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
Kansas AG ditches anti-immigration health care lawsuit after change in federal policy
Kris Kobach announced Wednesday he voluntarily dismissed his federal lawsuit that targeted health care for immigrants across the U.S. But health care for certain immigrants was stripped away months ago.
Kansas AG ditches anti-immigration health care lawsuit after change in federal policy
Kris Kobach announced Wednesday he voluntarily dismissed his federal lawsuit that targeted health care for immigrants across the U.S. But health care for certain immigrants was stripped away months ago.
MORE
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
July 4th Freedom Fest to bring community together, recognize infringed rights
A new Fourth of July event in Lawrence will feature a U.S. Constitution reading, local performers, food and family activities to celebrate our constitutional rights while acknowledging that many rights are under attack, organizers say.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Traveling Smithsonian exhibition heading to Watkins Museum, not Haskell as planned
The Watkins Museum will soon be the first Kansas site to host a traveling Smithsonian exhibit, “Americans,” after organizers jointly decided to move it from the Haskell museum.
Freedom’s Frontier will ‘cease to exist’ if Congress rescinds funding for National Heritage Areas
Freedom’s Frontier, a coalition of more than 200 historically significant sites on both sides of the Kansas-Missouri border, will “cease to exist” if Congress approves proposed legislation to defund National Heritage Areas, the organization’s spokesman says.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Immigration 101 speakers encourage Lawrence residents to be informed on policy, advocate for immigrant neighbors
Advocates with two local organizations on Saturday called on Lawrence residents to amplify and uphold the rights of their undocumented immigrant neighbors.
‘Our nation is in distress’: Thousands protest Trump in ‘No Kings’ rally at Kansas Statehouse
Thousands of Kansans rallied Saturday at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of a nationwide backlash to President Donald Trump, hoisting signs, joining in pro-democracy chants and speaking out against immigration raids.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
No Kings protesters in Lawrence decry authoritarianism, call for democracy
Hundreds of No Kings protesters gathered in Watson Park Saturday to join a nationwide wave of demonstrations to “reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like,” according to organizers.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Community helps Watkins Museum recoup $13K from federal grant cut
A Watkins Museum of History project on the Underground Railroad was completed before the federal grant funding it was terminated, and the Lawrence community has helped the museum recoup the $13,000 that the feds didn’t disburse.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Bus, rideshares to transport Lawrence residents to No Kings protest in Topeka; protest set for Watson Park
Lawrence residents can travel on their own or take a bus ride to the Kansas capitol as part of nationwide “No Kings” protests on Saturday.
Kansas troopers on standby for protests, ahead of nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations
State troopers are on standby in Kansas as demonstrations against federal immigration raids crop up around the country following an increased military presence in response to protests in Los Angeles.
Proposed federal budget cuts could have ‘grim impact’ on Kansans with disabilities
A leaked federal budget and the president’s budget forced Kansas advocates for people with disabilities to consider potential funding losses that could dramatically affect their services.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Info session will update Lawrencians on local and national immigration policy
In the face of uncertainty surrounding changes in immigration enforcement, two local groups are coming together to host an educational session featuring the most current local and national information on immigration.
Immigrants detained in Leavenworth federal prison live in squalor without sunlight, letters claim
Immigrants being held inside a federal prison in Leavenworth and their attorneys reported an unsanitary, inequitable and unhealthy environment that has left people, even those who have won their immigration cases, deprived of basic needs.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Trump wants to cut tribal college funding by nearly 90%, putting them at risk of closing
The Trump administration has proposed cutting funding for tribal colleges and universities by nearly 90%, a move that would likely shut down most or all of the institutions created to serve students disadvantaged by the nation’s historic mistreatment of Indigenous communities.
Leavenworth wins temporary restraining order barring CoreCivic from taking ICE detainees
A Kansas district court barred CoreCivic Wednesday from reopening its shuttered prison until the company goes through Leavenworth’s development process to receive a special use permit.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Weekly pro-democracy protests in Lawrence still going strong
Months into weekly Sunday protests in downtown Lawrence, local activists are standing strong against the ways they say the Trump administration is undercutting democracy in America.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
