No, state legislatures do not have almost unchecked authority regarding federal elections; state courts are empowered to decide whether the district lines legislators draw and the voting laws they write are consistent with state constitutions…

During the failed August 1991 putsch in Russia, the good guys were reformers Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. The bad guys were an incompetent claque of the military and KGB within the Politburo and the…

On Wednesday, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall called those who want to mitigate the already catastrophic effects of our global environmental crisis ‘climate demagogues.’ “If Biden thinks he can send his climate demagogues to Kansas &…

The unsuccessful rebellion Saturday by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group of mercenaries will leave Vladimir Putin in power. But it underscores how much Mr. Putin’s failed attempt to conquer Ukraine has weakened Russia and…

HQ E-Bike Repair at 80 Madison St. in Chinatown was a bomb factory masquerading as a harmless bike shop, housing e-bikes and electric scooters fueled by lithium-ion batteries. This newish micromobility is a great boon…

This week came the unsettling news that the Parsons Sun and Chanute Tribune have begun printing two newspapers a week, down from five. It’s a cost-cutting measure. Fewer editions require fewer employees, less ink and…

The four high school girls looked skittish as they stood before the school board in conservative Carlisle, Pa., in mid-April. Then they started speaking about why they wanted the board to vote to allow girls’…

Flagpoles are becoming the latest battlefield in the culture wars. Activists are fighting to get their banners onto public flagstaffs while keeping off those representing other groups or beliefs. The conflict is particularly heated this…

The Star’s editorial board has never pushed for downtown baseball — not, that is, if the tab for a new Royals stadium had to be picked up by taxpayers, many of whom, given today’s MLB…

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Tuesday, with the typical array of supporters and opponents. It’s depressing to think this could continue for another two years as the indictment and trial dominate…