Politics + Government
Foot-dragging in Marion raid investigation should fill public with dread
I’ve had it. Nearly 10 months after law enforcement officials raided the Marion County Record and two private residences, officials have yet to tell us the results of their investigations. That’s nearly a full year since a flagrant assault on free speech in Kansas, one signed off on by a list of city, county and […]
States are already collecting more abortion data. And HIPAA won’t always keep it private.
Years before the Dobbs decision, providers like Kylie Cooper were already uncomfortable with some of the reporting requirements for abortion procedures in states where they practiced. Cooper was a maternal-fetal medicine specialist for several years in Idaho before she reluctantly left the state in 2023 because of the near-total abortion ban that is now in […]
This is not a garden flag: the treachery of Alito’s vexing icons
In 1929, the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte gave us “The Treachery of Images.” The work is probably better known as “This is Not a Pipe,” because that’s what it says in French beneath the depiction, against a neutral background, of the kind of smoking pipe ubiquitous in the early half of the last century. […]
Trump found guilty: 5 key aspects of the trial explained by a law professor
After the May 30, 2024, conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York, what comes next? Trump’s legal team will likely appeal the verdict. “We will fight for our Constitution,” Trump said following the jury’s announcement. “This is long from over.” A sentencing hearing for Trump is set for July […]
An angry Trump pledges to appeal ‘this scam’ conviction as Republicans vow resistance
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, vowed to launch an appeal based “on many things” he considered unfair during his New York trial, he said Friday in the lobby of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan. Meanwhile Friday, legal and political analysts predicted he will spend little if any time in jail […]
Greater focus on crime sparks another wave of juvenile justice bills
For decades, state legislators and criminal justice advocates have worked to change the juvenile legal system, striving to expand access to rehabilitation and keep young people from returning to crime. During this year’s legislative session, nearly every state has considered some form of juvenile justice legislation, according to a National Conference of State Legislatures database. These […]
‘Take back some control’: Kansas abortion provider offers vasectomies
TOPEKA — A regional abortion provider is rolling out vasectomy services in Kansas as part of a toolkit to keep reproductive choices secure at the family level. The move comes after increased demand as multiple states attempt to chip away at reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood Great Plains is hosting a low-cost two-day vasectomy clinic at […]
Kansas Republicans fall over themselves defending convicted felon Donald Trump
We all know he did it. Of course he did. Of course Donald Trump, that broken promise in human form, paid hush money to a porn star and covered it up for the benefit of his campaign. All the ink spilled over his trial in New York state court couldn’t obliterate the fact that anyone […]
Kansas candidate filing window closes Monday for primary races
TOPEKA — Secretary of State Scott Schwab on Thursday encouraged Kansans to run for office ahead of Monday’s registration deadline. Candidates who are running for seats at the national, state, county, township and precinct level have until noon Monday to file for the Aug. 6 primary. “To those who are eligible, I encourage you to […]
Free direct filing of federal taxes may be offered soon throughout the U.S.
WASHINGTON — Taxpayers across the United States could be guaranteed a free public option to file federal tax returns online as the Internal Revenue Service announced plans Thursday to make its Direct File program permanent. The pilot program offered in 12 states from March to April drew roughly 140,000 accepted returns this filing season and […]
Trump found guilty on 34 felony counts in NY hush money trial
WASHINGTON — Jurors in New York state court on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star ultimately to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. The first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president wrapped up in […]
Environmentalists dodge wetlands threat, but larger floodplain development lurches ahead
Sale of land near Lawrence wetlands was nixed, but the city commission appears eager to allow a commercial, residential project in the Wakarusa floodplain.