Kansas
Kansas City considers banning flavored nicotine, tobacco products
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, could ban businesses selling all flavored nicotine and tobacco products. That includes vapes and menthol cigarettes, but not marijuana.
Opponents say the ban will hurt economic revenue and businesses.
Supporters say something needs to be done to address the high chronic illness rates in low income neighborhoods.
“It puts business owners at a hard spot,” Windstar gas station owner Shaheer Qayyum said.
Brian Luton
Flavored nicotine and tobacco products make up about 30% of overall sales at Windstar, according to store management.
Qayyum explained he’s worried customers will just go to the next town over if flavored tobacco can’t be sold in Kansas City limits.
“We’re not just losing our cigarette sales, customers will come and buy $10 on pump three of gas, a candy bar, a bottle of soda, and all of those things have sales tax on them,” Qayyum said. “It’s a really big difference for us.”
The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council cites disparities of chronic health issues in low income and minority communities as the main driver behind a potential ban.
KSHB 41 News
“Health equity is so critically important when we are making policy decisions,” KCMO Councilman Eric Bunch said at Tuesday’s subcommittee meeting.
The Concerned Clergy Coalition in Kansas City has a task force working to address the health issues and concerns in neighborhoods.
President Stephanie Moss, who also works as a nurse practitioner, sees the high rates of ongoing illnesses from nicotine use.
“It’s one particular reason we’re advocating for this change,” Moss said.
Brian Luton
Moss explained flavors make the products more addictive and more dangerous.
“The retailers are centered around in those places or spaces where they are predominantly African-American,” Moss said. “[Vaping and tobacco use] really decreases the quality of life for everybody.”
The KCMO City Council originally heard the proposal on the flavored ban two weeks ago, but it was sent back to subcommittee for a re-read.
After a presentation on the health impacts and the city’s potential tax revenue loss, the committee recommended the ban ordinance move forward.
The city’s finance committee estimates a sales & stamp tax loss between $1 and $6 million.
Kansas City’s Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw explained the city could make up for that loss in other ways.
KSHB 41 News
“The $50 million that we spend annual on health levy dollars, we may be able to utilize those funds, because we are expecting health outcomes to improve,” Parks-Shaw said.
Parks-Shaw also told KSHB 41 News data from other cities with similar bans shows customers will still shop at stores that no longer carry the flavored products.
The KCMO City Council will be hearing the proposed ordinance and discussing it at Thursday afternoon’s meeting.
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KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
Kansas
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Kansas
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Kansas
Predicting Which Kansas Basketball Players Will Stay or Transfer
With the offseason quickly ramping up, several Kansas basketball players will have a pivotal decision to make in the coming weeks. Those with remaining collegiate eligibility will have to determine whether they are returning to Lawrence or exploring other opportunities on the open market.
The Jayhawks are no strangers to losing talent to the transfer portal, as five players departed to other schools last year (six if you include Flory Bidunga’s brief stint in the portal).
Although KU has the ability to retool its roster with transfers across the country, there are some guys whom the program would certainly like to retain. But which players will end up leaving the university for more favorable options, and how many will there be?
Flory Bidunga: Declare for NBA Draft
Bidunga took the biggest leap of any player on the roster this offseason, seeing his scoring average nearly triple in addition to winning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He is one of the most dominant rim protectors in the country and proved that by averaging 2.6 blocks per game.
After spending two years in Lawrence, Bidunga now has another critical decision to make after he nearly left last offseason. There have even been rumors of him transferring to another school, even with the NBA Draft on the radar.
Most mock drafts place him in the early-to-mid second round range, leaving some potential for his stock to rise if he returned to college. However, as an undersized center who likely won’t develop a perimeter game anytime soon, it’s difficult to see where he could improve his draft position.
Going to the NBA feels like the smartest and most logical decision for Bidunga. He would complete his lifelong dream of playing in the pros and could develop at his own pace with a team willing to invest in him.
Bryson Tiller: Stay at Kansas
A redshirt freshman who joined the team late last season, Tiller defied the odds and earned a spot in the starting rotation despite recovering from foot surgery. He was one of Bill Self’s most trusted options and formed a double-big pairing with Bidunga.
His final month or so of the season was quite abysmal, as he saw his averages plummet and his production take a massive hit. However, it is far too early to give up on the Overtime Elite product just yet.
Tiller has a smooth post game and a lot of good attributes to his skill set. Bringing him back should be one of the biggest priorities for the coaching staff this offseason, and if he’s promised a starting spot at power forward next year, it is reasonable to assume he returns.
Elmarko Jackson: Transfer from Kansas
Jackson has endured a rough ride in Lawrence since committing to the Jayhawks as a McDonald’s All-American three years ago. Following an underwhelming freshman season, he missed the entire 2024-25 campaign due to a torn patellar tendon before returning this season, where he didn’t fare much better than two years ago.
Coming out of high school, Jackson was viewed as a player with immense potential. But after three years at the school with virtually no improvement, it might be best for him to spend his final two years of eligibility elsewhere.
Unfortunately, allowing the game-winning basket to St. John’s that ultimately ended the season embodied what his tenure at KU has been like. That might be the last memory fans have of Jackson in the crimson and blue.
Kohl Rosario: Transfer from Kansas
Rosario had high expectations going into the year, starting as a member of the starting five before eventually being phased out of the rotation. The Miami native was touted as a strong 3-point shooter coming into college, but massively struggled from beyond the arc for most of the year, leading to a difficult path to playing time.
Even when Rosario wasn’t hitting his shots, though, he contributed with his athleticism and on the glass as a hustle player. Rosario is absolutely someone the coaching staff should prioritize this offseason. However, it may be best for him to leave the program to look for other opportunities.
He showed flashes throughout the year yet was never trusted heavily by Coach Self. He proved he belonged in the rotation in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments, where he made an immediate impact when he entered and outplayed other bench options.
Ultimately, Rosario will already be competing with freshman wings Trent Perry and Luke Barnett for playing time next year. If the coaches are not going to give him minutes, there is little reason to believe he will stay another year at KU as such a high-potential player.
Paul Mbiya: Stay at Kansas
After riding the pine for the majority of the regular season, Mbiya showed real promise in the NCAA Tournament, scoring a season-high eight points in the Round of 64 and playing strong minutes in place of Bidunga against St. John’s in the first half as he battled foul trouble.
With his otherworldly wingspan and frame, Mbiya feels like someone who could blossom into a star long-term. Even with his raw offensive game, he has traits that should allow him to improve once he refines his skill set.
Mbiya could technically transfer this offseason without it being a massive surprise, but that stretch at the end of the year may have been enough to earn Coach Self’s trust. At the very least, he could be playing double-digit minutes per game next year as the backup five.
Jamari McDowell: Stay at Kansas
McDowell committed to Kansas as a member of the Class of 2023, making him and Jackson the longest-tenured players on the roster. He has been a steady bench piece who plays sparingly but offers defensive intensity and outside shooting when he enters the game.
Unlike Jackson, McDowell didn’t have the same level of hype coming out of high school and was never viewed as much more than a role player. He is best suited to play short spurts off the bench to provide an offensive spark when needed.
Given his clear love for Kansas, his situation is far different from Jackson’s. McDowell feels like someone who is content with limited minutes and simply wearing a Jayhawk uniform with pride.
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