Kansas City Politricks: Election Season Slap Fighting Predictably Spikes

Right now we take a second to catch up with prog blogs, right-wing screeds and all manner of politically charged content that's are worth a peek but doesn't really qualify as news.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

TKC Blog Community Noted As Much Three Months Ago . . .

Here's why all eyes are on the Jackson County executive race on Nov. 8

Over the past seven years, Jackson County has seen three different county executives. After then-County Executive Mike Sanders resigned at the end of 2015 — and went to prison in 2018 for corruption — Fred Arbanas served for one week as interim executive until Frank White Jr. was appointed to the role in January 2016.

Show-Me Library Crackdown

Missouri Proposes New 'Protection of Minors' Rule for Libraries

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft last week announced a new proposed rule he says will protect minors in the state's libraries. But librarians and freedom to read advocates fear the unwieldy new rule is another example of the ongoing, nationwide political attack on the freedom to read being waged under the guise of parental rights.

Trans Life Lessons

Rose Hill students taught there are five genders in dual credit college course - The Sentinel

A Rose Hill high school student who has been taking concurrent (sometimes called "dual credit") courses at Butler County Community College said he was required to answer a question on how many genders exist with "five" as part of a test for his intro to Psychology course.

Real Life Scare For Elected Official

Man indicted for threatening to kill Kansas Representative Jake LaTurner, harm other members of Congress

TOPEKA ( KSNT) - Newly released court documents reveal a man's alleged plot to kill Kansas Congressman Jake LaTurner. Chase Neill has been indicted in federal court on a felony charge of threatening a federal official. The indictment alleges that in June of this year, Neill left a voicemail message saying he would kill LaTurner.

College Profs Panicked

Restructuring of classes, college degree offerings at Emporia State University in Kansas sparks panic among some professors over 'suspended' tenure

A journalism professor ominously suggests that restructuring and layoffs at Emporia State University may be "a political maneuver to end tenure," and that "I may be fired for writing this." Nonsense, says the university. It's simply cutting some class and degree offerings, and expanding others, to accommodate a changing market - while also adjusting to a staggering 24% enrollment decline since 2017.

Show-Me Health Surveillance Spike

Kids in the Midwest will get more blood screenings under EPA plan to deal with lead threat * Missouri Independent

A study shows about half of children in the United States have detectable levels of lead in their blood, despite federal regulations that ban or restrict its use. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a new strategy to reduce exposure, particularly in low-income and communities of color that are disproportionately affected.

Tech Troubles Democracy

JoCo poll workers warned about potential Konnech identity theft - The Sentinel

Election workers for Johnson County from June 2016 to October 2022 are being cautioned to monitor their personal information amid concerns of identity theft by Konnech, Inc., the county's election management software contractor. The company is currently under investigation.

World According To KC Stoners

KC Voices: Missouri taxpayers should be extremely concerned about Amendment 4

We've been asking members of the KC community to submit stories about their thoughts and experiences in all walks of life. If you've got a story you'd like to share with our readers, please send it to brock@thepitchkc.com for consideration.

SHOW-ME WEED BUDS!!!

Opposition to Missouri marijuana amendment creating strange political bedfellows * Missouri Independent

Same for the Missouri NAACP and Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. But this year, each is part of an ideologically scattershot constellation of organizations and elected officials that have come out of the woodwork in recent weeks to urge Missourians to reject a marijuana legalization proposal appearing on the Nov.

Newsflash: People Change

Northeast Missouri used to vote Democratic - until national politics overwhelmed the local

Making Sense of the 6th - As Missouri has quickly swung from bellwether to deeply and reliably conservative, this series, a collaboration between St. Louis Public Radio, KCUR and the Midwest Newsroom, attempts to hear from voices on the ground in Missouri's 6th Congressional District, which spans the northern third of the state, to understand changes in the political landscape.

Rock Chalk GOP Denial Alleged

Kansas Republican candidates say they will accept election results - with caveats - Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA - Kansas Republican candidates on the November ballot say they will accept the results of the election whether they win or lose, though some have added caveats to this acceptance. In Kansas, several lawmakers have called into question voter integrity, and election deniers forced a recount of votes in the August primary over the rejection of an abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution.

Show-Me Suburban Progressive Uptick

Meet the candidates in the 29th and 34th Missouri House Districts

In a Missouri House district in Lee’s Summit, Democrat Kemp Strickler is hoping to reclaim a legislative seat that has long been the property of Republicans. But he’ll have to defeat Republican J.C. Crossley on Nov. 8.

Newspaper Fact Checks Presidential Claims For Once

Missouri's Eric Schmitt is not running for president. Staff error led to brief speculation

No, Eric Schmitt isn't running for president. A clerical error on the Missouri Republican Senate nominee's October campaign filings caused brief speculation that Schmitt, the state attorney general, was eyeing a bid for president. On routine campaign documents filed with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday, Schmitt's Senate campaign put "President" on the spot under "Office Sought."

Golden Ghetto Loves Democracy

Advance voting in Johnson County, Kansas pacing ahead of early turnout in August primary

Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman announced Wednesday that the county saw 19,000 advance ballots cast in just three days. That puts it 15% ahead of the record advance voting in August.With more early voting locations - 16 in all - plus more than 100 polling locations on Election Day, he expects to see a quarter of a million votes cast in the county by Nov.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.