The long-awaited American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration’s COVID-19 relief package, was signed into law last week. The $1.9 trillion legislation is one of the most progressive bills signed in decades.  The significance of this bill in the fight against the pandemic...

In the aftermath of the right-wing Capitol insurrection, Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas did the right thing. While it should seem odd to call it courageous, Moran broke with many colleagues and voted to certify the 2020 election results.   What was the senator's...

The Golden Globes announced their nominations early in February, and the conversation around them was about as pleasant as the discussion around any major event of the last few years.  Like any list of awards nominations, the list was confusing for what was on it and...

In contemporary America, students take out crippling student loans with the assumption that the prospects afforded by college will solve any future financial woes. That line of thinking, spoon-fed to all kids one way or another, has proven to not match reality. Not only...

It is often said that history repeats itself, but that saying typically doesn't mean history repeats itself so quickly. Once again, the Senate has failed to punish a dangerous man whose fascistic plan to break American democracy was only thwarted by his laziness and ineptitude.  This...

Broken, buggy and unfinished. These are not the words anyone wants to hear associated with a new game, let alone something as high profile as “Cyberpunk 2077.” However, no three words can better describe this game, which tries to be a “Grand Theft Auto” style open-world...

In the post-New Deal era, conservatism and its exemplars were broadly discredited. President Eisenhower even went so far to call people who were still deeply rooted in conservatism crazy and out of touch.   Yet nearly a decade later Barry Goldwater, the champion...

Looking back over the first presidential debate of the 2020 election is a dizzying affair. It was a 90-minute event that felt both never-ending and lighting fast due to its chaotic nature. The primary source of the chaos was President Trump, whose wild interrupting and flagrant...

By Brenden Hill and Soffia Hernandez The Kangaroo Pantry now serves twice as many students as it did prior to coronavirus, down from serving quadruple its usual amount when the pandemic began in March. The pantry, which has been operating since 2015, serves UMKC students,...

If you watched the news, election coverage or debates, you would find it easy to forget that most of the president’s power relates to foreign policy, or that Congress should be more active when it comes to non-domestic issues. Nowadays, it’s common to have presidential...

Right now, the 2020 election and the coronavirus are prompting a lot of discussion of the cultural and economic problems in the U.S. Sadly, the institutional changes that are needed to address these issues are rarely part of the discussion. People believe things like the...

“Government is not the solution. Government is the problem.”                      This quote from President Ronald Reagan from his inaugural address might be one his most famous, which is really saying something.  The reason for its popularity isn't just...

Emma Lane and Brenden Hill Over the last few weeks, both states and cities have taken difficult measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Reactions to these measures have varied. The stay at home order was first issued on March 21 for Kansas City and was set to...

Though most news nowadays is about the coronavirus, one story broke out of the corona-barrier: Bernie Sanders dropping out of the Democratic primary. There was a time when it seemed that Senator Bernie Sanders was going to win it all. Instead, former Vice President Joe Biden,...

Textbooks—every student needs them at some point, even if they don’t like them. They’re not only not the most exciting read, but are also expensive. However, for some UMKC students,  their textbooks aren’t even available when they need them. Students are supposed...

Arguing can be messy. Most people probably argue with their family or friends, but few of these arguments wind up on national television. The common sources of these national arguments are political candidates in primary races, who frequently clash on the various debate stages...

The American economy today is a land of giants. These giants aren't the great creatures of fantasy; rather, they are the companies that exist around us every day. An example presents itself with the approval of the $26 billion merger of Sprint ( based in Overland Park, Kansas)...

Running for president of the U.S. is commonly seen as a process that is both burdensome and taxing on all who are involved. It involves going across the country, winning important centers of power like Iowa or New Hampshire and trying to put up a good showing in televised debates. This...

When asked if they would like water damage, an exploding oven or mice and squirrels as roommates in their apartments, most people would likely say no. Yet these are just some of the complaints leveled at UMKC Homes.  UMKC Homes is university-sponsored housing offering...

Caucusgoers hold up their first votes as they are counted on the Drake University campus in Des Moines. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) Picture turning on the news and learning an important election in Russia nearly broke down in the middle of a contentious election year. Upon hearing...

One of the first things taught in any U.S. government class is the separation of powers. It is a foundational principle of the American system of government. However, the last few weeks of President Trump’s impeachment process call into question how real that separation...