Federal fallout
Coverage tracking the Lawrence, Douglas County and statewide impacts of changes and cuts at the federal level.
Contact information for the congressional delegation representing Lawrence and Douglas County is available at this link. The nonprofit 5 Calls, 5calls.org, has phone numbers and templates of scripts to help people make their voices heard on several federal issues.
LATEST
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
Congressional challengers offer vision on taxes, Trump at Lawrence forum without incumbent
Challengers running for Kansas’ Big 1st congressional district, which includes Lawrence, made diverging cases Saturday for why they should be the choice for voters unhappy with Republican incumbent Tracey Mann.
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Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
Newly appointed Haskell president shares hopes for institution’s future
As Haskell’s newly confirmed president, Alex Red Corn wants to help steward a culture of improvement, grow external partnerships and implement a new strategic plan.
KU fungi library is cornerstone of $1.9M grant researching crop drought tolerance
Researchers at KU and their collaborators landed a $1.9 million grant to research drought tolerance in wheat and rice using the school’s living fungi “library.”
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Van Go funding slashed amid federal changes; nonprofit working to preserve youth programs
Van Go in Lawrence is bracing to lose about one-third of its annual operating budget due to potential federal funding changes. The nonprofit is looking for other funding options to continue supporting young artists.
Lawrence performance with musicians, poets will explore immigration and home through art
Four artists will come together in Lawrence for an evening of poetry and music to illuminate their experiences of immigration, belonging and the meaning of home.
Vance rallies support for Kansas Republicans in pointed speech interrupted by protester
Vice President JD Vance on Monday vouched for Kansas Republicans running for the U.S. Senate and the governor’s office, bucking Democrats who want to regain control of Congress in November.
Democratic congresswoman says Leavenworth ICE facility is being built out for more detainees
A congresswoman says the immigration detention center in Leavenworth is under construction to increase capacity as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Federal judge strikes down Kansas law offering in-state tuition rate to qualified immigrants
A judge has issued an order forbidding enforcement of a bipartisan Kansas law adopted in 2004 that allowed certain immigrant students at public colleges and universities to pay in-state tuition rates rather than higher out-of-state rates.
Justice Department sues Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools over transgender policies
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing KCK Public Schools over its policies for transgender students, escalating a monthslong standoff and threat to withhold federal funding if the school district did not comply.
The Kansas dairy industry is growing, and it’s on the shoulders of immigrant workers
Kansas has a fast-growing dairy industry, but milking cows isn’t easy and it’s hard to find workers. Industry groups say immigrants are critical and those workers say they’re needed to feed Kansas families.
Kansas sticks with ‘scientific evidence’ for vaccine schedule, despite Trump order
Kansas won’t change its vaccine schedule to match an executive order from Trump but instead will continue to “trust in scientific evidence” and follow recommendations from major health organizations, a spokesperson said.
Kansas professor falsely accused of espionage wants university to pay for firing, harm to reputation
An anonymous tip accusing a Chinese-American chemist and researcher of espionage spurred KU into action, notifying the Department of Justice and building a case against its own employee, Feng “Franklin” Tao said in a lawsuit.
CoreCivic sells Leavenworth prison, leaving city with oversight and financial questions
CoreCivic on Wednesday announced the sale of its Leavenworth prison to the federal government, likely negating months of negotiations and a legal battle city officials pursued to ensure the humane treatment of immigrants detained there.
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
Los Guapos co-owner tells her story after partner’s deportation
Restaurateur Lourdes E. Perez Rojo’s name has made the rounds on social media lately — not for her food, but because her romantic and business partner was detained by ICE in April. She wants people to meet the woman behind the photos.
Kansas and Missouri are surprised by tornadoes after weather service cuts reduce early warnings
The National Weather Service has lost hundreds of employees since Trump took office, and its severe storm forecasts may be suffering. Two tornado outbreaks this year took forecasters by surprise.
Maya Smith/Lawrence Times
Douglas County clerk highlights big change to advance voting in Kansas
Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew wants to make sure local voters know about a new state law that invalidates their advance ballots if they don’t arrive by Election Day.
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