The Kansas third District race between Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids and Republican Amanda Adkins is a rematch from 2020.
The newly drawn district, with the addition of rural counties and the subtraction of half of city Wyandotte County, leans extra Republican than it did earlier than. However Davids has a potent benefit that she didn’t have final time.
The Supreme Court docket’s Dobbs choice overturning Roe v. Wade has reshaped the political panorama, and nowhere extra so than in Kansas. Davids is working exhausting on abortion rights, a difficulty that Kansas Republicans have used to pummel Kansas Democrats for many years.
Davids volunteer Nancy Pence says that ending federal safety for abortion rights has shattered political norms.
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“We’re on uncharted floor now,” Pence mentioned not too long ago, stepping away from coaching new volunteers. “And I feel that astute politicians take a look at this and say, ‘That is one thing I ought to take note of.’”
It could be exhausting to overstate the impression of the political upheaval in Kansas. The landslide vote on Aug. 2 defeating a proposed constitutional modification that might have ended safety for abortion rights within the state was a serious upset, bringing out a file variety of voters to the polls.
A subsequent compelled recount funded by supporters of the modification solely confirmed the breadth of the victory for abortion rights advocates like Davids.
“When 50 years of precedent defending our rights was overturned and eliminated, individuals bought scared, they bought anxious, lives have been upended and folks bought offended,” Davids mentioned.
Davids has tried to harness that anger. Her marketing campaign has held a information convention and produced advertisements reminding voters that Adkins was on the shedding facet of the abortion modification vote.
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Davids famous that Adkins was marketing campaign supervisor for former governor and U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, a staunch opponent of abortion rights, and that Adkins has mentioned she believes life begins at conception.
Adkins’ marketing campaign didn’t reply to requests for remark. However she has mentioned that Davids is in lockstep with President Joe Biden and helps Biden initiatives that Adkins says have pushed inflation.
Adkins hasn’t retreated from her opposition to abortion rights, however she is not making that clear-cut distinction between her and Davids a difficulty. The Republican and the Democrat have reversed their normal roles in Kansas politics, with the Democrat now on the offensive in opposition to a Republican on abortion rights.
“It’s at all times a difficulty for the fitting,” mentioned Kansas political advisor Stephanie Sharp. “All the time, at all times, at all times.”
Sharp, a reasonable Republican who served three phrases within the Kansas Home , mentioned the abortion poll situation unearthed a basic disconnect between voters and their representatives, displaying that the Kansas voters holds way more nuanced views on the problem than the Republican politicians it has elected to run the state.
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And Sharp mentioned that the massive major turnout uncovered a possible voting bloc for a candidate like Davids, who’s attempting to activate typically torpid middle-of-the-road voters.
“There’s a phase of the inhabitants that by no means ever votes in primaries,” Sharp mentioned. “So you’re taking the Democrats and unaffiliateds who voted on this major, after which the Republicans who voted on this major, who by no means voted in a major earlier than, these are your moderates. And that’s your margin of victory, simply.”
The identical sort of political calculus is going on across the nation, with susceptible Democrats from Iowa to Michigan and Pennsylvania to Virginia leaning into abortion rights. Polls present most Individuals disagree with the Supreme Court docket’s Dobbs choice and that abortion rights might be an element once they vote in November.
Pence, the Davids volunteer, mentioned she was involved that the shock of states like Missouri banning abortion after the autumn of Roe would fade earlier than the midterms.
However to this point, there’s no indication that’s taking place.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – On Wednesday, a Kansas City jury sided with a former communications director over being forced out by city manager Brian Platt. A day later, Platt has been suspended.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced on Thursday evening that he had suspended Platt with pay, effective immediately.
FILE — Kansas City Manager Brian Platt.(Free to use)
A dayslong trial ended with the jury taking the side of former Kansas City Communications Director Chris Hernandez and awarded him $700,000.
A lawsuit centered on whether City Manager Brian Platt told staff to lie to the media – and to the public – in 2022. Hernandez said he was demoted when he pushed back.
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In March 2024, Platt signed a nearly 4.5-year contract extension after he dropped out of the race for Austin, Texas, City Manager.
Lucas relayed that he was temporarily appointing Deputy City Manager Kimiko Gilmore as interim city manager.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
The parents of two of three deceased Kansas City Chiefs fans, whose bodies were found frozen in a friend’s backyard, expressed mixed feelings following the arrests of two men charged with manslaughter on Wednesday.
Ricky Johnson Jr., 38, David Harrington, 37, and Clayton McGeeney, 36, were found dead in their pal Jordan Willis’ backyard on Jan. 9, 2024.
Harrington’s mom, Theresa, claimed she’s been kept out of the loop in the 14 months since the trio’s bodies were discovered.
David Harrington with his father, Jon Harrington. Facebook / Theresa Harrington
“They wouldn’t tell me anything,” she told the Daily Mail.
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She said Kansas police officials continuously stated they weren’t investigating the deaths as homicides.
“[The statements] made it easy to think they had already made up their mind and there wouldn’t be any further investigation,” Harrington added, saying she pushed away any hope for criminal charges.
On Wednesday, Platte County prosecutors charged Willis and another man, Ivory Carson, each with three counts of manslaughter and two counts of delivering a controlled substance.
Johnson’s father, Rick, has since vowed to attend each hearing involving Willis and Carson.
“I am happy with the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department for filling charges,” he told Fox 4 Kansas City. “It’s been a long time. And I’ll be at every court date.”
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David Harrington, Claytoon McGeeney and Ricky Johnson were found dead at Jordan Willis’ home on Jan. 9, 2024. Ricky Johnson / FacebookDavid Harrington’s parents, Theresa and Jon. Facebook / Theresa Harrington
The trio’s bodies were found on Willis’ property by McGenney’s fiancée two days after they gathered to watch the Chiefs’ final regular season game.
They died from a deadly cocktail of fentanyl and cocaine, Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd revealed during a press conference streamed on KMBC.
Willis, an HIV researcher, claims he went to bed in the early hours of Jan. 8 and didn’t know the three men were outside.
He also claimed he didn’t hear the relatives of the men knocking on his door before their bodies were discovered because he was wearing headphones.
Police recovered two bags of drugs, one containing cocaine, the other fentanyl.
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DNA samples from the bag of cocaine were mostly from Willis, while Carson’s DNA was found all over the bag of fentanyl, Zahnd said Wednesday.
Police say they found texts on Willis’ phone alleging Carson supplied David Harrington with cocaine. Carson later admitted selling cocaine to the trio.
“Jordan maintains that he is not responsible for purchasing or supplying the drugs that led to the deaths of his three friends,” Willis’ attorney John Picerno told the Kansas City Star after the arrest. “We are very much looking forward to the day a jury gets to hear all of the evidence in this case.”
Jordan Willis was charged with involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance. Platte County Sheriff’s OfficeIvory Carson and Willis were booked into Platte County Jail Wednesday and held on $100,000 bonds. Platte County Sheriff’s Office
The arrests did little to clear any speculation surrounding the deaths.
“[I] still don’t know anything about how my son died or his last moments,” Harrington said.
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The grieving mother isn’t convinced any outcome in the mystery will come soon, claiming the trial won’t start for more than a year.
Police say they found texts on Willis’ phone alleging Carson supplied David Harrington with cocaine. Family Handout
Theresa Harrington had acknowledged her son’s drug use but believed he didn’t do it to harm himself.
“He didn’t take that to die,” she told NewsNations’ Chris Cuomo in February 2024. “If he took the drugs on his own, he took them to get high. It just means that there’s more to the story, there’s more to it than just that.”
Harrington assured her son wasn’t a drug addict and pointed blame at “peer pressure.”
Police recovered two bags of drugs from Willis’ house, one containing cocaine, the other fentanyl. LP Media
Willis and Carson are being held at the Platte County Jail on $100,000 bonds each.
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No court hearings were scheduled for the two men following their arrest Wednesday afternoon.
CINCINNATI (AP) — David N’Guessan had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Dug McDaniel added 13 points, and Kansas State defeated Cincinnati 54-49 on Wednesday night.
N’Guessan scored eight points and McDaniel scored six in a key stretch of the second half in which K-State (15-15, 9-10 Big 12) outscored Cincinnati 14-8 to build a seven-point lead. The run culminated in a layup and a jumper by N’Guessan and a jumper from McDaniel to give the Wildcats a 52-45 lead with four minutes remaining.
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The Wildcats cooled off and their next four possessions resulted in a turnover and three missed shots while two baskets by Jizzle James got Cincinnati within 52-49.
Kansas State finally scored again when Brendan Hausen made two free throws for a 54-49 lead with 22 seconds left. Cincinnati missed a 3-pointer, N’Guessan missed the front end of the bonus, and Cincinnati missed another 3-pointer as time ran out.
Cincinnati led by seven with 14 1/2 minutes left in the second half before Kansas State’s 8-0 run gave the Wildcats a 36-35 lead with 12 minutes remaining, their first lead since 4-2.
Day Day Thomas had 12 points and James 10 for Cincinnati (17-13, 7-12).
Kansas State has won back-to-back games for the first time since Feb. 8 and 11.
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With one game left in the regular season, Kansas State is tied with West Virginia and TCU for eighth place. Cincinnati and UCF are tied for 12th.
Kansas State hosts No. 10 Iowa State on Saturday. Cincinnati visits Oklahoma State, also on Saturday.
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