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Kansas Supreme Court chief justice to retire by early February
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert will step down from her position at the start of the new year and retire within weeks, she announced Friday.
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Kansans fired from jobs for refusing COVID-19 vaccine may not qualify for unemployment aid
Holdouts who resist the vaccine for COVID-19, and don’t receive a religious or medical exception from their employer, should expect to be fired. There is no guarantee these people would qualify for unemployment compensation in Kansas.
Grim Reaper of COVID-19 vaccine skeptics takes swipe at government, drug companies, media
Carrie Wallace, of Eudora, stood out among people expressing outrage Saturday with imposition of a federal mandate for government employees and contractors to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and the intense pressure campaign to compel inoculation of children.
Kansas attorney general tells ‘overreach’ panel he will challenge federal vaccine mandate
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt told lawmakers Friday he plans to file a lawsuit challenging President Joe Biden’s vaccine requirement for employees of federal contractors.
Heather Hazzan / SELF Magazine
Shipments of COVID-19 shots for kids 5-11 on the way to states after FDA gives green light
Regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency authorization to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, a step that means kid-sized doses can begin shipping to healthcare providers across the country.
Justice Department launches program to keep redlining out of Kansas
A new program in Kansas backed by the U.S. Department of Justice aims to identify and snuff the illegal practice of denying a creditworthy applicant a loan for housing in certain neighborhoods. The large gap in homeownership rates between white and Black families is greater today than it was before the passage of the Fair Housing Act.
Kansas delegation renews push for Kelsey Smith Act to aid search for missing people
The Kansas congressional delegation renewed the bipartisan campaign to convince Congress to impose at the federal level a law requiring wireless communication companies to promptly share cellphone data with law enforcement officers searching for people at risk of physical harm.
Blaise Mesa / Kansas News Service
Indoor temperatures break 100 at Kansas prisons without air conditioning
Prisons run by the Kansas Department of Corrections aren’t always air-conditioned, and inmates and staff who work inside say the heat can be unbearable.
Kansas students four times as likely to get COVID-19 at schools without mask requirement
Kansas public schools without a mask mandate report COVID-19 illnesses at more than four times the rate of schools where a face covering is required.
Photo Illustration-Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3
Feds seized a van carrying $166K from legal marijuana sales in Kansas City, and no one knows why
Legal experts are scratching their heads over a case that implicates a murky area of the law governing when legal marijuana businesses can be prosecuted in states where marijuana is still not legal.
Heather Hazzan/SELF
FDA panel recommends OK for Pfizer’s vaccine for kids 5 to 11
A federal vaccine advisory panel on Tuesday recommended authorizing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, a decision that means as soon as next week everyone in the United States over age 5 is expected to be eligible for a shot.
Kansas legislators to host second round of redistricting town hall meetings in November
Kansas lawmakers announced Tuesday they will hold a second round of town hall meetings to gather public input on the redistricting process, but they won’t attend the meetings in person.
School mask mandate challenge before Kansas Supreme Court stirs broader legal issues
A lawsuit filed by parents of children subjected to the Shawnee Mission School District’s mask mandate Tuesday evolved into a Kansas Supreme Court debate about due process rights, separation of powers, legislative authority and judicial independence.
Heather Hazzan / SELF Magazine
COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 could be ready as soon as next week
The next wave of the massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign could begin as soon as next week, after federal regulators decide if elementary school students across the United States should begin rolling up their tiny sleeves.
Chris Neal / Kansas News Service
A changing climate will cost Kansas farmers millions in future harvests
A newfound link between increasing heat and drought means climate change-related impacts to Kansas crops could be double what was expected.
Kansas senator makes plea deal in DUI case after driving wrong direction on I-70
Sen. Gene Suellentrop entered a no contest plea to two misdemeanor charges Monday that stemmed from an incident in March in which he drove for miles in the wrong direction on Interstate 70 before stopped by law enforcement officers.
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