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Kansas daily brief

Kansas and US news for busy people - Dec 29, 2025 edition

Greg Loving

29 Dec 2025 • 3 min read

Marion County Record editor-publisher Eric Meyer takes a smoke break Oct. 15, 2025, at his newspaper office after a preliminary hearing for former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody. A documentary crew films in the distance. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

🌾Kansas

Olathe Chamber of Secrets: The Kansas City Chiefs will relocate their headquarters and practice facility to Olathe following a two-year secret pursuit led by the city's Chamber of Commerce CEO under multiple NDAs.
Kelly's Final Session: Gov. Laura Kelly's last legislative priorities include passing a balanced budget, supporting the Chiefs deal, finalizing water strategy, and launching an Office of Early Childhood amid expected federal cuts affecting 90,000 Kansans on Medicaid.
Taiwanese Battery Plant: Apogee Power will open its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Liberal, initially creating 20-30 jobs with plans to expand to 70 positions for battery energy storage systems.
Marion Raid Documentary: "Seized," a documentary about the controversial 2023 police raid on the Marion County Record newspaper, will premiere at Sundance Film Festival as one of 10 U.S. documentary competition selections.
Salina Burglaries: Police are investigating three break-ins on Dec. 19 at two businesses and one residence, with combined losses exceeding $7,100 in electronics, jewelry, gift cards and other items.

🇺🇸 US

Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber Confesses: Virginia man Brian J. Cole Jr. admitted to planting pipe bombs at RNC and DNC headquarters after FBI showed him surveillance footage placing him at the scene; he claimed he acted because he suspected the 2020 election was "tampered with."
DOJ Targets DEI Programs as Fraud: Trump's Justice Department is investigating major companies including Google and Verizon under the False Claims Act, arguing that federal contractors considering diversity in hiring constitutes fraud against the government.
ICE Street Arrests Surge Under Trump: Immigration arrests in communities have skyrocketed to over 17,500 in September—exceeding any month since 2011—as ICE shifts from jail-based pickups to street enforcement, making four times more at-large arrests weekly than Trump's first term.
Phones at Age 12 Linked to Health Risks: UPenn study of 10,500+ children found that receiving smartphones at age 12 versus 13 increased teens' risk of poor sleep by 60% and obesity by 40%.
Trump-Zelensky Discuss 20-Point Peace Plan: Trump and Zelensky met at Mar-a-Lago to advance a revised peace framework to end the Ukraine war, with Trump claiming they're "maybe very close" to a deal, though significant obstacles remain including Putin's willingness to sign on.

Weather

December 29 1851: first YMCA in the US opens at the Old South Church in Boston

Today, there are almost 2,700 locations nationwide.