Arrests in Matthew Perry’s death and Kamala Harris’ economic agenda: Morning Rundown

Five people have been charged in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry. Kamala Harris will lay out economic policy proposals in a North Carolina speech. And a viral but unsubstantiated rumor claims Americans’ Social Security numbers were leaked.

Here’s what to know today.

Matthew Perry’s addiction was spiraling out of control before his death, prosecutors allege

“Friends” actor Matthew Perry was experiencing an out-of-control ketamine addiction in the weeks leading to his death, injecting the drug six to eight times a day and paying at least $55,000 for it in the month before he died, prosecutors say in court documents.

Prosecutors announced yesterday that five people have been charged in connection with Perry’s death. Dr. Salvador Plasencia was accused of providing the drug to Perry and his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa was accused of injecting Perry on the day he died. 

Others charged in his death were Mark Chavez, a San Diego doctor who owned a ketamine clinic; Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry’s who was accused of supplying the drug; and Jasveen Sangha, a major underground seller known as the “ketamine queen.” Read more about the suspects and the charges against them.

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Before his death, Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety, but it was not the supervised therapy doses that killed him. According to prosecutors, Perry had been seeking out unsupervised doses of the controlled substance and had developed an “out of control” dependence on it. 

On the day he died, Perry had been injected with his third shot of ketamine in six hours. Iwamasa went to run errands, the documents say, and returned home to find Perry facedown in his pool.

Court documents offer more insight into Perry’s final weeks. Read the full story here. 

Harris looks to focus economic message on cutting costs

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to sharpen her message to Americans on the economy in two big speeches, as her campaign tries to shift away from the Biden administration’s emphasis on low unemployment and strong economic growth, and instead call for actions that would result in lower prices for consumers.

A preview of Harris’ remarks at a North Carolina rally today shows she will push for a federal ban on corporate price-gouging in the grocery and food processing industries. She will also propose a crackdown on acquisitions among food companies if those deals could lead to higher grocery prices. Harris has previously called for an increased minimum wage and expanded child tax credits. The vice president will again hammer her message on the economy at next week’s Democratic National Convention.

Inflation has shown signs of cooling, and the Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates soon, offering Americans some relief. Still, there have been mixed signals about the economy in recent weeks.

More 2024 election coverage:

• Follow our live blog for the latest updates from the campaign trail.
• The Secret Service will use ballistic glass to protect Donald Trump so that he can resume outdoor campaign events, sources say.
• Trump is ramping up his false attacks on election integrity and rolling out pre-emptive excuses for a possible second defeat as his standing in the polls slide.
• Trump’s personal financial disclosure form shows that he owns more than $1 million in cryptocurrency and made $300,000 on branded Bibles.

A hacker claimed Americans’ Social Security numbers were leaked. Experts say not to panic.

A lawsuit has sparked a viral but unsubstantiated claim that the Social Security numbers of all U.S. citizens were leaked as part of a data breach this year. The alleged breach was first reported in April. But concerns intensified after a class action lawsuit was filed at the beginning of the month. Since then, the claim that a vast trove of Social Security numbers may have been exposed has echoed across social media. A preliminary expert analysis suggests the leak may include partial and incorrect data, alongside some legitimate information, leaving the scale of the leak and the authenticity of the claim unclear. 

Security experts say the leak of Social Security numbers isn’t a reason for panic. Given how common data breaches are, Americans should just assume their information is already in the hands of bad actors.

Tech reporter Kevin Collier explained what is known so far about the data breach and spoke to experts about how to keep your personal identity safe. Read the full story here.

Politics in Brief

Pennsylvania politics: A dispute between two prominent Pennsylvania politicians — Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. John Fetterman — recently spilled into public view, and their feud has the potential to affect state and Democratic politics for years to come.

Biden’s fiercest defender: First lady Jill Biden will pay tribute to President Joe Biden on the first night of the DNC — an appearance that just a few weeks ago was slated to be very different.

Trump investigations: Attorneys for Trump are asking a New York judge to postpone sentencing in his civil fraud trial until after the November election.

Want more politics news?  Sign up for From the Politics Desk to get exclusive reporting and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday evening. Subscribe here.

Staff Pick: Some doctors are embracing compounded versions of weight loss drugs

Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy are not only popular, but they are also pricey and can be hard to get hold of. So what happens when there’s a shortage of a drug, like there currently is for semaglutide and trizepatide? The FDA allows compounded versions that are “essentially a copy.” Many members of medical practices are turning to these alternatives, but not everyone feels comfortable with the unknowns. Experts on each side of the argument explained why. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

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Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

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