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Kansas Reflector
Behind the fashion choices: Kamala’s kicks, Tim’s lids, and the red ties that bind Trump and Vance
With Election Day approaching, candidates are courting voters with everything they’ve got: targeted ads, texts, taunts and stump speeches. As a fashion historian, I think an overlooked aspect of electioneering is clothing, which is a silent, powerful way for candidates to tell the American public who they are. It’s an act as old as power […]
The Fed says its long-awaited rate cut is apolitical, even close to the presidential election
The Federal Reserve’s first key interest rate cut in four years coincides with another major four-year event: the homestretch of the presidential election. Fed Chair Jerome Powell downplayed the central bank’s role in the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, in announcing the half-percentage point cut in its […]
Aetna awaits court decisions on lost Kansas Medicaid contract, destroyed documents
TOPEKA — Before Kansas officials revealed they had ousted Aetna Better Health as one of the providers for the state’s $4 billion Medicaid program, they destroyed documents that Aetna believes would have helped the company appeal the decision. Aetna filed two lawsuits against the state that now await decisions ahead of an Oct. 2 deadline, […]
Officials celebrate Kansas’ ‘economic transformation’ at new soybean plant
CHERRYVALE — While this southeast Kansas town’s population peaked more than 100 years ago, the opening of the region’s largest ever economic development project means its best days are ahead, Lt. Gov. David Toland said Thursday. Toland spoke to a crowd of more than 100 state and federal lawmakers, economic development officials and construction company […]
As my 70th birthday nears, consider these lingering mysteries of life and politics
This year I will celebrate my 70th birthday. I do not consider myself old, but I am definitely getting there. As an attorney, judge and 24-year veteran of the Kansas Army National Guard, I have seen a lot and done a lot. However, there are many things I see and still do not understand. Here […]
Kansas uninsured rate remains worse than national average; 240K without health coverage
TOPEKA — Kansans are uninsured at a rate higher than the rest of the country for a third-straight year, but the effects of Medicaid “unwinding” have yet to be seen, recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows. More than 240,000 Kansas residents are without health insurance, which translates to an uninsured rate of 8.4%, according to […]
6 ‘cult’ leaders convicted in scheme that forced children to work unpaid in Kansas City, Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A federal jury convicted six leaders in a quasi-religious group in a scheme that convinced parents to send their children to Kansas City, Kansas, for schooling but instead forced them to work long hours without pay and subjected them to beatings and other abuse. The six defendants held high-ranking positions of […]
We live in a political world. As global citizens, we can rise above petty disagreements.
Let’s face it: The world is in turmoil, trauma, drama and despair. I get up each morning to fix my coffee, and I pray. I pray to God for help in understanding people who don’t think like me, who look different from me and who might see the world in a different way. I am […]
Nebraska, other attorneys general challenge California regulation on big trucks
LINCOLN — Nebraska, Kansas and 22 other Republican-led states asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to block a push by Democratic-led California to require more trucks used for transporting goods to reduce carbon emissions. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who led the effort, argued in a letter that California is overstepping its authority […]
Kansas City man asks appeals court to overturn conviction connected to disgraced detective
LAWRENCE — A Kansas Court of Appeals panel considered arguments Tuesday about whether a disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, police detective’s involvement in a 1997 murder case should result in an overturned conviction. Brian Betts, who spent 25 years in prison before being released last year, hopes to prove his innocence by pursuing the legal challenge. […]
Nancy Boyda complains about Derek Schmidt’s dual residency in Kansas congressional race
LAWRENCE — Democrat Nancy Boyda wants voters in the 2nd District congressional race to know that Republican opponent Derek Schmidt owns a home in both Independence and Lawrence. Schmidt’s campaign wants people to know he is focused on “issues voters actually care about.” Boyda issued a statement Sunday accusing Schmidt of pretending to live in […]
Guns raise risk of suicide death. This National Suicide Prevention Month, let’s focus on safety.
Suicide attempts run in my family. Depression is in our genes, passed down through the generations. My mom, my sister, and several of my six children have been through the worst of times but survived. This past spring my cousin’s son Joshua, just 24 years old, ended his life outside a hospital ER with a […]
Kansas foster care report brings ‘grim picture’ of minimal progress into focus
TOPEKA — An annual, independent review of Kansas’ foster care system shows it fell short for the third year in a row of improvements to housing instability and mental health care delays. The progress report, released Monday, put into words the reality foster children across Kansas face everyday. The report said those children are “let […]
Kansas secretary of state, attorney general offices evacuated with separate suspicious packages
TOPEKA — Authorities on Monday evacuated a building in downtown Topeka after separate suspicious packages were delivered to the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office and Attorney General’s Office. One package resembles similar suspicious packages that were sent to election offices in other states, where officials said they contained harmless white powder. But a spokeswoman for […]
Kansas secretary of state, attorney general offices evacuated with separate suspicious packages
TOPEKA — Authorities on Monday evacuated a building in downtown Topeka after separate suspicious packages were delivered to the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office and Attorney General’s Office. One package resembles similar suspicious packages that were sent to election offices in other states, where officials said they contained harmless white powder. But a spokeswoman for […]
Rent is eating up a greater share of tenants’ income in almost every state
There were 21 states where a majority of tenant households spent 30% or more of their incomes on rent and utilities last year, compared with just seven states in 2019. Nationwide, about 22 million renters are shouldering that percentage. Anyone paying more than 30% is considered “cost burdened,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban […]
Topeka man was shot 34 times by police. Circumstances of his death make trust difficult.
Our civic institutions depend on public trust. On belief. But sometimes, what police ask us to believe strains credulity, such as officers shooting someone 34 times for holding a wrench. In the aftermath of such shootings, district attorneys rarely hold law enforcement accountable. Consider the lawsuit filed recently on behalf of Taylor Lowery’s estate. What […]
How immigrants navigate their digital footprints in a charged political climate
For more than a decade, San-Francisco-based Miguel has been successfully filing renewals for his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status every two years, at least until 2024. For some reason, this year, it took more than five months to get approval, during which his enrollment in the program lapsed, leaving him in a legal […]
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab works to build trust in elections in the face of skepticism
This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org TOPEKA — As former President Donald Trump spreads misinformation on election security ahead of the November election, Kansas […]
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Kansas Reflector is a nonprofit news operation providing in-depth reporting, diverse opinions and daily coverage of state government and politics. This public service is free to readers and other news outlets. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify voices of people whose lives are affected by public policies but who might typically be left out of public debate. We seek to increase Kansans’ awareness of how decisions made by elected representatives and other public servants affect our day-to-day lives. We hope to empower and inspire greater participation in democracy throughout Kansas. Launched in July 2020, Kansas Reflector is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. Kansas Reflector retains editorial independence.
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