Politics + Government
Coronavirus draws Kansas farm bankruptcy, business stagnation into focus
Bipartisan Kansas legislative committee is sorting through COVID-19 economic problems to help speed business recovery.
Unfinished business: Recasting arts commission as engine of economic growth falling short
TOPEKA — Complexities of building a visitor center to celebrate scrap metal sculptures, whirligigs and signs fabricated by Mullinville’s most curious resident help illustrate the pressure placed on the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission to create a statewide arts organization that equally values artistic and economic achievement. Provocateur M.T. Liggett’s acerbic outdoor art displayed on […]
Inmate Arlan Kaufman, abuser of mentally ill Kansans, appeals denial of early release
Mennonite church leaders and family members support compassionate release from prison of Arlan Kaufman, convicted of abusing mentally ill adults in Newton.
Kansas farmers find themselves increasingly isolated, in need amid pandemic
TOPEKA — Mark Pringle has seen the self-sufficient mindset of many Kansas farmers and their families challenged by COVID-19 as the virus disproportionately impacts rural communities. Pringle is a fourth-generation farmer and the Democratic candidate for the Kansas House in the 13th District. He and his wife, Mary Jane Shanklin, a registered nurse, have watched […]
Trump’s $400 per week jobless aid could be just $300. It depends on where you live.
WASHINGTON — Governors, lawmakers and state unemployment agencies on Monday wrestled with confusion created by President Donald Trump’s executive action extending unemployment benefits, and it appeared some states could settle for $300 per week in benefits instead of the $400 the president touted. State leaders from both political parties remained unsure how much they’d have […]
Kansas attorney general files federal lawsuit to thwart proposed tribal casino
TOPEKA — Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma Chief Bill Friend expressed skepticism Monday a federal lawsuit filed by the Kansas attorney general on behalf of four plaintiffs would succeed in blocking construction of a trial casino on land near Wichita. The petition submitted by Attorney General Derek Schmidt in U.S. District Court seeks an order setting […]
Kansas dials up plan to spend $60 million in COVID-19 aid on broadband expansion
Gov. Laura Kelly joins legislators to direct $60 million in COVID-19 aid to expand broadband to address telemedicine, education and business needs.
KDHE secretary warns of ‘lethal brew,’ yearns for mask mandate, says schools not yet safe
KDHE Secretary Lee Norman tells Kansas Reflector bars are red-hot vectors of COVID-19, Kansas needs mask mandate, too soon to open schools and universities.
Emergency paycheck loan program delivers $5 billion to 53,000 Kansas businesses
TOPEKA — Chevrolet dealer Jeff Longbine understood the economic damage to sales from the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential benefit of an emergency federal loan program fashioned to sustain small businesses and prevent employee layoffs. He applied for and received $336,000 under the Paycheck Protection Program, which is the $669 billion nationwide initiative created through […]
PPP loans keep hospitals, clinics financially stable
TOPEKA — Hospitals and clinics in Kansas, which were struggling to pay employees and stay above water financially before COVID-19, were buoyed by millions of dollars in Payment Protection Program loans. Since 2010, seven rural hospitals have closed across Kansas, including Sumner Community Hospital and St. Luke’s Cushing Hospital this year. A 2019 study indicated […]
Trump moves to extend unemployment benefits, suspend payroll taxes after talks break down
President Donald Trump on Saturday circumvented Congress and took action into his own hands, after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations over another coronavirus relief package on Capitol Hill. He signed three presidential memoranda and an executive order at his private golf club in Bedminster, N.J. Trump would provide $300 per week in federal unemployment assistance with […]
K-State, KU take different avenues on COVID-19 testing of students
The University of Kansas and Kansas State University to employ different testing strategies for COVID-19 when students return to campus.