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Kansas daily brief

Kansas and US news for busy people - Dec 23, 2025 edition

23 Dec 2025 • 3 min read

2024 rendering of Kansas Chiefs stadium by Manica Architecture

🌾Kansas

Chiefs Stadium Deal: Kansas and the Chiefs finalized a $3B domed stadium agreement in Wyandotte County, creating 20,000 construction jobs with no new state taxes, marking the state's largest economic development project ever.
Stadium Design: The new 65,000-seat domed facility is designed to host Super Bowls, Final Fours, and College Football Playoff games starting in 2031.
Royals' Uncertain Future: The Royals publicly supported the Chiefs' move to Kansas while their own stadium plans remain unresolved, with Kansas setting a year-end deadline for STAR bond decisions.
Kansas Supreme Court Leadership Change: Justice Eric Rosen will become chief justice on January 2 after Chief Justice Marla Luckert resigned following a stroke, though she'll remain as associate justice.
Record U.S. Harvest: American farmers harvested a record 23.6 billion bushels in 2025-26, up 8% from last year, creating downward price pressure as U.S. global export market share has declined from 40% to 25% since 2000.

GLP-1 Weight Loss Pill: FDA approves first oral GLP-1 drug (Ozempic/Wegovy tablet) launching January at $149/month, offering needle-free alternative expected to dramatically expand obesity treatment access.
Decade-Long Car Loans: Average new vehicle prices hit $50,000 (up 33% since 2020), forcing consumers into risky 8-10 year loans with big monthly payments as automakers abandon sub-$30K models.
"Trump Class" Battleships: President orders construction of massive 35,000-ton warships—more than double current destroyer size—capable of launching hypersonic and nuclear missiles to replace "obsolete" Navy fleet.
Homeownership Despair: Young workers are reducing job effort and long-term saving after concluding homeownership is unattainable, with 15% of millennials having already given up by age 30.
China Halts Self-Driving Plans: Deadly March crash killing three students forces regulators to freeze mass production, approving only two limited testing programs instead of the nine planned commercial launches.