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Kansas court upholds AG Kobach’s argument in transgender driver’s license case • Kansas Reflector

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Kansas court upholds AG Kobach’s argument in transgender driver’s license case • Kansas Reflector


TOPEKA — A district court has sided with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach on a temporary block to keep Kansas residents from changing the gender listed on their drivers’ licenses.

Civil rights advocates warn the move will lead to “forced outing” of the state’s transgender residents.

On Monday, Shawnee County District Judge Teresa Watson issued a temporary injunction on gender marker changes for driver’s licenses. The move follows January court hearings on the implementation of a wide-ranging anti-trans law that passed last year.

“This decision is a victory for the rule of law and common sense,” Kobach said. “The Legislature wisely stated that state agencies should record biological sex at birth, and today the court held that the meaning of the law is clear.”

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He first filed the lawsuit against the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles in July, seeking to ban transgender people from changing gender markers on their driver’s licenses.

Kobach pointed to a provision in Senate Bill 180, which took effect in July, to make his case that driver’s licenses need to show sex assigned at birth. Under the law, genders are defined by reproductive organs, and state agencies that collect vital statistics are directed to identify individuals “as either male or female at birth.”

At the time, the district court issued a temporary restraining order blocking Kelly’s administration from making gender marker changes on identity cards and driver’s licenses. The court granted the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas permission to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of five transgender Kansans who would be harmed by the gender marker ban.

During the two days of hearings in January, Kobach argued for the injunction against representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Kansas Department of Revenue. Intervenors testified about their own experiences with transphobia, including forced outings when they had to show people their driver’s license.

Watson in her ruling said the transgender intervenors did not adequately show the damaging consequences of having mismatched gender markers.

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“None testified to any actual threat to their personal safety; rather, some talked in general terms about hearing of harm that had come to unnamed others in unnamed places in unspecified situations,” Watson wrote. “The threat of injury to the State of Kansas outweighs any harm the temporary injunction may cause.”

D.C. Hiegert, LGBTQ+ legal fellow with the ACLU of Kansas, said the ACLU was disappointed in the ruling but would continue to examine other legal options.

“We will continue working toward a vision of our state that allows all of us to live in peace, free from government persecution and impositions on our core identities,” Hiegert said. “We remain unconvinced that the imaginary injury to the state could ever outweigh the enormous harm our clients and other transgender Kansans have and will continue to experience by being forced to carry inaccurate identification documents, in violation of their rights under the state constitution.”

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KC police shooting follows NE Kansas City domestic assault call

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KC police shooting follows NE Kansas City domestic assault call


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A domestic assault call in Northeast Kansas City turned into a police shooting.

Kansas City officers responded to 41st and North Wheeling Avenue just north of the river just before 9 p.m. on March 23.

When a man inside the home grabbed a knife, an officer opened fire.

The suspect was not hit and is now in custody. The woman is being treated for injuries.

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Missouri State Highway Patrol is handling the investigation, which is standard procedure when a KC officer fires their weapon while in the line of duty.

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.



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Kansas City Chiefs OL Trey Smith recalls his 2021 NFL Draft experience

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Kansas City Chiefs OL Trey Smith recalls his 2021 NFL Draft experience


Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith has emerged as one of the best guards in the league with his consistent and intimidating play.

The two-time Pro Bowler appeared on former Chiefs center Mitch Morse’s live podcast, In Good Company with Mitch Morse, last Thursday. He responded to a special guest question from Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. regarding his 2021 NFL Draft night memory. 

“What I remember about my draft night was terrible, to be honest. You know, night one, I knew I wasn’t going. Day two, I thought I was gonna get picked, but I didn’t, and I remember being a little emotional with my dad, just upset,” said Smith, “Just like, Dang man. You know it’s gonna happen. You came back to college for another year, but you had blood clots. Still, you’re not getting drafted where you thought you would. On that third day, you’re legit. It was just like, Okay, I’m being drafted, but I have one opportunity, and I don’t care. It could be anywhere. It’d be the worst team in the league, as long as I get one opportunity to prove myself, and when I’m working, that’s all I want. That’s all I needed.”

Smith was selected in the 6th round, 226th overall, due to concerns about his health history. The Chiefs looked past that as he described the emotional phone call moment.

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“I remember getting that phone call from Kansas City. Was one of the doctors just like, “Hey, Trey, I told you I’ll call. I remember telling, blunt, straight up. Like, yeah, what’s up? He chuckles. He’s just like, well, we’re gonna make you the newest member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Here’s our owner, Clark Hunt, Mr. Hunt, popped on the phone. I snapped out of the funk, right? Oh, it’s real. Is this happening? Like, oh, it’s happening,” said Smith. “So I remember just being so excited, like, no one was in my house except for my sister, so I’m celebrating with her in the living room. I call my dad. He’s like, Man, I’m so proud of you. It’s unbelievable, Kansas City, man. He’s like, “Hey, I’ll be home in 10 minutes. I got chicken tenders on. I’m bringing home lunch. So it was like a calamity, but it was amazing. At the same time, I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”

Smith continues to be an impactful part of the team’s success, becoming a two-time Super Bowl champion and ranking among the NFL’s elite interior offensive linemen.



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St. John’s beats Kansas at buzzer in March Madness thriller to reach first Sweet 16 since 1999

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St. John’s beats Kansas at buzzer in March Madness thriller to reach first Sweet 16 since 1999


SAN DIEGO — Church Bells arrived at the perfect time.

Dylan Darling, the Idaho State transfer in the midst of a massive shooting slump, sent St. John’s to the Sweet 16 with a buzzer-beating, right-handed layup at the horn after the Johnnies had blown a 14-point lead.

Darling strutted after it dropped and was immediately mobbed by his teammates after clinching this dramatic 67-65, second-round victory over Kansas at Viejas Arena.

Darryn Peterson had pulled the Jayhawks even with 14.1 seconds left, and they were able to use four fouls to stall St. John’s because it was under the limit.

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With 3.8 seconds left, St. John’s inbounded the ball to Darling, and he drove in for the game-winning basket. They were his only points of the game.

Dylan Darling drives to the basket for the game-winning shot during the St. John’s win over Kansas on March 21. Getty Images

In mid-February, after Darling hit a game-winning 3-pointer at Xavier, Pitino joked that he had “balls the size of church bells.”

Boy, was he right.

St. John’s will meet Duke in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Washington, D.C., its first trip to that round since 1999.

Dylan Darling celebrates after hitting the game-winning basket March 22. Charles Wenzelberg

Zuby Ejiofor led St. John’s with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Bryce Hopkins also had 18 points.

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Ian Jackson had 10 off the bench.

Peterson scored 21 for Kansas.

The Red Storm have won 21 of their past 22 games.

For the first time in five games, St. John’s didn’t start on a big run.

Dylan Darling celebrates after hitting the game-winning shot March 22. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Red Storm reeled off an 11-0 run to take an early eight-point advantage.

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They made three of their first four 3-point attempts, but then went ice-cold.

Dylan Darling is pictured during the St. John’s game March 21. Getty Images

St. John’s went 5:45 without a point, and Kansas tied the game on the strength of a 9-0 burst.

Hopkins ended the drought with a 3-pointer that hit off the back rim and fell through.

Joson Sanon and Ruben Prey added 3s to help the Red Storm take an eight-point lead into halftime.


CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN’S STATS

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Against bigger Kansas, St. John’s let it fly from deep, making 7 of 23 in the opening half.

They average 21 per game this season.

A major factor in the opening half was Bidunga being limited to 12 minutes due to two early fouls.

Zuby Ejiofor dunks the ball during the St. John’s game against Kansas on March 22. Charles Wenzelberg

Defense carried the Johnnies over the first 20 minutes.

They held Kansas to 34.5 percent shooting and forced nine turnovers, which led to 12 points.

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Peterson hit his first two 3-point attempts but scored only nine points in the first half on 2-for-6 shooting.

St. John’s methodically pushed the lead to 10 by the under-12 timeout as it continued to handcuff Kansas.

The Jayhawks had as many turnovers (four) as made field goals over the first 8:21 of the second half.

When Mitchell scored on back-to-back possessions, St. John’s lead had ballooned to 14.

Only 8:51 remained between the Johnnies and a Sweet 16 berth.

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They didn’t know at the time how dramatic those final minutes would be.



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