OVERLAND PARK, KS – In a stunning blow to Wyandotte County and Lawrence voters, the Kansas Supreme Court Wednesday upheld a legislatively drawn map that voting rights advocates said were examples of a racial and partisan gerrymander. It is likely that the so-called “Ad Astra” map, that sliced Wyandotte County in half and drowns progressive-voting Lawrence in a […]
Posted inKansas City News
KCK Parkwood Pool Reopening After 2 Years
It has been two years since the Parkwood Pool on 10th and Quindaro closed to the public due to the pandemic and the lifeguard shortage. The Parkwood Pool is the only public swimming pool in Kansas City, KS and last year, protests erupted outside the gate of the pool when the Unified Government (UG) announced […]
Posted inNews
First All-Black Team Summits Mt. Everest
The first all-Black Mount Everest expedition team, Full Circle Everest, conquered the highest mountain on Earth on May 12. The team of climbers include Manoah Ainuu, Eddie Taylor, Rosemary Saal, Demond “Dom” Mullins, Thomas Moore, James “KG” Kagami and Evan Green. “I am deeply honored to report that seven members of the Full Circle Everest […]
Posted inBusiness
U.S. Civil Rights Enforcers Warn Employers Against Biased AI
The federal government said last week that artificial intelligence technology to screen new job candidates or monitor worker productivity can unfairly discriminate against people with disabilities, sending a warning to employers that the commonly used hiring tools could violate civil rights laws. The U.S. Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission jointly issued guidance […]
Posted inLifestyle
6 Black Colleges Getting Cybersecurity Centers
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Six historically Black universities in five Southern states will be getting the first IBM cybersecurity centers aimed at training underrepresented communities, the company said. The schools are Xavier University of Louisiana, that state’s Southern University System, North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State, Clark Atlanta and Morgan State universities, according to a […]
Posted inNews
6 Months in, Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Has 4,300 Projects
WASHINGTON (AP) — Six months after the signing of President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure package, the government said Monday there are 4,300 projects underway with more than $110 billion in funding announced — milestones the administration is publicly heralding as midterm politics intensify. White House senior adviser Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans, said the roads, bridges […]
Posted inKansas City News
Spire and Evergy Program to Help Customers With Energy-Efficiency Upgrades
Spire and Evergy are teaming up to offer Pay As You Save (PAYS®), a program helping Missouri customers reduce their utility bills through energy-efficiency upgrades with little to no upfront costs. While Evergy launched a PAYS program in 2021, this is the first time Spire and Evergy are jointly offering PAYS to assist customers of both utilities. To participate, […]
Posted inNews
Starbucks to Cover Travel for Workers Seeking Abortions
Starbucks says it will now offer employees enrolled in its health care plan reimbursement for eligible travel expenses when accessing abortion or gender-affirming procedures, when those services are not available within 100 miles of a worker’s home. The Seattle-based coffee chain said Monday that the benefit will also be available to dependents of employees enrolled […]
Posted inMissouri State News
Missouri Legislature Ends Tumultuous 2022 Session Marked by Gridlock, GOP Infighting
A flurry of activity in the Missouri House on Friday kept 2022 from earning the ignominious distinction of least productive legislative session in modern history. With GOP infighting in the Senate forcing it to adjourn a day early after a session that’s seen it mired in gridlock, the House returned Friday morning to pass 20 bills […]
Posted inNews
Naval Destroyer Commissioned Today Named After Topeka Native
The Navy commissioned its newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG 121), May 14 in Charleston, South Carolina. The Destroyer was named in honor of Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (USMC Ret.). Petersen, born in Topeka, Kansas, was the first Black USMC aviator and the first Black Marine to become a […]