Top 5 Kansas news stories
September 25, 2025
McPherson Daycare Owner Faces Child Abuse Charges
Kansas Foster Care System Shows Mixed Progress in Child Stability
Kelly Warns of 'Disastrous' Health Care Effects from Federal Cuts
Kansas Sorghum Farmers Face Market Crisis Despite Record Harvest
NASCAR Cup Drivers Face Mixed Fortunes Ahead of Kansas Playoff Race
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McPherson Daycare Owner Faces Child Abuse Charges
A McPherson daycare operator has been charged with child abuse and six counts of child endangerment after a young boy arrived at school with visible injuries including puncture wounds, facial bruising and abrasions. According to court documents, the child told school officials that his babysitter "pushed him down, slapped him across the face and bit his fingers." The Kansas Department of Health and Environment suspended the woman's daycare license following her September 12 arrest.
KWCH
Kansas Foster Care System Shows Mixed Progress in Child Stability
Despite some improvements, Kansas foster children continue to face severe placement instability with 341 kids bouncing around temporary homes six or more times in 2024, representing just 4% of children in custody but experiencing 50% of total moves. While the state has met eight of 14 obligations from a 2020 lawsuit settlement, advocates say more work is needed as 100 children spent over 300 nights without permanent placement compared to 57 the previous year.
KAKE
Kelly Warns of 'Disastrous' Health Care Effects from Federal Cuts
Governor Laura Kelly warned that 108,000 Kansans could lose health insurance coverage if Congress doesn't restore Affordable Care Act tax credits before November enrollment begins. The governor called on Republicans to work with Democrats to restore the ACA Marketplace tax credits as part of a deal to avoid a federal government shutdown. A new report predicts health care costs will increase 77% for marketplace enrollees if the credits expire under provisions in President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
KAKE
Kansas Sorghum Farmers Face Market Crisis Despite Record Harvest
Kansas farmers are expecting their largest sorghum harvest in years, with some seeing 23% higher yields, but U.S.-China trade tensions have devastated the market for the state's biggest crop. The sorghum price has plummeted from about $6 per bushel in 2022 to around $3 per bushel today, cutting farmer profits in half as China enacted retaliatory tariffs on American imports. Over half of Kansas sorghum is typically exported, mostly to China for animal feed and alcoholic beverage production, but Chinese buyers have purchased little to no American sorghum since April.
KMUW
NASCAR Cup Drivers Face Mixed Fortunes Ahead of Kansas Playoff Race
NASCAR Cup Series drivers return to Kansas Speedway Sunday for their first 1.5-mile track race since May, with pre-race coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. on USA Network. Kyle Larson leads the season points standings on 1.5-mile tracks with 212 points and won the spring Kansas race, while three of the last five Kansas races featured the winning pass within the final two laps. The playoff race promises excitement as several drivers face must-win situations to advance to the next round.
NBC Sports
Sources
- https://www.kwch.com/2025/09/24/affidavit-mcpherson-daycare-owner-accused-hitting-shoving-biting-boy-her-care/
- https://www.kake.com/home/some-kansas-foster-kids-suffer-extreme-instability-as-state-still-fails-to-fix-longstanding-issues/article_e1433d51-1369-4b3d-acc4-a89d9f05c194.html
- https://www.kake.com/home/kansas-governor-says-health-care-cuts-will-have-disastrous-effects-if-congress-can-t-reach/article_f6860867-e974-4a1b-908d-8cd047a75c6c.html
- https://www.kmuw.org/2025-09-22/kansas-sorghum-farmers-will-have-their-biggest-yield-in-years-but-tariffs-killed-the-market
- https://www.nbcsports.com/nascar/news/good-news-bad-news-for-nascar-cup-drivers-ahead-of-kansas-playoff-race
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