From the KNS: Detainees in a Cottonwood Falls jail describe sleeping on the floor in overcapacity cells. Amid a national deportation surge, this jail is one of the region’s primary immigration detention centers.

From the KNS: Kansas farmers are hurting after China’s retaliatory tariffs on the United States closed a major market for the state’s biggest crop. Despite a productive year, farmers across Kansas may not break even.

From the Up From Dust podcast: In dry years, Tuttle Creek Lake and other reservoirs keep the Kansas River flowing strong enough to provide drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. But these manmade lakes are disappearing.

From Harvest Public Media: A plan to disperse Washington-based USDA jobs to five hubs, including Kansas City and Indianapolis, is making waves across agriculture. Critics say the shakeup could hobble the agency, while proponents say it will move staff closer to farmers and save money.

Last month, Kansas City, Kansas, planning commissioners delayed their vote on a permit for 30 days and told the company that it must do more to meet with the public. Members of the community are concerned about the Reworld waste processing plant.

The radio rivalry is officially ON! 💪🏈📻 We're teaming up with our new friends @kbianews.bsky.social for the KU-MU rivalry football game this weekend to see which station can Go! Fight! Fund! the most for their station. Each gift is worth a point; new donors double! Give at kansaspublicradio.org.

Between 1999 and 2019, the increase in Indigenous pregnant women dying in Kansas was among the worst in the country. Kansas women are training more doulas to help expecting Native moms through pregnancy and birth.

From the Up From Dust podcast: Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap.

Kansas is an important “breadbasket” state because of its massive wheat production, but in recent years that’s been changing. With poor profits and drier climates, wheat has been harder to manage. New innovations could rejuvenate the economy and production of the wheat state.

From the KNS: Private prison company CoreCivic is temporarily barred from holding detainees at its dormant Leavenworth facility. Yet preparations to reopen are going full steam ahead.

From Harvest Public Media: Summer afternoon temperatures have cooled off in the middle of the country in recent decades. But hotter nights and winters are still driving more overall warmth in the region.

State lawmakers must soon decide whether to cover the extra costs to provide food assistance. If they don’t, food banks and pantries alone can’t make up the difference.

Health care leaders worry rural hospitals could be hit hard by Medicaid spending reductions in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." In the Midwest and Great Plains, Oklahoma and Kansas could face the highest risk of hospital closures and service reductions.

Western Kansas is the place for a quiet, rural lifestyle. But with that comes shortages when you need to see a doctor. Many will drive an hour or more to receive quality health care. But some of the problems may not be easily fixed.

Lead exposure is a common issue in southeast Kansas and nearby parts of Missouri and Oklahoma. Health experts say there are few accessible resources for high-risk communities.

A three-day ice storm in northern Michigan early this spring left 145,000 people without power, some for weeks. Three months later, clean-up efforts are focused on millions of acres of the state's forests, where broken and fallen trees could affect the forest's long-term health.

President Donald Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ shifts more Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program costs to states. Lawmakers and officials in support of the new measure say it will cut down on waste and fraud, but food advocates warn it could mean fewer people receiving the benefit.

High schools in Kansas are graduating a higher percentage of students than ever before. But some people worry that the growth of credit recovery could be lowering standards and allowing students to get a diploma without the skills they need.

Hydropower accounts for nearly 30% of utility-scale renewable energy in the U.S., but federal hurdles may prevent older hydroelectric plants from staying online and new projects from getting off the ground.

The Kansas River is cleaner today than half a century ago, but pollution and trash remain problems. Kayakers and others who love this river are helping the river's sandbars by hauling away tons of garbage. Thank you, @friendsofthekaw.bsky.social!

Destructive tornadoes have hit states such as Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana this season as activity shifts east. Meanwhile, scientists say dry and hot weather in the Great Plains brought on by climate change could be slowing the number of tornadoes there.

From Rose Conlon of the KNS: Advocates say understaffing at the Kansas agency that regulates adult care homes puts elderly and disabled residents at risk of abuse and neglect.

Federal lawmakers from Kansas have introduced legislation that would transfer control of Haskell Indian Nations University from the U.S. Department of Interior to Haskell’s Board of Regents but continue federal funding for the school.

The US government promised the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation about 1,280 acres of Illinois reservation in an 1829 treaty. Instead, the U.S sold all of it illegally to white settlers. The Prairie Band is now the latest tribe in the Midwest and Great Plains to get some of their ancestral home back.

From KPR's @danielcaudillks.bsky.social: The peaceful protest in Topeka was one of hundreds of demonstrations against President Donald Trump ahead of a military parade in Washington, D.C.

Federal lawmakers are considering cutting billions of dollars from Medicaid funding. Experts say that would lead to an increase in hospital closures and uninsured rates in Kansas.

From KPR's Matthew Algeo: The bells will be ringing in Lawrence this week. The country’s top carillon players - known as carillonneurs (carol-uh-nors) - are coming to Lawrence this week to play the carillon at the University of Kansas. The massive instrument is housed inside the KU Campanile.

The city of Leavenworth, Kansas, has netted a momentary victory in its battle to force private prison operator CoreCivic to follow the city’s interpretation of local rules. The company wants to house detainees for federal immigration authorities — without a city permit.

From the Up From Dust podcast: The first state park in Kansas or Missouri to earn recognition from Dark Sky International is fixing lights that cause unnecessary glare and skyglow. Similar work is taking place at Truman State University, too, to benefit people and wildlife.

Kansas legislators passed a law this year that bans gender-affirming treatments for young transgender people. Plaintiffs say it violates fundamental rights in the state constitution.

Jose Madrid-Leiva applied for a type of visa for crime victims and authorities said he qualified for immigration protections. His detention suggests a new frontier in immigration enforcement.

From the KNS: A U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of a private prison company that plans to use its troubled Leavenworth facility for immigration detention. The city argued CoreCivic should follow local laws first.

From the KNS: Federal lawmakers are considering big cuts to the health care program Medicaid. Some Kansans fear they’ll lose coverage or benefits.

From Harvest Public Media: AmeriCorps members were working on environmental education and habitat restoration at parks and nature centers in rural areas across the country. Now federal cuts have eliminated many of those positions.

From Calen Moore of the KNS: Western Kansas is running out of the water needed to fuel irrigated agriculture. Why is it so hard for farmers to switch to alternative crops?

The Dust Bowl led to the creation of what is now called the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Just as it celebrates a major milestone, the agency is dealing with job losses, massive proposed budget cuts and talk of consolidation. kansaspublicradio.org/2025-05-12/n...

From Rose Conlon of the KNS: Research shows intergenerational connection boosts wellbeing. The residents of Logan are putting that to the test. By bringing different age groups together under the same roof, LIFE Center administrators are hoping to foster connection and learning across generations.

From the Up From Dust podcast: Paula Diaz changed her approach to gardening about 15 years ago. She took classes to become a master gardener and learned that insects thrive on the native plants they evolved with — and sometimes need them so exclusively that they perish without them.

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors to "cease federal funding for NPR and PBS," the nation's primary public broadcasters. 🎙 Learn more about the proposed cuts and how you can support KPR at kansaspublicradio.org.

From the KNS: Triple negative breast cancer is aggressive and hard to treat. It also disproportionately affects Black women. A University of Kansas medical researcher is working to find out why and expand treatment options.

From Harvest Public Media: People are flocking to backyard chickens this year, in part due to the sky-high cost of eggs at the grocery store. Some first-timers have turned to chicken rentals to try out ownership for a few months.

The Trump administration’s promised deportations have private prison operator CoreCivic moving to use the inactive Kansas facility to house federal detainees. Some former employees and immigrant rights advocates are pushing back.

Several U.S. regional climate centers shut down Thursday — including those in the Midwest, Great Plains and South. The closure of four of the six Regional Climate Centers across the U.S. occurred after funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ran out.

The bills passed when Republicans in the state House and Senate voted to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. She described the bills as efforts to subvert the will of Kansas voters, who in 2022 overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that could have led to a statewide abortion ban.

Federal immigration enforcement moved through western Kansas and detained several people. It comes after President Donald Trump promised deportations of people in the country without legal status. Southwest Kansas has a high percentage of immigrants.

Lawmakers promised major property tax cuts this year, but they're running out of time. The Kansas House and Senate are at odds on how to do it. ❤ KPR Members make news coverage like this possible. Consider becoming one today at kansaspublicradio.org.

From the KNS's Rose Conlon: Kapaun is likely years away from canonization as a saint, but interest in his life — and traffic to Pilsen — is picking up. ❤ KPR Members make news coverage like this possible. Consider becoming one today at kansaspublicradio.org.

We're hiring! Join KPR's development team as our Membership Coordinator and help us bring public radio to our community ❤ Apply at the link in our bio!

At least 23 Kansans have tested positive for measles. Health officials urge full vaccination against the disease.

At the request of state Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Senate committee introduced a bill that would force local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE. Facing immediate pushback from law enforcement associations, it is no longer in consideration as the legislative session nears its end.