U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, has taken it on the chin repeatedly over the past week.

He wants another term in the Senate, but first he has to make it through an increasingly fraught election season.

First, his campaign apparently shared an AI-generated graphic of Kansas showing its 105 counties in — curious positions. Also, there weren’t 105 of them. His challenger, Overland Park Democrat Adam Hamilton, quickly made hay of the situation.

“Spend enough time in Florida and you might forget what Kansas looks like,” the Hamilton campaign posted Friday.

Then President Donald Trump threatened Canadian aerospace company Bombardier on Monday.

“NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!” he proclaimed via Truth Social, ignoring the fact that more than 1,ooo Americans work at Bombardier facilities in — whoops — Wichita.

Marshall posted on social media that he had the problem well in hand: “I’m going to fight to keep Bombardier’s over 1,200 Kansas jobs. I’ve already taken that concern inside the Oval Office.”

Notably, the incumbent senator didn’t mention the person who put those jobs at risk. That would be Trump.

Finally, the New York Times posted a story Tuesday analyzing “Doc” Marshall’s medical career. Turns out, he “filed lawsuits against more than 700 patients with outstanding bills during his decades-long career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, according to a New York Times analysis of Kansas court records.”

According to the Times, 81 patients were arrested for missing their court dates. Marshall charged up to 18% interest rates for medical debt repayment.

Whew!

Each story hit a different nerve. The AI-generated state map suggested a sloppy campaign apparatus, one peppered with junior staffers who don’t comprehend the pride Kansans take in their state. Trump’s Bombardier threats underscored the extent to which Marshall has chained his political fortunes to those of the president. Let’s not forget that Marshall’s first vote in the U.S. Senate was to reject Joe Biden’s presidential win.

Finally, the medical billing story struck at the very core of Marshall’s biography. He has been at pains to present himself as a mild-mannered obstetrician-gynecologist, a small-town doctor representing the rural folk of Kansas. Turns out, he wanted paid. The Times story includes wrenching references to women who lost pregnancies and needed additional surgery.

Rural health care costs money. But Kansas also hasn’t expanded Medicaid services, and Marshall has steadfastly opposed the Affordable Care Act. Did he just prefer his patients poor and indebted to him?

Marshall can’t help but look worse for wear. I’m sure those in the Hamilton campaign have celebrated accordingly. (Keep that champagne in the icebox for now, kids. There’s a lot of time left).

This is what happens after decades of dominance by a single political party and erosion of news media influence. Vetting Kansas politicians takes time, energy and attention. Marshall had an enormous glass jaw that didn’t come into focus until he faced a competitive race. We’ve seen shoddy campaign work and Trumpy outbursts before. The lawsuits in question happened years ago.

But we’re only now putting the pieces together.

We’ve seen the same pattern play out in the governor’s race. State Senate President Ty Masterson, the Republican nominee, finally faced wide scrutiny for his “no-show job” at Wichita State University as the primary approached. He officially went on leave last month. I’d written about the dubious arrangement for years, but elections have a way of clarifying the mind.

Even the most polished and charismatic candidates should face scrutiny from reporters and opposing campaign operatives. It doesn’t matter how powerful their party or financial backers might be. Every candidate should answer tough questions and respond to tough stories. They should run, address fair criticism, and let voters choose.

Marshall has lingered far too long in the shadow of Trump. The time has arrived for the good doctor to step into the sunlight, taking responsibility for the past and outlining a positive vision for the future.

If he can’t manage that, I’m sure Hamilton’s campaign would like a word.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. His first book, “Opinionated: Kansas Journalists Who Proved Why Commentary Matters — Then and Now,” comes out Sept. 29 from the University Press of Kansas. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.

A former paraprofessional at Edwardsville Elementary School says she was fired after telling a visiting state representative that trans rights are human rights, and now she's taking the school district to federal court. Barbara Williams filed a lawsuit against Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District last month, claiming the district violated her First Amendment rights when it let her go over the March exchange with Rep. Carolyn Caiharr.

According to the lawsuit, reported by the Kansas City Star, Williams told Caiharr during the representative's visit to Edwardsville Elementary that trans rights are human rights and that diverting taxpayer money to private schools was not right. Williams says she was not technically on the clock during the interaction and claims she had a First Amendment right to express herself in a local government building. She is seeking $50,000 for lost wages and distress, along with financial and punitive damages, and has requested a jury trial in Kansas City, Kansas.

Williams claims in her suit that the school district infringed on her First Amendment rights and wrongfully fired her after she shared her political beliefs with Caiharr. Per the same account, Richard Moulin drafted the paperwork placing Williams on administrative leave and later recommended that the school board vote to fire her. Williams says she wants punitive action taken to deter similar treatment of other employees, according to the lawsuit.

District and Lawmaker Respond

Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District said it was reviewing the complaint but declined to discuss details of the pending litigation, the Star reports. Greg Goheen, who represents the district, said it will respond to Williams in court as appropriate. The district serves roughly 2,560 students across Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Edwardsville Elementary, where the March encounter happened, serves about 330 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Caiharr told the Star she learned about the lawsuit on Wednesday and said she was not involved in the district's hiring or termination decisions. She said she would defer to the school district on further details of the matter. Caiharr replaced former Rep. Mike Thompson in the Kansas Legislature; Thompson retired from politics in 2025, according to the Star's reporting.

A Mayor-Turned-Lawmaker in a Swing District

Caiharr is mayor of Edwardsville and a Republican representing District 33 in the Kansas House. She was appointed to the seat in August 2025 by a 13–0 precinct vote after Thompson's resignation, according to the Sunflower State Journal, and had previously served four years on the Edwardsville City Council before becoming mayor. Kansas state law allows local elected officials to hold municipal office while also serving in the Legislature, which is why Caiharr can remain mayor while representing District 33 in Topeka.

Caiharr is now seeking her first full term representing the district and will face Democrat Emily Blanks in the November general election. Blanks, a member of the Bonner Springs City Council, won 78% of the vote in the August Democratic primary to secure her party's nomination, according to The Community Voice. House District 33, which covers Bonner Springs, Edwardsville and other western Wyandotte County communities, was historically represented by Democrats before flipping to Republican victories in both 2022 and 2024, according to a Substack analysis of the race.

The Politics Behind the Exchange

The two issues Williams says she raised with Caiharr both track with the lawmaker's public record in Topeka. In April, Kansas House Bill 2468 would have increased the program's annual cap to $15 million for tax year 2026, but the governor vetoed the bill. Kansas lawmakers have debated restrictions on public restrooms and changing facilities according to biological sex.

Williams' claim rests on a legal standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court's 1968 decision in Pickering v. Board of Education, which holds that public school employees retain First Amendment protections to speak as private citizens on matters of public concern, so long as that speech does not unjustifiably disrupt school operations, according to Oyez. Whether the district can show Williams' comments caused real disruption during school hours is likely to be a central question as the case moves through court.

The Tenth Circuit has stated that public employees do not surrender all their First Amendment rights, according to a Mar 5, 2018, court opinion.

For now, the lawsuit adds a legal fight to what was already shaping up as Caiharr's first full-term election in House District 33, with both Caiharr and Blanks holding local government seats even as they campaign for the state legislative post ahead of November.

A decade ago or so, parents were finding loom bands in the couch cushions and underfoot during a craze for the analog toys. Kids made bracelets and other items, and in the vein of LEGO and other build-your-own entertainment, YouTube creators provided tutorials for elaborate projects. The toy fad may have waned, but for artist Hannah Beuchler, the small, colorful rubber bands proved an accessible material for an inventive application.

At a glance, Beuchler’s works appear like expressionist paintings, with gestural brushstrokes and carefully chosen colors. But our senses are piqued by the unusual texture, and upon closer inspection, we observe thousands of loom bands in vibrant relief.

Beuchler draws upon her interest in fabrics and mark-making techniques of the Impressionists. She’s interested in pushing the boundaries of textiles by using found and recycled materials, and her works often plumb the relationship between natural and synthetic media.

Utilizing a felt template, which also serves as the substrate, Beuchler loops the bands onto small tufts of colorful wool roving. Soft and malleable, these segments can be curved and nestled in among one another to create any shape, assembled almost like a puzzle. The finished work retains its textile-like pliability, but when framed and installed on the wall, it assumes the character of a painting.

See more on Beuchler’s work on Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Hannah Beuchler Loops Thousands of Colorful Loom Bands like Brushstrokes appeared first on Colossal.

From the Internet Archive: Vanishing Culture: A Report on Our Fragile Cultural Record. “When digital materials are vulnerable to sudden removal…our collective memory is compromised, and the public’s ability to access its own history is at risk.”

On a company-wide Slack this morning, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg announced he has been put on a paid leave of absence.

“And the biggest news: I won't be able to make the ELT tomorrow,” Matt wrote in an Announcement Slack. He continued, writing that Mark Davies, current Automattic Chief Financial Officer, has “conspired” with Automattic Board of Directors members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker “behind my back and they voted to put me on a paid leave of absence. I voted against that.” 

He wrote that Davies was voted to be the new interim CEO. “I received the resolution 50 minutes before the meeting start, and requested repeatedly for time to have it reviewed by independent legal counsel, even a few hours, which was denied,” Mullenweg wrote.

Mullenweg is the founder of Automattic, the company that owns WordPress, Tumblr, Pocket Casts, and a host of other popular internet brands and pieces of software. Mullenweg has faced several controversies over his management of the company in recent years.

In the same Slack channel, Davies wrote that Mullenweg would remain a board member and “he will have a voice in setting direction and making decisions.”

"As you have seen from Matt's previous messages, Automattic's board has decided to ask Matt to step away from his CEO role and take a leave of absence,” Schneider wrote following Mullenweg’s message. “We have asked Mark Davies to assume the interim CEO role while Matt is out. We've worked closely with Mark over the years and we're confident he will steer the ship well while Matt is away. I'm sure you will have many questions and Mark and your leadership team will be available to answer them.” 

“I want to thank Matt for his support and I intend to support him, the Board, Automattic, and our customers during this interim situation,” Davies wrote in that Slack channel. “It will take me some time to come up to speed, but we'll move forward with transparency, communication, and teamwork.” He wrote that nothing will change as a result of Mullenweg’s leave.

Mullenweg, Automattic, Schneider, and Davies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

For the last few years, Mullenweg has waged a divisive legal battle with WP Engine, sparing publicly with opponents and peers on social media and in his personal blog. In 2024, he made an “Alignment Offer,” giving Automattic employees who disagreed with his stances the option to take six months of pay or $30,000, whichever was higher, with the stipulation that they would lose access to their work logins that same evening and would not be eligible for rehire.

One hundred and fifty-nine people took the offer and left. He then made another buyout offer, and threatened employees who spoke to the press with termination, saying, “exit gracefully, or be fired tomorrow with no severance.” 

Most recently, Automattic attempted to claim it owns the word “automatic.”