Top 5 Kansas news stories
October 15 2025
Wichita Airport Refuses to Air DHS Secretary's Video Blaming Democrats
Kansas Health Ranking Plummets From 8th to 28th in Three Decades
Kansas City Launches 'Open Doors' Program to Fill Empty Storefronts for 2026 World Cup
Woman in North Wichita Abduction Video Found Safe; Suspect Arrested
Kansas Young Republicans Dissolved After Leaders' Participation in Racist Chat Exposed
1. Wichita Airport Refuses to Air DHS Secretary's Video Blaming Democrats
Wichita's Eisenhower National Airport joined airports nationwide in refusing to display a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown and its impact on TSA operations. Airport Director Jesse Romo confirmed the facility declined TSA's request, citing policies prohibiting political messaging while affirming support for local TSA staff. Major airports from coast to coast, including facilities in New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle, cited similar policies against political content. Even airports in Republican-leaning states like Montana and Utah declined to show the video, with officials stating they prefer to avoid partisan politics.
KAKE
2. Kansas Health Ranking Plummets From 8th to 28th in Three Decades
Kansas experienced one of the nation's steepest health ranking declines, dropping from 8th place in 1991 to 28th in 2024, according to a Kansas Health Institute study surveying 100 experts. The report attributes the decline to the state's failure to expand Medicaid, income disparities, rural hospital closures, and chronically underfunded public health systems. Health professionals and government officials identified Medicaid expansion as a critical missing piece, noting that nine of the ten states without expansion fall in the bottom half of health rankings. The consensus report also highlighted workforce shortages, limited mental health services, higher smoking rates and above-average teen birth rates as factors requiring urgent leadership attention to reverse Kansas' three-decade health slide.
Kansas Reflector
3. Kansas City Launches 'Open Doors' Program to Fill Empty Storefronts for 2026 World Cup
Kansas City opened applications Tuesday for its "Open Doors!" pilot program, offering financial incentives to connect empty storefronts with local artists, chefs and small businesses ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The initiative aims to activate vacant spaces that might otherwise detract from the visitor experience while providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs and cultural organizations to benefit from the month-long international event and potentially establish long-term tenancies.
Kansas City Star
4. Woman in North Wichita Abduction Video Found Safe; Suspect Arrested
Wichita police confirmed Tuesday afternoon that a woman seen on doorbell camera footage being forcibly taken from a north Wichita front porch is safe after she contacted investigators directly. A 22-year-old man was arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail on charges including aggravated battery, strangulation, two counts of domestic battery and criminal restraint, with formal charges pending from the district attorney's office.
KWCH
Teri Hansen
5. Kansas Young Republicans Dissolved After Leaders' Participation in Racist Chat Exposed
The Kansas Republican Party immediately deactivated the Kansas Young Republicans organization Tuesday after Politico reported that the group's chairman Alex Dwyer and vice chairman William Hendrix participated in encrypted Telegram chats containing violent, racist and antisemitic rhetoric with references to white supremacy. Attorney General Kris Kobach fired Hendrix from his communications position, calling the messages "inexcusable" as the state party moved swiftly to distance itself from the scandal.
Kansas Reflector
Sources
- https://www.kake.com/home/wichita-airport-wont-show-dhs-secretary-kristi-noems-video-blaming-democrats-for-government-shutdown/article_35edd10c-9ad6-4e6d-8a6f-3ed26a5f24ff.html
- https://kansasreflector.com/2025/10/14/30-year-decline-in-kansas-health-can-be-reversed-with-leadership-report-finds/
- https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article312500044.html#storylink=cpy
- https://www.kwch.com/2025/10/14/wichita-police-woman-forcibly-taken-front-porch-found-safe-man-arrested/
- https://kansasreflector.com/2025/10/14/kansas-young-republicans-shut-down-after-politico-report-on-racist-violent-encrypted-chat/
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