Top 5 Kansas news stories
December 12 2025
Stabbing at De Soto Panasonic Plant Ends with Fatal Shooting by Johnson County Deputies
Kansas Senators Demand Congress Amend Defense Bill to Preserve Air Safety Standards After Fatal Crash
Kansas City Ties for Nation's Highest Home Turnover Rate as Residents Relocate
Kris Kobach's Name Surfaces in Jeffrey Epstein Text Messages Released by House Committee
Arctic Cold Front Brings Weekend Freeze with Temperatures Plunging into Teens Across Kansas
1. Stabbing at De Soto Panasonic Plant Ends with Fatal Shooting by Johnson County Deputies
Johnson County sheriff deputies shot and killed a suspect Thursday morning after responding to a stabbing at the Panasonic plant in De Soto, where a victim suffered multiple stab wounds. The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. at the facility near 103rd Street and Astra Parkway, which opened in July 2025. Deputies performed life-saving efforts on the suspect, who was pronounced dead at 11:25 a.m., while the stabbing victim was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
KSN
2. Kansas Senators Demand Congress Amend Defense Bill to Preserve Air Safety Standards After Fatal Crash
U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are calling on Congress to amend the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, warning that a provision in the bill significantly undermines safety reforms implemented after 67 people died in a mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport. Moran, chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, told the Senate floor Thursday that the legislation "fails to implement the minimal standards necessary for military helicopters operating in mixed airspace." The National Transportation Safety Board strongly opposed Section 373 of the defense bill, with Chair Jennifer Homendy calling it "shameful" for walking back progress made after the deadly collision between Flight 5342 and a military helicopter. Both Kansas senators urged colleagues to replace the problematic provision with the ROTOR Act, emphasizing that the nation's aviation system remains fragile and cannot afford steps backward on safety standards.
KWCH
3. Kansas City Ties for Nation's Highest Home Turnover Rate as Residents Relocate
Kansas City ranked first in a Realtor.com analysis of the 50 largest U.S. metros for home turnover rates, tied with San Antonio at 45 sales per 1,000 housing units between September 2024 and August 2025. The analysis did not specify why Kansas City residents are selling their homes at such a high rate compared to other major metropolitan areas.
KANSAS CITY STAR
4. Kris Kobach's Name Surfaces in Jeffrey Epstein Text Messages Released by House Committee
Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's name appeared in a May 2019 text exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and an unnamed individual discussing the "We Build the Wall" border project, according to documents released by the House Oversight Committee. The texts, which occurred months before Kobach launched his U.S. Senate bid, suggest the unnamed recipient—possibly Steve Bannon—was with Kobach and unavailable to meet Epstein, though the documents contain no evidence that Kobach ever communicated directly with Epstein.
TOPEKA CAPITAL-JOURNAL
5. Arctic Cold Front Brings Weekend Freeze with Temperatures Plunging into Teens Across Kansas
An Arctic cold front moving across Kansas tonight through Saturday morning will bring gusty winds, increasing clouds, and afternoon highs only in the 30s, with Sunday morning temperatures dropping into the teens that will feel like single digits. Most areas will not reach the freezing mark Sunday afternoon, though a significant warm-up is forecast for early next week with temperatures climbing back into the 50s and 60s by Tuesday and Wednesday.
KWCH
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