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The Kansas Reflector Podcast presents the audio version of the weekly video installment from editor-in-chief Sherman Smith and opinion editor Clay Wirestone , who discuss the top headlines from the past week. To watch the video recording of this episode, visit youtube.com/@kansasreflector. Find all of the work mentioned in this episode at kansasreflector.com.

The way we speak is a culmination of our life experiences, according to Jeff Holliday, a linguist and professor at the University of Kansas. He and Lacey Wade, also a professor and linguist at KU, speak with Kansas Reflector reporter Anna Kaminski about their recent research on perceptions of Kansas speech. Listeners also have the opportunity to listen to clips from the linguists’ research and attempt to discern a Kansas accent for themselves. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted and produced by Anna Kaminski.

Democratic U.S. House candidate Lauren Reinhold speaks with Kansas Reflector editor Sherman Smith about her campaign, affordability, immigration enforcement and her fondness for green bean soup. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Sherman Smith and produced by Anna Kaminski.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone spent years researching and writing about mid-century opinion writers in Kansas, culminating in a book, “Opinionated: Kansas Journalists Who Proved Why Commentary Matters — Then and Now," which was released Sept. 29. In conversation with Kansas Reflector editor-in-chief Sherman Smith, Wirestone explores his writing process, explains his voice as an opinion writer and offers insight into the evolution of opinion writing in Kansas and beyond. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Sherman Smith and produced by Anna Kaminski.

Kansas Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Democratic candidate for governor, speaks with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter about her run for the state’s highest office. Ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election, where she will face Republican state Sen. Ty Masterson, Holscher explains her position on Medicaid expansion, legalizing cannabis and why she ultimately voted against the Chiefs stadium deal. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Tim Carpenter and produced by Anna Kaminski.

Kansas Sen. Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Lenexa, sees insurance everywhere. From healthcare to property to pets, the office of the state insurance commissioner, for which Sykes is running in November, intersects with many facets of life. In conversation with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Morgan Chilson, Sykes details her political career and why she has pledged during her campaign to reject money from insurance companies or their political action committees. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Morgan Chilson and produced by Anna Kaminski.

Kansas Reflector staff covered the Kansas State Fair debates in early September to bring readers into the thick of the midterm election season's first debate. Senior reporter Tim Carpenter, who was a panelist at the debates, interviews editor-in-chief Sherman Smith and reporter Anna Kaminski about their coverage. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Tim Carpenter and produced by Anna Kaminski.

Ty Masterson, Kansas' senate president and Republican gubernatorial candidate, discusses with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter his journey into politics. From the housing industry to local government to the highest ranking position in the state senate, Masterson says his experience equips him to be Kansas' next governor. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Tim Carpenter and produced by Anna Kaminski.

A group of former prison officials are the latest in a series of efforts to convince Kansas’ outgoing Democratic governor to commute all outstanding death sentences in the state. Roger Werholtz, a former Kansas corrections secretary, discusses how the death penalty in Kansas affects prison staff, victims’ families and those wrongfully convicted. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted and produced by Anna Kaminski.

A Kansas law aiming to increase transparency among pharmacy benefit managers — the middlemen between pharmaceutical companies and local pharmacies — passed the state Legislature this year with bipartisan support. Will Anderson, owner of Orchards Drug in Lawrence, reconciles how the law has helped make matters more predictable and fair but initially decreased revenues for pharmacists.   New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events.   This episode was hosted by Morgan Chilson and produced by Anna Kaminski.   Read more at kansasreflector.com

Two Democratic state lawmakers praise the groundswell of grassroots opposition to hyper-scale data center construction in Kansas. Reps. Brooklynne Mosley of Lawrence and Alexis Simmons of Topeka in an interview with editor-in-chief Sherman Smith discuss the ramifications they've faced for clashing with data center supporters and how Kansas leaders could legislate further protections or liberties for data centers. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Sherman Smith and produced by Anna Kaminski. Read more at kansasreflector.com.

Tiffany Muller is the president of End Citizens United, the super PAC that advocates for campaign finance reform, and a former Topeka City Councilor. Decades in politics have informed her expertise in campaign finance, which she uses to dissect a campaign finance decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. She tells reporter Anna Kaminski why she thinks the decision "flew under the radar" and how it has already begun to affect the midterm elections New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted and produced by Anna Kaminski. Read more at kansasreflector.com.

Bob Beatty, a Washburn University professor and Kansas political watcher, predicts the U.S. Senate race in Kansas will be the No. 1 Senate race in the country come November. In conversation with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter the day after the Aug. 4 primary, he explains how candidates won their races and what they need to do to secure November victories. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Tim Carpenter and produced by Anna Kaminski.

The Kansas Reflector staff discuss what to watch out for on primary day in Kansas, previewing key elections such as the Republican gubernatorial race and Democratic U.S. Senate race. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Clay Wirestone and produced by Anna Kaminski. Cover photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight.

That small-town postcard mural isn’t just a tourist attraction. Topeka artist Sarah Fizell discusses with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Morgan Chilson the public health benefits of art that is accessible to everyone. New episodes of the Kansas Reflector Podcast drop on Mondays. Kansas Reflector staff interview elected officials, politicians, researchers, experts and everyday Kansans who are in the thick of state politics and current events. This episode was hosted by Morgan Chilson and produced by Anna Kaminski.