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Russia could mask chemical weapons with riot control agents: Pentagon update Day 48

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the U.S. assessment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine’s efforts to fight back.

Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday on Day 48:

Russia could use riot control agents to mask chemical weapons

A defense official said the U.S. cannot confirm whether Russia has used any chemical weapons in Mariupol or elsewhere in Ukraine, but the Defense Department has seen evidence Russia could consider disguising use of chemical weapons by making them look like more benign riot-control agents.

“In the past we’ve had indications that that could be one thing that the Russians look at, is the potential mixing of agents with the with the idea that they could disguise a more serious attack by using the vehicle and the techniques of riot control agents,” the official said.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby put out a similar statement Monday night addressing social media reports claiming Russia used a chemical weapon in Mariupol.

“These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.”

Kirby, like the official on Tuesday, emphasized the U.S. cannot confirm the allegations.

On Tuesday, Kirby told reporters the U.S. is looking into the matter.

“We’re obviously taking it seriously and we’re monitoring it,” Kirby said. “We’re trying to do the best we can to figure out what, if anything, happened.”

Russian convoy creeping south

The Russian convoy approaching Izuim is still roughly 40 miles to the north of the key Ukrainian city, according to the official.

“We do assess that it’s moving, but not at breakneck speed,” the official said.

While the Pentagon doesn’t have a pristine view of what capabilities make up the convoy, it seems to be support-heavy.

“It includes some command and control elements, some enablers, and we think it’s also intended for resupply, perhaps an effort to amend their poor performance in logistics and sustainment in the north,” the official said.

Heavy fighting continues to the south of Izuim, with Russian forces about 12 miles from the city.

Mariupol stands

While Russian forces have devastated the coastal city of Mariupol with long-range strikes and have cut off essential supplies to the populace, Ukrainians continue to defend it.

“You’ve seen the devastation that Russian airstrikes have wrought on Mariupol in the city, but our assessment is that the Ukrainians are are still fighting for it,” Kirby said.

Mariupol is strategically important for both the Ukrainians and Russians.

“It’s obvious that the Russians want Mariupol because of its strategic location there at the south of that Donbas area and right on the Sea of Azov,” Kirby said. “It’s a major, important city… it would provide them unfettered and unhindered land access between the Donbas and Crimea.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine has its own clear incentives to keep Mariupol.

“It also has great significance to the Ukrainian people because of what it represents to their economic life, because it is their city and it’s part of their country,” Kirby said. “They haven’t given up on it, and we’re not giving up on them, either.”

Military aid for Ukraine

The $800 million military aid package for Ukraine authorized by President Joe Biden last month has mostly been delivered, and will be completed in the coming days, according to the official.

“Yesterday, two U.S. flights arrived in the region with everything from small-arms ammunition, machine guns, body armor, grenades and other explosives,” the official said.

So far, the U.S. has sent 19 out of an expected 20 flights needed to deliver the $800 million package.

While U.S. officials have said Russia has not hit support shipments coming over the border, there is an effort more broadly to disrupt Ukrainian forces’ ability to resupply themselves.

“They certainly have shown an interest in trying to hit logistics and sustainment for the Ukrainians, and they have certainly tried to go after Ukrainian air defense as well,” the official said.

Biden addresses New York City subway shooting investigation: ‘We’re not letting up’

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden addressed the New York City subway system shooting that left at least 29 injured on Tuesday while he was in Iowa as federal authorities in Washington assist New York officials in an intense manhunt for the suspect.

“To start, I’d like to say a few words about the mass shooting in New York City subway this morning, you all read and heard about,” Biden began, before delivering remarks on easing gas prices. “Jill and I and my wife Jill and I are praying for those who are injured and all those touched by that trauma, and we’re grateful for all the first responders who jumped into action, including civilians — civilians who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers and try to shield them.”

“We’re going to continue to stay in close contact with New York authorities and as we learn more about the situation over the coming hours and days,” he said. “We’re not letting up on it until we find out, and we find the perpetrator,” he said.

Biden was briefed on the shooting earlier, White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted, before he departed for Iowa. Senior White House staff are also in contact with New York City Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell as the situation unfolds, she said, and Biden reiterated.

En route to Des Moines, Psaki told reporters on Air Force One that she spoke with Biden aboard the plane about the ongoing situation and said the president reiterated a commitment to provide assistance to local leaders on the ground as the investigation continues.

“Anything they need, anything they want. We are here to help them and provide that to them,” Psaki said.

She said Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have not yet had a phone call Tuesday.

The still at-large suspect — who police said was wearing a green vest and a hooded gray sweatshirt — is believed to have opened fire inside at least one subway station during morning rush hour traffic. There are at least three active crime scenes in Brooklyn. Authorities said at an earlier press conference that the lone gunman put on a gas mask, deployed a smoke canister, and when the subway car filled with smoke, opened fire inside the car and on the platform.

Among those injured, according to the FDNY, 10 were shot. Five people are in critical but stable condition.

The NYPD has put out a citywide alert for a UHAUL vehicle and shared a description of the suspect with federal authorities. The shooter’s motive remains unclear, police said.

Vice President Kamala Harris has received regular updates on the shooting, according to a White House official. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have also been briefed.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York tweeted that he is “closely monitoring” the unfolding situation in what he called “our beloved Brooklyn.”

“I’m grateful for the quick action of our first responders,” he said. “To everyone in New York: Stay safe.”

The shooting sparking panic across New York City comes as Adams has vowed to combat gun violence as mayor amid a recent surge in crime.

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, Alexander Mallin and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.

Health officials warn of ‘large’ outbreak of serious bacterial illness in Florida

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Health officials are warning Florida residents about a “large” outbreak of a potentially fatal bacterial illness known as meningococcal disease that’s primarily affecting gay and bisexual men.

So far this year, there have been 21 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease as of Monday, according to Florida Department of Health data. That’s higher than the state’s five-year average of cases of the disease.

“[Florida Department of Health] epidemiologists are investigating each case as well as contacting people with potential or direct exposure to known cases to provide them with information and treatment options,” the department said in a statement.

Most of the cases are in central Florida, and more than half are in people between the ages of 20 and 39, according to state health department data.

The “large, ongoing” outbreak is primarily among men who have sex with men, including those living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC recently issued an alert on the outbreak, urging gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men who live in Florida or who plan to travel to the state to get vaccinated against the disease. The outbreak is primarily among residents, though it has affected some people who have traveled to Florida, the CDC said.

There also have been cases of meningococcal disease reported among Florida college students in recent months, though “there is no evidence to suggest that the cases among college students are related to the larger outbreak,” the CDC said.

Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious disease that is primarily spread by close or direct contact, such as kissing. Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, confusion and rash.

Meningococcal disease can commonly lead to two potentially fatal infections: meningitis — when the lining of the brain and spinal cord become infected — and bloodstream infection.

Those who contract the disease could suffer from hearing loss, brain damage, kidney damage, loss of limbs or nervous system problems.

“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against meningococcal disease,” the Florida Department of Health said.

Florida health officials are encouraging men who have sex with men, people living with HIV, immunocompromised individuals and college students to get vaccinated against the disease amid the outbreak. Anyone in those groups who more than five years ago received their MenACWY vaccine — one of two types of meningococcal vaccines available in the U.S. — is also encouraged to get vaccinated.

People planning to travel to Florida should get vaccinated at least two weeks before traveling, the CDC advised.

College students may choose to get a MenB vaccine, which is available for those between the ages of 16 and 23, to protect against meningococcal disease, the CDC said.

STDs including gonorrhea, syphilis rose during 1st year of pandemic: CDC

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Cases of several sexually transmitted diseases continued to increase during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new federal report.

Published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday, the report found STD cases fell during the early months of 2020 but resurged later in the year.

Overall, 2.4 million STD cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020, a slight decrease from the 2.5 million cases reported in 2019.

However, the decreases observed in early 2020 may have been a result of significant reductions in screening and reporting associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC noted.

“Many jurisdictions reported critical effects on staffing and testing and treatment supplies, straining an already crumbling public health infrastructure,” the agency wrote in the report, meaning “COVID-19 significantly affected STD surveillance and prevention efforts.”

Specifically, cases of gonorrhea, syphilis and congenital syphilis were higher than levels seen in 2019 despite lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and school closures.

Cases of chlamydia — which represent about two-thirds of total STD cases — were lower in 2020.

“There were moments in 2020 when it felt like the world was standing still, but STDs weren’t,” Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in a statement. “The unrelenting momentum of the STD epidemic continued even as STD prevention services were disrupted.”

In terms of specific diseases, the report found cases of gonorrhea were up 10% in 2020, from about 616,000 to more than 677,000. Additionally, cases of syphilis increased 7% from nearly 39,000 to more than 41,000.

Cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother passes on the disease to her baby during pregnancy, spiked 15% from about 1,900 in 2019 to more than 2,100. This occurred in the broader context of what the CDC has called a “resurgence” in congenital syphilis with annual case counts skyrocketing 235% since 2016.

The CDC said these increases are particularly “worrisome” because congenital syphilis — which is easily preventable with screening and treatment — has serious risks including life-long physical and mental health risks for babies, miscarriage and stillbirth.

Because congenital syphilis occurs in communities of color at rates several times higher than among whites, officials fear the rises in the disease spreading from mother to child will perpetuate health disparities.

“This … highlights the nation’s failure to provide sufficient, quality sexual health care for everyone who needs it,” Dr. Leandro Mena, director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, said during a media telebriefing Tuesday.

On its face, the one silver lining of the report found chlamydia cases decreased 13%, to about 1.6 million from 1.8 million.

However, the CDC cautioned that, because the disease is typically asymptomatic, these decreases were more likely due to screening shortfalls than to drops in infections.

During the telebriefing, the agency elaborated on some of the causes of the shortcomings in screening.

Mermin said “STD program resources were heavily diverted to address COVID-19” — including shunting of contact tracing staff. Half of programs discontinued STD prevention field work during most of 2020.

Additionally, Mena said more than half of the programs reported shortages in testing and treatment supplies during the pandemic.

The report also addressed which groups saw the highest rates of STDs.

Half of all STDs reported in the U.S. in 2020 were among 15-to-24-year-olds.

STD rates were also higher across the board among certain racial and ethnic groups – including Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native – compared to white and Asian Americans.

Gay and bisexual men were also disproportionately affected — particularly by syphilis — than other groups.

Rates in certain regions also soared far above the national average. For example, in Mississippi, rates of chlamydia were 167% higher than the national average, and rates of gonorrhea were 224% higher.

Similar patterns were seen in other states throughout the South, including Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

If the country fails to “rebuild, innovate, and expand” STD prevention resources in the coming years, Mermin said he expects STD rates will continue to rise.

“STDs are not patiently waiting for the pandemic to end, and neither can we,” the agency wrote in its report.

NYC subway shooting updates: 10 shot in Brooklyn, suspect at large

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A gunman donned a gas mask, detonated a smoke canister and opened fire on a New York City subway train Tuesday morning, shooting 10 people and sparking panic during the rush-hour commute.

Twenty-nine victims went to Brooklyn hospitals with various injuries. Five people are in critical but stable condition.

Police described the gunman, who is still on the run, as an “active shooter.” The bloodshed comes amid a surge in crime on New York City’s transit system.

The shooting, reported just before 8:30 a.m. local time, erupted on a Manhattan-bound N subway car as it approached the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference.

According to a police official, the suspect was seen mumbling to himself before he put on the gas mask, released a smoke canister commonly bought online and opened fire with a .380 caliber handgun.

There were no working cameras in the 36th Street station, according to a police official. But police were able to get an image of the suspect from a bystander’s cellphone video, a law enforcement official told ABC News.

In the subway station, police found a handgun with three extended round magazines: one on the shooter’s backpack, one empty on the floor and one in the gun jammed, the law enforcement official said. The gun jamming is believed to have saved lives, the official said.

Yav Montano, 24, was on the train when he said the whole car filled with smoke.

“It was hard to breathe, it was hard to see. It was hard to hear or pay attention to what was going on with the chaos that was happening,” he said.

“I didn’t see anything because the smoke in the train was so thick. I couldn’t even see halfway down the length of the train car,” he added.

“After the smoke went on there was a bunch of popping, which I thought at first was firecrackers,” he went on. “I ducked behind a chair to protect myself.”

From a crouching position on the floor, Montano said, “I saw a lot of blood on the floor. Too much blood.”

Montano said the doors opened at 36th Street about three to four minutes later. “As soon as the doors opened, everyone started to pour out and run,” he recalled.

Multiple smoke devices and a bag of commercial-grade fireworks have been recovered, according to a law enforcement official.

Sewell said there are no known explosives on subways and a motive in still unknown.

After initially saying the shooting was not being investigated as an act of terrorism, Sewell later said police are “not ruling anything out.”

Sewell described the suspect as a man wearing a green construction-type vest and a gray-hooded sweatshirt. The suspect has a “heavy build” and is believed to be about 5 feet 5 inches tall, Sewell said.

The NYPD has put out a citywide alert for a U-Haul vehicle with license plate AL31408 that may be associated with the suspect, according to police sources.

A man who works in a bodega outside the subway told ABC New York station WABC about 10 to 15 people ran to his store for safety.

“It was horrifying,” he said.

“I saw three or four people with gunshot wounds to their legs. They just fell to floor before the cops came. … They just stayed here for a couple of minutes before the coast was clear,” he said. “Everyone was terrified, I was terrified.”

Victims range in age from 17 to 50, according to a police official.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told NY1, “We are going to remain vigilant and catch the person responsible.”

A senior federal law enforcement source told ABC News authorities are concerned this shooting showed a level of planning and commitment to kill scores of commuters during rush hour. The source said it is too early to know if the suspect acted alone.

President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been briefed on the situation.

Anyone with information, video or photos is urged to call 800-577-TIPS.

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

ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Mark Crudele, Ivan Pereira, Miles Cohen and Luke Barr contributed to this report.

Biden to speak in Iowa as inflation jumps to 8.5% in March

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(MENLO, Iowa) — President Joe Biden traveled to Iowa on Tuesday for his first time as president to announce new efforts to bring down gas prices as the administration faces an 8.5% jump in the consumer price index compared to a year ago, which it attributes mostly to what the White House calls “Putin’s Price Hike.”

The March CPI report released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed inflation is at its highest point in the U.S. in 41 years as rising prices have an impact on consumers worldwide. Prices were up 1.2% compared to just a month ago, the report said, raising concerns that, if the Federal Reserve gets more aggressive in raising interest rates to temper inflation, that might trigger a recession.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tried to preemptively cushion the blow of the report numbers on Monday. She said the White House expected a large difference between core and headline inflation, pointing to the price of gas as the main reason for the discrepancy.

“Just as an example, since President Putin’s military buildup in January, average gas prices up more than 80 cents. Most of the increase occurred in March and gas prices, at times, prices were up more than a dollar above pre-invasion level. That roughly 25% increase in prices will drive tomorrow’s inflation rating,” Psaki said.

To address those prices, Biden will announce he plans to issue a temporary, emergency waiver for the summer to allow the sale of “E-15” — a blend of gas with 15% ethanol, rather than the usual 10%, which the White House says will bring down gas prices by 10 cents a gallon. Usually, E-15 is not sold in the summer because it’s believed to add to smog.

But the move will have a limited impact: Only 2% of gas stations around the country carry E-15, mostly in the Midwest. The White House countered a question from ABC News on whether the impact would be insignificant for Americans.

“Ultimately this is about giving Americans more options and more flexibility,” a White House official said. “President Biden knows that every cent matters and families will see savings even after taking into consideration the difference in energy efficiency.”

Inflation and even gas prices have been on the rise even before the invasion of Ukraine. A new ABC News/Ipsos poll found Americans are more likely to place a “great deal” or a “good amount” of the blame for the price increases on Democratic Party policies (52%) and Biden (51%) than on Republican Party policies (33%) and former President Donald Trump (24%). A strong majority of Americans (68%) also disapproves of the way Biden is handling gas prices.

Biden’s trip to Iowa comes with the midterm elections seven months away. It’s a state he spent a lot of time in amid the 2020 campaign, but ultimately lost to former President Donald Trump by nine points.

While his remarks are set to focus on his administration’s actions to lower gas prices and the bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year, Biden might feel obligated to address Tuesday’s report, which showed increases in prices for gasoline, rent and food were the largest contributors to inflation for Americans. Gasoline prices rose 18.3% compared to a month ago and were a major contributor to inflation; other energy prices also increased. Food prices increased by 1% and the food at home prices by 1.5%.

Aside from food and energy, rent was the biggest factor in the price increases. Airline fares, household furnishings and operations, medical care and motor vehicle insurance also contributed to inflation. Used cars and trucks fell 3.8% compared to a month ago.

The report, though in line with expectations, does nothing to temper concerns that the Federal Reserve has a tough job ahead of it in cooling this inflation without sparking a recession.

ABC News’ Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.

Oklahoma governor signs law making nearly all abortions illegal

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(OKLAHOMA CITY) — It will now be a felony to perform an abortion in Oklahoma under a bill signed into law Tuesday by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The bill passed in the state House last week without any debate after passing the Senate last year.

Under the bill, any medical provider who performs an abortion would face a fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years in prison. The only exceptions for performing an abortion would be if the mother’s life is in danger.

The new law is scheduled to take effect in August, but it is expected to be challenged in court.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Center for Reproductive Rights have said they will “challenge any ban that is signed into law in Oklahoma this session.”

“The law signed today is not yet in effect, and abortion remains legal in Oklahoma,” Emily Wales, interim CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in a statement.

The new abortion restriction in Oklahoma is particularly significant because of the outsized role the state has played in providing abortion access to women in the region since last year, when Texas enacted a law that bans nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

So far in 2022, the two Planned Parenthood clinics in Oklahoma that offer abortion services have seen more patients from Texas than from Oklahoma, according to Wales.

“We know that patients who need abortion are not going to stop seeking it, it’s just going to get harder and harder for them to access,” Wales told ABC News last week, when the bill passed the Oklahoma state House.. “Right now, patients may be traveling a few hundred miles from home, five or six hours, they’re going to add another five or six hours to get to the Kansas City area or to Wichita, and for some patients, that won’t be feasible.”

Dr. Christina Bourne, medical director of Trust Women, which operates an abortion care clinic in Oklahoma City and one in Wichita, Kansas, said the clinics are having to turn people away because of the demand.

“We are essentially having to turn the vast majority of people away from getting abortions because we just cannot keep up with the volume,” Bourne said last week. “We could be doing abortions 24 hours a day and not keep up with the volume that is demanded of us.”

The Oklahoma legislature is also still considering more legislation to restrict abortion access, including a bill that passed the House last month that is modeled after Texas’s law and allows for citizens to sue for up to $10,000 anyone who performs or “aids and abets” an abortion. The Oklahoma Senate has also passed several anti-abortion measures recently, including a bill that allows for private lawsuits.

Abortion access at a greater distance

Experts say that in light of more restrictions, women who have the means will have to travel further for abortion care, while those who don’t will not get care.

“We expect that the facilities that remain open in other states will be overwhelmed, as we have already seen with Senate Bill 8, with residents from other states coming in to get care,” said Dr. Kari White, an associate professor and faculty research associate at the University of Texas at Austin. “And there are some people for whom these longer distances are are just going to be impossible, and they will consider either other ways to try to end their pregnancies by ordering medications online or potentially doing something unsafe, and other people will be forced to continue their pregnancies.”

White, who is also the lead investigator of the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, has studied the impact of Texas’ six-week abortion ban. According to her research, around 1,400 Texans have gone to another state for abortion care each month since SB8 went into effect in September, with 45% traveling to Oklahoma.

“We’ve certainly heard from some of the people we’ve interviewed in our study that they were willing to wait a little bit longer to get an abortion in Oklahoma because they could travel to Oklahoma, but it was too far for them to go to a state like New Mexico,” she said. “They just couldn’t make it work in terms of the additional cost, the time away from work or their child care responsibilities.”

New Mexico and Colorado, which have less stringent abortion restrictions, are likely to become hotspots for women in the region who have the means to travel for abortion care.

Those states have also felt the impact from SB8, according to Planned Parenthood, which reported a more than 1000% increase in abortion patients with Texas zip codes at Planned Parenthood health centers in Colorado and a more than 100% increase at Planned Parenthood health centers in New Mexico compared to the previous year.

Other states that surround Oklahoma — Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas — face their own restrictions on abortion access and are dealing with already overwhelmed systems, experts say.

The two Planned Parenthood clinics that provided abortion care in Missouri have been closed in the law few years due to state restrictions, according to Wales, who added, “Missourians for a long time have been living the Texas crisis, where the majority of them are forced to flee their home state for care already.”

Arkansas has around three abortion clinics statewide currently, while Kansas has four, according to Sandy Brown, president of the Kansas Abortion Fund, a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization that helps fund Kansan women seeking abortion care.

“Our clinics here have been swamped,” Brown said. “They just can’t absorb the volume of people coming in from other states. Now, if Oklahoma happens, it’s really, really going to be bad, because we already can’t almost handle the patients that are coming in now.”

More states expected to act after anticipated Supreme Court ruling

Currently, it is unconstitutional to pass abortion bans before a fetus is viable — anywhere from 22 to 26 weeks.

In May or June, the Supreme Court will announce its ruling on a 15-week ban in Mississippi and whether or not it is constitutional. If the Supreme Court determines the ban is constitutional, it could mean Roe v. Wade is either overturned or fundamentally weakened.

More than half of the nation’s 50 states are prepared to ban abortion if Roe is overturned, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights organization.

If that happens, another factor to watch will be whether states that have banned abortion make it increasingly difficult for their residents to obtain abortions in other states, Mary Ziegler, visiting professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School and author of “Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present,” told ABC News earlier this year.

In the meantime, abortion rights advocates and providers say they worry that the far distances people are having to travel to seek abortion care means the most vulnerable people, such as those without the financial resources to travel, are being left behind.

“Traveling is an option and has always been an option for affluent white people,” Bourne said. “Through abortion restrictions, we are legislating people who experience intersecting identities, poverty, people of color, queer folks, people with many children, people with busy lives who are going to be left out of that and forced to carry a pregnancy to term that perhaps otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Wales, of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said that as clinics in Oklahoma and Kansas have seen increased demand for abortion services, that has resulted in a delay in services for the type of general reproductive health care, like contraception and cancer screening, that makes up the majority of the clinics’ work.

“The increased need in abortion and the restrictions from the states … those things have pushed family planning patients and other types of care back,” Wales said. “It also means our family planning patients are coming in more concerned, more confused about what is available to them, because they just understand that rights are being restricted.”

“It has created a great deal of fear, I think, among the people we see,” she said.

ABC News’ Mary Ketakos contributed to this report.

Prices continue to soar as labor and supply shortages persist

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Inflation is the highest it has been in more than 40 years, according to a new economic report. The Consumer Price Index numbers for the month of March show that inflation is up 8.5%, compared to one year ago.

The Federal Reserve is hopeful that new interest rate hikes could ease demand and, ultimately, lead to lower prices.

ABC’s Rebecca Jarvis provided more details Tuesday on Good Morning America:

NYC subway shootings updates: 10 shot in Brooklyn, suspect at large

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A gunman donned a gas mask, detonated a smoke canister and opened fire on a New York City subway train Tuesday morning, injuring at least 16 people and sparking panic during the rush-hour commute.

Ten people were shot and six suffered other injuries, officials said. Five people are in critical but stable condition.

Police described the gunman, who is still on the run, as an “active shooter.” The bloodshed in Brooklyn comes amid a surge in crime on New York City’s transit system.

A man who works in a bodega outside the subway told ABC New York station WABC about 10 to 15 people ran to his store for safety.

“It was horrifying,” he said.

Sewell said there are no known explosives on subways.

She said a motive isn’t known, and while she initially said the shooting isn’t being investigated as an act of terrorism, she later said, “We’re not ruling anything out.”

Schools in the area are on “shelter in place” protocols, officials said. Students are being kept inside but the school day is going on as normal.

Konrad Aderer told ABC News Live he was heading toward the subway station at about 8:30 a.m. when he saw a man bleeding from his legs.

“It was kind of shocking, of course. I wanted to know more,” he said, adding, “I just figured I can’t do much good here and I’ll just be in the way … the best thing for me to do is to leave immediately.”

At that point, he said, “I saw police and emergency vehicles already flooding in.”

President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been briefed on the situation.

The FBI is assisting the NYPD and officials from the ATF are at the scene.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was at the scene in Brooklyn for the afternoon news conference.

Both the Massachusetts State Police and the Washington, D.C., Transit Police said they’re monitoring the situation although there are no known threats.

Anyone with information, video or photos is urged to call 800-577-TIPS.

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

ABC News’ Ivan Pereira and Luke Barr contributed to this report.

NYC subway shootings updates: Multiple shot, suspect at large

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Police are searching for a gunman after multiple people were shot on the New York City subway system during Tuesday morning rush hour, according to police sources.

Thirteen people were injured, according to the FDNY. It’s not immediately clear how many of the injured were shot. The victims were taken to hospitals in varying conditions.

The incident, reported just before 8:30 a.m. local time, appears to have started on a northbound N subway car in Brooklyn. The 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park and the 25th Street station in Greenwood Heights were also impacted.

There was smoke on the N train prior to it pulling into the 36th Street station, police said. A source told ABC News multiple smoke devices were likely used.

The New York City Police Department said there are no active explosive devices.

Authorities are still searching for the suspect who may have been wearing a reflective vest and a gas mask.

The FBI is assisting NYPD and officials from the ATF are at the scene.

President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been briefed on the situation.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted that she’s been briefed on the incident.

“First responders are on the scene and we will work with @MTA & @NYPDnews to provide updates as the investigation continues,” the governor said.

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

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