Kansas City Star: Politics

Bill finances proposed Kansas biosecurity lab; senators pleased

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:34 CDT

TOPEKA | A spending bill approved by the U.S. Senate contains $36 million for the construction of a new biosecurity laboratory in Kansas.

Bob Dole maintains a busy, bipartisan workload

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

The other day, I asked Bob Dole how he was doing. His first two words: “I’m busy.”

Kansas audit raises computer security questions

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:52 CDT

TOPEKA | A legislative audit in Kansas has raised questions about the security of state computer networks and whether agencies are vulnerable to cyber attacks like a recent one against U.S. government Web sites.

Truck-only lanes for I-70? Missouri says it's possible

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

All the asphalt in the world can’t repair a heart. Three years ago, James Garrett lost his mother and grandmother in a fiery crash on Interstate 70 when a tractor-trailer rammed a line of cars from behind.

Kansas to consider equalizing Westar rates

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:09 CDT

TOPEKA | Kansas regulators are considering a big step toward equalizing rates for customers of the state's largest electric company, reviving an old political debate, but with a twist.

Tour of Missouri may be canceled if funding cut

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:59 CDT

JEFFERSON CITY | Gov. Jay Nixon is considering a $1.5 million cut to the Tour of Missouri that organizers say could force the cancellation of the September bicycle race.

Checks remain outstanding in Blunt lawsuit settlement

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:55 CDT

JEFFERSON CITY | Troubles have arisen with a settlement payment to a staffer who sued former Gov. Matt Blunt after being fired from his office.

World powers disagree on emissions at G8 summit

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

L ’AQUILA, Italy | The failure to agree on swift, concrete steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the summit meeting of the world’s most advanced economies pointed to hard bargaining ahead on global warming — especially on the politically sensitive issue of who should go first. President Barack Obama and his counterparts in the Group of Eight, who on Wednesday began two days of meetings in this central Italian mountain town, announced broad agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat rising global temperatures over the next four decades.

Phase-in of new Kansas license plate put on hold because of falling state revenue

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Falling state revenue has put on hold a phase-in of the new Kansas license plate.

Kansan nominated for federal education leadership post

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

President Barack Obama has nominated Kansas' education commissioner for a key job in the U.S. Department of Education.

Chastain files with Missouri Supreme Court in case against light-rail repeal

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Clay Chastain has asked the Missouri Supreme Court to take up his case against the City Council and its repeal of his 2006 light-rail initiative.

Obama taps genetics pioneer

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

W ASHINGTON | President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated genetics pioneer Francis Collins to be the next director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Collins, 59, helped unravel the human genetic code and has discovered numerous genes important for diseases, including the one that leads to cystic fibrosis.

Health care plan would raise taxes on wealthy

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

WASHINGTON | A plan to raise taxes on the wealthy is emerging as the leading option among House Democrats looking to finance health-care legislation that President Barack Obama wants. Numerous officials say that under the proposal, an income tax surcharge would be imposed on individuals earning more than $200,000, with a higher threshold for couples.

Governor signs bill continuing Missouri car-sale fees

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:26 CDT

JEFFERSON CITY | Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation allowing automobile and boat dealers to charge customers up to $200 for paperwork tied to the sale. Some vehicle sellers already charge administrative fees for clerical services and for keeping various documents, such as odometer readings. But Missouri Supreme Court rulings have cast doubt on whether the fees are allowed.

Chairman of Missouri transportation commission resigns

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:26 CDT

JEFFERSON CITY | Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Chairman Mike Kehoe abruptly resigned Wednesday and confirmed he is considering a run for the state Senate. Kehoe, a prominent Jefferson City automobile dealer, was appointed to the commission by then-Gov. Matt Blunt in spring 2005 and became chairman in March. His term on the commission was to last until March 2011.

Missouri governor signs law that limits suits against landlords

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:21 CDT

JEFFERSON CITY | Missouri landlords who dispose of property left by evicted tenants will be protected from lawsuits under a new law. Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation Wednesday barring most lawsuits by evicted tenants whose landlords remove or sell property left behind. Tenants could still sue if the landlord’s actions are malicious.

Missouri governor criticizes lawmakers on autism-coverage bill

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:16 CDT

JEFFERSON CITY | Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation to help families with autistic children, but it’s not the bill he wanted. And he’s blaming House leaders for that. Nixon sharply criticized Republican House leaders Wednesday for failing vote earlier this year on a bill that would require insurance companies to cover treatment for autistic children. He said the coverage is vital because early intervention with autistic children can make a profound difference and he’s sick of arguments against the proposal.

Palin gives answers about her pending resignation

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

K OTZEBUE, Alaska | Gov. Sarah Palin returned to the spotlight Tuesday. Palin, at a remote Arctic village, stood by her perplexing decision to resign just as she tries to elevate her national profile ahead of a possible 2012 presidential run.

Ethical questions surround couple's EPA link

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

When the Environmental Protection Agency came after the leaky Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, officials in St. Louis went looking for an attorney. And they hired one — all the way across the state in Kansas City.

Obama appeals to Russians

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

MOSCOW | After reaching out to the Islamic world in speeches in Turkey and Egypt, President Barack Obama on Tuesday sought once more to speak directly to a hostile audience — the Russian public. Obama said Tuesday that America and Russia “share common interests” in building a secure, free and flourishing world.

Day care watchdog eyes big changes in Missouri

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:47 CDT

ST. LOUIS | Missouri has proposed changes to its nearly 20-year-old licensing requirements for day care centers, including updated safety regulations covering everything from safe sleep practices to sun exposure. The Missouri Department of Social Services’ 165-page document would govern the operations of about 2,300 state-licensed child care centers. The proposed standards must still get the approval of a legislative committee.

Report cites Missouri's potential for renewable energy

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:42 CDT

JEFFERSON CITY | A national environmental group says Missouri is a prime candidate for greater development of alternative energy projects. A report Tuesday from the Natural Resources Defense Council says Missouri has about 2,500 square miles of land with wind speeds suitable for turbines that produce electricity. But Missouri currently has just three wind farms producing 163 megawatts of electricity.

Obama admin: No grounds to probe Afghan war crimes

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:05 CDT

Obama administration officials said Friday they had no grounds to investigate the 2001 deaths of Taliban prisoners of war who human rights groups allege were killed by U.S.-backed forces.

Report: Effectiveness of Bush wiretap program in dispute

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:00 CDT

Despite the Bush administration's insistence that its warrantless eavesdropping program was necessary to protect the country from another terrorist attack, FBI agents, CIA analysts and other officials had difficulty evaluating its effectiveness, according to an unclassified government report made public Friday.

Under attack by China, Uighur activist denounces violence

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:00 CDT

Uighur emigre leader Rebiya Kadeer, accused by China of organizing violent protests in western China, disputed the charge Friday and said she was against all violence, including that by members of the Chinese Muslim community.

Obama parks pick enmeshed in Calif. oyster flap

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:15 CDT

President Barack Obama on Friday tapped Jon Jarvis to head the National Park Service, turning to a 30-year-veteran who oversees the national parks across the Western states, and who also has angered a powerful U.S. senator and backers of a Northern California oyster farm.

Obama parks pick enmeshed in Calif. oyster flap

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:50 CDT

Obama picks SD senator's son as US attorney

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:40 CDT

President Barack Obama nominated Brendan Johnson, the 34-year-old son of Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., on Friday to serve as U.S. attorney for South Dakota.

Sotomayor's supporters make case against New Haven firefighter

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:00 CDT

Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor are quietly targeting the Connecticut firefighter who's at the center of Sotomayor's most controversial ruling.

House Dems want to tax the rich for health care

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:25 CDT

Key House Democrats decided Friday to raise taxes on the wealthy to help pay for health care legislation, capping an up-and-down week for President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. At the same time, Democratic leaders tried to quell concerns among moderate and conservative lawmakers about other elements of the bill.

Text of Obama's news conference on Friday

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:30 CDT

Text of President Barack Obama's news conference on Friday in L'Aquila, Italy, as provided by the White House:

Women's groups quiet on Sotomayor

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:40 CDT

Women's groups, euphoric when President Barack Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, have been remarkably quiet in the weeks since on the judge who would be the court's third woman ever.

Climate plan's backers have tougher audience in Senate

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:00 CDT

Senate supporters of a bill that for the first time would put limits on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have launched an intense one-on-one effort to sound out their colleagues' views in hopes of winning their support.

US moving away from Afghan drug eradication

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:30 CDT

The 4,000 U.S. Marines now pushing deep into Taliban-controlled tracts as part of an expanded war in southern Afghanistan are setting up fire bases amid some of the most productive poppy fields in the world's opium-producing capital.