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‘Why me?’: University of Kansas physicist thought $800,000 MacArthur genius grant was a prank
LAWRENCE — The MacArthur Foundation has named a physicist and assistant professor at the University of Kansas a 2022 fellow and awarded him the reputable “genius grant.” The MacArthur Foundation recognized Steven Prohira for his creative work in the advancement of detecting ultra-high energy neutrino particles. According to the MacArthur Foundation, Prohira’s work includes expertise […]
University of Kansas begins efforts to return American Indian ancestral remains and sacred objects
LAWRENCE — A Kansas state legislator who is a member of the Navajo Nation said she was not surprised when she learned of the American Indian human remains and funerary objects in the University of Kansas’ possession, 32 years after Congress enacted the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Democratic Rep. Christina Haswood of […]
Homelessness stretches beyond urban borders in Kansas. New tax credits for housing could help.
TOPEKA — Rural communities in Kansas are struggling with some big city problems: homelessness and a lack of affordable housing. Efforts to boost the state’s affordable housing found bipartisan support in the Legislature this past session, but it is unclear how much the measures will relieve the pressures on communities as the number of unsheltered […]
Backlash over cleanup of Lawrence homeless camp points to bigger problems
LAWRENCE — Flyers were posted around downtown Lawrence in April alleging the city released a “lie-filled response” to concerns about the movement of a homeless camp. The flyer said the city issued the response — in which the city claimed it followed protocol regarding homeless camps — because of the “pressure they’ve been receiving for […]
As Wichita embraces efforts to reduce homelessness, profound challenges remain
WICHITA — Staci Ellis left a verbally abusive relationship and ended up homeless in Wichita for nine months before settling into an apartment about four weeks ago. Ellis, who describes herself as a huge advocate for the homeless population, has been homeless four times. She said everyone in Wichita’s homeless community knows her because she […]
Kansas law enforcement training about missing or murdered Indigenous people now available
LAWRENCE — A new training module for Kansas law enforcement agencies focusing on investigations of missing and murdered Indigenous people is now available. The Kansas Attorney General’s Office partnered with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center to develop the training, according to a news release from the attorney general’s […]
Kansas voters defeat abortion amendment in unexpected landslide
OVERLAND PARK — Kansas voters in a landslide Tuesday defeated a constitutional amendment that would have stripped residents of abortion rights, defying polling and political observers who expected a close result. The ballot measure was failing by a 60-40 margin late Tuesday after voters responded to an intense and costly campaign marked by dubious claims […]
Kansas abortion rights advocates and Democrats work to boost voter turnout
LAWRENCE — Kansas advocacy groups and Democrats are working to broaden outreach to unaffiliated and young voters this summer to get Kansans to vote against the anti-abortion constitutional amendment on the Aug. 2 ballot. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the League of Women Voters of Kansas and the Kansas Democratic party have […]
Kansas House Democrats: ‘Regressive politics’ drive young people to leave the state
TOPEKA — Democratic Rep. Rui Xu says regressive politics are the driving force behind young Kansans leaving the state. Xu, of Westwood, joined two other House Democrats — Christina Haswood, of Lawrence, and Brandon Woodard, of Lenexa — in a Kansas Reflector podcast to discuss what it is like being a young representative, running unopposed […]
Brother and sister recount ‘very traumatizing’ Amtrak derailment in Missouri
A mother aboard a train derailment in Mendon, Missouri, on Monday climbed on top of the wreckage and went from train car to train car, yelling into each window while searching for her three children, according to her son, Dax McDonald. The Amtrak train was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago when it struck a […]
Wichita candidate for Kansas House focuses on transgender rights, health care, business
LAWRENCE — Kansas House candidate Jaelynn Abegg said her consideration for public office began while advocating earlier this year in Topeka against Senate Bill 160, which would have banned transgender athletes from school sports. Abegg, who labels herself as a progressive Democrat, is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Brenda Landwehr in the GOP-leaning 105th District […]
Brownback agrees with U.S. Supreme Court ruling on state funding of religious schools
Former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback released a statement agreeing with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday, which stated a Maine school voucher program cannot exclude funding for sectarian education. The program – which is unique to Maine because more than half of its school districts operate without a public high school – appropriates taxpayer money […]