Kansas

Visitors to Mercy's Fort Scott hospital would pass a tall white cross as they drove down a winding driveway before arriving at the front door. Sisters of Mercy nuns founded the hospital in 1886, and the newest building, constructed in 2002, honors that Ro

No Mercy: How A Kansas Town Is Grappling With Its Hospital's Closure

11:20am May 14, 2019

by Sarah Jane Tribble

People in Fort Scott, Kan., depended on their local hospital for more than a century. In December, the hospital closed. Fort Scott residents now are trying to cope with life without it.

The new standard in Kansas, which took effect on Monday, lifts the cap on beer alcohol levels, but only to a degree. The new maximum is 6 percent alcohol by volume.

National

The End Is Near For 3.2 Beer

6:23pm April 05, 2019

by Frank Morris

The end of a Depression-era alcohol has brewers happy to see the stuff go. "It was just a pain in the posterior, you know, for everyone," says one brewer.

A judge has dismissed all remaining criminal charges over the death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who was killed while riding the 17-story Verruckt waterslide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. The process of tearing down the slide began l

National

Judge Dismisses Murder Charges Over Boy's Death On Kansas Waterslide

2:21pm February 25, 2019

by Bill Chappell

Caleb Schwab, 10, was decapitated in 2016, when the raft he was riding down the Verruckt waterslide went airborne and hit a metal pole. The slide was the tallest in the world when it opened in 2014.

Braxton Moral is scheduled to receive a high school diploma from Ulysses High School and a bachelor's degree from Harvard. "It's not as hard as you think; it's just an efficient use of time," he says.

16-Year-Old Set To Graduate From Kansas High School And Harvard University

7:04pm December 28, 2018

by Sasha Ingber

When he was about 11 years old, Braxton Moral started Harvard University's extension program. "I'm not any different; I just do a little thing on the side," he says.

Then-Georgia Secretary of State, and Republican nominee for governor, Brian Kemp attends an election night event in Athens, Georgia. As secretary of state, Kemp was charged with overseeing the election logistics for the election he was running in.

Politics & Government

Partisan Election Officials Are 'Inherently Unfair' But Probably Here To Stay

5:00am November 29, 2018

by Miles Parks

It would take a massive overhaul of state laws to make election administration truly nonpartisan. Voters say they want it, and experts are calling for it, but it probably isn't coming any time soon.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, and his wife Heather Kobach, speak to supporters after last week's Kansas Republican gubernatorial primary.

Politics & Government

Trump Ally Kris Kobach Wins Primary For Kansas Governor, As GOP Incumbent Concedes

9:12pm August 14, 2018

by Jessica Taylor

Kobach led incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer by 345 votes, with provisional ballots still being counted. Democrats hope his controversial positions on immigration and voter fraud will give them an opening.

Music & Culture

Tell 'Em Where You're From: The Regional Anthems That Move Us

10:10am July 26, 2018

Some sprout from the cities and states they rep for; others are outsiders, held up in pride by a sister community. NPR's American Anthem series continues with a list of place-based bangers.

A federal judge says that Kansas' strict voter registration law is unconstitutional — and she also criticized Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who represented his office in defending the law.

Judge Tosses Kansas' Proof-Of-Citizenship Voter Law And Rebukes Sec. Of State Kobach

1:21pm June 19, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Kansas had one of the strictest voter registration laws in the U.S. But a federal judge says it's unconstitutional — and she is requiring Kris Kobach to take legal classes to brush up on the rules.

Police officers in Lawrence, Kan. watch thunderstorms move past the city in 2008.

National

Basketball, Marijuana And Poetry: These Police Tweet More Than Crime Alerts

10:56am April 19, 2018

The Lawrence, Kan., police department's account has over 100,000 Twitter followers. It's well-known for tweets that use humor to reach its community.

Queue Listen Now

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach speaks in Topeka, Kan., before a trial challenging his state's proof-of-citizenship voter registration law.

Politics & Government

Federal Judge Holds Kansas Elections Official In Contempt Of Court

10:57pm April 18, 2018

by Richard Gonzales

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach was found to have violated a court injunction against providing new voters with confusing and misleading information about their registration.