Author

Noah Taborda

Noah Taborda

Noah Taborda started his journalism career in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri, covering local government and producing an episode of the podcast Show Me The State while earning his bachelor’s degree in radio broadcasting at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Noah then made a short move to Kansas City, Missouri, to work at KCUR as an intern on the talk show Central Standard and then in the newsroom, reporting on daily news and feature stories.

Dana Hawkinson, medical director infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System, is hopeful efforts to inform people of preventive measures and vaccines available to treat monkeypox are ongoing. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from KU Health System on Facebook)

Kansas doctors stress need to stay vigilant as monkeypox becomes a public health emergency

By: - August 5, 2022

TOPEKA — Kansas doctors are hoping to combat misinformation and general fatigue toward infection control protocols as a new public health emergency emerges, this time for monkeypox. COVID-19 cases have leveled out the past few weeks in Kansas, and heat maps nationwide show similar trends, but the public health emergency remains with warnings about new […]

State elections director Bryan Caskey said the narrow margin in the race for the state treasurer Republican nomination will require all 105 counties to audit an additional 10% of their precincts, a new provision for all races within 1% on election night. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Narrow vote gap in Kansas Republican state treasurer race triggers special audit

By: - August 4, 2022

TOPEKA — A narrow margin in the race for the Republican nomination for state treasurer triggered a new provision in state law requiring counties to conduct additional audits in especially close contests. As of Thursday, state Rep. Steven Johnson held a slim 314-vote lead over opponent state Sen. Caryn Tyson. The race has not been […]

Primary election brings mixed bag of results for Kansas legislative incumbents

By: - August 3, 2022

TOPEKA — Several incumbent Kansas legislators are on their way out of the Statehouse after Tuesday’s election. Others are just barely hanging on. Among those who missed the mark in their reelection effort is Rep. Aaron Coleman, a Kansas City Democrat, who lost in a three-way race in Wyandotte County. Melissa Oropeza, a health care […]

Kansas reports tax revenue above expectations for 24th consecutive month

By: - August 1, 2022

TOPEKA — Kansas brought in $127.6 million more in tax receipts than expected in July, for an estimated total of about $586 million collected. Gov. Laura Kelly touted the 24th consecutive month during which Kansas topped expectations as an example of the state’s economic successes. “That represents more money our state can use to continue […]

Steve Stites, chief medical officer for the University of Kansas Health System, said a lack of booster shots raises the possibility of a spike in COVID-19 cases this fall. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of University of Kansas Health System video)

Kansas doctors warn of lax approach to coronavirus variants

By: - July 27, 2022

TOPEKA — Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System warn of a lack of preparation surrounding a COVID-19 subvariant driving rising case numbers. The BA.5 variant has led health care providers in eastern Kansas to report levels similar to surges seen with Delta and Omicron. Steve Stites, chief medical officer for the University of […]

Kansas expands postpartum Medicaid coverage up to 12 months

By: - July 27, 2022

TOPEKA — Kansas mothers now have health care coverage under KanCare up to 12 months post-delivery, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday. The plan, approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is retroactive to April 1. It also extends coverage to postpartum beneficiaries of the more than 500,000 Kansans enrolled in Kansas Medicaid of […]

Kelly, Schmidt campaigns raise more than $2.2 million combined in 2022 in Kansas governor’s race

By: - July 26, 2022

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly has raised more than double what her Republican challenger, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, raised so far this year. New fundraising reports show that Schmidt, who is without a major primary opponent, raised $707,279.02 from Jan. 1 to July 21. Kelly, on the other hand, brought in $1.5 million for […]

Panelists including Pere DeRoy, middle, address potential effects of the Aug. 2 vote on the Kansas constitutional amendment on the right to an abortion. DeRoy feared advocates for marginalized communities would have to carry a heavier load if the amendment passes. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas vote on abortion raises stakes for marginalized communities, advocates say

By: - July 24, 2022

TOPEKA — Pere DeRoy says for marginalized communities the Kansas constitutional amendment on the right to abortion is not the beginning or the end of the issue of medical mistreatment. DeRoy, a doctoral student in the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program at the University of Kansas, says people of color have been ignored or […]

Wildfires like the one that ravaged family homes in Paradise, Kansas are among the reasons the governor is launching a new task force to assess how responding agencies can help prevent, respond and recover from these natural disasters. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas establishes task force to study and improve wildfire emergency response

By: - July 21, 2022

TOPEKA — A new task force is focusing on ways communities can better prevent, respond and recover from wildfires. The formation of the group is a response to the many parts of Kansas struck by major wildfires within the past 10 years. The financial losses and threats to the safety of Kansas residents led the […]

In the Co/efficient poll released this weekend, 47% of the over 1,500 voters sampled support the so-called “Value Them Both” amendment and 43% are against it. The remaining 10% are undecided. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)

Poll shows Kansans closely divided on constitutional amendment on abortion

By: - July 20, 2022

TOPEKA — The first public poll for the Kansas constitutional amendment on abortion shows a close race and exposes other ideological divides over reproductive rights. Kansans will decide in the Aug. 2 election whether to remove a right to abortion from the state’s constitution. Advanced voting is underway across the state. The vote will be […]

Voting rights groups are appealing a decision by the Kansas Court of Appeals to dismiss their lawsuit challenging a 2021 election law criminalizing impersonation of an election official. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector)

Kansas voting rights groups appeal dismissal of challenge to 2021 election law

By: - July 19, 2022

TOPEKA — Voting rights groups are appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging a 2021 election law they fear will impact voter registration efforts and suppress voters. The Kansas Court of Appeals declined last month to block the law, which criminalizes impersonation of an election official, among other things. The court ruled the plaintiffs lacked […]

A month removed from the vaccine receiving emergency use authorization for children younger than 5, doctors with the University of Kansas Health System say many pediatricians offices are running out of the shot. (Getty Images)

Early demand for under-5 COVID-19 vaccines promising amid rising case numbers, Kansas doctors say

By: - July 18, 2022

TOPEKA — As COVID-19 case numbers approach levels not seen since February, Kansas doctors are encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated. A month removed from the vaccine receiving emergency use authorization for children younger than 5, Danielle Johnson, a clinical psychologist with the University of Kansas Health System, said many pediatricians’ offices are running […]