Briefs
KU chancellor denounces student body president’s Twitter commentary
KU chancellor and Kansas Board of Regents chair condemn student body president's commentary on "death to America," but defend her free speech rights.
Kansas treasury returns record $6.3M in unclaimed property in August
The Kansas state treasurer's office say a one-month record $6.3 million in unclaimed property was distributed during August to 6,000 recipients.
Kansas regulators opt against subpoena in investigation of natural gas price spikes
Kansas energy regulators will not issue a subpoena in what attorneys representing large-scale natural gas customers hoped would be an investigation into potential price-gouging during a devastating February storm. The Kansas Corporation Commission decided unanimously on Thursday not to subpoena S&P Global Platts Gas Daily, denying a motion from industrial groups alleging “overwhelming circumstantial evidence […]
Dillons, Kansas collaborating on $100 COVID-19 vaccination incentive
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly and the Dillons grocery store chain Tuesday launched a new COVID-19 vaccination incentive program delivering $50 per dose or a total of $100 for individuals 12 years or older who volunteer to accept shots. The pilot project is financed with immunization funding allocated to Kansas through the U.S. Centers for […]
Kansas State rebrands Salina campus to emphasize aerospace, technology
Altering the name has been considered since 2017 when the campus launched its Global Aeronautics Initiative with the vision to establish an aerospace and technology campus.
Kansas governor directs state employees to work from home
TOPEKA — Executive branch employees will return to working remotely amid a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday. The governor’s new guidance is a speedy change of direction after state employees began returning to state office buildings in June. Remote work will remain in place through Oct. […]
Kansas House speaker delivers COVID-19 policy prescription to governor
Kansas House speaker urges unvaccinated get on board, government bonus pay to alleviate nursing shortage and wider use of alternative COVID-19 treatments.
Biden administration boosts pay for federal firefighters
WASHINGTON — As wildfires rage in the western United States, the Biden administration on Tuesday announced it is hiking pay for federal wildland firefighters to at least $15 per hour. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the change will boost pay for 3,500 firefighters with the Interior Department and […]
Former Kansas House member to lead policy initiatives for American Atheists
TOPEKA — Former state Rep. Brett Parker has been hired to serve as national policy manager of the religious equality organization American Atheists. “When you’re an atheist lawmaker in a conservative state, the only way to get things done is to build coalitions and find common ground with people who are different from you,” said […]
Kansas universities offering incentives to boost COVID-19 vaccinations
LAWRENCE — Fully vaccinated students on the Lawrence and Overland Park campuses of the University of Kansas will be eligible for drawings of the cash equivalent of a semester’s in-state undergraduate tuition, cash prizes of $5,000, special parking permits as well as football and basketball tickets. KU officials said Friday the program to encourage voluntary […]
Marshall, Moran support bipartisan measure for COVID-19 testing of immigrants at border
U.S. Sens. Moran and Marshall support COVID-19 testing of immigrants at border, oppose $3.5 trillion budget resolution expanding national safety net.
Biden extends freeze on student loan payments to Jan. 31
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Friday afternoon it is extending the pause on federal student loan repayments until January of next year, as the delta variant of the coronavirus surges across the country. “As our nation’s economy continues to recover from a deep hole, this final extension will give students and borrowers the time […]