Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone, reporter Anna Kaminski and editor in chief Sherman Smith talk about three recent examples where lawmakers have hidden their work from public scrutiny or directed animus toward journalists.

Kansas legislators hide from public scrutiny

An Overland Park immigration attorney says she wants to use her professional expertise to fix what's broken on the federal level and adequately represent Kansans' interests.

Anne Parelkar latest Democrat running for Kansas' U.S. Senate seat

Kansas state Sen. Ethan Corson, a Fairway Democrat seeking the party's nomination for governor in 2026, says the state benefits from centrist, moderate leadership in the governor's office.

Democrat Ethan Corson on his campaign for Kansas governor

Mike Perry at PerryUndem and David Jordan at United Methodist Health Ministry Fund talk about new research that suggests how residents in Kansas and across the U.S. feel about the current economic situation and what they think should be done about it.

Raising Kansas kids amid economic uncertainty

Researchers at the University of Kansas take an intense look at the substance use disorder system in Kansas, exploring tactics and strategies that can support the one in five Kansans who abuse drugs and alcohol. Lead researchers Janine Hron and Silke von Esenwein share what they learned about the gaps and strengths in the state's system.

Kansas researchers explore substance use disorder

University of Kansas international law professor John Head talks about the need for long-term planning and other steps to address critical agricultural and environmental crises. 

Kansas law professor on how to address global environmental crises

University Press of Kansas editor Alec Loganbill explains his goals with Plainspoken Books, a new publishing imprint with a regional reach.

New publishing imprint focuses on Midwest voices, stories

In her biggest electoral test, Johnson County Sen. Cindy Holscher is asking red-state Kansas to make her the Democratic Party's nominee for governor so she can attempt to follow in footsteps of Gov. Laura Kelly.

Democrat Cindy Holscher on her campaign for Kansas governor

Republican leaders of the Kansas Legislature are working to cobble together the necessary two-thirds majority of the House and Senate to call a special session in November.

The original purpose was to redraw the four Kansas congressional districts to make it easy to defeat U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat. But there are maybe a dozen or so House GOP members not thrilled about redistricting in 2025 when it wasn't scheduled to be done again until 2032.

Republican leaders want to appeal to dissenters by trying to pass a bill during the special session to prevent individuals from changing their gender marker on Kansas driver's licenses.

With this proposed special session about three weeks away, Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter and editor Sherman Smith take stock of the drama.

Kansas Republicans work toward special session on gerrymandering, gender markers

Katie Batza, associate professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at University of Kansas, recently published "AIDS in the Heartland: How Unlikely Coalitions Created a Blueprint for LGBTQ Politics." It explores the pandemic from perspectives of family, friends and others who grappled with AIDS far from population epicenters for the disease in San Francisco or New York City.

The grassroots response to HIV and AIDS in Middle America

The Kansas Reflector Podcast, hosted by senior reporter Tim Carpenter, presents voices from the people and politics of Kansas.