Kansas Reflector Podcast
Kansas Reflector Podcast
The Kansas Reflector Podcast, hosted by senior reporter Tim Carpenter, presents voices from the people and politics of Kansas.
USDA official sees rural Kansas as ‘the best-kept secret out there’
Kansas is known for sunflowers, bison, farms and rural communities. But as our country and state grow ever more closely connected and urbanized, what does that mean for small towns and communities across the Sunflower State? Christy Davis, the Kansas director for USDA Rural Development, helps us answer that question. Read more: ‘It means community’: […]
New deal to transfer Kansas community college credits to private colleges
Matt Lindsey, president of the Kansas Independent College Association, and Heather Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Community College Association, talk about a new transfer agreement among 39 colleges in those organizations. The agreement guarantees students earning a two-year degree at a community college the opportunity to enroll at one of the independent colleges as […]
How transgender hate in governor’s race and schools harms Kansas kids
Republican Derek Schmidt’s gubernatorial campaign has embraced anti-transgender hate speech, and the Gardner Edgerton School District has entertained a discriminatory policy. D.C. Hiegert, an American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas legal fellow focusing on LGBTQ issues, and Brenan Riffel, a Kansas Reflector columnist and University of Kansas graduate student, talk with opinion editor Clay Wirestone and […]
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran on veterans, 988 hotline, abortion and staying in office
Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran says he has grown more knowledgeable during his quarter-century of service in the nation’s capital — while his disdain for the game of politics has deepened. He faces a challenge from Democrat Mark Holland in November. Moran talks about expanding health care benefits for military veterans suffering from toxic exposure, […]
Kansas Lottery director talks launch of sports gambling
Stephen Durrell, executive director of the Kansas Lottery, discusses the introduction of legal sports gambling in Kansas. Online and in-person sports wagering is available at casinos in Mulvane and Kansas City, Kansas, while online bets through apps are being handled at Pittsburg and Dodge City casinos. Read more: Opening of Kansas sports betting reveals appeal […]
Chris Mann’s path from police officer to candidate for Kansas attorney general
Chris Mann, the Democratic nominee for Kansas attorney general, talks about his background as a police officer, crime victim, prosecutor and defense lawyer. He is running against Republican Kris Kobach. Read more: Kansas attorney general candidate emerges from tragedy with refined sense of public service Auto-generated transcript of this episode
Kansas entrepreneur Joe Spease on the power of hydrogen
Joe Spease, CEO of WindSoHy in Overland Park, outlines the potential for using “green hydrogen” to fuel vehicles and generate electricity, significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Read more: Energy entrepreneur: Kansas wind power, underground storage fuels optimism of hydrogen’s potential Auto-generated transcript of this episode
Democrat Mark Holland on why he wants to be a U.S. senator
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mark Holland wants to change arc of Kansas political history with straight talk on health care, election fraud and abortion. The former mayor of the Unified Government of Kansas City, Kansas, faces incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran in November. Read more: Kansas Democrat Mark Holland not interested in being footnote […]
What we learned from the Kansas abortion vote and primary results
The Aug. 2 election was a political earthquake in Kansas. The headline was a 59-41% vote against a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion. But there were a host of other high-profile races as well. Read more: These four dumb responses totally misread the stunning Kansas abortion rights vote Auto-generated […]
Kansas political ads for the Aug. 2 primary
It’s primary time again in Kansas, and the television ads are assaulting viewers with images, ideas and ideology of candidates. Bob Beatty, political science professor at Washburn University and the state’s foremost chronicler of Kansas political ads, joins Tim Carpenter to march through some of the season’s campaign ads. Read more: Kansas primary delivers advertisements […]
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on her time in office and reelection campaign
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is seeking a second term as the state’s chief executive. The former state senator from Topeka is traveling the state to make her case for reelection. She joins Tim Carpenter on the Kansas Reflector podcast to discuss her work as governor the past four years and her approach to the fall […]
Kelly Sommers on the role of Kansas nurses in abortion services
Kansas voters are already casting advanced ballots on a constitutional amendment that would remove the right to abortion access in Kansas. The Aug. 2 election will be the first time voters in any state make their voices heard on reproductive rights following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Kansas Reflector editor in […]