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.
Examining the Kansas political issues of this summer of discontent
Now is the summer of our discontent. The end of Roe vs. Wade has shaken the nation. Kansas has been gripped by an amendment vote on just that subject scheduled for next month. Political candidates circle one another like irritable peacocks, knowing that weeks or months of conflict await. Nationally, inflation has stressed households and […]
Young Kansas House Democrats running unopposed
The 2022 election cycle for the Kansas House is unique in the sense that 55 of the 125 seats are already decided. That is because only one candidate filed to run for election to the state Legislature in those districts. Three young Kansas House Democrats — Christina Haswood, Brandon Woodard and Rui Xu — who […]
Gun laws, education and civic engagement with Kansas Reflector interns
You may have noticed two new names making regular appearances on Kansas Reflector story bylines recently — Margaret Mellott and Lily O’Shea Becker. They joined Kansas Reflector this summer as interns and are tackling topics ranging from gun laws to teachers leaving the field to youth civic engagement. Mellott, a recent graduate of Emporia State […]
Kansas certification for community health workers
Health care is often a difficult system to navigate, with concerns of costs, access or finding the right fit to address your intimate needs. The challenges are amplified for uninsured patients or those who don’t speak English as a primary language, but a new Kansas certification will establish the widespread practice of community health workers, […]
Paul Buskirk seeks Kansas Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate Republican and Democratic primaries are less than two months away and the eight candidates in the running must bear down to lock away votes in those competitive primaries. The incumbent, Kansas Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, is a known commodity, but the six Democrats in the contest are still introducing themselves to […]
Kansans for Constitutional Freedom opposing abortion amendment
Kansas voters head to the polls Aug. 2 to nominate Republicans and Democrats for all sorts of political offices in preparation for the November general election. Another issue on the August ballot is a proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution. The amendment embraced by a conservative state legislators and lobbyists would essentially reject a 2019 […]
How the Kansas Legislature impacts Kansas children
Kids can make the most hardened person smile. In the Statehouse in Topeka, there is a lot of debate about policy and funding aimed at Kansas children. Influencers in this process include Kansas Action for Children, a nonprofit that works to improve the health, education and welfare of the state’s vulnerable youths. Jessica Herrera Russell […]
Secretary of State Scott Schwab talks Kansas elections
Scott Schwab has served as the Kansas Secretary of State since 2019. Before election to be the state’s top elections official, the Republican served in the Kansas house for 15 years, representing part of Johnson County. Schwab joins senior reporter Tim Carpenter for the Kansas Reflector podcast to break down recent election law, the safety […]
The state of Kansas water, now and in the future
Parts of western Kansas have just a decade or two of water left. One city’s drinking water was contaminated with uranium. For years, the state hasn’t been paying its bills to the federal government to store drinking water in dams in eastern Kansas. Last year, a state House committee started studying the water situation. They […]
Bob Beatty on the legacy of former Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson
As a politically active college student in Wichita, Mark Parkinson audaciously ran for a seat in the Kansas House at age 20. He didn’t win, but he learned the value of sweating through a door-to-door campaign. He went on to serve in the Kansas House and Senate, lead the Kansas Republican Party and made friends […]
Improving postpartum health outcomes in Kansas
The birth of a child is a blend of anxiety and joy, but it can also give rise to a feeling of malaise in mothers that often dissipates in a couple of weeks. A longer-lasting form of this condition is referred to as postpartum depression. Prompt treatment can help moms manage symptoms and bond with […]
Inside the special report: Kansas Reflector editors and columnist talk TEFFI
Few in the Kansas Legislative or investment world understood what a TEFFI was when lawmakers approved a bill last year allowing the launch of a so-called technology-enabled fiduciary financial institution. Founder Brad Heppner’s vision includes investments in rural Kansas and attracted support from local and state officials. But a three-month Kansas Reflector investigation spearheaded by […]