Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
On Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court struck down a Republican-backed abortion second-trimester ban and affirmed that the state’s constitution protects abortion access, with one justice dissenting.
In two separate decisions released on Friday, the court ruled, “The Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights protects a fundamental right to personal autonomy, which includes a pregnant person’s right to terminate a pregnancy.” The Court also ruled against several state licensing requirements for abortion providers.
The decisions blocked enforcement of a 2015 law supported by Republican legislators that banned the common second-trimester abortion procedure of dilation and evacuation. The Court found that S.B. 95, known as Unborn Protection from Dismemberment Act, violates the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights and “impairs the right to abortion.”
Newsweek reached out to the Kansas Republican Party for comment via email Friday afternoon. Newsweek reached out via text message to the Party’s chair, Mike Brown, on Friday afternoon.
Kansas, a reliably conservative state for decades, has been at the center of national abortion debates in the past few years. In August 2022, just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision which eliminated the federal right to abortion, Kansans overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that sought to remove abortion protections from the state constitution. It was the first vote in the nation of its kind since Dobbs. The majority referenced the 2022 vote in their opinion, stating, “The people spoke with their votes.”
Abortion care advocates have applauded the decisions, such as the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), which filed one of the cases on behalf of an abortion care provider. Nancy Northup, CRR’s president and chief executive officer called the ruling an “immense victory for the health, safety, and dignity of people in Kansas and the entire Midwestern region, where millions have been cut off from abortion access.”
The statement highlighted that “The number of abortions provided in Kansas increased by 57% in 2022, with over two-thirds of patients traveling from out of state,” as reported by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. This reflects a broader trend of patients from states with more restrictive abortion laws seeking medical services in Kansas.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Kansas has experienced a significant uptick in abortions, largely due to out-of-state patients, presumably from neighboring states with more restrictive abortion policies such as Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas.
The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights, released a report last month that found abortion clinics increase by 50 percent between 2020 and 2023 in Kansas.
Newsweek reached out to the Americans United for Life for comment via email on Friday.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 10, 2026, results for each game:
02-39-44-46-56, Mega Ball: 23
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 4-0-8
Evening: 0-0-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Red Balls: 01-03, White Balls: 02-08
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
14-42-46-47-57, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Two Kansas parents were charged Thursday in connection with the shooting deaths of their two children.
The Ellsworth County Attorney’s Office charged Aaron French and Makayla French of Brookville with four counts each of aggravated child endangerment.
On March 28, law enforcement responded to a home near Kansas Highway 141 and Avenue N near Kanopolis Lake.
A 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy had been shot, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The 5-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The 8-year-old was taken to a Wichita hospital, where he died almost a week later.
The KBI said a young child in the home picked up a loaded, unsecured shotgun and shot the siblings.
Aaron French, 37, and Makayla French, 28, have been ordered to appear in court on July 28.
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KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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Saturday marks the final FIFA World Cup 26 match in Kansas City with Argentina set to meet Switzerland on the pitch at Kansas City Stadium.
Kansas City to reduce bus transit frequency, extended hours after World Cup
Public transportation received a big boost during the World Cup.
Johnson County launched JOCO United, and according to leaders, the airport drop and ride service that was implemented for the tournament will stick around.
“It has been very smooth every time,” Johnson County resident Mariah Wickham said. “I’ve been up and down so many times.”
Kansas City, Missouri, also bumped up its transit options, but not all of the those will be sticking around once the final whistle blows.
Tens of thousands of people have been using the airport link, streetcar and the buses to get around Kansas City. The city poured millions of dollars into building up its public transit infrastructure. The KCATA added more frequency to bus transit lines and the streetcar, pushing more fans to use public transportation during the tournament.
Brian Luton
“With the World Cup here, I was able to exercise using the streetcar more frequently and that was really fun,” Trish Luancing said. “It wold be nice to not have to drive everywhere and not have to worry about parking.”
But thousands have been relying on public transit for years, regardless of what event was in town.
“It’s been busier since the World Cup,” Jeffrice Jackson, a bus rider, said. “It’s been smooth sailing.”
The KCATA added streetcar ‘bus bridge’ links, extended bus service hours and increased frequency on East-West routes to link riders to the streetcar. It’s benefited both travelers and commuters.
Brian Luton
“[Service] has been more consistent with the World Cup than it was previously,” Jerry Breault, a rider said. “We were missing buses or routes because there weren’t enough drivers to drive that route.”
But the add-on’s stop on Sunday, July 12. If the transit authority can’t find more money, more than a dozen routes will be cut, potentially impacting more than 8,000 riders.
“It’s a little frustrating,” Breault said. “A lot of us rely on it just to get back and forth to work, to take care of our daily needs. It looks like we may be having to find alternatives and we’re not very happy about that.”
The KCATA will potentially suspend these weekday and weekend routes by September:
Weekday Route Eliminations:
Weekend Route Eliminations:
Bus fares came back earlier this summer to offset some of the operation costs, but many have reported issues with the free fare cards and eligibility.
“There’s always funding challenges with the KCATA,” Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “How are the fare re-institutions working right now?”
Brian Luton
Mayor Lucas told KSHB 41 News Reporter Isabella Ledonne the transit improvements implemented for the World Cup “should continue,” and there are plans to talk with the KCATA commissioners to “make it work”.
“KCATA cannot just be Kansas City supported alone forever,” Mayor Lucas said. “Our approach and our preference is that the region got to see how much they would like [expanded service] during the World Cup. It was always intentional that if they liked it, maybe they would invest and maybe they would want this thing to go further.”
That’s good news to the thousands of daily riders.
Brian Luton
“I think it’s good because it helps people get around if they need to get around,” Jackson said.
The KCATA did not make themselves available for an interview.
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