By Sherman Smith | editor-in-chief
Good morning! More than 150,000 Kansans have already cast a ballot for the November election, the Secretary of State’s Office reported Friday.
If you’re not among them, you can find a sample ballot here.
Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector
U.S. labor secretary praises Kansas manufacturing industry in visit to Topeka business
TOPEKA — U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling lauded U.S. job growth and Kansas’ manufacturing industry during a series of visits Friday, assuaging criticisms against the Trump administration for burdensome tariffs.
He appeared Friday afternoon alongside U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt at Haas Metal Engineering in Topeka. It was the secretary’s last stop on a three-part tour along the Interstate 70 corridor, visiting Kansas City Kansas Community College in Olathe and the University of Kansas Research Innovation Park in Lawrence. He hosted discussions on each of the stops to talk about how to connect students to the workforce.
Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector
Former Kansas employee sues Republican legislators who wanted her fired over Charlie Kirk post
TOPEKA — A former state employee sued Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson and two other Republican legislators for demanding she be fired over a comment she posted to Facebook when Charlie Kirk was killed in September 2025.
Katie Allen, who was a research analyst at the Kansas State Department of Education, was fired five days later, after Masterson, Sen. Brad Starnes and Rep. Megan Steele directed the public to contact then-education commissioner Randy Watson and demand she lose her job. Her lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court, accuses them of violating her First Amendment right to free speech.
Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector
Haskell Indian Nations University and EPA expand collaboration to support student careers
LAWRENCE — For Haskell Indian Nations University students, a renewed partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to open the door to internships, research opportunities and future careers serving tribal communities.
The university is expanding its relationship with the EPA after the two organizations signed a five-year memorandum of understanding in September, continuing a partnership that has been in place since 1999.
KANSAS REFLECTOR PODCAST
Long shot candidate connects with disaffected voters
Democratic U.S. House candidate Lauren Reinhold speaks with Kansas Reflector editor Sherman Smith about her campaign, affordability, immigration enforcement and her fondness for green bean soup.
Follow Kansas Reflector wherever you get your podcasts. Browse all episodes.
Offering cash for votes is quite common throughout history — but here’s why it doesn’t work
OPINION
By Kenneth Greene
I’m a political scientist who has studied for the past decade vote buying in countries around the world. Cash for votes may seem like a straightforward way to win support, but my research shows that offering people money rarely changes their vote.
‘We don’t want it’: Voter backlash against data centers consumes midterm elections
Both Democratic and Republican candidates during the heated midterm election cycle have had to navigate deep voter resentment of data centers that will power artificial intelligence.
The percentage of people without health insurance is growing
The percentage of working-age adults without health insurance has increased in the past two years, largely because many people can no longer afford Obamacare coverage after Congress allowed federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kansas Reflector staff will participate in the following free public forums.
3 p.m. Oct. 25, Cox Communications Heritage Education Center in Topeka. Clay Wirestone speaks about his book. Host: Shawnee County Historical Society.
1o a.m. Nov. 14, Constitution Hall in Topeka. Clay Wirestone speaks with veteran journalist Jim McLean. Host: Kansas Oral History Project.
2 p.m. Nov. 15, Volland Foundation Alma. Clay Wirestone in conversation with editor Sherman Smith. Host: Volland, A Place for Art and Community.
6 p.m. Nov. 21, Flagship Books, Kansas City, Kansas. Clay Wirestone speaks and answers questions about his book.
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].
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