Roger Marshall’s attack ad against Adam Hamilton contains unauthorized image of children
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall's commercial critical of Democrat Adam Hamilton features unauthorized use of a picture taken of youth sitting in a Kansas chapel.
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Trump drops longtime aversion to mail-in voting with GOP trailing in polls
President Donald Trump wants to sharply curtail mail ballots. He’s called them “inherently corrupt” and baselessly condemned them as a major source of fraud. But with Republicans falling behind in the polls, the president is now urging his supporters to vote in the midterm elections any way they can, including by…
Nonprofits to erase $34 million in medical debt for 21,000 Kansans
TOPEKA — More than 21,000 Kansans are set to receive a letter this month notifying them that their medical debt has disappeared. A pair of nonprofit organizations announced they will abolish nearly $34 million in medical debt for 21,490 Kansans who meet certain criteria in a large-scale, one-time economic relief…
Democrat Cindy Holscher’s campaign for Kansas governor highlights distinctions from GOP rival
Democrat Cindy Holscher says her campaign for Kansas governor reflects the perspective of voters more accurately than Ty Masterson's GOP bid.
After states sue, Trump administration walks away from disability rights enforcement
A court battle that began when conservative-led states sued to block protections for transgender people has ended in a rollback of protections for people with disabilities — a result disability advocates have feared for months. At the end of August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services joined the handful…
Seven paragraphs to ponder as Kansas voters behold a blue wave gathering strength
Election season in Kansas, usually a fairly sedate affair with the exception of scattered gubernatorial races, has become a surprise scramble in the shadow of a national blue wave. The ridiculous rhetoric and squirrelly stories have multiplied so quickly that this single opinion editor can barely keep pace. It doesn’t…
Governors pledge to oppose federal overreach — even when their party runs Washington
Democratic and Republican governors say they will more aggressively push back on federal overreach regardless of which party controls Washington. Earlier this month, the bipartisan National Governors Association for the first time in over a decade updated its internal principles on federalism — the system of power…
The AI data center push has roiled Kansas politics. It may also define the race for governor.
Cindy Holscher has something she would like you to know. She changed her mind on data centers because she listens. “The subject was coming up over and over again,” she said of the 80 or so town halls she held in the last 12 months across Kansas. “It seemed to me at the time that
Anti-abortion groups worry Hyde Amendment’s 50-year run could end with new congressional majority
In the early months of 2022, Democrats in Congress came close to passing an appropriations bill that did not include a provision barring federal funding for abortions — maybe the closest it had ever come in more than 40 years. But those who wanted the Hyde Amendment included won the battle in the end. Three
Immigration insights: Tears and action follow ICE raids in southwest Kansas
DODGE CITY — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived in southwest Kansas on Sept. 22 and departed three days later, leaving fear, uncertainty and anger. Many in the Hispanic and Latino communities in Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal, where most ICE activity was located, returned to work this week…
GOP pumps $8 million into Kansas to prop up flailing Roger Marshall. We have a race on our hands.
National Republicans are racing to the rescue of U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, diverting millions of dollars in advertising from North Carolina to Kansas. At least, that’s what the Friday reports from Semafor, The Associated Press and Politico indicate. The Senate Leadership Fund political action committee has reserved…
Kansas’ third-party secretary of state candidate eager to inspire electoral evolution
Scott Morgan, a convert to third-party politics in Kansas, embraces his secretary of state nomination by United Kansas Party as an opportunity for change.
El Niño strengthens, could bring wetter winter weather to Kansas, expert says
TOPEKA — Kansas weather lived up to its tempestuous reputation Wednesday as the dregs of Hurricane Polo launched more than a dozen tornadoes throughout the state. “Kansas dished out tornadoes like Santa handing out candy canes,” wrote one storm chaser who posts online as Kansas Twisters. “No idea how many there were…
Federal funds for local police enforcement accelerated Trump immigration crackdown
WASHINGTON — This summer, arrests of immigrants in the United States soared to the highest levels since President Donald Trump returned to office. An unprecedented increase in cooperation between local and state law enforcement and federal immigration officers through collaborations known as 287(g) agreements helped…
Trump’s immigration sweeps leave southwest Kansas communities looking for way forward
DODGE CITY — Southwest Kansas communities reeling from President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown — which included random stops to check status — are looking for ways to recover as fear continues to grip the area’s large Hispanic population. Restaurants closed, motel managers cancelled reservations and the area’s…
As AI political deepfake advertisements go viral, state lawmakers struggle to keep up
Imagine watching a political campaign video in which a candidate admits to taking a bribe. You recognize the face and voice. But the confession is entirely fabricated, thanks to artificial intelligence. Now imagine that your state has passed a law against these AI-generated election deepfakes. Would that mean the…
Hamilton asks Marshall to cease and desist from ‘threats of frivolous litigation’ in Kansas race
TOPEKA — A lawyer for the Rev. Adam Hamilton’s campaign defended a recent political ad about medical debt that prompted Hamilton’s opponent, Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, to send the Democrat’s campaign a cease-and-desist warning. The ad centers on Meischa Zimmerman, a woman who received medical care from…
As Kansans lose SNAP benefits, state lawmakers examine system hurdles
TOPEKA — More than 30,000 fewer Kansans are receiving federal food assistance benefits, including more than 13,500 children, after the passage of federal cuts in 2025, and current beneficiaries must navigate a system riddled with delays. State lawmakers considered Wednesday streamlining the application process for…
Democrats’ ad links Ty Masterson to Sam Brownback; Kansas GOP nominee claims it’s a ‘lie’
Tax-policy legacy of former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is drawn into fray of gubernatorial race between Cindy Holscher and Ty Masterson.
Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike receiving medical care after failed execution
The Wednesday execution of Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike was halted after the state of Tennessee administered two failed rounds of its lethal injection protocol and federal public defenders filed an emergency appeal to end the execution and get Pike medical care. The botched execution spanned more than two…
Gen Z isn't choosing a side. They're choosing issues.
Editor’s Note: This story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between States Newsroom and The 19th. WINDHAM, Maine – As 24-year-old Maya Brooks walked winding roads in rural parts of Maine, a water bottle hooked to her fanny pack and a stack of “lit” on absentee voting and candidates her
US Senate leaves nation’s capital in advance of midterms with much still undone
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators departed Capitol Hill on Wednesday night for their campaign break, leaving numerous policy disputes unresolved. The chamber won’t return until Nov. 9 for the five-week lame-duck session, when party leaders will have to decide which bills they want to negotiate during what could be the final…
Feds provide Kansas, other states with guidance on new K-12 scholarship tax credit program
The U.S. Department of the Treasury released new guidance Thursday for participating states, scholarship-granting organizations and taxpayers as the federal scholarship tax credit program prepares to take effect in January. Created through President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending law in 2025, the Education…
Kansas GOP files complaint against Democrat. She says, ‘Let the timing speak for itself.’
TOPEKA — A Kansas Republican Party leader accused a Democrat’s campaign of tainting a congressional race and violating federal election law because of her ties to a nonprofit she co-founded. The complaint filed Wednesday by Kansas GOP executive director Rob Fillion alleges Katy Tyndell, a Democrat who is running in…
In our re-segregated K-12 education system, Black parents face impossible choices
Black parents make expensive choices and answer impossible questions when it comes to educating their children. One such question, “In what ways will you sacrifice your child?” forms the predicate for most every question Black parent will answer. Not if, but how? Choose the “best” school and leave the child vulnerable…
Enrollment up 0.7% at Kansas public universities, totals slip at community and technical colleges
Financial and demographic trends diminish enrollment at universities, community colleges and technical colleges coordinated by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Justice Department indicts 10 noncitizens in quest to prove Trump claims of election fraud
A federal grand jury indicted 10 noncitizens for unlawfully voting in Minnesota, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday, highlighting the administration’s effort to keep election security a top issue, in line with President Donald Trump’s longstanding unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. The indictments…
Kansas Legislature’s leaders still awaiting delivery of new bill-writing software program
TOPEKA — The bill-writing software for the Kansas Legislature that was supposed to be operational months before start of the 2026 legislative session in January remains ill-equipped for implementation. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said the objective was to work with contractor Propylon to get the system…
Kansas Legislature’s budget cuts compel Fort Hays State University to close Sternberg Museum
Fort Hays State University, grappling with $2.4 million state-ordered spending cut, to close Sternberg Museum of Natural History.
Trump TV ads paid for with $20M in Homeland Security funds, Dems find
President Donald Trump is tapping $20 million in Homeland Security funding to pay for TV ads that heavily feature him ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats said Tuesday as the promos critics call propaganda come under bipartisan attack. The Trump administration recently moved the funds into a U.S. Customs and…
Gargantuan feedlot telegraphs woes for cattle and the environment
I was just reading about a feedlot in Nebraska, near where that state meets Kansas and Colorado. It is set to become the largest in the country, holding in one square mile up to 150,000 head — as many cattle as were driven here in 1886 during the peak of the great drives. After reading
US Supreme Court allows Trump to resume deportations outside immigrants’ home countries
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted, for now, the Trump administration’s request to continue rapid third-country deportation of immigrants to countries not their own. The decision will allow the Trump administration to carry out its aggressive deportation method of quickly removing immigrants to one…
News orgs banned from White House accuse Trump of First Amendment violation
WASHINGTON — The three news organizations that President Donald Trump barred from entering the White House grounds earlier this month have asked a federal judge to ensure their reporters continue to have access after a temporary restraining order expires in early October. Attorneys for CNN, MS Now and Politico filed…
Kansas Court of Appeals pokes hole in Wichita roofing employees’ overtime ruling
Kansas Court of Appeals finds state Department of Labor erroneously relied on federal law in case of eight roofers in Wichita denied overtime pay.
Profiles in resistance: Residents of this Kansas town unite in opposition to ICE and CoreCivic
LEAVENWORTH — Amid a clash between a new immigration jail and the city that hosts it, residents from Leavenworth and nearby areas gathered last month to talk strategies for protecting people held in the facility. For some, it was just the latest meeting in a long resistance against the jail opened by the private prison
Thoughts from Kansas farmers as the US careens toward moral and fiscal bankruptcy
In recent weeks, I have had a number of conversations with other farmers. They cover the spectrum from Millennials to Gen Zers to folks of my generation, with many of that last group remembering the heartache of the 1980s. During that time, lots of folks lost their farms, and the effects were felt throughout rural
Trump thwarted in hunt for rare noncitizen voters as midterms near
Five weeks before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s sprawling effort to identify and remove noncitizen voters hasn’t produced the kind of large purges that could meaningfully affect the midterm elections. Even a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision giving states access to a supercharged Department of Homeland…
Roger Marshall alleges defamation in new ad about former Kansas patient arrested while in debt
TOPEKA — Lawyers for a Kansas Republican U.S. senator running for reelection sent his opponent a cease-and-desist letter demanding the Democrat stop airing an ad featuring one of the senator’s former patients. The lawyers for U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, said in a Monday letter that the Rev. Adam Hamilton’s…
Trump administration revokes $810M approved by Congress for refugee aid and more
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has, once again, infuriated lawmakers from both political parties by using a controversial maneuver to cancel funding previously approved by Congress. The $810 million in the “pocket rescission” would have gone to refugee assistance programs at the Department of Health and Human…
‘Data nerd’ running for insurance commissioner wants to protect Kansans, make costs more affordable
TOPEKA — The Kansas insurance commissioner is a regulator who protects consumers but also must be an advocate and use data to shape policy, a candidate for the office said. Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, said on the Kansas Reflector podcast that she’s a “data nerd” who, if elected, looks…
The signs offer quick cash for homes. But states want more oversight.
WE BUY HOUSES. CASH 4 HOMES. FA$T CA$H. The signs, text messages and mailers promise cash, quick sales and a seamless means of unloading unwanted homes. But advocates say the business of buying homes for cash can confuse vulnerable homeowners and rob them of home equity. And now, many states are cracking down…
Commentary titans shaped Kansas communities for generations. They still have much to teach.
I remember two bronze plaques in an Emporia park, each cast with the anguished writing of a father recounting the death of his 16-year-old daughter. I was only 8 years old, but the words of William Allen White in Emporia’s Peter Pan Park left a permanent impression. I didn’t understand what a newspaper editor or
Doctors and hospitals to see lower Medicaid payments in three dozen states
New federal rules likely will force three dozen states to reduce their annual Medicaid payments to doctors and hospitals by a total of more than $50 billion — potentially shrinking the number of providers willing to see Medicaid patients, according to a new analysis. The analysis in the peer-reviewed Health Affairs…
Nobody knows if Adam Hamilton will win in Kansas. But he’s already defined a populism of decency.
At 7:30 on a September night in 1897, two trains collided on the Santa Fe railway about three miles northeast of Emporia. An eastbound mail train smashed into the Mexico and California Express, a passenger train pulled by a pair of steam locomotives. The express, which had seven or eight full coaches, was on its
CDC’s latest youth behavior report offers a narrower look at teen health
For more than 35 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has surveyed American high school students every two years about their health and behavior. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, established in 1991, draws a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 at public and private…
These two midterm elections brought on new eras for politics in the United States
The conventional wisdom is that the Democratic Party has the advantage in the 2026 midterm elections and could become the majority party in one, or both, chambers of Congress. The margin of that anticipated victory is more difficult to predict. The size of a party’s majority makes a difference. To see why, it’s worth…
Kansas attorney general orders League of Women Voters to stop paying teens to register to vote
Kansas attorney general tells League of Women Voters in Leavenworth County to stop offering $5 gift cards to high school students registering to vote.
High-risk pregnancy doctors publish new standards for care under state abortion bans
As physicians continue to navigate care for patients with complex pregnancies in states with abortion bans, a group of maternal-fetal medicine specialists has developed new guidelines to help providers in those states navigate legal risks for themselves and medical challenges for their high-risk patients…
Kansas attorney general’s campaign amends finance report to address donation-limit controversy
Attorney General Kris Kobach revises campaign finance report to account for donations exceeding Kansas limits, but critics seek formal investigation.
Foster care official says Kansas should be ‘laser focused’ on Wichita’s placement crisis
TOPEKA — Kansas’s top foster care official said the state should be “laser focused” on Wichita to improve a youth placement measure that has consistently fallen short of court-ordered standards. Foster care contractors in Sedgwick County, where Wichita is located, have continuously struggled to place children in…
The cowardice of masked law enforcement: Recent Kansas immigration raids remind us why faces matter
“Disgusting,” a voice on the Facebook video says. Captured in Kansas City, Kansas, this summer, the footage shows a handful of law enforcement officers — most of them masked — detaining a man. Their black SUVs surround his white pickup at the intersection of 6th Street and Central Avenue. After two minutes and 16…
Kansas banking regulators, Beneficient prepare for battle over cease-and-desist order
Kansas bank commissioner wants to spike unique bank charter held by a Texas-based company previously led by a scandal-plagued executive headed to prison.
Politicians caution federal immigration agents in southwest Kansas
TOPEKA — Kansas politicians urged federal immigration enforcement officials to coordinate with local law enforcement following reports of indiscriminate stops on southwest Kansas streets, causing business delays and warnings from schools. Republican U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall said Wednesday they both…
Millions of dollars of waste found in Trump administration push for immigration detention
WASHINGTON — Government investigators Thursday released a report that found the Department of Homeland Security wasted more than $20 million in federal funding in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, including warehouse purchases strongly opposed in numerous U.S. communities. The nonpartisan Government…
Federal judge orders White House must restore press passes to 3 banned news outlets
WASHINGTON — U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly early Thursday issued an order that temporarily blocks President Donald Trump’s ban of three news organizations from the White House. Kelly, in the eight-page order, said that the White House must “immediately return, reinstate, and restore the White House ‘hard…
Kobach’s politics of tragedy underline our nation’s immigrant crime double standard
A man is dead in western Kansas. Erlin Y. Lagos-Gonzales, a Honduran citizen living in Garden City, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the Aug. 31 death of Adonis Edgardo Aguilar-Juarez at a livestock facility in Kearny County. A federal immigration judge had issued Lagos-Gonzales a final order of removal…
GOP’s ‘rubberstamp’ of Trump puts US Senate in play, Dem campaign chair says
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats believe they could pick up as many as six seats following this November’s midterm elections, despite Republicans having better fundraising numbers and break-even polling in several states. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand said during a sit-down…
More Americans lose SNAP as Congress weighs food stamps’ future
Tens of thousands of Americans continue to lose access to food assistance each month, even as Congress debates slowing down major cuts to federal food stamps. New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows more than 330,000 Americans lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP…
Kansas school superintendent charged; community ‘resilient in working through the chaos’
TOPEKA — Former Ness County school superintendent Jeff Jones has been charged with 19 felonies and misdemeanors, including multiple financial crimes and two felonies involving a minor. Jones, superintendent of USD 106 in south-central Kansas, was arrested in August. Official charges filed Friday range from theft…
Florida couple put on probation for submitting fake petition signatures for No Labels Kansas
wo Florida residents serving probation for felony crime of submitting fake petition signatures to help establish No Labels Kansas as a political party.
Kansas lawmaker cries foul over voter registration gift cards, asks Kobach to investigate
TOPEKA — A Kansas legislator is demanding an investigation into a League of Women Voters chapter that gave $5 gift cards to high school students who registered to vote, a move he said violates election laws. Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican who is running for secretary of state and is chairman of the House
Overheated Kansas Democrats need to take an ice bath. Hamilton-Marshall race has weeks to go.
Let’s dump a big bucket of ice water over the heads of Kansas Democrats and national news media. Yes, I understand that everyone wants to jump on the story of Democrat Adam Hamilton giving U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Sarasota, a run for his money in this fall’s election. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great
Democrats, experts call for revocation of school voucher program under adoption by states
WASHINGTON — Education experts and advocates on Tuesday urged Congress to repeal an incoming national school voucher program over concerns that it will divert critical funds away from public schools to private institutions. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono convened a Democratic-led panel to sound the alarm on the sweeping…
Report: Kansas fails to meet housing, mental health needs of vulnerable children in foster care
An independent third-party organization offers the 2025 annual assessment of Kansas' foster care system in light of a court-ordered settlement of a lawsuit.
‘Drive them into hell’: Trump ponders destruction of Iran at United Nations
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump faces a “big decision” to make a deal with Iran or “annihilate” the country, he told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. During a 37-minute speech to his international counterparts including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in New York City, Trump asked, “Will a deal…
Kansas State agricultural economist predicts diesel prices remain high through 2027
Kansas State University economist predicts international disruptions causing diesel price increases likely to remain a problem for farmers into 2027.
Harms spread across society, enveloping Americans in pain and anger. We can find a better way.
Many people watched the brutal, sometimes deadly, ICE apprehensions with glee. Others posed with the so-called Alligator Alcatraz signage in Florida. Attacks on Black professionals have driven Black America, according to the National Urban League, into a recession. For many Gen Xers, the mood in the country has felt…
Medical groups, patients sue Trump administration over Medicaid work requirements
Medicaid enrollees from five states and leading medical organizations filed a lawsuit Friday challenging new Medicaid work requirements. The broad tax and spending law that President Donald Trump signed last summer, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, established work, school or community service requirements for…
Kansas Democrat Don Coover objects to U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt’s approach to unreleased Epstein files
The fate of unreleased Epstein files is an issue in the 2nd District race between GOP incumbent Derek Schmidt and Democratic challenger Don Coover.
CNN, MS Now, Politico sue Trump over White House ban
WASHINGTON — The three news organizations that President Donald Trump has barred from entering the White House filed a lawsuit against the administration on Monday. CNN, MS Now and Politico wrote in a joint statement the suit is intended “to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the…
Kansas reports two measles cases associated with US travel
TOPEKA — Kansas joined a growing list of states nationwide reporting measles cases with two cases apparently related to travel outside the state, a health agency said. The Kansas Department for Health and Environment reported two measles cases on its Infectious Disease Dashboard, which is updated on Wednesdays. These…
Ty Masterson se retira de dos debates; Cindy Holscher lo acusa de “esconderse”
Republican Ty Masterson is unwilling to meet Democrat Cindy Holscher in a pair of televised gubernatorial debates ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Kansas GOP’s Marshall and Moran, Democrat Hamilton embrace agriculture legislation
Democrat Adam Hamilton and GOP Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall agree — Democrats on Senate Agriculture Committee should have voted for farm bill.
Kansas poll and GOP insiders agree: Roger Marshall is in a heap of trouble. Maybe hiding will help.
Roger Marshall is in trouble. An accumulating pile of evidence proves the U.S. senator from Kansas needs help in his reelection bid. I’ve already mocked the Republican’s lackluster debate performance on Sept. 12 in Hutchinson. Then we watched Vice President JD Vance parachute into Johnson County for a campaign event…
Violent victimization at school rose among students in 2024, federal data show
Students ages 12 to 18 experienced higher rates of reported crime at school than away from school in 2024, according to a new federal analysis. But the overall rate of crime victimization at school has not changed significantly since 2014. The rate of total victimization, including theft and nonfatal violent crimes…
Another equinox approaches. Our chance to escape the tech bros’ ‘undiscovered country’ grows short.
There’s a cottonwood tree in a city park at Council Grove that is believed to have sprouted in 1803. The tree is massive, as one might expect, with a trunk that spreads from the ground like the pillar of an ancient cathedral. Looking up into its massive branches is like peering into an arboreal apse,
Trump admin aims to shift homelessness grants toward addiction treatment, enforcement
In its latest effort to overhaul federal homelessness funding, the Trump administration is proposing to provide more money to localities that prioritize treatment-first policies such as sober living, more cooperation with law enforcement and more temporary and transitional housing. It’s a reversal from a decade-long…
How to know if you can trust an artificial intelligence chatbot’s answer to your pressing question
I recently typed a simple question into Google search: How much screen time is too much for teenagers? Instead of presenting links, as Google had been doing for many years, it gave me an AI-generated answer. The artificial intelligence agent cited a number, then complicated that reply, noting that quality and balance…
GOP’s Ty Masterson bows out of two TV debates; Democrat Cindy Holscher accuses rival of ‘hiding’
Republican Ty Masterson is unwilling to meet Democrat Cindy Holscher in a pair of televised gubernatorial debates ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Trump administration faces second lawsuit to block ICE agents at polls
WASHINGTON — A coalition of civil rights groups and union organizations Friday sued the Trump administration to prevent the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling locations during November’s midterm elections. The suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is the…
Trump likes data centers. Congress seems stuck. The midterms could deliver a verdict.
WASHINGTON — The rare 2026 issue that draws huge support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress is the same one that’s mobilized many Americans: restrictions on giant data centers. The House has overwhelmingly passed legislation forcing state regulators to consider requirements that data centers absorb the cost of…
Trump administration doles out $16.8M for healthcare tech in rural Kansas
TOPEKA — Rural healthcare in Kansas will benefit from nearly $17 million in federal dollars to expand technology such as telehealth, artificial intelligence and diagnostic tools, and expedite transportation to specialty healthcare. The funds are a chunk of the $80 million in rural grants that have been announced for…
US Sen. Roger Marshall leaves paper trail in Florida while calling Kansas home
TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall established deeper roots than previously disclosed in Sarasota, Florida, where he had a vacation home that he traveled to on official business and said he used for visiting family. Marshall and his wife put down roots in Sarasota, hosting fundraising events, obtaining real estate and…
In another new age of college admissions, high school seniors call the shots, more than ever
When my son and his friend, another Kansas teen, visited Trinity University this April in San Antonio, they got a preview of today’s shifting, psychedelic world of college admissions. Along with dozens of other parents and high school students, we sat in an auditorium to hear an admissions rep talk about standard…
With vote-by-mail court fight settled, attention shifts to protections at the polls
Voting rights groups and Democratic officials are looking to defend against what they see as possible election interference from the Trump administration ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, now that they’ve won a major battle over mail ballots. Common Cause, a nonpartisan pro-democracy organization, announced a…
Kansas Board of Regents to focus on crafting artificial intelligence policy standards
Kansas Board of Regents is concentrating on formation of AI guidelines, forwards budget requests to governor and Legislature.
Deep Fission releases safety design agreement for Kansas nuclear pilot project
TOPEKA — The company building a nuclear reactor one mile underground in Parsons made its federally approved safety report available to the public Monday. The U.S. Department of Energy approved Deep Fission Inc.’s safety design for its Gravity nuclear reactor in July. The company publicly shared the report, with only a…
FDA acknowledges estrogen patch shortage, says it’s working to increase supply
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it’s helping manufacturers increase the supply of estrogen-based hormonal patches and acknowledged a current nationwide shortage as more women seek hormonal therapies for symptoms related to menopause. In a release earlier this month, the FDA said it is expediting actions to…
Kansas AG Kris Kobach not seeking Trump’s endorsement: ‘I don’t think it’s necessary’
Kansas GOP Attorney General Kris Kobach isn't sweating a decision not to seek President Donald Trump's endorsement in the race against Democrat Chris Mann.
Through reading, we connect with our communities. Through words, let’s find the courage to care.
My great-grandma Nonna Bailey, my grandma’s mother, had to quit school in the eighth grade to help her family so they could survive. She knew how to cook like no one else, she could sew anything, and then there was something my mom and dad noticed when they first got married and visited her: She
Advertencia en Kansas sobre el aumento de casos de rabia en murciélagos y otros animales
Traducido por Claudia Amaro. TOPEKA — Las autoridades sanitarias estatales advirtieron a los habitantes de Kansas que estén atentos a un aumento de los encuentros con animales rabiosos, principalmente con murciélagos. El Departamento de Salud y Medio Ambiente de Kansas emitió un aviso el martes instando a los…
Fed raises interest rates for first time in 3 years, battling persistent inflation
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve raised interest rates Wednesday for the first time in three years as inflation continues to dog the economy, largely driven by soaring gas and fuel oil prices while the war in Iran drags on. The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee voted 12-0 to increase its benchmark interest…
Kansas Constitution Day program goes global with online mock trial for third graders
TOPEKA — Twelve years ago, 90 third-grade students walked into District Judge Robert Wonnell’s courtroom on Constitution Day to watch a hearing about whether Goldilocks was guilty of trespassing. Wonnell put the last-minute mock trial together to teach Olathe’s Forest View Elementary School students about how the…
Kansans warned about increased rabies cases in bats and other animals
TOPEKA — State health authorities warned Kansans to be aware of an increase in encounters with animals that carry rabies, primarily bats. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued an advisory Tuesday urging health care providers to be aware of the importance of administering a rabies risk assessment…
Poll finds voters favor US Senate candidates with plan for averting Social Security cut
WASHINGTON — Voters are much more likely to support U.S. Senate candidates in the November midterm elections if they have a plan to avoid an automatic cut to Social Security benefits in 2032, according to a poll released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Peter G. Peterson Foundation. “Senators elected this fall will be in…
El bullicio domina primer debate en el Senado de los EE.UU. en Kansas entre Marshall y Hamilton
Traducido por Claudia Amaro. HUTCHINSON — El senador republicano titular Roger Marshall y el reverendo Adam Hamilton, demócrata, se enfrentaron el sábado ante una multitud bulliciosa que defendía sus posturas sobre aranceles, la guerra en Irán y la política partidista. Los dos candidatos de los principales partidos…
Records show Kansas election officials refused call to police gender markers on voter files
TOPEKA — A Kansas Republican Party officer called the Secretary of State’s Office in July to ask why a new state law that regulates gender markers wasn’t being applied to the voter registration of a transgender Democrat running for a Kansas House seat. Senior election officials disagreed with his interpretation of…
As Trump administration runs roughshod over Smithsonian, even Mark Twain would get canceled
Mark Twain once said of the praise he’d received: “I do love compliments, yet I’m often embarrassed to say what I think to the person when I get a compliment, I so often feel that they somehow, have not gone far enough.” Twain just may be correct. Earnest Hemingway once said of Twain that “all
Kansas Supreme Court turns to new death penalty appeal by serial killer John Robinson
Kansas Supreme Court returns to appeals of John Robinson Sr., who was convicted of murdering three women in Kansas and tied to five deaths in Missouri.
FBI’s Patel dodges questions on election interference at rambunctious US Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel sidestepped questions about FBI agents at polling places in the midterm elections at a U.S. Senate hearing Tuesday that also featured a tense exchange between GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. With the November midterm elections fast…