Thousands Take Part in ‘No Kings’ Demonstrations in Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Thousands of Kansans turned out for "No Kings" demonstrations across the state Saturday. Protests against the Trump administration and a wide range of its policies took place in dozens of Kansas cities and towns, including Topeka, Emporia, Kansas City, Salina, and Wichita. Organizers say 5,000 people turned out to demonstrate in Lawrence. Heavy turnout was reported at protests across the country.
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Man Arrested for Starting Wichita Apartment Building Fire
WICHITA, Kan. (KSN) — A man has been arrested after he allegedly tried to set a Wichita apartment building on fire. Firefighters responded early Sunday to a fire at the building in the 1200 block of Pershing Avenue. They quickly extinguished the blaze, which injured one person. Police later arrested a 52-year-old-man for allegedly starting the fire. KSN reports the investigation is ongoing.
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Kansan Believed To Be Oldest Person To Hike to Everest Base Camp
OLATHE, Kan. (WDAF) — A man from Olathe is believed to be the oldest person ever to hike to the South Base Camp on Mt. Everest. David McClung is 82. He and his son Dennis made the trek in eight days, arriving on Sunday. The South Base Camp at 17,598 feet is the starting point for climbers attempting to summit the mountain. Just getting to the base camp requires one of the most demanding hikes in the world, through steep and rocky terrain and often in harsh weather conditions. WDAF reports David McClung is a Vietnam vet who has hiked on all seven continents.
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K-State Reinstates Nuclear Engineering Program
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas State University has brought back a trailblazing nuclear engineering program. K-State launched one of the country’s first nuclear engineering programs in the 1950s. By the 1990s, student interest had waned. K-State kept its graduate program, but discontinued the bachelor’s degree. With the rise of advanced nuclear technology, students today are again showing strong interest. So K-State relaunched the major this fall and more than 50 students have signed up. “We’re starting to see even high school students reach out to our college, asking for tours of our building and the reactor,” Amir Bahadori, director of K-State's Radiological Engineering Analysis Laboratory, told the Kansas News Service. K-State has a reactor it uses for research and teaching.
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Kansas Senator Wants U.S. to Send Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KPR) — Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran wants the U.S. to apply more pressure to Russian President Vladimir Putin and send more advanced weapons to Ukraine. "One recent and important development in this effort is the potential transfer of U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine," he said. "This weaponry will strengthen Ukraine's ability to defend its territory, deter further Russian aggression, and help level the battlefield as negotiations, hopefully, move forward." Moran spoke Thursday on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
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Another Kansas Democrat Running for U.S. Senate
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) — Another Democratic candidate is hoping to unseat Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall. Sandy Spidel Neumann, of Johnson County, joins three other Democratic candidates hoping to take on Marshall. Her background is in business and economics. She spent decades as a financial services executive. Spidel Neumann said in a campaign commercial that Marshall’s support for tariffs and health care cuts are hurting Kansans. "Meanwhile, families choose between gas and groceries, hospitals disappear, farmers struggle to survive," she said. The other Democratic candidates are Christy Davis, a former official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Anne Parelkar, a former immigration attorney; and Michael Soetaert, who also ran in 2022.
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September 2025 Kansas Labor Report Put on Hold by Federal Shutdown
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Official Kansas labor market data for the month of September has been delayed. The Kansas Department of Labor issued a statement Friday explaining that Bureau of Labor Statistics data collection, analysis and distribution activities were suspended as of the first of October due to the federal shutdown and the lapse in federal funding. That means official September monthly jobs data has not yet been released, and has been postponed until further notice.
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Study: Many Kansas Voters Oppose Cuts to Federal Funding for Weather and Climate Research
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — A new study shows most Kansas voters oppose federal funding cuts for weather and climate research, despite support from Republicans in Congress. The Kansas News Service reports that in Kansas, almost 80% of voters oppose staffing and funding cuts to programs like the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Those programs are important for monitoring drought and severe weather like wildfires and tornadoes. Pamitha Weerasinghe is with Knowledge for a Competitive America, a group that conducted the study and advocates for funding scientific research. He says the survey was conducted in states with key industries like agriculture. “It provided a great measuring stick for understanding the level of importance for Americans across the political spectrum on funding for scientific research," he explained.
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Shutdown Adds to Midwestern Farming Woes
UNDATED (HPM) — The government shutdown is adding to Midwestern farmers' problems. Harvest Public Media reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's closure is also stalling a promised bailout. Crop farmers are losing money, it’s the middle of harvest and the USDA is shut down. University of Missouri economist Pat Westhoff says farmers are in a tight spot, and closing the USDA makes it worse. It definitely has slowed down both the flow of dollars and the flow of information. Farmers aren’t getting the weekly USDA harvest and market reports they would ordinarily use to decide when to sell their crops. They’re also shut out of USDA payments and loans they might otherwise use to tide them over until crops are profitable again. And Westhoff says a government bailout promised by President Trump can’t happen until the government reopens.
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Judge Orders Trial for Ex-Police Chief Who Raided Newspaper
MARION, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — A former Kansas police chief will stand trial next year for his actions connected to a controversial raid on a small town newspaper. A Kansas district judge has found probable cause that former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody committed the crime of interfering with the judicial process. The Kansas Reflector reports that Cody is not being tried for the raids themselves. But his case is connected to raids on the Marion County newspaper - the Record - as well as raids on the publisher's home and on the home of a city councilwoman in August 2023. Cody is accused of telling a witness to delete text messages the two exchanged before, during and after the raids.
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Lawrence City Officials Seeking Applications for Garage Mural Project
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) — Lawrence city officials have given permission for a new mural to be placed on a city garage, and are taking applications from artists to complete the project. KCTV reports that the artist or artist team selected will create a large-scale mural on the ground level of the west-facing wall of the Vermont Street Parking Garage, next to the Lawrence Public Library. The budget for the mural project is $5,500. Lawrence-based artists, individuals or teams are eligible to enter and must be 18 years old or older. City officials said up to three finalists will be chosen by a review committee and will receive a $300 stipend to develop a conceptual proposal. The application form can be found in the Public Art section of the city website. The deadline for application is Sunday, November 16.
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KPR Seeks New Kansas Statehouse Bureau Chief
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas Public Radio is seeking a new Statehouse Bureau Chief. This position works primarily at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka and is primarily responsible for reporting on state government. This includes, but is not limited to, covering the Kansas Legislature, the governor, attorney general, supreme court, the state's congressional delegation and statewide elections. (Click here for more details.) Must apply online.
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