News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Gun violence changes polling places
Like millions of other Americans, I exercised my right to vote today, but it took three tries – thanks partly to my own ignorance and partly to the fact that our pervasive fear of gun violence in this country has finally invaded the voting booth. My early morning trek began at a small elementary school…
Missouri ballot issue aims to help veterans
Among the issues Missouri voters will face at the polls Tuesday is a proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution that has pitted veterans advocates against education supporters. The proposed amendment, Constitutional Amendment 8, would create a veterans lottery ticket by July of next year, the proceeds of which would be deposited in the Veterans Commission…
Obamacare among issues fueling campaign to unseat House GOP moderates
The same groups that used the wedge issue of Obamacare to unseat moderate Republican senators two years ago are targeting several House members for defeat in Tuesday’s GOP primary. But this time around, their efforts are being countered by groups that have organized to reverse the recent conservative tide in Kansas politics. TheKansas Values Institute and…
JOCO audit highlights security issues, other concerns in mental health operation
The Johnson County Mental Health Center has not resolved long-standing security concerns to protect employees at its Shawnee location, according to an internal audit presented to the board of commissioners Thursday. The audit, conducted by Interim County Auditor Ken Kleffner, said that the mental health agency had rejected security recommendations made in 2007 “because management…
How will new NCAA head injury guidelines affect players?
From PBS NewsHour The National Collegiate Athletic Association agreed to settle a number of cases brought in a class-action head injury lawsuit. The proposed settlement, which must still be approved by a federal judge, would create a $70 million fund for concussion testing and diagnosis of current and former athletes. NewsHour’s Gwen Ifill talks to…