in the back of the head.

That officer then attempted to take the 16-year-old into custody, which resulted in an additional physical altercation. Officers requested additional patrol units to respond.

The 15-year-old and 16-year-old were both taken into custody and transported to Juvenile intake and assessment center.

The 15-year-old was booked on a requested charge of assault and one count of battery of a law enforcement officer, and one ordinance violation for aggressive and harassing contact. The 16- year-old was booked on a requested charge of battery of a law enforcement officer and two counts of obstruction, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

The Wichita Police Department is conducting a separate investigation of the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672660262307.png" alt="Image of the altercation from a video posted online" />
 <figcaption>Image of the altercation from a video posted online</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police officers involved in a violent incident on New Year's Eve at&nbsp; Roller City in the 3200 block of S. Meridian in Wichita will not face charges, according to Sedgwick County District attorney Mark Bennett.&nbsp; The investigation determined the officer involved was acting in self defense and is immune from prosecution, Bennett reported in a Friday news conference.<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://KAKE.images.worldnow.com/library/e48d1cce-d9a1-4b3f-93ff-91f5c5d9fc4a.pdf">Click here to read the </a>District Attorney's reportAccording to Wichita Police, management at the rink reported a 15-year-old girl had become upset and threatened staff at the business. Officers, working an off-duty job at the business, asked the girl to collect her belongings and leave. Still, she continued yelling threats toward employees and officers and refused to leave as a crowd gathered inside the business.Officers repeatedly asked the girl to leave the business, and she attempted to strike an officer but missed. The officer then tried to take her into custody, and a physical altercation ensued.During the altercation, as another officer assisted with attempting to take her into custody, a 16-year-old boy intervened by striking the second officer in the back of the head.That officer then attempted to take the 16-year-old into custody, which resulted in an additional physical altercation. Officers requested additional patrol units to respond.The 15-year-old and 16-year-old were both taken into custody and transported to Juvenile intake and assessment center.The 15-year-old was booked on a requested charge of assault and one count of battery of a law enforcement officer, and one ordinance violation for aggressive and harassing contact. The 16- year-old was booked on a requested charge of battery of a law enforcement officer and two counts of obstruction, according to Officer Trevor Macy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Wichita! If you have any information on the incident that occurred at Roller City on New Year&#39;s Eve please contact the Sedgwick County Sheriff&#39;s Officer at 316-660-5300.&mdash; Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaPolice/status/1611070155702038529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Wichita Police Department is conducting a separate investigation of the incident.------------

No charges for Kan. officers in New Year's Eve brawl with teen

WASHINGTON (AP) — COVID-19's origins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-politics-us-department-of-energy-john-kirby-covid-4405605d5671af65df87cf1af314148a">remain hazy</a>. Three years after the start of the pandemic, it's still unclear whether the coronavirus that causes the disease leaked from a lab or spread to humans from an animal.

This much is known: When it comes to COVID-19 misinformation, any new report on the virus' origin quickly triggers a relapse and a return of misleading claims about the virus, vaccines and masks that have reverberated since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">the pandemic began</a>.

It happened again this week after the Energy Department confirmed that a classified report determined, with low confidence, that the virus escaped from a lab. Within hours, online mentions of conspiracy theories involving COVID-19 began to rise, with many commenters saying the classified report was proof they were right all along.

Far from definitive, the Energy Department's report is the latest of many attempts by scientists and officials to identify the origin of the virus, which has now killed nearly 7 million people after being first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

The report has not been made public, and officials in Washington stressed that a variety of U.S. agencies are not in agreement on the origin. On Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News that the FBI “has for quite some time now” assessed that the pandemic’s origins are “most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.”

But others in the U.S. intelligence community disagree, and there's no consensus. Many scientists believe the likeliest explanation is that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 jumped from animals to humans, possibly at Wuhan's Huanan market, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investigation-covid-origins-wuhan-lab-nature-850b7a6ee1005596bb0f8b2bc6b79dd5">scenario backed up</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-china-pandemics-bcbe39293f5c041f82665f55c39062c1">multiple studies</a>&nbsp;and reports. The World Health Organization has said that while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-report-animals-source-covid-19-coronavirus-8a839c179c330c56fa46a763b7286a7f">an animal origin remains most likely</a>, the possibility of a lab leak must be investigated further before it can be ruled out.

People should be open-minded about the evidence used in the Energy Department's assessment, according to virologist Angela Rasmussen. But she said that without evaluating the classified report, she can't assess if it's persuasive enough to challenge the conclusion that the virus spread from an animal.

“The vast majority of the evidence continues to support natural origin,” Rasmussen told The Associated Press Wednesday. “I’m a scientist. I need to see the evidence rather than take the FBI director’s word for it.”

Many of those citing the report as proof, however, seemed uninterested in the details. They seized on the report and said it suggests the experts were wrong when it came to masks and vaccines, too.

“School closures were a failed &amp; catastrophic policy. Masks are ineffective. And harmful,” said a tweet that's been read nearly 300,000 times since Sunday. “COVID came from a lab. Everything we skeptics said was true.”

Overall mentions of COVID-19 began to rise after The Wall Street Journal published a story about the Energy Department report on Sunday. Since then, mentions of various COVID-related conspiracy theories have soared, according to an analysis conducted by Zignal Labs, a San Francisco-based media intelligence firm, and shared with The Associated Press.

While the lab leak theory has bounced around the internet since the pandemic began, references to it soared 100,000% in the 48 hours after the Energy Department report was revealed, according to Zignal's analysis, which combed through social media, blogs and other sites.

Many of the conspiracy theories contradict each other and the findings in the Energy Department report. In a tweet on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, called COVID-19 a “man made bioweapon from China.” A follower quickly challenged her: “It was made in Ukraine,” he responded.

With so many questions remaining about a world event that has claimed so many lives and upended even more, it's not at all surprising that COVID-19 is still capable of generating so much anger and misinformation, according to Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a Washington-based organization that has tracked government propaganda about COVID-19.

“The pandemic was so incredibly disruptive to everyone. The intensity of feelings about COVID, I don't think that's going to go away," Schafer said. "And any time something new comes along, it breathes new life into these grievances and frustrations, real or imagined."

Chinese government officials have in the past used their social media accounts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conspiracy-theories-iran-only-on-ap-media-misinformation-bfca6d5b236a29d61c4dd38702495ffe">amplify anti-U.S. conspiracy theories</a>, including some that suggested the U.S. created the COVID-19 virus and framed its release on China.

So far, they've taken a quieter approach to the Energy Department report. In their official response, China's government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-covid-origins-lab-leak-bc0a2eda898c22219e57921ac700d4ec">dismissed the agency's assessment</a>&nbsp;as an effort to politicize the pandemic. Online, Beijing's sprawling propaganda and disinformation network was largely silent, with just a few posts criticizing or mocking the report.

“BREAKING," a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-tiktok-facebook-influencers-propaganda-81388bca676c560e02a1b493ea9d6760">pro-China YouTuber</a>&nbsp;wrote on Twitter. “I can now announce, with ‘low confidence,’ that the COVID pandemic began as a leak from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-steve-bannon-politics-united-states-government-robert-hunter-d20948db8967e21024059f38cde5e94c">Hunter Biden’s laptop</a>.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — COVID-19's origins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-politics-us-department-of-energy-john-kirby-covid-4405605d5671af65df87cf1af314148a">remain hazy</a>. Three years after the start of the pandemic, it's still unclear whether the coronavirus that causes the disease leaked from a lab or spread to humans from an animal.This much is known: When it comes to COVID-19 misinformation, any new report on the virus' origin quickly triggers a relapse and a return of misleading claims about the virus, vaccines and masks that have reverberated since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">the pandemic began</a>.It happened again this week after the Energy Department confirmed that a classified report determined, with low confidence, that the virus escaped from a lab. Within hours, online mentions of conspiracy theories involving COVID-19 began to rise, with many commenters saying the classified report was proof they were right all along.Far from definitive, the Energy Department's report is the latest of many attempts by scientists and officials to identify the origin of the virus, which has now killed nearly 7 million people after being first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.The report has not been made public, and officials in Washington stressed that a variety of U.S. agencies are not in agreement on the origin. On Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News that the FBI “has for quite some time now” assessed that the pandemic’s origins are “most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.”But others in the U.S. intelligence community disagree, and there's no consensus. Many scientists believe the likeliest explanation is that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 jumped from animals to humans, possibly at Wuhan's Huanan market, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investigation-covid-origins-wuhan-lab-nature-850b7a6ee1005596bb0f8b2bc6b79dd5">scenario backed up</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-china-pandemics-bcbe39293f5c041f82665f55c39062c1">multiple studies</a>&nbsp;and reports. The World Health Organization has said that while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-report-animals-source-covid-19-coronavirus-8a839c179c330c56fa46a763b7286a7f">an animal origin remains most likely</a>, the possibility of a lab leak must be investigated further before it can be ruled out.People should be open-minded about the evidence used in the Energy Department's assessment, according to virologist Angela Rasmussen. But she said that without evaluating the classified report, she can't assess if it's persuasive enough to challenge the conclusion that the virus spread from an animal.“The vast majority of the evidence continues to support natural origin,” Rasmussen told The Associated Press Wednesday. “I’m a scientist. I need to see the evidence rather than take the FBI director’s word for it.”Many of those citing the report as proof, however, seemed uninterested in the details. They seized on the report and said it suggests the experts were wrong when it came to masks and vaccines, too.“School closures were a failed &amp; catastrophic policy. Masks are ineffective. And harmful,” said a tweet that's been read nearly 300,000 times since Sunday. “COVID came from a lab. Everything we skeptics said was true.”Overall mentions of COVID-19 began to rise after The Wall Street Journal published a story about the Energy Department report on Sunday. Since then, mentions of various COVID-related conspiracy theories have soared, according to an analysis conducted by Zignal Labs, a San Francisco-based media intelligence firm, and shared with The Associated Press.While the lab leak theory has bounced around the internet since the pandemic began, references to it soared 100,000% in the 48 hours after the Energy Department report was revealed, according to Zignal's analysis, which combed through social media, blogs and other sites.Many of the conspiracy theories contradict each other and the findings in the Energy Department report. In a tweet on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, called COVID-19 a “man made bioweapon from China.” A follower quickly challenged her: “It was made in Ukraine,” he responded.With so many questions remaining about a world event that has claimed so many lives and upended even more, it's not at all surprising that COVID-19 is still capable of generating so much anger and misinformation, according to Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a Washington-based organization that has tracked government propaganda about COVID-19.“The pandemic was so incredibly disruptive to everyone. The intensity of feelings about COVID, I don't think that's going to go away," Schafer said. "And any time something new comes along, it breathes new life into these grievances and frustrations, real or imagined."Chinese government officials have in the past used their social media accounts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conspiracy-theories-iran-only-on-ap-media-misinformation-bfca6d5b236a29d61c4dd38702495ffe">amplify anti-U.S. conspiracy theories</a>, including some that suggested the U.S. created the COVID-19 virus and framed its release on China.So far, they've taken a quieter approach to the Energy Department report. In their official response, China's government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-covid-origins-lab-leak-bc0a2eda898c22219e57921ac700d4ec">dismissed the agency's assessment</a>&nbsp;as an effort to politicize the pandemic. Online, Beijing's sprawling propaganda and disinformation network was largely silent, with just a few posts criticizing or mocking the report.“BREAKING," a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-tiktok-facebook-influencers-propaganda-81388bca676c560e02a1b493ea9d6760">pro-China YouTuber</a>&nbsp;wrote on Twitter. “I can now announce, with ‘low confidence,’ that the COVID pandemic began as a leak from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-steve-bannon-politics-united-states-government-robert-hunter-d20948db8967e21024059f38cde5e94c">Hunter Biden’s laptop</a>.”

COVID-19 conspiracies soar after latest report on origins

NEW YORK (AP) — The patients' eyes were painfully inflamed. They could sense light but could see almost nothing else. A doctor called one case the worst eye infection he’d ever seen.

It was the beginning of a national outbreak caused by an extremely worrisome bacteria — one that some say heralds an era in which antibiotics no longer work and seemingly routine infections get horribly out of hand.

At last count, 58 Americans in 13 states have been infected, including at least one who died and at least five who suffered permanent vision loss. All have been linked to tainted eyedrops, leading to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-business-health-4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">recall</a>.

Experts marvel at how disease detectives pieced together the case: Patients were scattered across the country. The illnesses occurred over the span of months. The infections were found in different parts of the body — in the blood of some patients, in the lungs of others.

But scientists also shudder, because they have long worried common bacteria will evolve so that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-infectious-diseases-antibiotics-fungi-2c661fd0c6ed899bedc51238d390603a">antibiotics no longer work against them</a>.

"This really shows us that it's not something theoretical and in the future. It's here,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

This account is drawn from phone and email interviews with U.S. disease investigators, health officials in three states and regulators in the U.S. and India.

The investigation started in May in Los Angeles County, California. A patient who'd recently been to an ophthalmologist came in with a bad eye infection. A month later, local health officials got a second report. Another bad eye infection, same eye doctor.

Two more cases were reported in the county before the summer was over. The patients’ eyes were inflamed with heavy yellow pus that obscured most of the pupil. Among the four, two had complete vision loss in the affected eye.

The hospital that reported the first infection determined it was caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The institution, which was equipped to do advanced genetic testing, quickly realized the bacteria had a rare gene that protected it from the effects of commonly used antibiotics.

It was an early break for investigators, said Kelsey OYong, of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

OYong and her colleagues knew they were dealing with a scary germ, and they notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pseudomonas infections are not new. Drug-resistant strains of the bacteria cause more than 30,000 infections annually among hospitalized patients in the U.S. and more than 2,500 deaths, the CDC said. It can spread through contaminated hands or medical equipment, and is particularly dangerous to fragile patients who have catheters or are on breathing machines.

But the California infections were in patients' eyes, not more common spots like the blood and lungs. Also, the lab analysis determined the infections were caused by a Pseudomonas germ that could resist just about every antibiotic.

The only thing that worked was a newer antibiotic called cefiderocol, administered by IV.

Over the summer, Pseudomonas outbreaks were seen at long-term care facilities in two other states.

In Connecticut, the first case was in June. Eventually, the bacteria was found in 25 patients from five nursing homes in different parts of the state, said Christopher Boyle, a spokesperson for Connecticut’s health department.

In Davis County, Utah, north of Salt Lake City, the first of six cases was reported to the CDC in August. While the patients had the bacteria, none actually got sick, said Sarah Willardson of the Davis County Health Department.

L.A. County health investigators thought the cases there might be due to some kind of equipment contamination at the eye doctor’s office.

But that suspicion faded in early October, when genetic testing showed the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah were all caused by the same bacteria strain — a version of the germ that hadn’t been seen anywhere before.

“That made us start thinking that this was some kind of a product,” said Maroya Walters, the CDC official supervising the investigation.

As the year went on, other reports of drug-resistant Pseudomonas came in, including a Washington man who died with a bloodstream infection.

Given the initial cluster at the California ophthalmologist’s office, investigators suspected an eye care product was the culprit, though that hypothesis was complicated by the fact that the infections at the long-term care facilities were mainly found in the lungs.

But it wasn’t impossible. Tear ducts drain into the nasal cavity, which leads to the lungs and could provide a path to deep inside the body.

In early November, investigators determined most of the infected Connecticut patients had been given artificial tears, though it wasn't clear who had been given which brand.

Then, on Nov. 9, a Florida hospital contacted the CDC to report bad eye infections connected to an outpatient clinic. A check of artificial tears brands used in Connecticut, Florida and Utah pointed to one common product: EzriCare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter product marketed in the U.S. by New Jersey-based EzriCare LLC and made in India by Global Pharma Healthcare.

The Pseudomonas bacteria is “pretty much everywhere” in India and the drug-resistant germ is common in many hospitals, said Dr. Gagandeep Kang, who studies microbes in the Christian Medical College in the same state as Global Pharma's factory.

In January, genetic sequencing confirmed the Florida cases were caused by the same bacteria strain as the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah. On Jan. 20, the CDC urged doctors to avoid recommending the EzriCare product.

There was no recall or widespread public notice, however. Investigators had strong circumstantial evidence pointing toward the EzriCare drops, but didn’t get more conclusive proof until more than a week later after testing found the bacteria in seven open bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears in Connecticut and New Jersey.

In early February, CDC officials issued a public health alert and the FDA recalled the EzriCare eyedrops and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, another product made by Global Pharma. Last week, the recall was expanded to include Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment.

Global Pharma didn't respond to emailed requests for comment.

A month before the first recall, the FDA blocked imports of Global Pharma products.

FDA spokesperson Audra Harrison said the U.S. import ban was “unrelated to the outbreak," and was instead based on the company’s “inadequate response” to a records request and problems with its manufacturing procedures. She wouldn't say what those problems were.

The subsequent recall, she said, was recommended due to lack of microbial testing and issues with the product’s formulation and packaging.

The FDA, tasked with assuring the safety of drug products shipped to the U.S., has long struggled to inspect facilities in China and India that account for the vast majority of raw materials used in American medicines. A search of FDA’s online inspection database shows no records of agency staff visiting the plant.

Indian drug inspectors visited the plant and the country's drug controller asked Global Pharma to stop making all products related to treating eye disorders until they finish their investigation, said P.V. Vijayalakshmi, the drug controller for southern Tamil Nadu state.

Ostrosky, the University of Texas expert, called the U.S. investigation “a public health victory” saying it shows that fighting drug-resistant bacteria requires international collaboration and investment. But he also said the case is disheartening.

An infection that's usually easy to treat with common antibiotic eyedrops "has become an infection that can be deadly and has pretty much no treatment except one IV antibiotic,” he said.

Pseudomonas now joins a growing list of bugs — including bacteria that cause urinary tract infections — that are getting increasingly difficult to treat, Ostrosky added.

“It's like a wave coming for us," he said.

AP writers Matthew Perrone in Washington and Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi contributed.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675357768410.png" alt="photo Ezri care" />
 <figcaption>photo Ezri care</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical WriterNEW YORK (AP) — The patients' eyes were painfully inflamed. They could sense light but could see almost nothing else. A doctor called one case the worst eye infection he’d ever seen.It was the beginning of a national outbreak caused by an extremely worrisome bacteria — one that some say heralds an era in which antibiotics no longer work and seemingly routine infections get horribly out of hand.At last count, 58 Americans in 13 states have been infected, including at least one who died and at least five who suffered permanent vision loss. All have been linked to tainted eyedrops, leading to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-business-health-4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed">recall</a>.Experts marvel at how disease detectives pieced together the case: Patients were scattered across the country. The illnesses occurred over the span of months. The infections were found in different parts of the body — in the blood of some patients, in the lungs of others.But scientists also shudder, because they have long worried common bacteria will evolve so that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-infectious-diseases-antibiotics-fungi-2c661fd0c6ed899bedc51238d390603a">antibiotics no longer work against them</a>."This really shows us that it's not something theoretical and in the future. It's here,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.This account is drawn from phone and email interviews with U.S. disease investigators, health officials in three states and regulators in the U.S. and India.___The investigation started in May in Los Angeles County, California. A patient who'd recently been to an ophthalmologist came in with a bad eye infection. A month later, local health officials got a second report. Another bad eye infection, same eye doctor.Two more cases were reported in the county before the summer was over. The patients’ eyes were inflamed with heavy yellow pus that obscured most of the pupil. Among the four, two had complete vision loss in the affected eye.The hospital that reported the first infection determined it was caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The institution, which was equipped to do advanced genetic testing, quickly realized the bacteria had a rare gene that protected it from the effects of commonly used antibiotics.It was an early break for investigators, said Kelsey OYong, of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.OYong and her colleagues knew they were dealing with a scary germ, and they notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pseudomonas infections are not new. Drug-resistant strains of the bacteria cause more than 30,000 infections annually among hospitalized patients in the U.S. and more than 2,500 deaths, the CDC said. It can spread through contaminated hands or medical equipment, and is particularly dangerous to fragile patients who have catheters or are on breathing machines.But the California infections were in patients' eyes, not more common spots like the blood and lungs. Also, the lab analysis determined the infections were caused by a Pseudomonas germ that could resist just about every antibiotic.The only thing that worked was a newer antibiotic called cefiderocol, administered by IV.___Over the summer, Pseudomonas outbreaks were seen at long-term care facilities in two other states.In Connecticut, the first case was in June. Eventually, the bacteria was found in 25 patients from five nursing homes in different parts of the state, said Christopher Boyle, a spokesperson for Connecticut’s health department.In Davis County, Utah, north of Salt Lake City, the first of six cases was reported to the CDC in August. While the patients had the bacteria, none actually got sick, said Sarah Willardson of the Davis County Health Department.L.A. County health investigators thought the cases there might be due to some kind of equipment contamination at the eye doctor’s office.But that suspicion faded in early October, when genetic testing showed the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah were all caused by the same bacteria strain — a version of the germ that hadn’t been seen anywhere before.“That made us start thinking that this was some kind of a product,” said Maroya Walters, the CDC official supervising the investigation.___As the year went on, other reports of drug-resistant Pseudomonas came in, including a Washington man who died with a bloodstream infection.Given the initial cluster at the California ophthalmologist’s office, investigators suspected an eye care product was the culprit, though that hypothesis was complicated by the fact that the infections at the long-term care facilities were mainly found in the lungs.But it wasn’t impossible. Tear ducts drain into the nasal cavity, which leads to the lungs and could provide a path to deep inside the body.In early November, investigators determined most of the infected Connecticut patients had been given artificial tears, though it wasn't clear who had been given which brand.Then, on Nov. 9, a Florida hospital contacted the CDC to report bad eye infections connected to an outpatient clinic. A check of artificial tears brands used in Connecticut, Florida and Utah pointed to one common product: EzriCare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter product marketed in the U.S. by New Jersey-based EzriCare LLC and made in India by Global Pharma Healthcare.___The Pseudomonas bacteria is “pretty much everywhere” in India and the drug-resistant germ is common in many hospitals, said Dr. Gagandeep Kang, who studies microbes in the Christian Medical College in the same state as Global Pharma's factory.In January, genetic sequencing confirmed the Florida cases were caused by the same bacteria strain as the clusters in California, Connecticut and Utah. On Jan. 20, the CDC urged doctors to avoid recommending the EzriCare product.There was no recall or widespread public notice, however. Investigators had strong circumstantial evidence pointing toward the EzriCare drops, but didn’t get more conclusive proof until more than a week later after testing found the bacteria in seven open bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears in Connecticut and New Jersey.In early February, CDC officials issued a public health alert and the FDA recalled the EzriCare eyedrops and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, another product made by Global Pharma. Last week, the recall was expanded to include Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment.Global Pharma didn't respond to emailed requests for comment.___A month before the first recall, the FDA blocked imports of Global Pharma products.FDA spokesperson Audra Harrison said the U.S. import ban was “unrelated to the outbreak," and was instead based on the company’s “inadequate response” to a records request and problems with its manufacturing procedures. She wouldn't say what those problems were.The subsequent recall, she said, was recommended due to lack of microbial testing and issues with the product’s formulation and packaging.The FDA, tasked with assuring the safety of drug products shipped to the U.S., has long struggled to inspect facilities in China and India that account for the vast majority of raw materials used in American medicines. A search of FDA’s online inspection database shows no records of agency staff visiting the plant.Indian drug inspectors visited the plant and the country's drug controller asked Global Pharma to stop making all products related to treating eye disorders until they finish their investigation, said P.V. Vijayalakshmi, the drug controller for southern Tamil Nadu state.___Ostrosky, the University of Texas expert, called the U.S. investigation “a public health victory” saying it shows that fighting drug-resistant bacteria requires international collaboration and investment. But he also said the case is disheartening.An infection that's usually easy to treat with common antibiotic eyedrops "has become an infection that can be deadly and has pretty much no treatment except one IV antibiotic,” he said.Pseudomonas now joins a growing list of bugs — including bacteria that cause urinary tract infections — that are getting increasingly difficult to treat, Ostrosky added.“It's like a wave coming for us," he said.___AP writers Matthew Perrone in Washington and Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi contributed.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Two leading Republicans took veiled jabs at former President Donald Trump at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bolsonaro-pence-cpac-desantis-youngkin-e237764ad60fbe07e0fe512f48c3c616">annual gathering of conservatives</a>&nbsp;Friday, knocking “celebrity leaders” not in tune with reality while noting winnable elections that had been lost as they urged a party course correction ahead of the 2024 presidential contest.

But their refusal to call him out by name underscored the risks faced by potential and declared challengers worried about alienating Trump’s loyal base.

In their remarks, former Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-pompeo">Mike Pompeo</a>&nbsp;and former United Nations Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;— both of whom served in the Trump administration — offered a snapshot of how the former president's declared and potential 2024 opponents are trying to delicately navigate his dominant role in the party while looking for ways to differentiate themselves in what could be a nasty and crowded primary contest.

“We can’t become the left, following celebrity leaders with their own brand of identity politics, those with fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality,” Pompeo said in an afternoon speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Haley, who launched her campaign last month, hit on similar themes, noting the party has lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections.

“Our cause is right but we have failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans. That ends now. If you’re tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation. And if you want to win — not just as a party, but as a country — then stand with me,” Haley said.

While she received polite applause throughout her speech, several attendees chanted “Trump! Trump! Trump!” as she walked through the venue.

It was a sign of the dissonance at the event as potential and declared challengers tried to make inroads at a gathering that has become closely aligned with the former president. While other declared and likely candidates were offered speaking slots, Trump has been given top billing as the Saturday evening headliner, and his son Donald Trump Jr. has been mobbed throughout the conference by excited fans.

Haley and Pompeo were among a handful of announced or potential Republican presidential candidates who attended the CPAC event, which was once a must-stop for GOP hopefuls but has been less of a draw this year.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina skipped the event this year as it’s been dimmed by controversy and its overt homage to Trump.

Like Haley, Pompeo noted recent Republican losses over the years and blamed the party for its shortcomings.

“We lost race after winnable race. It’s because voters didn’t trust us to do any better than the tax-and-spend liberals,” he said, echoing a criticism raised by some attendees. “Every recent administration, Republican and Democrat alike, added trillions in dollars to our debt. That is deeply unconservative.”

More broadly, he said that voters had “lost trust in conservative ideas.”

“Losing is bad because losing is bad. But the principles that we stand for are what’s really at risk. And it’s not a political problem. The problem is that the losses are a symptom of something much bigger. It’s a crisis in conservatism,” he said. “We’ve lost confidence that we are right.”

In an interview before his speech, Pompeo told The Associated Press that he had chosen to attend this year's event because it's "a great group of people who represent a broad swath of our party.”

He brushed aside the significance of Saturday's straw poll of CPAC attendees on their 2024 presidential preference, an unscientific survey that Trump is expected to win, while noting that the election is more than a year and a half away.

“There’s a long way to go. There’s lots of ground to cover and I think everyone who decides to get in the race will have a lot of opportunity in the fall to make their case,” Pompeo said. “I’ve been in straw polls. I’ve done great. I’ve done less great. I don’t think it says a whole lot about how this will end."

Pompeo, one of a long list of potential candidates, said he is still mulling a decision about whether to challenge his former boss for the nomination.

“Still working our way through, figuring it out,” he said, adding that he and his family were “now within a couple months of a decision.” In the meantime, “we’re doing all the things one would do to be prepared to make the case to the American people,” Pompeo said.

Pompeo also said without hesitation that he will support the eventual Republican nominee, quipping, “It seems unlikely that President Biden would be someone I could get behind."

That stands in contrast to Pence, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-2024-election-president-south-carolina-a6da8b0d9948246231b1f9d609fc213a">declined to say Thursday</a>&nbsp;whether he would back his former boss if Trump ends up the party's pick in 2024.

“I think we’ll have better choices,” Pence told The Associated Press in an interview in South Carolina. “I’m persuaded that no one could have defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 except Donald Trump, but I think we live in a different time and it calls for different leadership.”

The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-2022-midterm-elections-e34c8c31234725e110a7e4f83348ed68">is planning to block candidates</a>&nbsp;from its primary debates if they do not sign a pledge to support the GOP’s ultimate presidential nominee, setting up a potential clash with candidates including Trump, who has raised the possibility of leaving the Republican Party and launching an independent candidacy if he does not win the GOP nomination outright.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur and author of the book “Woke, Inc.” who is also running for president, addressed the convention Friday and told the AP later in an interview that he saw himself as a successor to Trump.

“I’m building on the foundation he laid,” Ramaswamy said, adding that he’d focus more on ending affirmative action and climate change mitigation than the former president. He also said he would support the eventual GOP nominee “if everybody else makes that commitment.”

While the Trump faithful gathered in Maryland, the influential anti-tax group Club For Growth, which has clashed with Trump, held a competing event in Florida where DeSantis and others were invited but Trump was not — a sharp illustration of some in the party’s conservative flank seeking a new direction.

David McIntosh, Club For Growth’s president, said in an interview Friday that DeSantis, who kicked off the group’s donor summit with a Thursday night speech, did not say whether he was going to run for president and instead focused his remarks on policy issues.

“He talked a lot about his win in the last election but did not indicate anything one way or another about a presidential run,” McIntosh said.

He said DeSantis was enthusiastically received by a crowd of about 150 people and spoke about his record in Florida and his vision of governing in the state.

McIntosh said Pence, also at the event, did not indicate when he might make a decision on whether to seek the presidency. Haley, Scott and Ramaswamy were also slated to speak in Florida.

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Two leading Republicans took veiled jabs at former President Donald Trump at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bolsonaro-pence-cpac-desantis-youngkin-e237764ad60fbe07e0fe512f48c3c616">annual gathering of conservatives</a>&nbsp;Friday, knocking “celebrity leaders” not in tune with reality while noting winnable elections that had been lost as they urged a party course correction ahead of the 2024 presidential contest.But their refusal to call him out by name underscored the risks faced by potential and declared challengers worried about alienating Trump’s loyal base.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/mikepompeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikePompeo</a>: “The basic idea that each of us is endowed by our creator with these unalienable rights &amp; we are equal in the eyes of the Lord is the antidote to the poisonous lie of equity, wokeness and identity politics.” <a href="https://t.co/71mPORsRUd">pic.twitter.com/71mPORsRUd</a>&mdash; CPAC (@CPAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CPAC/status/1631742561327935489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In their remarks, former Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-pompeo">Mike Pompeo</a>&nbsp;and former United Nations Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;— both of whom served in the Trump administration — offered a snapshot of how the former president's declared and potential 2024 opponents are trying to delicately navigate his dominant role in the party while looking for ways to differentiate themselves in what could be a nasty and crowded primary contest.“We can’t become the left, following celebrity leaders with their own brand of identity politics, those with fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality,” Pompeo said in an afternoon speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.Haley, who launched her campaign last month, hit on similar themes, noting the party has lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikkiHaley</a>: “The only thing Joe Biden needs to spend more of is more time in retirement.” We will NOT allow Biden’s reckless spending &amp; radical agenda destroy our country. <a href="https://t.co/f6pU7CS902">pic.twitter.com/f6pU7CS902</a>&mdash; CPAC (@CPAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CPAC/status/1631727337652854800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Our cause is right but we have failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans. That ends now. If you’re tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation. And if you want to win — not just as a party, but as a country — then stand with me,” Haley said.While she received polite applause throughout her speech, several attendees chanted “Trump! Trump! Trump!” as she walked through the venue.It was a sign of the dissonance at the event as potential and declared challengers tried to make inroads at a gathering that has become closely aligned with the former president. While other declared and likely candidates were offered speaking slots, Trump has been given top billing as the Saturday evening headliner, and his son Donald Trump Jr. has been mobbed throughout the conference by excited fans.Haley and Pompeo were among a handful of announced or potential Republican presidential candidates who attended the CPAC event, which was once a must-stop for GOP hopefuls but has been less of a draw this year.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina skipped the event this year as it’s been dimmed by controversy and its overt homage to Trump.Like Haley, Pompeo noted recent Republican losses over the years and blamed the party for its shortcomings.“We lost race after winnable race. It’s because voters didn’t trust us to do any better than the tax-and-spend liberals,” he said, echoing a criticism raised by some attendees. “Every recent administration, Republican and Democrat alike, added trillions in dollars to our debt. That is deeply unconservative.”More broadly, he said that voters had “lost trust in conservative ideas.”“Losing is bad because losing is bad. But the principles that we stand for are what’s really at risk. And it’s not a political problem. The problem is that the losses are a symptom of something much bigger. It’s a crisis in conservatism,” he said. “We’ve lost confidence that we are right.”In an interview before his speech, Pompeo told The Associated Press that he had chosen to attend this year's event because it's "a great group of people who represent a broad swath of our party.”He brushed aside the significance of Saturday's straw poll of CPAC attendees on their 2024 presidential preference, an unscientific survey that Trump is expected to win, while noting that the election is more than a year and a half away.“There’s a long way to go. There’s lots of ground to cover and I think everyone who decides to get in the race will have a lot of opportunity in the fall to make their case,” Pompeo said. “I’ve been in straw polls. I’ve done great. I’ve done less great. I don’t think it says a whole lot about how this will end."Pompeo, one of a long list of potential candidates, said he is still mulling a decision about whether to challenge his former boss for the nomination.“Still working our way through, figuring it out,” he said, adding that he and his family were “now within a couple months of a decision.” In the meantime, “we’re doing all the things one would do to be prepared to make the case to the American people,” Pompeo said.Pompeo also said without hesitation that he will support the eventual Republican nominee, quipping, “It seems unlikely that President Biden would be someone I could get behind."That stands in contrast to Pence, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-2024-election-president-south-carolina-a6da8b0d9948246231b1f9d609fc213a">declined to say Thursday</a>&nbsp;whether he would back his former boss if Trump ends up the party's pick in 2024.“I think we’ll have better choices,” Pence told The Associated Press in an interview in South Carolina. “I’m persuaded that no one could have defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 except Donald Trump, but I think we live in a different time and it calls for different leadership.”The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-2022-midterm-elections-e34c8c31234725e110a7e4f83348ed68">is planning to block candidates</a>&nbsp;from its primary debates if they do not sign a pledge to support the GOP’s ultimate presidential nominee, setting up a potential clash with candidates including Trump, who has raised the possibility of leaving the Republican Party and launching an independent candidacy if he does not win the GOP nomination outright.Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur and author of the book “Woke, Inc.” who is also running for president, addressed the convention Friday and told the AP later in an interview that he saw himself as a successor to Trump.“I’m building on the foundation he laid,” Ramaswamy said, adding that he’d focus more on ending affirmative action and climate change mitigation than the former president. He also said he would support the eventual GOP nominee “if everybody else makes that commitment.”While the Trump faithful gathered in Maryland, the influential anti-tax group Club For Growth, which has clashed with Trump, held a competing event in Florida where DeSantis and others were invited but Trump was not — a sharp illustration of some in the party’s conservative flank seeking a new direction.David McIntosh, Club For Growth’s president, said in an interview Friday that DeSantis, who kicked off the group’s donor summit with a Thursday night speech, did not say whether he was going to run for president and instead focused his remarks on policy issues.“He talked a lot about his win in the last election but did not indicate anything one way or another about a presidential run,” McIntosh said.He said DeSantis was enthusiastically received by a crowd of about 150 people and spoke about his record in Florida and his vision of governing in the state.McIntosh said Pence, also at the event, did not indicate when he might make a decision on whether to seek the presidency. Haley, Scott and Ramaswamy were also slated to speak in Florida.

Pompeo, Haley take veiled jabs at Trump in CPAC remarks

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug allegations.

On Friday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 1100 Block of SW High Avenue in Topeka as part of an ongoing investigation, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.

While conducting the search warrant, officers located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

As a result officers arrested 25-year-old Steven Ferris Jr.; 24-year-old Amber Hester and 43-year-old Chelsea Estep all of Topeka.&nbsp; They were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

All three are being held on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Aggravated Endangering a Child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677936965446.png" alt="Ferris-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ferris-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug allegations.On Friday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 1100 Block of SW High Avenue in Topeka as part of an ongoing investigation, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677937064326.png" alt="Estep-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Estep-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>While conducting the search warrant, officers located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.As a result officers arrested 25-year-old Steven Ferris Jr.; 24-year-old Amber Hester and 43-year-old Chelsea Estep all of Topeka.&nbsp; They were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677937002265.png" alt="Hester-photo Shawne Co." />
 <figcaption>Hester-photo Shawne Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>All three are being held on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Aggravated Endangering a Child.

Police found meth, children during drug bust at Kansas home 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans and their pro-life allies, who suffered a series of defeats in ballot questions in states across the political spectrum last year, are changing tactics as new legislative sessions and the new election season start.

In states where citizens have direct access to the ballot, Republicans are considering ways to prevent another loss in an abortion-rights referendum.

In some states, Republicans are considering exemptions to sweeping bans or looking at ways to prevent abortions besides trying to roll back the number of weeks during which an abortion is allowed.

To be sure, abortion restrictions have seen some success in a few Republican-controlled states.

West Virginia and Indiana passed laws to ban abortion after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling</a>&nbsp;overturning a nationwide constitutional protection for the procedure.

South Carolina&nbsp;and&nbsp;Montana&nbsp;lawmakers are also trying to ban abortion — or more heavily restrict it — despite a court-ordered right to privacy that currently protects a right to abortion in those states.

But in a number of states, the battle over abortion rights is fluid and influenced by what voters had to say last year, when Kansas, Kentucky and Montana rejected anti-abortion measures on ballots and&nbsp;Michigan,&nbsp;California&nbsp;and&nbsp;Vermont&nbsp;approved abortion rights amendments.

In politically divided Pennsylvania, Republican lawmakers have stalled their push for a constitutional amendment that would declare there is no constitutional right to an abortion or for taxpayer support for an abortion.

The wording is nearly identical to a measure that failed in Kentucky, and the experience in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">Kansas last August</a>&nbsp;told abortion opponents that it would be very difficult to win a statewide referendum, said Michael McMonagle, president of the Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania.

“We realized that if the referendum turns on the left's arguments that ‘these pro-lifers are trying to outlaw abortion,’ we’re going to get slaughtered," McMonagle said. “It will be the mushy middle people who will vote against the pro-life referendum.”

Rather, abortion opponents in Pennsylvania decided to wait to see the outcome of a pending court case where abortion clinics are asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a law that bans taxpayer funding for abortions.

A court decision that overturns the law — and allows the state to use public money for abortions — would give abortion opponents a stronger message and a more persuasive case with voters to help them succeed in a referendum, McMonagle said.

Elizabeth Nash, of the New York-based Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, sees Republicans changing their approach in some states by trying to put up barriers to abortion pills, fund pregnancy programs or soften strict abortion bans.

As an example, Nash pointed to Tennessee, where a growing number of Republican lawmakers say the state’s abortion ban went too far. A bill to allow an abortion if necessary to save the mother's life passed a Senate subcommittee in February but faces uncertain prospects in the GOP-controlled Legislature, and with Republican Gov. Bill Lee should it reach his desk.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, said polling data and discussions with Republican women persuaded him that the law should, at least, include an exception for the life of the mother.

“It’s a very delicate issue,” Sexton said, “but what you see is Republican women wanting exceptions.”

In Kansas, meanwhile, anti-abortion lawmakers recovering from their referendum defeat last August have dropped the idea of trying to ban abortion earlier in pregnancy. Kansas is one of the more permissive states, barring most abortions after the 22nd week.

For the moment, Kansas Republican legislators are aiming to provide financial help to centers that discourage abortion by offering free pregnancy and post-pregnancy services.

Elsewhere, officials at Planned Parenthood say several Republican-controlled states are taking steps to head off potential ballot questions that ask voters to enshrine abortion rights into state constitutions.

That dynamic is playing out in conservative&nbsp;Missouri.

It is one of 13 states where abortion is banned — largely by “trigger” laws that took effect after the high court overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade decision — and one of 22 where citizens have direct ballot access.

There, Republican state lawmakers are considering a handful of alternatives, including making it more difficult to amend the constitution by raising the threshold for voter approval from 50% to 60% in a referendum.

Republicans also floated their own proposal to amend the constitution to say that no provision in the constitution “shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion.”

In Republican-controlled Ohio, abortion opponents are gearing up to try to defeat what is expected to be the nation's next&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ohio-state-government-michigan-health-7758b37b35cbb87f3185877fcbfc2139">referendum</a>&nbsp;to protect access to abortion.

Abortion remains legal in Ohio through 20 weeks, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-ohio-government-and-politics-d4dd3a0c4816ccb9f56df30163f58b9e">courts may allow a near-complete ban on abortion</a>&nbsp;approved by lawmakers in 2019.

To fight the referendum, a Republican state lawmaker is sponsoring a resolution to make it more difficult for voters to amend the constitution.

In a memo to colleagues, Rep. Brian Stewart wrote, “after decades of Republicans’ work to make Ohio a pro-life state, the Left intends to write abortion on demand into Ohio’s Constitution.”

Stewart’s measure drew support from Ohio Right to Life, whose leaders met with their philosophical allies in Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan to research why the movement had suffered losses in referendums in those states.

Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, said he is raising money, hiring campaign staff and intending to get out their message early in the state that just elected a slate of anti-abortion politicians to statewide offices in November.

“What we’re doing now is we’re creating a campaign operation to oppose what Planned Parenthood wants to do,” Gonidakis said. “And we’re going to hire campaign manager, media firms — we’re running this as if it’s a traditional campaign. You have to. They’re going to raise, by their own admission, probably $40 million. We’ve got to match them dollar for dollar. And we’ll do that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656088183967.png" alt="Protestors for and against abortion outside the Supreme Court ruling in June 2022-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protestors for and against abortion outside the Supreme Court ruling in June 2022-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans and their pro-life allies, who suffered a series of defeats in ballot questions in states across the political spectrum last year, are changing tactics as new legislative sessions and the new election season start.In states where citizens have direct access to the ballot, Republicans are considering ways to prevent another loss in an abortion-rights referendum.In some states, Republicans are considering exemptions to sweeping bans or looking at ways to prevent abortions besides trying to roll back the number of weeks during which an abortion is allowed.To be sure, abortion restrictions have seen some success in a few Republican-controlled states.West Virginia and Indiana passed laws to ban abortion after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling</a>&nbsp;overturning a nationwide constitutional protection for the procedure.South Carolina&nbsp;and&nbsp;Montana&nbsp;lawmakers are also trying to ban abortion — or more heavily restrict it — despite a court-ordered right to privacy that currently protects a right to abortion in those states.But in a number of states, the battle over abortion rights is fluid and influenced by what voters had to say last year, when Kansas, Kentucky and Montana rejected anti-abortion measures on ballots and&nbsp;Michigan,&nbsp;California&nbsp;and&nbsp;Vermont&nbsp;approved abortion rights amendments.In politically divided Pennsylvania, Republican lawmakers have stalled their push for a constitutional amendment that would declare there is no constitutional right to an abortion or for taxpayer support for an abortion.The wording is nearly identical to a measure that failed in Kentucky, and the experience in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">Kansas last August</a>&nbsp;told abortion opponents that it would be very difficult to win a statewide referendum, said Michael McMonagle, president of the Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania.“We realized that if the referendum turns on the left's arguments that ‘these pro-lifers are trying to outlaw abortion,’ we’re going to get slaughtered," McMonagle said. “It will be the mushy middle people who will vote against the pro-life referendum.”Rather, abortion opponents in Pennsylvania decided to wait to see the outcome of a pending court case where abortion clinics are asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a law that bans taxpayer funding for abortions.A court decision that overturns the law — and allows the state to use public money for abortions — would give abortion opponents a stronger message and a more persuasive case with voters to help them succeed in a referendum, McMonagle said.Elizabeth Nash, of the New York-based Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, sees Republicans changing their approach in some states by trying to put up barriers to abortion pills, fund pregnancy programs or soften strict abortion bans.As an example, Nash pointed to Tennessee, where a growing number of Republican lawmakers say the state’s abortion ban went too far. A bill to allow an abortion if necessary to save the mother's life passed a Senate subcommittee in February but faces uncertain prospects in the GOP-controlled Legislature, and with Republican Gov. Bill Lee should it reach his desk.House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, said polling data and discussions with Republican women persuaded him that the law should, at least, include an exception for the life of the mother.“It’s a very delicate issue,” Sexton said, “but what you see is Republican women wanting exceptions.”In Kansas, meanwhile, anti-abortion lawmakers recovering from their referendum defeat last August have dropped the idea of trying to ban abortion earlier in pregnancy. Kansas is one of the more permissive states, barring most abortions after the 22nd week.For the moment, Kansas Republican legislators are aiming to provide financial help to centers that discourage abortion by offering free pregnancy and post-pregnancy services.Elsewhere, officials at Planned Parenthood say several Republican-controlled states are taking steps to head off potential ballot questions that ask voters to enshrine abortion rights into state constitutions.That dynamic is playing out in conservative&nbsp;Missouri.It is one of 13 states where abortion is banned — largely by “trigger” laws that took effect after the high court overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade decision — and one of 22 where citizens have direct ballot access.There, Republican state lawmakers are considering a handful of alternatives, including making it more difficult to amend the constitution by raising the threshold for voter approval from 50% to 60% in a referendum.Republicans also floated their own proposal to amend the constitution to say that no provision in the constitution “shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion.”In Republican-controlled Ohio, abortion opponents are gearing up to try to defeat what is expected to be the nation's next&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ohio-state-government-michigan-health-7758b37b35cbb87f3185877fcbfc2139">referendum</a>&nbsp;to protect access to abortion.Abortion remains legal in Ohio through 20 weeks, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-ohio-government-and-politics-d4dd3a0c4816ccb9f56df30163f58b9e">courts may allow a near-complete ban on abortion</a>&nbsp;approved by lawmakers in 2019.To fight the referendum, a Republican state lawmaker is sponsoring a resolution to make it more difficult for voters to amend the constitution.In a memo to colleagues, Rep. Brian Stewart wrote, “after decades of Republicans’ work to make Ohio a pro-life state, the Left intends to write abortion on demand into Ohio’s Constitution.”Stewart’s measure drew support from Ohio Right to Life, whose leaders met with their philosophical allies in Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan to research why the movement had suffered losses in referendums in those states.Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, said he is raising money, hiring campaign staff and intending to get out their message early in the state that just elected a slate of anti-abortion politicians to statewide offices in November.“What we’re doing now is we’re creating a campaign operation to oppose what Planned Parenthood wants to do,” Gonidakis said. “And we’re going to hire campaign manager, media firms — we’re running this as if it’s a traditional campaign. You have to. They’re going to raise, by their own admission, probably $40 million. We’ve got to match them dollar for dollar. And we’ll do that.”___

Pro-life allies in Kansas change tactics after post-Roe defeats

WASHINGTON —The United States will transfer military equipment worth up to $400 million to Ukraine to aid its defense against the Russian invasion, according to a statement from the the Defense Department on Friday.&nbsp;Including this latest package, the U.S. has now provided more than $32 billion in military aid to Ukraine. 

This security assistance package features ammunition and support equipment to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the United States has sent more than $30 billion worth of gear to Ukraine. This is the 33rd time the Biden administration has invoked the drawdown authority for Ukraine.

In this package, the United States will provide additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, additional 105 mm and 155 mm artillery rounds, and additional 25 mm ammunition.

The package also includes armored vehicle-launched bridges. These vehicles are designed to accompany armored columns and give them the ability to cross rivers, streams, ditches and trenches. The bridges are carried on the chassis of armored vehicles and launched at river or stream banks. Once the crossing is finished, the vehicle can pick up the bridge on the far bank and carry on.

The package will also include demolition munitions and equipment for obstacle clearing. To help the Ukrainians sustain their forces in combat, the package also includes testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair, as well as spare parts and other field equipment.

Since the Russian invasion, the aid the United States has proffered has changed as the battle changed. In the beginning of the conflict, the Ukrainians needed anti-armor and air defense capabilities. The U.S. rushed Javelins anti-armor systems and Stinger air defense weapons to the country.

After Ukraine's military turned back the Russian thrust on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, artillery became more important, and the U.S. responded with howitzers and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and ammunition. Air defense remained a priority, and the U.S. sent National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems to the country and has pledged a Patriot air defense battery. The battle is changing again, and the United States will send 31 M1A2 main battle tanks to the country.

But the United States is just one nation supporting Ukraine's right to sovereignty. According to DOD figures, more than 54 countries from around the world have pledged more than 1,000 tanks and other armored vehicles. They've delivered or pledged more than 800 artillery systems, and they've delivered more than 2 million rounds of artillery ammunition and more than 50 advanced Multiple Rocket Launch Systems.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. announced a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on Friday that for the first time includes armored vehicles that can launch bridges — allowing troops to cross rivers or other gaps as Russian and Ukrainian forces remain entrenched on opposite sides of the Dnieper River.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=hub">The war</a>&nbsp;had largely slowed to a grinding stalemate during the winter months, with Russia and Ukraine firing at each other from across the river. Both sides are expected to launch offensives as temperatures warm.

This round of aid will be drawn from existing U.S. weapons stockpiles so it can arrive in Ukraine faster. The U.S. and allies are trying to rush additional support to Kyiv to best position it for intensified spring fighting.

The Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 60-foot (18-meter) folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could make it easier for Ukrainian troops to cross rivers to get to Russian forces.

Because Ukraine also continues to face shortages of ammunition in the intense firefight, this aid package, like previous ones, includes thousands of replacement rounds, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and 155mm Howitzer rounds. This package also includes demolition munitions and equipment for clearing obstacles to help Ukraine break through dug-in lines.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the U.S. has sent in more than $32 billion in weapons and equipment.

The U.S. is also roughly tripling the number of Ukrainian forces it is training on advanced battle tactics at a base in Germany, to help them punch through entrenched Russian lines. At the Grafenwoehr training area, Ukrainian forces run through a five-week course that prepares them to conduct advanced combined arms maneuvers with Bradley fighting vehicles, M109 Paladins and Stryker armored personnel carriers. The first 600 Ukrainian troops completed the course last month and 1,600 more are in training.

The aid will also include spare parts and equipment for vehicle maintenance and repair.

The announcement comes on the heels of a brief meeting Thursday between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a gathering of top diplomats from the Group of 20 nations in New Delhi. It was the highest-level in-person talk between the two countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But there was no indication of any movement toward easing the intense tensions between the two nations.

Blinken said he told Lavrov the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Lavrov, who did not mention speaking with Blinken when he held a news conference after the meeting, told reporters Moscow would continue to press its action in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is expected to announce a new package of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">military aid for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;Friday, including —for the first time — eight armored vehicles that can launch bridges and allow troops to cross rivers or other gaps, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The officials said the total cost of the package will be about $400 million and will also include large amounts of ammunition, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. It comes just a week after the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and as Ukrainian forces are preparing for a spring offensive.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been publicly announced.

The so-called Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 60-foot folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could help Ukrainian troops as they launch the expected offensive, and make it easier for troops to cross rivers to get to Russian forces.

Including this latest package, the U.S. has now provided more than $32 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The vehicle bridges and ammunition in the package will be taken from Pentagon stocks through the presidential drawdown authority, so they will be able to be delivered quickly to the warfront.

The aid will also include an undisclosed amount of rounds for howitzers, other ammunition, demolition munitions and other equipment to clear obstacles, spare parts and equipment for vehicle maintenance and repair.

The announcement comes on the heels of a brief meeting Thursday between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-russia-ukraine-g20-blinken-lavrov-1af60a2c2918e9c0777b33b3e71bd54b">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov</a>&nbsp;at a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 20 nations in New Delhi. It was the highest-level in-person talk between the two countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But there was no indication of any movement toward easing the intense tensions between the two nations.

The war had largely slowed to a grinding stalemate during the winter months, but both sides are expected to be preparing to launch offensives in the spring.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677883597374.png" alt="Army combat engineers train on the operation of the M60 Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge system Feb. 28, 2020. The M60 AVLB is based on the M60 Patton main battle tank hull and is used for the launching and retrieval of a 60-foot, scissor-type bridge.-photo Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>Army combat engineers train on the operation of the M60 Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge system Feb. 28, 2020. The M60 AVLB is based on the M60 Patton main battle tank hull and is used for the launching and retrieval of a 60-foot, scissor-type bridge.-photo Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The United States will transfer military equipment worth up to $400 million to Ukraine to aid its defense against the Russian invasion, according to a statement from the the Defense Department on Friday.&nbsp;Including this latest package, the U.S. has now provided more than $32 billion in military aid to Ukraine. This security assistance package features ammunition and support equipment to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs.Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the United States has sent more than $30 billion worth of gear to Ukraine. This is the 33rd time the Biden administration has invoked the drawdown authority for Ukraine.In this package, the United States will provide additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, additional 105 mm and 155 mm artillery rounds, and additional 25 mm ammunition.The package also includes armored vehicle-launched bridges. These vehicles are designed to accompany armored columns and give them the ability to cross rivers, streams, ditches and trenches. The bridges are carried on the chassis of armored vehicles and launched at river or stream banks. Once the crossing is finished, the vehicle can pick up the bridge on the far bank and carry on.The package will also include demolition munitions and equipment for obstacle clearing. To help the Ukrainians sustain their forces in combat, the package also includes testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair, as well as spare parts and other field equipment.Since the Russian invasion, the aid the United States has proffered has changed as the battle changed. In the beginning of the conflict, the Ukrainians needed anti-armor and air defense capabilities. The U.S. rushed Javelins anti-armor systems and Stinger air defense weapons to the country.After Ukraine's military turned back the Russian thrust on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, artillery became more important, and the U.S. responded with howitzers and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and ammunition. Air defense remained a priority, and the U.S. sent National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems to the country and has pledged a Patriot air defense battery. The battle is changing again, and the United States will send 31 M1A2 main battle tanks to the country.But the United States is just one nation supporting Ukraine's right to sovereignty. According to DOD figures, more than 54 countries from around the world have pledged more than 1,000 tanks and other armored vehicles. They've delivered or pledged more than 800 artillery systems, and they've delivered more than 2 million rounds of artillery ammunition and more than 50 advanced Multiple Rocket Launch Systems.-------------WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. announced a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on Friday that for the first time includes armored vehicles that can launch bridges — allowing troops to cross rivers or other gaps as Russian and Ukrainian forces remain entrenched on opposite sides of the Dnieper River.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=hub">The war</a>&nbsp;had largely slowed to a grinding stalemate during the winter months, with Russia and Ukraine firing at each other from across the river. Both sides are expected to launch offensives as temperatures warm.This round of aid will be drawn from existing U.S. weapons stockpiles so it can arrive in Ukraine faster. The U.S. and allies are trying to rush additional support to Kyiv to best position it for intensified spring fighting.The Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 60-foot (18-meter) folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could make it easier for Ukrainian troops to cross rivers to get to Russian forces.Because Ukraine also continues to face shortages of ammunition in the intense firefight, this aid package, like previous ones, includes thousands of replacement rounds, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and 155mm Howitzer rounds. This package also includes demolition munitions and equipment for clearing obstacles to help Ukraine break through dug-in lines.Since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the U.S. has sent in more than $32 billion in weapons and equipment.The U.S. is also roughly tripling the number of Ukrainian forces it is training on advanced battle tactics at a base in Germany, to help them punch through entrenched Russian lines. At the Grafenwoehr training area, Ukrainian forces run through a five-week course that prepares them to conduct advanced combined arms maneuvers with Bradley fighting vehicles, M109 Paladins and Stryker armored personnel carriers. The first 600 Ukrainian troops completed the course last month and 1,600 more are in training.The aid will also include spare parts and equipment for vehicle maintenance and repair.The announcement comes on the heels of a brief meeting Thursday between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a gathering of top diplomats from the Group of 20 nations in New Delhi. It was the highest-level in-person talk between the two countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But there was no indication of any movement toward easing the intense tensions between the two nations.Blinken said he told Lavrov the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.Lavrov, who did not mention speaking with Blinken when he held a news conference after the meeting, told reporters Moscow would continue to press its action in Ukraine.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is expected to announce a new package of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">military aid for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;Friday, including —for the first time — eight armored vehicles that can launch bridges and allow troops to cross rivers or other gaps, U.S. officials said Thursday.The officials said the total cost of the package will be about $400 million and will also include large amounts of ammunition, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. It comes just a week after the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and as Ukrainian forces are preparing for a spring offensive.Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been publicly announced.The so-called Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 60-foot folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could help Ukrainian troops as they launch the expected offensive, and make it easier for troops to cross rivers to get to Russian forces.Including this latest package, the U.S. has now provided more than $32 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The vehicle bridges and ammunition in the package will be taken from Pentagon stocks through the presidential drawdown authority, so they will be able to be delivered quickly to the warfront.The aid will also include an undisclosed amount of rounds for howitzers, other ammunition, demolition munitions and other equipment to clear obstacles, spare parts and equipment for vehicle maintenance and repair.The announcement comes on the heels of a brief meeting Thursday between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-russia-ukraine-g20-blinken-lavrov-1af60a2c2918e9c0777b33b3e71bd54b">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov</a>&nbsp;at a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 20 nations in New Delhi. It was the highest-level in-person talk between the two countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But there was no indication of any movement toward easing the intense tensions between the two nations.Blinken said he told Lavrov the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.Lavrov, who did not mention speaking with Blinken when he held a news conference after the meeting, told reporters Moscow would continue to press its action in Ukraine.The war had largely slowed to a grinding stalemate during the winter months, but both sides are expected to be preparing to launch offensives in the spring.

US sends another $400M in aid to Ukraine; total now $32 billion

KANSAS CITY —Three Kansas City police officers shot and wounded while searching a suspected drug house late Tuesday left the hospital Friday afternoon, according to a statement from KCPD. The department wrote on their social media. page, "Please continue to pray for their healing."

The incident prompted a standoff that ended about 18 hours later with the discovery of a body.

Missouri, patrol spokesman Sgt. Bill Lowe said the SWAT team entered around 3:30 p.m., finding the body and an uninjured woman.

She has been taken into custody, along with two others who surrendered from the home hours earlier.

One of those who surrendered, 50-year-old Jimmie Lewis Jr., was charged Wednesday with meth-dealing and two other federal counts stemming from a November 2021 police pursuit.

No charges were immediately filed in the shooting. And the names of the other two suspects weren't immediately released, Lowe said. Identification of the slain man and his cause of death also wasn't released, pending an autopsy and notification of his relatives.

It all started around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when tactical response team officers forced entry into the house and were fired upon, Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters outside a hospital.

The officers shot back. They were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition, Graves said.

Lewis surrendered late Tuesday and another suspect early Wednesday. But Lowe said law enforcement waited to enter the home until they could get robotics inside to determine it was safe.

The case started as a federal drug investigation. The patrol said the Jackson County Drug Task Force, which works with federal agencies, requested the assistance of the Kansas City SWAT team to serve the search warrant.

The officers had announced that they were police before trying to enter the home, Graves said.

“They are highly trained, good men,” Graves said of the wounded officers. “And, you know, we’re just so thankful tonight that each one of them, I was able to to physically talk to them.”

According to an affidavit filed against Lewis in the unrelated federal case, he fled from Independence police after he was spotted driving a pickup truck that matched the description of a stolen vehicle.

He reached speeds of more than 100 mph and ran stop signs before he struck a curb and flattened a tire, the affidavit said. Lewis then fled on foot but was apprehended with $2,084 in his pocket.

Inside his backpack, officers found a loaded handgun and nine plastic bags filled with methamphetamine. More meth was found under the passenger seat of the truck, the affidavit said.

Lewis is charged with one count each of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Federal prosecutors said in a news release that he has multiple prior felony convictions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677717053405.png" alt="The injured officers were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>The injured officers were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Three Kansas City police officers shot and wounded while searching a suspected drug house late Tuesday left the hospital Friday afternoon, according to a statement from KCPD. The department wrote on their social media. page, "Please continue to pray for their healing."The incident prompted a standoff that ended about 18 hours later with the discovery of a body.Missouri, patrol spokesman Sgt. Bill Lowe said the SWAT team entered around 3:30 p.m., finding the body and an uninjured woman.She has been taken into custody, along with two others who surrendered from the home hours earlier.One of those who surrendered, 50-year-old Jimmie Lewis Jr., was charged Wednesday with meth-dealing and two other federal counts stemming from a November 2021 police pursuit.No charges were immediately filed in the shooting. And the names of the other two suspects weren't immediately released, Lowe said. Identification of the slain man and his cause of death also wasn't released, pending an autopsy and notification of his relatives.It all started around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when tactical response team officers forced entry into the house and were fired upon, Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters outside a hospital.The officers shot back. They were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition, Graves said.Lewis surrendered late Tuesday and another suspect early Wednesday. But Lowe said law enforcement waited to enter the home until they could get robotics inside to determine it was safe.The case started as a federal drug investigation. The patrol said the Jackson County Drug Task Force, which works with federal agencies, requested the assistance of the Kansas City SWAT team to serve the search warrant.The officers had announced that they were police before trying to enter the home, Graves said.“They are highly trained, good men,” Graves said of the wounded officers. “And, you know, we’re just so thankful tonight that each one of them, I was able to to physically talk to them.”According to an affidavit filed against Lewis in the unrelated federal case, he fled from Independence police after he was spotted driving a pickup truck that matched the description of a stolen vehicle.He reached speeds of more than 100 mph and ran stop signs before he struck a curb and flattened a tire, the affidavit said. Lewis then fled on foot but was apprehended with $2,084 in his pocket.Inside his backpack, officers found a loaded handgun and nine plastic bags filled with methamphetamine. More meth was found under the passenger seat of the truck, the affidavit said.Lewis is charged with one count each of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.Federal prosecutors said in a news release that he has multiple prior felony convictions.