By Clay Wirestone | opinion editor
Good morning! Vice President J.D. Vance visited the Kansas City area on Monday, and our staff was out in force to cover the spectacle. Senior reporter Morgan Chilson, reporter Anna Kaminski and editor in chief Sherman Smith all contributed. But we have even more stories and columns than that. Keep reading!
Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector
Vance warns fraudsters not to ‘screw the American taxpayer’ as operation uncovers $245M in losses
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The federal government is going after thousands of people suspected of stealing millions of dollars from taxpayers through their participation in a COVID-19 pandemic program meant to protect small businesses and workers, Vice President JD Vance said Monday.
The government is permanently suspending 870,000 people from receiving federal government loans after defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program and other federal programs, Vance said in a news conference at the FBI’s Kansas City, Missouri, field office.
“We’re going to make it impossible for them to get loans from the federal government,” Vance told a small gathering of law enforcement and local officials on the first leg of two stops, one in Missouri and another in Kansas.
The Paycheck Protection Program was set up to give loans to small businesses so they could rehire employees and keep their doors open during the pandemic.
Kansas Reflector
Vance rallies support for Kansas Republicans in pointed speech interrupted by protester
OLATHE — Vice President JD Vance on Monday vouched for Kansas Republicans running for the U.S. Senate and the governor’s office, bucking Democrats who want to regain control of Congress in November.
Federal and state Republicans signaled they need more Kansans on their side, encouraging the hundreds of attendees of a rally at Webco Manufacturing in Olathe “to find 10 friends” and convince them to vote Republican, or as Kansas’ GOP Party chair Danedri Herbert said it: “We need every single one of you.”
Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector
OPINION
Deep-fried delicacies and pugnacious politicians defined Kansas State Fair this weekend
By Clay Wirestone
The Kansas State Fair has swollen Hutchinson like a blood-gorged tick with deep-fried food, fruity drinks and — last weekend — the bloviating of politicians.
Welcome to your state fair in an election year.
This Sept. 12 I sampled both an array of twisted fair foods and the onstage antics of candidates for U.S. Senate and governor. As the day wound down, I realized that my array of refreshments perfectly encapsulated the men and women who debated in Reno County.
Kansas Republican Ty Masterson concentrates gubernatorial campaign on generational change
TOPEKA — A little-known fact about Kansas Republican gubernatorial nominee Ty Masterson is that he could be a real contender in a dairy cow milking contest.
US Supreme Court blocks Trump rule limiting mail voting, sides with Dem states
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday kept in place a lower court’s order blocking President Donald Trump’s embattled plan to place new restrictions on mail ballots for this year’s midterm elections.
U.S. Senate Dems disclose Trump administration operation dug through state voter rolls
WASHINGTON — Department of Homeland Security officers may have broken state laws carrying out the Trump administration’s orders to find noncitizens voting illegally in federal elections, Democratic senators alleged Monday following a whistleblower complaint.
Trump EPA to strip greenhouse gas limits for power plants, a key Biden climate policy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will revoke limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that run on coal and natural gas, according to regulatory documents Administrator Lee Zeldin signed Monday.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kansas Reflector staff will participate in the following free public forums.
3 p.m. Sept. 26, Washburn Library in Topeka. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone will participate in the panel “Why UPK: University Press of Kansas Celebrates 80 Years.” Host: Kansas Book Festival.
2 p.m. Sept. 27, Red Rocks Visitor Center in Emporia. Host: Red Rocks.
7 p.m. Sept. 29, Raven Book Store in Lawrence. Book release event for opinion editor Clay Wirestone’s “Opinionated.” Editor-in-chief Sherman Smith will moderate.
6 p.m. Oct. 12, Riverbank Brewing in Council Grove. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone talks about his book and the latest news. Host: Flint Hills Books.
5:30 p.m. Oct. 19, Frank Carlson Library in Concordia. Host: NCK Voters.
6 p.m. Dec. 3, Prairie Star Restaurant in Manhattan. Host: League of Women Voters of Manhattan and Riley County.
If you're interested in having us talk in your town, email Sherman Smith at [email protected].
Thanks for reading Read & Reflect. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.