Sound of 2026: 10 acts you'll be obsessed with next year
The list tips new music for the coming year, following previous winners like Adele, Haim and Chappell Roan.
CoreCivic may capitulate to Kansas city’s permit demand after latest loss in prison fight
TOPEKA — CoreCivic is looking at all options, including the possibility of applying for a special use permit from the city of Leavenworth, a company spokesman said Monday. After a federal judge handed the private prison company a loss in court last week, the company is reassessing its stance. “We maintain our legal position that […]
Floridians who harm, sexually abuse animals near children could face 5 years in prison
Criminals who persuade children to harm or sexually abuse animals could face up to five years in prison under a new bill filed with the support of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Sponsored by Democrat Sen. Kristen Arrington and Republican Rep. Linda Chaney, the identical SB 676 and HB 559 would create a third-degree felony charge for […]
‘America, uh... First!’: ICE to buy $7.2 million worth of Canadian armored personnel carriers
Exclusive: ‘There are so many things wrong with this,’ one government-affairs watchdog told The Independent
Florida Bar opens disciplinary file on a Miami Beach candidate
The Florida Bar last week opened a disciplinary file on a Miami Beach City Commission candidate accused of defaming a local filmmaker who reported on her lasting affinity for her father, the serial killer inspiration for “Dexter” executed in 2012. Monique Pardo Pope, one of two candidates in the Dec. 9 run-off election for the […]
Florida Democratic House Leader calls plan to redraw congressional map ‘illegal’
President Donald Trump’s unprecedented plan to redraw state congressional maps to preserve the GOP’s narrow majority in the House ahead of the 2026 election has hit some bumps, but Republicans appear confident they can flip several Democratic seats in Florida, where the first steps in that process will begin this week. A select House committee […]
Kansas Blue Cross, Topeka hospital system struggle to reach agreement
TOPEKA — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Topeka’s St. Francis hospital have failed to reach a contract agreement, leaving insurance customers out of network beginning Jan. 1 for one of Topeka’s major health care systems. Officials with both organizations say discussions are ongoing. The current contract ends Dec. 31. “We’re having productive […]
Kansas training program empowers families with autistic children
TOPEKA — An autism spectrum diagnosis can be confounding for some families. For years, parents and caregivers had little support or guidance to provide the best outcomes for children with autism. Often, the most they were given was a packet of information, said Linda Heitzman-Powell, a professor in pediatrics for the University of Kansas and […]
How HIV/AIDS got its name
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first used the term “AIDS” on Sept. 24, 1982, more than a year after the first cases appeared in medical records. Those early years of the crisis were marked by a great deal of confusion over what caused the disease, who it affected and how it spread. But […]
Washington lawmakers want to regulate license plate readers
Washington state lawmakers next year hope to rein in law enforcement’s use of automated license plate readers amid revelations federal immigration authorities are using the data. The readers are mounted everywhere from street poles to police patrol cars. They take pictures of vehicles and use artificial intelligence to analyze the data. Police can use the […]
A Kansas town chose cruelty. Now it mourns as the mayor faces voter fraud charge and deportation.
Coldwater residents have learned a valuable lesson: Actions have consequences. Their town’s mayor, Joe Ceballos, has been charged with felony voter fraud by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. Ceballos appears to have registered and cast ballots in multiple elections, despite not being a citizen. While you might expect townsfolk to support the prosecution, that’s not […]
'Raise hell' - the fastest bowler you might not have heard of
The story of Duncan Spencer, the "frighteningly fast" bowler who could have played for England or Australia.