Politics + Government
Democrats see opportunity for Senate seat in Kansas GOP primary battle
National Republican and Democratic groups are pouring millions of dollars into the Kansas Republican Senate primary, an effort to influence the race before the general election battle. The money comes as some see vulnerability in the traditionally deep-red state. The last time Kansas sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate was in 1932, the same […]
New tool makes driver’s test prep accessible for Spanish-speaking Kansans
Spanish-speaking Kansans can practice for their driver’s test in their first language by using a newly developed Alexa skill. The tool, released by the Kansas Department of Revenue in partnership with the Information Network of Kansas, is the first driver’s license practice test in the nation to accommodate both English and Spanish speakers. According to […]
Judge dismisses Democrats’ voting lawsuit against SOS Scott Schwab
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab says Democrats and the ACLU should stop filing frivolous elections lawsuits that waste taxpayer dollars.
New Kansas privacy law crimps contact tracing for COVID-19
TOPEKA — The Shawnee County Health Department took the extraordinary step of issuing a public health advisory July 7 warning travelers COVID-19 cases had been linked to the restrooms and food court at an Interstate 70 service area. Given the steady flow of humanity through the rest stop east of Topeka from July 2 to […]
Get in ‘good trouble’: John Lewis’ words ring out in Capitol one more time
WASHINGTON — The immortal words of the late civil rights leader John Lewis rang out from the U.S. Capitol on Monday during a private ceremony in celebration of his life. “You must find a way to get in the way,” he said in a recording of a 2014 commencement speech he gave at Emory University. “You […]
Gov. Laura Kelly sounds COVID-19 alarm — again — as number of cases mounts
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly warned Kansans on Monday indifference about wearing masks and social distancing may lead to new restrictions to battle COVID-19.
Gov. Laura Kelly urges railroads in Kansas to maintain two-person crews
The Kansas Department of Transportation, with Gov. Laura Kelly's blessing, calls for maintaining two-person crews in railroad locomotive engines.
New Kansas policy makes lung cancer screening free for at-risk patients
A new Kansas Department of Health and Environment policy makes lung cancer screenings available at little to no cost for Medicaid recipients at high risk of the disease. The policy, which went into effect July 1, adds low-dose CT scans to KanCare coverage for people between the ages of 55 and 77 who currently smoke […]
Kris Kobach not banking on Trump endorsement in U.S. Senate race
U.S. Senate candidate Kris Kobach says he can't count on a last-minute endorsement from President Trump to carry him to victory in the GOP primary.
Their banners got them banned from the Statehouse. Then they changed the rules.
When Jonathan Cole unfurled a 24-foot banner in the rotunda of the Kansas Statehouse calling for the expansion of Medicaid, he didn’t expect to reshape Capitol policy on protests. Cole, who now works in government technologies, sees how pertinent the demonstration was to current, ongoing protests over police reform. “I’m glad we were able to […]
Kansas refugee programs struggle as funding, resettlements dwindle
Samuel Dermas Habtemariam came to Wichita as a refugee of the East African country Eritrea with a PhD in teaching English in a foreign language, but even with such relevant education, he needed help navigating unfamiliar terrain. Habtemariam, a doctoral student at the University of Kansas, came to the United States after spending 10 years […]
Topeka therapist charged with having sex with child in state care
TOPEKA — A Topeka mental health professional faces charges of having sexual relations with a patient in state care who was younger than 16. Julie Herron, 51, is accused of engaging in intercourse, lewd fondling or sodomy with the child between February and July of 2015. She was booked into jail on Wednesday and released […]