A new CDC report found that Kansas counties who complied with a mask mandate saw a decrease in cases compared to counties that didn't

President Donald Trump opted against wearing a face mask at a press conference in May, while flanked advisers Drs. Deborah Bird and Anthony Fauci, who wore face masks. Jabin Botsford/Getty Images A Friday report from the Centers for Disease Control found that counties in Kansas that adopted a mask mandate saw a decrease in cases of the disease, while counties that opted out saw an increase by 100%. While experts have long agreed that masks are a key part of limiting the spread of COVID-19,...
Tags: Science, News, Cdc, US, Trends, Joe Biden, Washington Dc, Kansas, Donald Trump, Anthony Fauci, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Kelly, Hill, Centers for Disease Control, Kansas Department of Health, Johns Hopkins University

5 Points About Democrats’ Bad (But Not 2011-Level Bad) Position Going Into Redistricting

Heading into last week’s election, Democrats had poured considerable resources into avoiding the Republican sweep that happened a decade ago, in the 2010 midterms, and that allowed GOP lawmakers in several states to draw legislative maps with extreme tilts to their advantage. But Tuesday was a rough night for down-ballot Democrats, even as it gave Joe Biden the presidency. And it blunted much of the momentum that they and nonpartisan redistricting reformers had achieved in the 2018 and 2019 e...
Tags: Texas, News, Supreme Court, Republicans, Congress, Kentucky, Georgia, Joe Biden, Pennsylvania, Democrats, Gop, Missouri, New Hampshire, House, Arizona, Wisconsin

LIVE RESULTS: Republican Jake LaTurner projected to defeat Democrat Michelle De La Isla in Kansas' 2nd District

  Republican Jake LaTurner is projected to defeat Democrat Michelle De La Isla in Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. LaTurner defeated freshman incumbent Rep. Steve Watkins in the August Republican primary. The district covers much of Eastern Kansas and is home to the state capital of Topeka and the University of Kansas in Lawrence. See the live coverage and full results from all US House elections. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. After defeating freshman incumbent Rep. S...
Tags: Politics, Congress, US, Trends, Live, Hillary Clinton, Missouri, Kansas, Donald Trump, Puerto Rico, Election 2020, Lawrence, University of Kansas, Topeka, Kansas State, Topeka Capital Journal

Republican Jake LaTurner and Democrat Michelle De La Isla compete in Kansas' 2nd District

Republican Jake LaTurner will face Democrat Michelle De La Isla in Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. LaTurner defeated freshman incumbent Rep. Steve Watkins in the August Republican primary. The district covers much of Eastern Kansas and is home to the state capital of Topeka and the University of Kansas in Lawrence. See the live coverage and full results from all US House elections. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. After defeating freshman incumbent Rep. Steve Watkins i...
Tags: Politics, Congress, US, Trends, Hillary Clinton, Missouri, Kansas, Donald Trump, Puerto Rico, Election 2020, Lawrence, University of Kansas, Topeka, Kansas State, Topeka Capital Journal, Laura Kelly

Republican Jake LaTurner and Democratic Michelle De La Isla compete in Kansas' 2nd District

Kansas State Treasurer Jake LaTurner talks with members of the 2nd congressional district during meeting at the annual GOP convention in Topeka, Kansas, February 16, 2019. Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images Republican Jake LaTurner will face Democrat Michelle De La Isla in Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. LaTurner defeated freshman incumbent Rep. Steve Watkins in the August Republican primary. The district covers the entire eastern border of Kansas and is home to the state capital o...
Tags: Politics, Congress, Trends, Hillary Clinton, Kansas, Donald Trump, Puerto Rico, Election 2020, Lawrence, University of Kansas, Topeka, Kansas State, Topeka Capital Journal, Laura Kelly, Topeka Kansas, Kris Kobach

A timely reminder that the war on drugs, and even the war on marijuana, is not anywhere close to over

Just last night I flagged here a new article by Michael Vitiello about the "war on drugs" and extreme sentences for drug crimes.  And this morning I saw this news article from Kansas this past week that provides a reminder that the US drug war as operationalized through extreme sentences even for marijuana offenses remains a very current reality for far too many.  The piece is headlined "Man serving 7.5 years on marijuana case says Kansas’ sentencing laws aren’t just," and here are excerpts: A ...
Tags: Law, Colorado, US, Missouri, Lexus, Manhattan, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Hyundai, Bosch, Joseph, Salina, Wilkerson, Westmoreland, Kansas Department of Corrections

Despite overall US coronavirus cases declining, experts are warning that middle America is seeing spikes in cases as colleges reopen

A woman wears a stars and stripes bandana for a face mask, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fears, in Washington, U.S., April 2, 2020. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Coronavirus cases in the US overall are declining but experts worry as the regions in the middle of the country experience surges and students return to colleges. Daily average cases dropped by 21% from the beginning of the month to 43,000 new cases daily on Tuesday. However, states and cities in the Midwest are seeing spikes an...
Tags: Florida, Science, News, Washington, Kentucky, US, America, Trends, Indiana, Cnn, Cases, West, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio, Philadelphia

Why Republicans Are Walking All Over This Democratic Guv

Wins have been hard to come by for Tony Evers during the coronavirus pandemic. The first-term Wisconsin governor, like many of his contemporaries, has had to contend with the partisan backlash that has come with the policies brought about by the public health crisis—but unlike other Democratic governors, he’s been overruled, outmaneuvered or taken down by state Republicans to the point that even a key legislative ally concedes Evers’ approach has been impacted. That dynamic would be difficult to...
Tags: News, Supreme Court, Congress, Senate, White House, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Gop, Wisconsin, Scott Walker, Kansas, Cbs, Ohio, Associated Press, Republican, Biden

Data shows Kansas counties with mask mandates have seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases

Counties in Kansas that adopted a mask mandate have seen a drop in COVID-19 cases, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said.In late June, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) issued a statewide mask guidance, but because the Kansas legislature limited her emergency powers, each county was able to decide whether or not to enforce the order, KSHB reports. During a press conference on Wednesday, Norman said 15 counties went along with the order, while 90 decided to make wearing a m...
Tags: News, Washington, Kansas, Norman, Pelosi, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Laura Kelly, KSHB, Lee Norman

Kris Kobach loses Kansas GOP Senate primary

Rep. Roger Marshall defeated former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in Tuesday's Kansas Republican Senate primary.With 70 percent of precincts reporting, Marshall has 39 percent of the vote compared to Kobach with 26.4 percent. Bob Hamilton is in third place with 19 percent, followed by David Lindstrom with 6.9 percent.Republicans had been worried about the very conservative Kobach winning the primary but not being able to clinch the general election; he lost the state's governor&#...
Tags: News, Obama, Senate, Uganda, Gop, Kansas, Progressive, Marshall, Roger Marshall, Laura Kelly, Kris Kobach, Kobach, Sen Pat Roberts, Cori Bush, Kansas Republican Senate, Bob Hamilton

Kobach Would Do Anything for Trump. But He Won’t Do That

Kris Kobach needs Donald Trump—but his loyalty has limits. As the president has continued to escalate his attacks on mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic, Kobach, the former Kansas Secretary of State and early ally of the president, has appeared on television and even written a column supporting Trump’s broad targeting of the practice as others try to make the measure more widespread during the health crisis. But in his home state of Kansas, where voting by mail will play a key role in...
Tags: Florida, New York, News, Senate, Gop, Hillary Clinton, Wisconsin, Kansas, Michigan, Donald Trump, Miller, Trump, Breitbart, State, University of Kansas, Topeka

No masks, just questions, in Kansas counties with no cases

Some businesses in two western Kansas counties that have yet to report a single positive coronavirus case aren’t requiring customers to wear face masks — but they are asking whether they have traveled outside the county. Business owners in Rawlins and Wallace counties say they agree with local officials' decisions to opt out of an order from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly requiring people to wear masks in public. In Wallace County, which borders Colorado, one restaurant posted on social media a...
Tags: News, Colorado, Kansas, Wallace, Rawlins, Laura Kelly, Wallace County

A Kansas newspaper published a cartoon likening the state governor's compulsory face-mask order to the Holocaust

The Anderson County Review's cartoon showed Gov. Laura Kelly wearing a mask emblazoned with the Star of David, captioned: "Step onto the cattle car."
Tags: News, David, Kansas, Laura Kelly, Anderson County Review

Kansas Governor Criticizes G.O.P. Official’s Cartoon Comparing Mask Order to Holocaust

The cartoon, which shows Gov. Laura Kelly wearing a Star of David mask as people are loaded into a cattle car, was posted Friday on the Facebook page of a newspaper owned by a Republican county chairman.
Tags: Facebook, News, Masks, Newspapers, David, Kansas, Kelly, Laura Kelly, Cartoons and Cartoonists, Laura (1950-

Kansas paper published by Republican posts cartoon likening masks order to Holocaust

Anderson County Review posts image on Facebook pageDemocratic governor Laura Kelly issued protective orderHow Trump fuels culture war over masksA Kansas newspaper whose publisher is a county Republican chairman posted a cartoon on its Facebook page likening an order from the state’s governor requiring people to wear masks in public to the round-up and murder of millions of Jews during the Holocaust. Related: Trump claims 'victory' as US sees Covid-19 case records in multiple states Continue r...
Tags: Facebook, Republicans, US, World news, US news, US politics, Kansas, Republican, Trump, Laura Kelly, Antisemitism, Coronavirus outbreak, Anderson County Review, masksA Kansas

Kansas Legislature Passes Emergency Powers Legislation Protecting 2A

Great news for gun-lovers in Kansas! The KS legislation just passed new laws protecting gun owners from politicians acting under the guise of emergency powers. IMG NRA-ILA U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- The Kansas Legislature adjourned from its Special Session after passing Emergency Powers Legislation, House Bill 2054.  House Bill 2054 prevents the Governor from using emergency powers to seize ammunition or limit the sale of firearms during a declared state of emergency, including for Covid-19.  T...
Tags: Guns, IMG, Kansas Legislature, Laura Kelly, Gun Rights News, NRA-ILA, Institute for Legislative Action ILA, National Rifle Association of America ILA, Kansas The KS

Trump Seems To Retreat From His Threat To Withhold Funding From Michigan

President Trump appeared to back away from his threat to withhold federal funding from Michigan during a meeting with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) Wednesday afternoon. Earlier Wednesday, Trump blasted Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in a series of tweets, erroneously accusing her of sending absentee ballots to registered voters and threatening to withhold federal funding from the state over her mail-in voting initiative. Trump would later correct ...
Tags: News, Cbs News, White House, Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Trump, State, Asa Hutchinson, Laura Kelly, Kayleigh McEnany, Jocelyn Benson, Trump Tweets, Summer Concepcion, Gretchen Whitmer

When Will Kids Go Back to School?

As this absurd pandemic school year approaches its close, every state in the nation is wrestling with the same question: how to get kids back at their desks without unduly risking their more elderly or immuno-compromised relatives—or the students themselves.The COVID-19 shutdown has disrupted almost every school district in the country, forcing the vast majority of the United States’s 55.6 million students to try to learn from home. It’s difficult to overstate the potential negative consequences...
Tags: Utah, Florida, New York, Texas, News, Minnesota, Mississippi, Maryland, Colorado, California, Montana, Washington, Kentucky, Oregon, Boston, Virginia

Governors Are Having A Moment — And Political Hopefuls Are Trying To Grab That Spotlight

In the chasm left by the Trump administration’s chaotic approach to the coronavirus pandemic, governors have stepped into the spotlight.   And it has accordingly boosted their profiles. From attempts to draft New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) into the presidential race, to buzz about Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) becoming worthy of Joe Biden’s vice presidential shortlist, there has been a clear political upside to being in charge. Current and likely future political candidates are taki...
Tags: New York, News, Joe Biden, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Michigan, Andrew Cuomo, Trump, Wolf, Kelly, Kansas Senate, Tom Wolf, Susan Wagle, Toomey, Laura Kelly, Wagle

California Gov. Newsom Finds New Friend In Washington: Trump

SACRAMENTO (AP) – These times were strange enough. And then California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump started getting along. The liberal Democrat – the leader in the headquarters of the Resistance – has taken to singing Trump’s praises, and he even used the Republican president’s campaign slogan Thursday: “Promise made, promise kept,” he said, thanking Trump for sending California testing swabs. He previously called Trump “thoughtful,” “responsive” and “collaborative.” Trump notice...
Tags: Apple, Politics, New York, News, California, Washington, White House, California News, Sacramento, San Francisco, Joe Biden, Tim Cook, Kansas, Janet Yellen, Resistance, Federal Reserve

Govs Push Back After Trump Claims They’re Playing ‘Political Game’ With Tests

WASHINGTON (AP) — A chorus of governors from both parties pushed back hard Monday after President Donald Trump accused Democrats of playing “a very dangerous political game” by insisting there is a shortage of tests for the coronavirus. The governors countered that the White House must do more to help states do the testing that’s needed before they can ease up on stay-at-home orders. Kansas’s Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said the current federal effort “really is not good enough if we’re going...
Tags: New York, News, Maryland, Congress, Abc, Montana, Washington, White House, Ap, Pennsylvania, Fema, Food And Drug Administration, Kansas, Ohio, Capitol Hill, Michigan

Federal Judge Delivers Blow To Kansas Governor’s Church Gathering Ban

A federal judge delivered a blow to Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s (D) ban on church gathering Saturday, allowing two local churches to conduct in-person, though socially-distanced, services. “Plaintiffs are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the form of denial of their constitutional right to the free exercise of their religion,” wrote U.S. District Judge John Broomes in his ruling, adding that the restrictions on religious gatherings “are more severe than restrictions on some comparable no...
Tags: News, Supreme Court, Cdc, Senate, Kansas, Kelly, State Supreme Court, Susan Wagle, Laura Kelly, Junction City, John Broomes, Kate Riga, COVID-19, COVID

Barr Is Doing the Dirty Work as Trump Gambles With Our Lives

Donald Trump is calling for his followers to LIBERATE the states from the social-distancing measures that are staving off an even greater coronavirus death toll. Trump’s enforcer, Attorney General Bill Barr, is now poised to support Trump’s call for insurrection by turning to the federal courts—seeded with a legion of newly installed right-wing jurists—to undermine critical public-health protections on his boss’ behalf. If Barr and Trump get their way, the states will soon be “opened up” to the ...
Tags: News, Mississippi, Kentucky, Reagan, Joe Biden, Ukraine, Gop, Wisconsin, Mitch McConnell, Kansas, Department Of Justice, Donald Trump, Doj, Justice Department, Louisville, Trump

More Thoughts on a Cancelled Election

Since my article on the consequences of President Trump cancelling the November election appeared in Politico, I have been having an interesting discussion with Howard Wasserman.   Professor Wasserman previously bloggedaboutessentially this problem and came to many of the same conclusions that I did.   He has since posted two thoughtfulresponses.   Professor Wasserman dove deeper than I did into the question of gubernatorial appointments of replacements for senators whose terms expire in Janu...
Tags: Supreme Court, California, Oregon, Senate, White House, Politico, Joe Biden, United States, Maine, House, Kansas, Leahy, Oklahoma, Republican, Biden, North Carolina

Judge doubts Kansas COVID-19 rule, blocks it for 2 churches

A federal judge signaled that he believes there's a good chance that Kansas is violating religious freedom and free speech rights with a coronavirus-inspired 10-person limit on in-person attendance at religious services or activities and he blocked its enforcement against two churches that sued over it. The ruling Saturday from U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita prevents the enforcement of an order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly against a church in Dodge City in western Kansas and one in J...
Tags: News, Kansas, Kelly, Wichita, Laura Kelly, Dodge City, Kansas COVID, U S District Judge John Broomes

Pastors, Churches Sue Governors For COVID Orders They Say Violate Their Religious Liberty

Churches and their leaders in states across the country are suing governors for COVID-19-inspired orders that they say are infringing on their right to worship freely.  In Kentucky, the Maryville Baptist Church and its pastor sued Gov. Andy Beshear (D) in federal court for the “unconstitutional application of the gathering orders,” claiming he “targeted” churchgoers who gathered on Easter Sunday for the only in-person service in the state. A few of those churchgoers filed their own lawsu...
Tags: Texas, News, Supreme Court, Cdc, Kentucky, Church, Kansas, Executive Order, Abbott, Greg Abbott, Mat Staver, Kelly, Houston Chronicle, Ken Paxton, Harris County, Laura Kelly

Kansas governor says her state struggles to get medical supplies to fight coronavirus

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday night that being unable to get supplies to fight the coronavirus outbreak is a big challenge for rural states to reopen as President Donald Trump pushes to revive a stalled US economy.
Tags: US, Cnn, Kansas, Donald Trump, Laura Kelly

Kansas Supreme Court Sides With Governor In Church Gatherings Dispute

The Kansas Supreme Court sided with Gov. Laura Kelly (D) Saturday, allowing her executive order limiting church gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic to stand despite Republican lawmakers’ efforts to overturn it. In an expedited decision made just one day after Kelly sued, the Court delivered a very narrow ruling pertaining only to the authority of the standing legislative council to revoke Kelly’s order. It did not grapple with the larger questions of religious freedom or public health. T...
Tags: News, Cdc, Court, Kansas, Republican, Kelly, Kansas Supreme Court, LCC, Derek Schmidt, Laura Kelly, Legislative Coordinating Council, Kate Riga, COVID-19

3 Inland churches sue to keep services open during coronavirus pandemic

Three Southern California churches that want to keep their doors open during the coronavirus outbreak sued Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials on Monday, April 13, arguing that social distancing orders violate the First Amendment right to freedom of religion and assembly. The suit, filed in the federal court for the Central District of California, also names state Attorney General Xavier Becerra and officials of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. It seeks to block Newsom’s month-old stay-a...
Tags: Florida, News, California, La, Religion, Los Angeles, Sport, Soccer, Kansas, Louisiana, Riverside County, San Diego County, Lapd, Costco, Republican National Committee, Gavin Newsom

Kansas' high court rules for governor on religious services

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled Saturday that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it tried to overturn the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic. The decision letting Gov. Laura Kelly’s order stand came after the justices heard oral arguments one day before Easter, which is typically the busiest day on the Christian calendar in terms of church attendance. The Saturday h...
Tags: News, Kansas, Kansas Supreme Court, Laura Kelly