Kansas Reflector Podcast

The Kansas Reflector Podcast presents the audio version of the weekly video installment from editor-in-chief Sherman Smith and opinion editor Clay Wirestone , who discuss the top headlines from the past week. To watch the video recording of this episode, visit youtube.com/@kansasreflector. Find all of the work mentioned in this episode at kansasreflector.com.

The way we speak is a culmination of our life experiences, according to Jeff Holliday, a linguist and professor at the University of Kansas. He and Lacey Wade, also a professor and linguist at KU, speak with Kansas Reflector reporter Anna Kaminski about their recent research on perceptions of Kansas speech. Listeners also have the opportunity to listen to clips from the linguists’ research and att...

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. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politi...

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone spent years researching and writing about mid-century opinion writers in Kansas, culminating in a book, “Opinionated: Kansas Journalists Who Proved Why Commentary Matters — Then and Now," which was released Sept. 29. In conversation with Kansas Reflector editor-in-chief Sherman Smith, Wirestone explores his writing process, explains his voice as an op...

Kansas Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Democratic candidate for governor, speaks with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter about her run for the state’s highest office. She will face Republican state Sen. Ty Masterson on Nov. 3. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans w...

Kansas Sen. Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Lenexa, sees insurance everywhere. From healthcare to property to pets, the office of the state insurance commissioner, for which Sykes is running in November, intersects with many facets of life. In conversation with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Morgan Chilson, Sykes details her political career and why she has pledged during her campaign to reject mon...

Kansas Reflector staff covered the Kansas State Fair debates in early September to bring readers into the thick of the midterm election season's first debate. Senior reporter Tim Carpenter, who was a panelist at the debates, interviews editor-in-chief Sherman Smith and reporter Anna Kaminski about their coverage. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff...

Ty Masterson, Kansas' senate president and Republican gubernatorial candidate, discusses with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter his journey into politics. From the housing industry to local government to the highest ranking position in the state senate, Masterson says his experience equips him to be Kansas' next governor. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. K...

A group of former prison officials are the latest in a series of efforts to convince Kansas’ outgoing Democratic governor to commute all outstanding death sentences in the state. Roger Werholtz, a former Kansas corrections secretary, discusses how the death penalty in Kansas affects prison staff, victims’ families and those wrongfully convicted. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on...

A Kansas law aiming to increase transparency among pharmacy benefit managers — the middlemen between pharmaceutical companies and local pharmacies — passed the state Legislature this year with bipartisan support. Will Anderson, owner of Orchards Drug in Lawrence, reconciles how the law has helped make matters more predictable and fair but initially decreased revenues for pharmacists.   New ep...

Two Democratic state lawmakers praise the groundswell of grassroots opposition to hyper-scale data center construction in Kansas. Reps. Brooklynne Mosley of Lawrence and Alexis Simmons of Topeka in an interview with editor-in-chief Sherman Smith discuss the ramifications they've faced for clashing with data center supporters and how Kansas leaders could legislate further protections or liberties f...

Tiffany Muller is the president of End Citizens United, the super PAC that advocates for campaign finance reform, and a former Topeka City Councilor. Decades in politics have informed her expertise in campaign finance, which she uses to dissect a campaign finance decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. She tells reporter Anna Kaminski why she thinks the decision "flew under the radar" and how it has...

Bob Beatty, a Washburn University professor and Kansas political watcher, predicts the U.S. Senate race in Kansas will be the No. 1 Senate race in the country come November. In conversation with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter the day after the Aug. 4 primary, he explains how candidates won their races and what they need to do to secure November victories. New episodes of the Kansas...

The Kansas Reflector staff discuss what to watch out for on primary day in Kansas, previewing key elections such as the Republican gubernatorial race and Democratic U.S. Senate race. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and curre...

That small-town postcard mural isn’t just a tourist attraction. Topeka artist Sarah Fizell discusses with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Morgan Chilson the public health benefits of art that is accessible to everyone. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in...

As one of 11 Democrats running for Kansas' open U.S. Senate seat in August, Noah Taylor has set himself apart with a no-filter approach to politics. He slips curse words into his promotional materials and offers blunt opinions on TikTok. In conversation with Kansas Reflector reporter Anna Kaminski, he said "people aren't looking for someone to come riding in on a white horse and save the day." Ins...

Colin McRoberts is determined to build a better Kansas Democratic base as he runs for U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann's seat in the big 1st Congressional District. He discusses with senior reporter Tim Carpenter his specialty in negotiations, his favorite conspiracy theory and how he sees Trump administration policies on research funding and international aid hurting Kansans. New episodes of the Kansas Refl...

When Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog unexpectedly filed to run for governor hours before the filing deadline, he surprised the Kansas political world, prompting current Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to call his campaign "foolhardy." In conversation with Kansas Reflector's editor-in-chief, Sherman Smith, Skoog criticizes Republican frontrunner Ty Masterson, advocates for Medicaid expansion and propert...

With roughly six months left as governor, Laura Kelly reflects on how she entered the governor's office and speaks on how she hopes to leave it in an interview with senior reporter Tim Carpenter. She highlights what she views as major accomplishments, recounts how she beat tough gubernatorial opponents (twice), and articulates why she wanted to change to economic and social perception of Kansas. N...

Cole Epley is one of four Democrats challenging U.S. Rep. Ron Estes in August, but Epley has differentiated himself from his fellow Democratic candidates by leaning into Democratic socialism and unapologetically progressive ideals. Kansas Reflector's editor-in-chief Sherman Smith speaks with Epley about his political origins, his approach to fundraising outside the bounds of the traditional party...

Residents in Galena, Kansas, are worried that noxious smells and a smoldering fire at the town's landfill are polluting the air and affecting their health. They are pushing for more testing to ensure the environment in their southeast Kansas town is safe.

Kevin Latz is one of 11 Kansas Democrats running to replace U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, and he said he is differentiating himself from the rest with his experience as a surgeon, physician and father. He said scientists are underrepresented in Congress, and his work making difficult decisions, operating under pressure and treating everyone as a patient mirrors that of a lawmaker's. His policy priorit...

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone and managing editor Sherman Smith break down the latest news in Kansas politics as election season heats up. They discuss the latest candidates, which races they're paying attention to and what Kansas Reflector has been covering in the lead-up to the Aug. 4 primary election. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflecto...

Why was Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s name repeated four times in a ad from an outside group? Why did a Democratic candidate for Kansas governor begin her TV ad in a grocery store, and why did her primary opponent film his from his kitchen? Can a pastor translate his lifetime of public speaking experience to voters as he runs for U.S. Senate? Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Wa...

Chris Carmichael is one of four Democratic candidates for Kansas' 4th congressional district.