News – Page 1176 – 105.7 WDNY

Kansas City mass shooting timeline: How the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade ended in tragedy

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As Kansas City, Missouri, continues to reel in the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting that rang out at the end of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade, authorities are piecing together a timeline of events that left one person dead and 21 injured.

Less than 30 minutes after the parade at Union Station concluded on Wednesday, gunfire erupted near the stage where Kansas City Chiefs players and coaches had addressed the crowd, according to authorities.

Three suspects — including two juveniles — have been detained, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said in a press conference Thursday.

The mass shooting left a total of 22 individuals shot, including one fatality, according to Graves, who said the victims’ ages range from 8 years old to 47 years old. At least half of the victims are under the age of 16, she said.

Fire officials said the victims included eight critically hurt and seven seriously hurt.

This is how the shooting unfolded, according to officials.

Feb. 14, 11:00 a.m.: Parade begins

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade began around 11 a.m. local time and concluded at Union Station where players and coaches gave speeches that began at 12:45 p.m., local time.

2:00 p.m.: Police confirm shots fired

At 2:02 p.m., local time, police confirmed shots were fired west of Union Station, sharing a statement on X, “Shots have been fired around Union Station. Please leave the area.”

At 2:09 p.m., local time, police shared an update, saying, “We are releasing everyone from inside Union Station.”

2:13 p.m.: 2 suspects detained, multiple victims struck

Kansas City police shared an update on X, saying, “Shots were fired west of Union Station near the garage and multiple people were struck. We took two armed people into custody for more investigation.”

Approximately 2:30-2:40 p.m.: Kansas and Missouri governors evacuated

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly shared a statement on X at 2:27 p.m., local time, confirming she has been safely evacuated.

“I have been evacuated and am out of harm’s way,” she wrote.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s official X account shared a statement at 2:48 p.m., local time, saying he and First fady Teresa Parson were “safe and secure.”

3:15 p.m.: 1 victim confirmed dead, 3 in critical condition

In the initial count, the Kansas City Fire Department confirmed one person had died and three victims were in critical condition following the shooting.

The active scene saw several people individuals being transported on stretchers and the department spokesperson noted the initial count did not include hospital walk-ins.

3:45 p.m.: Chiefs players and coaches confirmed safe, victim count rises to 15

During the first press briefing after the shooting, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas confirmed all of the Chiefs players, coaches and staff who attended the Super Bowl parade were safe.

Police Chief Stacey Graves said during the first press conference that as many as 15 people had been injured in the shooting.

5:30 p.m.: 22 people confirmed shot, 3 suspects detained

During the second press conference conducted by authorities following the shooting, Graves said the victim count had risen to 22 people, including children, with one person dead.

Graves noted that three individuals were detained by authorities for investigation and firearms were recovered from the scene.

“We have recovered firearms,” she said. “I don’t have a number for you or a caliber. We have recovered firearms.”

6:30 p.m.: Radio DJ confirmed as slain shooting victim

On Wednesday night, Kansas City radio station KKFI 90.1 confirmed one of its DJs, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, was killed in the shooting.

“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” the station wrote in a statement on Facebook.

Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m.: Police say the shooting stemmed from a dispute

During a press conference Thursday morning, Graves said the shooting stemmed from a dispute.

Graves said three suspects — including two juveniles — have been detained, saying charges have not yet been filed. Several guns were recovered from the scene, Graves said.

10:30 a.m.: Police confirm ages of the victims

During the press conference, Graves revealed The victims’ ages range from 8 years old to 47 years old. At least half of the victims are under the age of 16, she said.

Fire officials said the victims included eight critically hurt and seven seriously hurt.

Gun violence has claimed the lives of almost 5,000 people so far in 2024

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A Feb. 14 mass shooting following a parade and rally for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win has left one person dead and at least 21 others injured, according to officials.

The shooting has reignited discussions about the prevalence of gun violence in America.

As of Feb. 15, at least 4,994 people have died from gun violence in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive – which is an average of about 108 deaths each day. Another 3,351 people have been injured.

Of those who have died from gun violence, 147 were teens and 31 were children.

Last year, gun violence deaths and injuries decreased by at least 8% compared to 2022, with some cities seeing decreases of more than 20%, according to GVA.

There were 43,065 gun deaths in 2023, with more than 36,000 people injured. Gun deaths, excluding suicides, in 2023 were the lowest they had been since 2020. Injuries were the lowest they had been since 2019.

Mass shootings

There have been more than 49 mass shootings in 2024 so far, which is defined by the Gun Violence Archive as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed.

These mass shootings have led to more than 80 deaths and more than 170 injuries.

The Jan. 23 string of shootings in Joliet, Illinois by a single suspect marks the deadliest incident of the year. Eight people were killed and nine shot in what Joliet, Illinois, authorities are referring to as 23-year-old deceased suspect Romeo Nance’s “reign of terror.”

Mass shootings in the U.S. have more than doubled in the last decade.

In 2014, there were 272 mass shootings. In 2023, there were 656. Mass shootings peaked at 689 in 2021, according to GVA.

Deaths by suicide

Deaths by suicide have made up the vast majority of gun violence deaths so far this year.

There’s been 3,036 deaths by gun suicide this year, an average of about 66 deaths by suicide per day.

Though GVA has not yet released suicide data for 2023, deaths by suicide have been on the rise throughout the decade.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide — free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988. Even if you feel like it, you are not alone.

Other shootings

The grim tally of gun violence deaths includes 174 people killed in police officer-involved shootings. Seven police officers have been fatally shot in the line of duty this year.

There also have been 181 “unintentional” shootings, the Gun Violence Archive shows. Unintentional shootings reached the lowest they had been in a decade.

FDA approves first medication to treat severe frostbite

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first medication to treat severe frostbite on Wednesday.

Aurlumyn, manufactured by Eicos Sciences Inc, is an injection to treat severe frostbite in adults to reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation.

“This approval provides patients with the first-ever treatment option for severe frostbite,” Dr. Norman Stockbridge, director of the division of cardiology and nephrology in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a release. “Having this new option provides physicians with a tool that will help prevent the lifechanging amputation of one’s frostbitten fingers or toes.”

Frostbite is an injury that occurs when the skin and the underlying tissues are damaged by cold temperatures. Treatment typically involves placing the skin in warm water or placing blankets over affected skin area.

Frostbite typically occurs in three stages, with the final stage being severe frostbite, which results in numbness and skin that turns hard and black due to skin cells dying. Large blisters will appear on the skin a day or two after cold exposure and skin may be permanently damaged, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

If underlying tissues are frozen and blood flow has stopped, the frostbitten extremity may need to be amputated.

Iloprost is the active ingredient in Aurlumy and is a vasodilator, a type of drug that dilates vessels so blood can flow easily and prevents clotting. It was originally approved in 2004 for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

In a controlled trial, researchers examined 47 adults with severe frostbite, all of whom received aspirin by vein and standard of care. They were separated into three groups.

The first group received the drug intravenously for six hours daily for up to six days. The two remaining groups received medications that are unapproved for frostbite. The second group was given those medications with iloprost and the third group without it.

The patients received bone scans seven days after their initial frostbite to predict the need for amputation of at least one finger or toe.

On the seventh day, none of the patients in the first group receiving iloprost alone had bone scans that indicated potentially needing an amputation compared to 19% of patients in group two and 60% of patients in group three.

Additionally, abnormalities in the bone scan were significantly lower in the groups receiving iloprost alone or the iloprost combination.

“Most patients had follow-up information on whether they subsequently underwent at least one finger or toe amputation,” the FDA release said. “The need for amputation was consistent with the bone scan findings.”

During the trial, the most common side effects of Aurlumyn included flushing, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, heart palpations, increased heart rate and low blood pressure.

Editor’s note: This story has been edited to reflect an update issued by the FDA to correct the name of the manufacturer of a newly approved drug that treats severe frostbite. Aurlumyn is manufactured by Eicos Sciences Inc.

After Trump’s claims, here’s what to know about NATO member defense spending

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump’s remarks over the weekend that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies that fail to meet defense spending guidelines have raised a lot of questions and drew rebuke from the White House and NATO’s leader.

“You don’t pay your bills, you get no protection. It’s very simple,” he said at a campaign event in Conway, South Carolina.

While multiple Republican senators backed Trump’s remarks, President Joe Biden called Trump’s comments “shocking” and “un-American,” adding that the commitment to NATO is “sacred.”

Trump’s comments put the safety of U.S. troops and their allies at risk, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.

The Republican presidential front-runner’s remarks raised questions about NATO’s guidelines on defense spendings and how much each ally country contributes to NATO’s military efforts.

NATO data show that almost all allies are expected to meet the defense spending guidelines in 2024 — contrary to Trump’s comments.

What is NATO and who are its members?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, is a political and military alliance formed in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II. Started with only 12 members, the alliance expanded to 31 nations and now includes European countries such as Turkey and Iceland, Canada and the U.S.

One of the prominent clauses of NATO’s treaty is Article 5, which deals with collective defense, which says that any attack on a member country is an attack on all of the countries in the alliance, according to its website. Article 5, which is not enforced automatically, but requires agreements from all allies, was invoked only once after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S.

How does NATO fund its defense?

NATO allies choose to contribute troops and funding to the alliance; how much each country would spend on its defense is voluntary. However, the nations set defense spending standards and guidelines for themselves to ensure the alliance’s military preparedness, according to NATO’s website.

NATO leaders pledged in 2014 to commit at least 2% of their gross domestic product to defense spending, in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and instabilities in the Middle East. The agreement was renewed in 2023, NATO said on its website.

These are not funds that countries would pay to NATO, but contributions to their own military budgets. The alliance doesn’t have its own army and its military protections are insured by member countries, according to NATO’s website.

In addition, the countries agree to dedicate 20% of the defense budget to equipment expenses, including research and development, to keep up with modernization in the military field, according to the funding section on NATO’s website.

Which NATO countries meet those guidelines?

Only 11 of the 31 nations were predicted to spend more than 2% of their GDP on defense in 2023, according to NATO estimates published in July. Almost a decade ago, only three countries met that mark.

Even more NATO countries are estimated to meet the 2% threshold in 2024. All European allies are expected to spend 2% of the GDP in 2024 for the first time ever, Stoltenberg said.

Ahead of a Thursday meeting between NATO defense ministers, Stoltenberg released the latest spending numbers, which he called an “unprecedented rise.”

“We are making real progress: European Allies are spending more,” he said in the release. “However, some Allies still have a ways to go.”

In addition to reaching the 2% threshold, all the NATO countries spent more than 20% of their estimated 2023 defense budgets on equipment, meeting that guideline from the 2014 agreement.

How much does the U.S. contribute to NATO’s defense?

The U.S. was estimated to spend 3.49% of its GDP in 2023 on defense, which is roughly $860 million. Poland comes in first with 3.9% — more than $29 million. The only other country estimated to pass the 3% mark was Greece, with more than $7 million.

The U.S. allocates almost twice as much of its GDP — $860 million — as European allies and Canada do together — roughly $404 million. The U.S. contribution makes up two thirds of the total NATO defense expenditures. This has been the case since the alliance was founded. U.S. defense spending also saw a major increase after the 9/11 attacks.

The other top contributors are Germany and the United Kingdom, with each making up more than 5% of total NATO defense spending. While the U.K has allocated more than 2% of its GDP in the last two decades to military spendings, Germany falls below the 2%.

Teen says he’s ‘doing great’ after undergoing experimental sickle cell treatment

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Sixteen-year-old Jonathan Lubin loves basketball, playing the drums and going to the gym.

But until recently, his parents worried he wouldn’t live to see the age of 40.

Lubin was born with sickle cell disease, a genetic illness that causes abnormal ‘C’-shaped red blood cells that clog blood flow, causing severe pain episodes and organ damage.

More than two years ago, Lubin became one of the youngest patients to sign up for a still-experimental CRISPR gene editing therapy.

The treatment, which he received at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, required chemotherapy and involved a complex months-long process of harvesting his own stem cells, editing them and then reintroducing them into his body.

But today, Lubin is able to do everyday activities that used to be risky.

The teen said he has not had a pain crisis or hospitalization in over two years, a stark contrast from his childhood, which has been characterized by hospital visits every few months.

“It’s been about two years and I’m doing great,” Lubin told “Good Morning America.” “Overall, I’m just feeling way better.”

For Lubin and other clinical trial volunteers, it’s been a major transformation.

And researchers say that thanks to the bravery of these volunteers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved two new gene-editing therapies for sickle cell disease, including the CRISPR-based therapy Lubin received.

The CRISPR-based gene therapy Lubin received is made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and developed in partnership with CRISPR Therapeutics. The FDA approved a second gene therapy made by bluebird bio.

Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that affects approximately 100,000 Americans – primarily Black Americans with African ancestry, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers estimate that roughly 20 to 25% of those with the disease are sick enough that they would be good candidates for the newly approved treatments, which were approved for people aged 12 and older.

Jimi Olaghere and Victoria Grey – both in their 30s – said they volunteered to have a chance to be better parents to their children. Both travelled out of state to be treated at Sarah Cannon Research Institute and HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Centennial Children’s Hospital in Nashville.

Prior to his treatment, Olaghere said he felt like he was “living in a nightmare” with frequent hospitalizations and pain crisis.

“Now I wake up, I get the kids ready for school,” Olaghere said. “It is complete night and day. It is a completely different life.”

But the sticker shock of both newly-approved treatments – both multi-million dollars – has raised questions about access.

Given the high cost of treating repeat pain crisis over the lifetime of a person with sickle cell disease, some insurance providers have opted to cover the new treatments.

And the Biden Administration has created a new access model for Medicaid patients, designed to lower the medication cost and improve access to gene therapy.

The program is set to begin in January 2025.

Number of striking US workers more than doubled last year, study shows

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The number of striking workers in the U.S. more than doubled last year due to massive work stoppages carried out by autoworkers, nurses and Hollywood writers and actors, according to a study released by Cornell University on Thursday.

The total number of striking workers climbed 141% in 2023, amounting to nearly 540,000 workers who walked off the job, the report found.

“This rise in strike action after many years of diminished activity indicates a union resurgence that is shifting the balance of power back toward labor,” Alexander Colvin, dean of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, told ABC News in a statement.

Four large strikes accounted for more than half of the workers involved in work stoppages last year, the report said, pointing to multi-state campaigns among actors, autoworkers, healthcare employees, as well as an action carried out by school staff in Los Angeles.

SAG-AFTRA, a union representing roughly 160,000 actors, went out on strike for nearly 120 days, culminating in a 3-year contract that raised wages by roughly 14%.

The United Auto Workers, a union representing 150,000 employees at major car markers, ended a weekslong strike after a set of agreements that delivered a roughly 25% raise over a 4-year period.

Roughly 75,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente won major wage gains after a work stoppage, as did thousands of TV writers.

The total number of work stoppages ticked up by 9% in 2023 compared to the previous year, due to the sizable share of workers who participated in large strikes, the report said.

The sharp escalation in worker protests arose from widespread dissatisfaction with sluggish wage gains, which in many cases had failed to keep up with rapid price hikes, experts previously told ABC News.

Over a four-decade period beginning in the late-1970s, wages largely flattened, increasing 0.2% per year on an inflation-adjusted basis for a typical worker, a Harvard Business Review analysis found.

The cumulative effects of sluggish wage growth collided with sky-high inflation in recent years, leaving workers frustrated over diminished spending power, Johnnie Kallas, project director of Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker, previously told ABC News.

Despite the surge in work stoppages last year, union membership stagnated. In 2023, the unionization rate among private sector employees stood at 6%, little changed from the previous year, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in January.

The private sector unionization rate has generally trended down over four decades since the U.S. began collecting data, in 1983, when the rate stood at about 17%, the BLS said.

Still, last year brought a surge in strikes in the private sector, in contrast with the burst of labor militancy five years ago mostly among public school teachers, Johnnie Kallas, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois, who founded Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker, told ABC News in a statement.

“Large strikes were much more dispersed this past year throughout numerous private sector industries,” Kallas said.

Two firefighters in critical condition, several others hurt from explosion in Los Angeles

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Seven firefighters are injured, including two who are in critical condition, following an explosion in Los Angeles, according to the LA Fire Department.

The blast occurred when the firefighters responded to a semi-truck on fire early Thursday, the department said.

The semi-truck does “not run on diesel or on gasoline, but it is actually propelled … with compressed natural gas,” Fire Department Capt. Eric Scott said at a news conference.

Two 100-gallon tanks were on the truck, one of which exploded while firefighters were putting out the blaze, Scott said.

The flames were as high as telephone poles and exploded a transformer nearby, he said.

Officials do not know the condition of the driver or if the vehicle was moving at the time of the fire, Scott said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Kansas City Chiefs parade mass shooting stemmed from dispute, two juveniles detained

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — The mass shooting that erupted at the end of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Missouri, appeared to stem from a dispute, according to police.

The shooting, in which one person was killed and 22 were hurt, unfolded outside Union Station as Chiefs fans were leaving a parade and rally on Wednesday. More than 800 law enforcement officers were on duty in the area, as 1 million paradegoers were expected to attend the celebration, according to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

Three suspects — including two juveniles — have been detained, according to Kansas City police. Charges have not been filed yet, police said. Several guns were recovered, police said.

The victims’ ages range from 8 years old to 47 years old, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Thursday.

At least half of the victims are under the age of 16, she said.

Fire officials said the victims included eight critically hurt and seven seriously hurt.

Children’s Mercy Kansas City Hospital said it admitted and treated a total of 12 patients, including 11 children, all of whom were expected to make a full recovery.

Killed in the shooting was Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a DJ at local radio station KKFI 90.1 FM.

“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” the radio station said in a statement Wednesday.

The 44-year-old leaves behind her husband and two young children.

“We woke up this morning excited and the last thing we ever expected was to have a tragedy in our family,” her brother, Beto Lopez, told ABC News.

“I am angry,” Graves said. “The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment.”

All Chiefs players, coaches and staff were confirmed safe.

So far this year, there have been at least 48 mass shootings in the United States, with 81 killed and 165 wounded, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio, Youri Benadjaoud, Alexandra Faul and Pierre Thomas contributed to this report.

Kansas City Chiefs parade mass shooting stemmed from dispute, victims as young as 8 years old

February 15, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — The mass shooting that erupted at the end of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, appeared to stem from a dispute, according to police.

The shooting, in which one person was killed and 22 were hurt, unfolded outside Union Station as Chiefs fans were leaving a parade and rally. More than 800 law enforcement officers were on duty in the area, as 1 million paradegoers were expected to attend Wednesday’s celebration, according to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.