August 29 2024

1 Democrats Target Key Races to Break GOP Supermajorities in Kansas Legislature
2 Wichita Private School Implements New Phone-Free Policy with Lockable Pouches
3 CORRUPTION, CONSPIRACY, MURDER: Kansas Traffic Fatality Sparks Allegations of COVID Grant Fraud
4 Over 100,000 Kansans Lose Medicaid Coverage Amid Post-Pandemic Review
5 Kelce Brothers Sign $100 Million Podcast Deal with Amazon
Sports

1 Democrats Target Key Races to Break GOP Supermajorities in Kansas Legislature

Democrats have publicly made it a goal to break the Republican supermajorities in the Kansas Legislature, and now they have made it known what races are top priorities in the November election. Ten Democratic legislative candidates, a mix of incumbents and challengers for House and Senate seats, are being spotlighted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

These 4 Senate races are Democrat priorities

Republicans hold 29 of the 40 seats in the Senate, where 27 is a supermajority. That means Democrats would have to pick up at least three seats to break the supermajority.

Sen. Jeff Pittman, D-Leavenworth, running for reelection against Republican challenger Jeff Klemp in Senate District 5.

Andrew Mall is the Democrat challenging Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, in Senate District 10.

Karen Thurlow is the Democrat challenging Sen. Kellie Warren, R-Leawood, for Senate District 11.

Stacey Knoell is the Democrat running against Rep. Adam Thomas, R-Olathe, to fill the vacated seat of Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, for Senate District 23.

These 6 House races are Democrat priorities

In the House, Republicans hold 85 of 125 seats while 84 is a supermajority. That means Democrats would have to pick up at least two seats to break the supermajority.

Rep. Allison Hougland, D-Olathe, is running for reelection against Republican challenger Lauren Bohi in House District 15.

Vanessa Vaughn is the Democrat running for House District 39. She is challenging incumbent Rep. Angela Stiens, R-Shawnee, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year.

Aimee Bateman is the Democrat challenging incumbent Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, in House District 41.

Jacquie Whitney Lightcap is the Democrat challenging incumbent Rep. Jesse Borjon, R-Topeka, in House District 52.

Veronica Gillette is the Democrat challenging incumbent Rep. Sandy Pickert, R-Wichita, in House District 88.

Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, is running for reelection against Republican challenger Kyler Sweely in House District 102.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

2 Wichita Private School Implements New Phone-Free Policy with Lockable Pouches

A Wichita private school has adopted a new cell phone policy, requiring students to place their cell phones and other electronic devices inside a locked bag during the school day. It’s the first area district to take that step. Others, including the Wichita district, allow students to use their phones during passing periods and lunch, but not during class. Trinity Academy is a private Christian K-12 school in northeast Wichita. It has given students in grades 8-12 lockable magnetic pouches called Yondr Bags. When students arrive at school, they are required to place their phones, earbuds and smartwatches inside the bag. The students keep the pouch with them all day and at the end of the day “tap their pouch on a base” that opens it up. One of the most common objections to a cell phone-free policy is that students may need to access their devices during an emergency or security threat. To counter this, all classrooms at Trinity Academy have a cell phone, as do teachers, Attenberry said. The Yondr Education Program and U.S. school districts say the pouches have shown results with 83% of participating schools noting improved student engagement and 65% reporting better academic performance.

Article Source: Wichita Eagle

3 CORRUPTION, CONSPIRACY, MURDER: Kansas Traffic Fatality Sparks Allegations of COVID Grant Fraud

A former Kansas Department of Commerce employee apparently found dead inside a wrecked vehicle purportedly wrote a statement to coincide with his death that accused state officials of awarding grants based on political considerations and asserted he was improperly accused of financial impropriety in handling of grants. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported a vehicle registered to Jonathan Clayton, 42, of Peabody, was discovered Sunday in a ravine near U.S. Highway 50. A deceased male was found inside the 2011 Chevy Silverado, but the KBI said Tuesday formal confirmation of the person’s identity was withheld pending an autopsy. Investigators suspect the vehicle was driven off the road, where it crashed into a tree, the KBI said.  

Ed note: this is a wild story, no idea if it’s true. Read the whole thing here  

Article Source: KS Reflector

4 Over 100,000 Kansans Lose Medicaid Coverage Amid Post-Pandemic Review

More than 100,000 Kansans have lost health care coverage through the state’s Medicaid program since April 2023 after the rocky “unwinding” of pandemic-era protections, but the agency in charge of the review has seen progress recently based on incremental changes. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid programs were required to keep people continuously enrolled until the end of the public health emergency unless the person moved away, died or requested to end coverage. During that time, enrollment in KanCare increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people. When the protections ended March 31, 2023, the state began to review KanCare eligibility for the first time in three years.

Article Source: KS Reflector

5 Kelce Brothers Sign $100 Million Podcast Deal with Amazon

In combined career earnings, Jason and Travis Kelce have made over $155 million from playing in the NFL. Their off-the-field ventures are now topping nine figures as well. The brothers inked a deal with Amazon’s podcast network Wondery to be the new home of their “New Heights” podcast, Amazon announced Tuesday. The contract is worth in the neighborhood of $100 million, according to a source briefed on the negotiations.

Article Source: NYT

Sports

KC Royals Update:
The Kansas City Royals went 1-1 in their last two games, finishing 3-1 in the series against AL Central leaders Cleveland. With an overall record of 75-59, the Royals are now second in the division, just one game behind Cleveland. They begin a critical series against the Houston Astros tonight.

KU Football:
Kansas Jayhawks football takes on Lindenwood tonight.

Sources

1. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/29/these-10-kansas-democrats-are-key-to-breaking-republican-supermajority/74957282007/

2. https://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article291600450.html

3. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/27/kansas-traffic-fatality-adds-intrigue-to-allegations-of-financial-misconduct-with-covid-19-grants/

4. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/28/114k-kansans-lost-medicaid-coverage-in-post-pandemic-unwinding-review/

5. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5726238/2024/08/27/new-heights-travis-jason-kelce-wondery-amazon-deal/?source=user_shared_article