Podcast appearances and mentions of clay wirestone

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone, reporter Anna Kaminski and editor in chief Sherman Smith talk about three recent examples where lawmakers have hidden their work from public scrutiny or directed animus toward journalists.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone leads a discussion with editor in chief Sherman Smith, senior reporter Tim Carpenter and reporter Anna Kaminski on what to expect in the annual legislative session that begins Jan. 13.

For years, the Kansas Legislature has grappled with the best way to help Kansans in need, including children in foster care. Lawmakers in two interim committees recently met to hear about progress, or the lack of it, in these areas. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone talks with reporter Anna Kaminski about the state's efforts to improve the child welfare system.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone hosts a conversation with editor in chief Sherman Smith, senior reporter Tim Carpenter and intern Grace Hills on the multitude of stories that emerged from the primary election — from the 2nd District congressional races to incumbents losing Statehouse races and implications for November.

Kansas legislators returned to Topeka for a special session originally meant just to tackle a tax cut plan. But an incentive package for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals ended up getting more attention. Kansas Reflector reporters Tim Carpenter and Alison Kite break down the one-day special session, and the build up to it, in a conversation with opinion editor Clay Wirestone.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone talks with editor in chief Sherman Smith about an overstuffed veto session yielding drama aplenty — not that any of the drama was required — and the prospects of Gov. Laura Kelly calling lawmakers back for a special session to address tax cuts.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone chats with Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, and Max Kautsch, a media lawyer based in Lawrence, about the landscape for journalism and free expression in the Sunflower State.

Aa tumultuous legislative session. A police raid on a small-town newspaper. Pitched political battles over Medicaid expansion, and so much more. The year of 2023 may not have seen a major election, but that was about the only news that didn't happen this past year in Kansas politics. This retrospective edition of the Kansas Reflector podcast looks back at the year's top stories with opinion editor Clay Wirestone, editor Sherman Smith and reporter Tim Carpenter.

It's been nearly three months since the law enforcement raid on the Marion County Record newspaper. Since then, the town's police chief has resigned, and reporters have kept digging into the situation. Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone leads a conversation with Marion County Record editor and publisher Eric Meyer, and Kansas Reflector editor in chief Sherman Smith.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone joins senior reporter Tim Carpenter in talking about Fort Hays State University's annual Kansas Speaks poll. The new results show how Kansans are feeling about Medicaid expansion, marijuana, abortion, climate change and guns, among other issues.

Opinion editor Clay Wirestone leads editor Sherman Smith and reporter Rachel Mipro in a discussion of Kansas Reflector's six-part church and state series, which examined the influence of religious views on state government.

A Leavenworth county landfill has, in the words of a county commissioner, threatened an "unfolding environmental disaster" for Kansas. Neighbors, the landfill's owner and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment have become entangled in a fiery dispute that has a times involves real flames. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone talks to reporter Allison Kite about her in-depth story on the dispute.

Libraries hold a conflicted place our collective imagination. To many of us, they're magical. We were first exposed to worlds of imagination and ideas on the shelves of our local libraries. To others, these buildings serve as indispensable community gathering spots, places to learn and meet and share. But to a small and vocal group, school and town libraries threaten social order. This week, Kansas Reflector opinion columnists read books challenged by parents and residents and give their thoughts. In this podcast, opinion editor Clay Wirestone speaks with Lori Brack, Iridescent Riffel and Mark McCormick about their responses.

Senior reporter Tim Carpenter leads a discussion with editor in chief Sherman Smith, opinion editor Clay Wirestone and reporter Rachel Mipro about campaigns for governor, Congress, attorney general, and the Statehouse, as well as votes on constitutional amendments and judicial retention.

Republican Derek Schmidt's gubernatorial campaign has embraced anti-transgender hate speech, and the Gardner Edgerton School District has entertained a discriminatory policy. D.C. Hiegert, an American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas legal fellow focusing on LGBTQ issues, and Brenan Riffel, a Kansas Reflector columnist and University of Kansas graduate student, talk with opinion editor Clay Wirestone and reporter Rachel Mipro about the harm this is causing to transgender kids.

The Aug. 2 election was a political earthquake in Kansas. The headline was a 59-41% vote against a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion. But there were a host of other high-profile races as well. Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone leads a discussion with editor in chief Sherman Smith and senior reporter Tim Carpenter.

Now is the summer of our discontent. The end of Roe vs. Wade has shaken the nation. Kansas has been gripped by an amendment vote on just that subject scheduled for next month. Political candidates circle one another like irritable peacocks, knowing that weeks or months of conflict await. Nationally, inflation has stressed households and scared investors. While the White House searches for fixes. Gas prices have shot up. And the new Thor movie isn't even that great. With all that in mind, opinion editor Clay Wirestone runs down the issues with editor in chief Sherman Smith.

Few in the Kansas Legislative or investment world understood what a TEFFI was when lawmakers approved a bill last year allowing the launch of a so-called technology-enabled fiduciary financial institution. Founder Brad Heppner's vision includes investments in rural Kansas and attracted support from local and state officials. But a three-month Kansas Reflector investigation spearheaded by editor Sherman Smith raises an array of questions from the company's business model to the likelihood of any small towns benefiting at all. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone leads a discussion of the in-depth report with Smith and columnist Max McCoy, who also wrote about Heppner and his company, Beneficient.

The Kansas Legislature is in the middle of a three week break with senators and representatives having wrapped up a whirlwind regular session on Friday, April 1. What bills made it through? What bills did not? To break it all down on the Reflector Podcast is editor-in-chief Sherman Smith, senior reporter Tim Carpenter and reporter Noah Taborda. The conversation is moderated by opinion editor Clay Wirestone.

On Thursday, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 501, a measure that would restrict access to an array of public assistance programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill's main advocate wasn't a Kansas legislator: It was the Florida-based Opportunity Solutions Project, the lobbying branch of Koch-linked Foundation for Government Accountability. And the cost of a bill meant to restrict access to lifesaving programs for families? Some $27 million for administration. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone is joined by Kansas Appleseed's anti-hunger campaign director, Haley Kottler, to talk about the bill, its potential effects and what went down during the hearing.

One year ago, the day after Valentine's Day, Travis Zirkle lost his husband Jeff Wallace to COVID-19. Travis believes he brought the virus home from school where he's a special education teacher.  In the year since, Zirkle, a Barnard resident, has grappled with grief, while also becoming an outspoken advocate for vaccination. In this Kansas Reflector podcast, opinion editor Clay Wirestone sat down with Zirkle.

Kansas Reflector editor in chief Sherman Smith, senior reporter Tim Carpenter and opinion editor Clay Wirestone talk about six topics — taxes, COVID-19, abortion, foster care, marijuana and critical race theory — that dominated the news in 2021 and implications for 2022.

According to Kansas Appleseed, one in six residents of southeast Kansas is food insecure and a stunning one in four children in the region is food insecure. That's the topic of the advocacy groups new report, "Hunger in Southeast Kansas." Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone is joined by two members of the Kansas Appleseed team — Hailey Kottler, thriving campaign director, and Caleb Smith, inclusive campaign director — to discuss the new report.

If you want to avoid dystopia, you're going to need plenty of independent journalists. Why else would so many great works of dystopian fiction make a point of describing how the press has been muzzled, marginalized or eradicated? To learn more, Meg and Toby talk to Clay Wirestone, the news editor at the Topeka Capital-Journal in Topeka, Kansas and a writer whose work has appeared in Mental Floss and many other places. We discuss the importance of independent watchdog journalism and run through recent threats to press freedoms in the U.S. Also: Clay explains why, sometimes, facts just aren't enough. Toby talks about why he used a reporter as a character in his novels. Meg recommends It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis ... and tells listeners about a Radio Free Dystopia drinking game that's apparently becoming a thing. #journalism #dystopia #PressOn

Monitor editors Jon Van Fleet and Clay Wirestone summarize the political highlights from the Granite State since the primary election left us reeling. Don't worry -- there's plenty of time to talk Ayotte, Hassan and Medicaid expansion!

Monitor staffers Ray Duckler, Jon Van Fleet and Clay Wirestone pick up the pieces after a wild and crazy New Hampshire primary. Where do we go from here, you ask? How about South Carolina?

In a special bonus podcast episode, Monitor reporters Megan Doyle, Allie Morris and Ella Nilsen join Clay Wirestone to run down the primary race on the Republican and Democratic sides. Who will win? Who will lose? Take a listen, and don't forget to vote.

The Monitor's Jon Van Fleet, Nick Reid and Clay Wirestone devour a week's worth of political news, including trips to the state from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic surrogate Chelsea Clinton.

Ella Nilsen, Jon Van Fleet and Clay Wirestone of the Concord Monitor discuss their Star Wars viewing experiences, then turn to recent Democratic and GOP debates. They then pay tribute to the departing Lindsey Graham.

Ella Nilsen, Jon Van Fleet and Clay Wirestone of the Concord Monitor chew over the week's biggest political story -- Donald Trump's call to bar Muslims from entering the U.S. Then, Jon and Clay discuss Hillary Clinton's recent visit with the Monitor editorial board.

Megan Doyle. Jon Van Fleet and Clay Wirestone of the Concord Monitor look up from their keyboards long enough to discuss the front-runners' recent appearances, along with a big endorsement for Chris Christie. Also, does Hillary Clinton have healing powers? Discuss.

Ella Nilsen. Jon Van Fleet and Clay Wirestone of the Concord Monitor serve a bountiful feast of analysis and behind-the-scenes chat, taking on Donald Trump's tall tales and medical marijuana's growing pains in New Hampshire.

Clay Wirestone, Jon Van Fleet and Ella Nilsen of the Concord Monitor consider the implications of the terror attack in Paris that killed more than 120 people. New Hampshire's governor and presidential primary candidates have already weighed in.

Concord Monitor scribes Clay Wirestone, Jon Van Fleet and Megan Doyle feast on the latest primary news, with special attention paid to Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina and the recent GOP debate. We don't forget Hillary Clinton, either.

Concord Monitor editors and reporters Clay Wirestone, Jon Van Fleet and Ella Nilsen go behind the scenes of Bernie Sanders's campaign in New Hampshire and round up other primary news. Plus, Jon has some poetic words toward the end.

Concord Monitor writers and editors Clay Wirestone, Jon Van Fleet and Ella Nilsen chew over a week's worth of political stories, ranging from Hillary Clinton's testimony Wednesday to Donald Trump's next planned appearance in the Granite State. Also, an abundance of conversation about Ben Carson!

Concord Monitor political enthusiasts Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet chew over the news that New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan will duke it out with U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte next fall. And we bid a fond farewell to Casey in our emotion-packed final section.

Concord Monitor political staffers mix it up this week, as Clay Wirestone and Casey McDermott are joined first by Allie Morris and then by Jonathan Van Fleet. The two trios first discuss the long-awaited passage of the state's budget. They then take up the presidential primary, in the wake of this week's GOP debate.

Concord Monitor political teammates Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet chew over the latest news out of Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton camps. Then they talk up some lesser-known candidates and go through the entire GOP and Democratic fields. Want more? Try politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political junkies Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet have a little something for everyone this week, as Democrats scramble and Republicans start to shed candidates. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political enthusiasts Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet take on the left side of the political spectrum this week, with a podcast focused on the Democrats. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political writers and editors Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet barrel into a political free-for-all this week, gabbing about the week's biggest stories. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political writers and editors Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet analyze John Kasich's surge to the top three in the GOP primary field. They also dig into Hillary Clinton's college plan and round out the week with a bevy of short takes. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political writers and editors Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet preview Thursday's first Republican presidential primary debate. They also review Monday's GOP forum and talk about the state Executive Council defunding Planned Parenthood. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political staffers Clay Wirestone and Casey McDermott talk Christie, Clinton and state politics this week. But they also spend serious time with Monitor staff photographer Elizabeth Frantz, who explains how she captures candidates' images. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political writers and editors Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet try to avoid the Trump in the room this week, taking on N.H. Gov. Maggie Hassan and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. But they eventually talk Trump, as all must in time. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political writers and editors Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet take on all things Hillary this week, along with GOP primary candidates rushing to be noticed and the latest from PolitiFactNH. For more political news, visit politics.concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor political mavens Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet talk primary candidates, Donald Trump's effect on the race, Gov. Maggie Hassan's recent moves and what the state can do for those recovering from substance abuse. For more political news, visit concordmonitor.com.

Concord Monitor reporters and editors Clay Wirestone, Casey McDermott and Jonathan Van Fleet discuss the New Hampshire state budget impasse, the presidential primaries and PolitiFact New Hampshire. For more political news, visit concordmonitor.com.