In Kansas News
Some Kansas soup kitchens and food banks are struggling to feed people in need after federal funding cuts by the Trump administration.Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut $500 million from food assistance programs, which buys food from farmers and sends it to pantries nationwide.Erin La Row with the Kansas Department for Children and Families says the state agency could not deliver food assistance to low-income Kansans in recent months.
“The disruption is due to continued delays in receiving the required federal administrative funding from the USDA that is needed to pay for the shipment of the food to our community partners.”
La Row says the state is trying to secure federal funding for deliveries in July.
Food banks are turning to local support like community donations to keep these food assistance programs alive.
The 4 billion dollar Panasonic Battery plant outside De Soto Kansas is due to start production this year. But As KCUR’s Frank Morris reports, the company may struggle to meet hiring goals.
"The Panasonic plant was a huge win for Kansas when it was announced two years ago. That was an era of fast growth for electric vehicles -- states were tripping over each other to get a piece of the action. Kansas agreed to almost 830 million dollars in tax breaks.Panasonic promised up to 4,000 good paying jobs... building batteries for Tesla...
"And suddenly Tesla is in trouble and it's partly because Elon went tripping off into a political issue, which we probably shouldn't have done. There's a reason CEOs stay away from that."
Chris Kuehl, a manufacturing industry analyst with Armada, says the plant is also opening under a broader threat from Washington to stop the 75-hundred dollar tax credit for EV’s and a tightening global market for battery making materials, like lithium."
Dr. Thomas Newsom is now Pittsburg State University’s Eleventh President. The news comes from today’s Kansas Board of Regent’s Special Meeting. The Board’s Chair, Carl Ice says they were looking for someone who aligns with PSU’s strategic plan
"And so again, this is an important moment, not just for us making the right decision, but for the university"
Newsom previously served as the Dean of Southeastern Oklahoma State University and has experience expanding student enrollment. Newsom’s hiring comes after PSU’s previous President Dan Shipp resigned earlier this year.