Kansas
Kansas House Democrats kick off statewide tour in Topeka on Thursday
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Kansas House Democrats are kicking off their statewide “Fight Back Tour” at 6 p.m. May 29 at Compass Point, 800 N. Kansas Ave. in Topeka, in an 11-stop tour that mostly focuses on regions Democrats have fallen out of favor electorally.
Every House Democrat will be featured in at least one stop on the tour. In Topeka, three current Topeka Democrats will be involved, as well as two former representatives, House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard and Gov. Laura Kelly.
Rep. Kirk Haskins, D-Topeka, said he’s viewing the tour as a way to hear from voters as much as it is about sharing a message with them.
“I’m going to focus a lot on learning more from the constituents on what we need to be focusing on. That’s my primary goal,” Haskins said.
As the ranking member of the House Committee on Elections, Haskins said he plans to spend some of his speaking time on updates in election law — specifically Senate Bill 4, which repealed a law allowing the acceptance of mailed ballots three days after Election Day.
He also plans to speak about school funding and workforce development.
Rep. Alexis Simmons, D-Topeka, said her message will be about “the complete and total abuse of power that takes place in the state Legislature.”
“We’re forced to vote on bills that we’ve not had a chance to review because the leadership knows that they’re unpopular, quite honestly, and they don’t want to give the public a chance to speak out against them,” Simmons said.
All politics is national
All politics is local, a longtime truism of American campaigning, no longer seems true with politicians increasingly following the lead of the national news cycle.
Grassroots Democratic opposition in the wake of the 2024 election has largely been focused on the Trump administration. The 50501 Protest movement, a loosely affiliated network of sources primarily organizing through online communities, has largely channeled frustrations about the Trump administration rather than on politicians that are closer to home.
Contentious town halls where Republicans were peppered with tough questions by attendees were usually targeted at members of the U.S. Congress and Senate.
The House Democrats in their tour will try to avoid making the tour about President Trump, but acknowledge the subject is unavoidable when discussing politics.
“We really want to talk about the stuff that people may not have heard about in the news that is going to affect them more directly than all the huge headlines that are coming down from Washington,” said Nicole Norvelle, communications director of the House Democrats.
Explaining the process and responsibilities of state, local and federal politics is half the battle, according to Haskins and Simmons. Haskins said when campaigning, he’s often asked about things like potholes, a local issue or about goings-on at the federal level.
Simmons said conversations about Trump can be brought back to the local level.
“A lot of the things taking place right now in our Legislature, we could fight back on if it were not held by a supermajority that is hyper and blindly loyal to President Trump,” Simmons said.
Campaigning outside of Democratic strongholds
Though three stops of the tour are in areas with Democratic representatives in the House, the remaining eight will be held in areas where there is no current representation in the Kansas House.
“This is our effort to go out across the state and talk to Kansans who don’t normally hear from us, so that they know that we’re gearing up for 2026 to win back seats, and that we’re not going to take what happened this last year lying down,” said Nicole Norvelle, communications director of the Kansas House Democrats.
Norvelle said House Democrats are working with county-level parties to select the right speakers for each community.
In Newton, that means selecting representatives Democrats think will resonate with Bethel College students. In Garden City and Dodge City, that means selecting representatives Democrats think will connect with Hispanic populations.
Countering Democratic unpopularity
Polling after the elections shows Democratic voters are pessimistic about their party, with a Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs poll in May showing just one-third of Democrats are optimistic about their party, down from 6 in 10 in July.
“I think the perception of Democrats has just really altered over the years, I think that’s the general consensus, is people have a new idea of what a Democrat is, which is a very elitist image,” Norvelle said.
Norvelle said House Democrats will focus on issues like health care access, affordable housing, supporting public schools and combating tax cuts for the rich to counter the narrative.
“This is a great starting point to really connect with people and say, ‘Hey, this idea you have of Democrats is not correct. A lot of the policies that were created this year by the Republicans are going to hurt you, your family, your business,’” Norvelle said.
Democrats don’t hold a seat in many of the communities they’re visiting, but it’s not unprecedented for some representation in central and west Kansas.
Hutchinson, which the tour will stop at on June 20, elected former Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, as recently as 2022. All House representatives from Leavenworth are Republican, but former Sen. Jeff Pittman, D-Leavenworth, was elected in 2020.
“I think showing that we’re not the big, bad scary libs is a good place to start,” Simmons said. “A lot of these places have historically been held by Democrats, and so the more we can define ourselves as fighters for working class Kansans, the more successful we’re going to be.”
Here are the communities House Democrats will appeal to
Following are the towns and dates at which House Democrats will appear in a statewide “Fight Back Tour.” Times for most appearances haven’t been announced yet.
- Topeka, 6 p.m. May 29.
- Wichita: June 5.
- Newton: June 6.
- Hutchinson: June 20.
- Abilene: June 21.
- Garden City: July 18.
- Dodge City: July 19.
- Pittsburg: July 24.
- Hays: Aug. 15.
- Kansas City, Kansas: Aug. 21.
- Leavenworth: Aug. 28.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansas fire department is asking people to be more careful about what they throw away.
The Mulvane Fire Department was called to a vehicle fire Wednesday afternoon. The driver of a trash truck had smelled something burning and pulled over to call 911.
When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the back of the truck. In the trash bay, a firefighter discovered a discarded laptop computer with a lithium battery that was heating up.
The department said it was able to remove the battery from the truck and flood the truck with water to cool off the trash. This is the second incident involving a lithium battery crews have responded to this month, according to Mulvane Fire.
Lithium is highly reactive, and when batteries are damaged, they can heat up uncontrollably. The reaction cascades, with the battery getting hotter and hotter until all of the lithium is consumed. In some cases, when exposed to oxygen, lithium can ignite instantly.
The fire department is urging residents to never throw computers or anything with batteries in the trash. Sedgwick County offers this free recycling guide with information on how to properly dispose of a wide variety of household goods and chemicals.
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