Donald Trump

It’s a time of low unemployment across the Midwest, leading to a labor shortage that’s stunting the growth of urban and rural businesses. Given that Donald Trump campaigned on a staunchly pro-business platform, one would think he’d have instituted policies benefiting everything from high-tech startups to huge dairy operations.

The legislation that governs farm policies, nutrition programs and rural development, known as the Farm Bill, is set to expire in September.

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas is leading the effort to get a new Farm Bill passed, and he received support this week from President Donald Trump.

President Trump has re-nominated Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback for a post in the U.S. State Department.

The president’s re-nomination of Brownback to serve as ambassador for international religious freedom won’t trigger any immediate action.

Brownback says he will remain governor until the U.S. Senate votes to confirm him.

First nominated in July, Brownback expected to start his new job before the end of last year. He recently began handing over responsibilities to his successor, Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer.

A former Kansas congressman and the current CIA director could become the new secretary of state. There’s talk the White House is planning to replace Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo.

One of the Democrats on the president’s Commission on Election Integrity is suing the group and Republican Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach is vice chair of the controversial panel, created by President Trump to study election issues.

Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap says he hasn’t been receiving information about what the group’s doing.

“Secretary Dunlap has been, and continues to be, blocked from receiving commission documents necessary to carry out his responsibilities,” the lawsuit says.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo made his first trip back to Wichita this week since taking over the spy agency in January. At the Rotary Club of Wichita’s meeting on Monday, he talked about his job and the threats facing the United States 

Pompeo told an audience of more than 300 people about the daily briefings he gives President Trump, and shared details about what goes into collecting foreign intelligence.

Pompeo said that ten months into the job, he’s proud of the espionage work being done around the world.

Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday used a group of like-minded witnesses to attack President Donald Trump’s tax cut plan by comparing it to what they repeatedly referred to as Kansas’ “failed” tax experiment.