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KS - May 28 2025

Measles Outbreak Spreads; Guard Opens New HQ; Democrats Launch Tour; India Trade Agreement Trade; Sloth Skull Discovered

Greg Loving

28 May 2025 • 3 min read

Megalonyx jeffersonii or Jefferson ground sloths. A large, heavily built animal of about 3 meters long that lived during the Pleistocene in North America

Kansas Measles Outbreak Spreads to 64 Cases Across 11 Counties

Kansas National Guard Opens $18 Million Headquarters at Forbes Field

Kansas House Democrats Launch 11-Stop 'Fight Back Tour' Starting Thursday

India Offers Trade Concessions to US While Protecting Farm Tariffs

Prehistoric Giant Ground Sloth Skull Discovered Near Hays

1. Kansas Measles Outbreak Spreads to 64 Cases Across 11 Counties

Kansas health officials report the state's measles outbreak has grown to 64 confirmed cases across 11 counties, with most cases linked to the ongoing southwest Kansas outbreak. Gray County leads with 24 cases, and children under 10 account for 40 of the total cases. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed the first case in Pawnee County on Saturday, marking the outbreak's expansion into central Kansas.

KWCH

2. Kansas National Guard Opens $18 Million Headquarters at Forbes Field

The Kansas National Guard celebrated the opening of its new $18 million joint force headquarters at Forbes Field on Tuesday with Governor Laura Kelly and Senator Jerry Moran attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 58,000-square-foot facility, seven years in the making, consolidates operations from multiple outdated buildings and strengthens the Guard's emergency response capabilities, as demonstrated by their current tornado relief efforts in Grinnell.

Capital-Journal

3. Kansas House Democrats Launch 11-Stop 'Fight Back Tour' Starting Thursday

Kansas House Democrats will begin their statewide "Fight Back Tour" Thursday evening in Topeka, targeting regions where Democratic support has waned with stops in 11 cities through August. The tour features every House Democrat and includes appearances by House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard and Governor Laura Kelly, with representatives emphasizing their goal to listen to constituent concerns while sharing their legislative message across communities from Garden City to Leavenworth.

Capital-Journal

4. India Offers Trade Concessions to US While Protecting Farm Tariffs

India has proposed significant tariff reductions on various US goods in ongoing trade negotiations but remains firm on maintaining high duties on agricultural products that affect Kansas farmers, particularly wheat producers in the state's biggest crop sector. The country's stance on protecting its agricultural markets while negotiating other trade concessions could limit export opportunities for Kansas agricultural producers seeking access to the world's most populous nation.

Financial Times

5. Prehistoric Giant Ground Sloth Skull Discovered Near Hays

Scientists have uncovered a partial skull of an extinct giant ground sloth near Hays, providing new insights into Kansas's prehistoric past when these 2,000-pound creatures roamed the Great Plains. The skull of Megalonyx jeffersonii, which stood 8-10 feet tall, dates to between 21,000 and 12,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum, according to research published Monday in the Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science.

KWCH

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McPherson / Lindsborg

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