Hail to the Chiefs
In our increasingly divided society, sports remain one of the few remaining things that can unite people.
Rooting for a team can serve as the foundation of a friendship, strengthen relationships and tie together a community. Wearing a team’s hat in a foreign city can earn you a “hello” on the sidewalk.
A team can serve as a little window into where you’re from or even what you were like as a child.
And if that team wins a championship, it can bring a wide range of politicians to the White House.
That’s what happened this week, when President Joe Biden celebrated the Chiefs Super Bowl Championship on Monday.
Both Republicans and Democrats alike made the trip to the South Lawn to be in the presence of the once-in-a-generation talent Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the players who are helping to create a dynasty in Kansas City (which, while impressive, has not quite reached the level of my father’s New England Patriots).
There was Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican wearing a bright red Chiefs warm-up jacket underneath his suit jacket on a sunny, 80-degree day. The same senator who spends much of his time criticizing Biden for any number of his policies, the latest being the debt limit bill, shook the president’s hand.
There was Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, chatting with a staffer of Sen. Jerry Moran, the Kansas Republican. Lucas was name-checked by Biden, who said he could go “farther to the left.” It was unclear what the president meant, but both his staff and Lucas’ staff said it wasn’t about politics.
Rep. Mark Alford, the Missouri Republican, showed up in a bright red blazer and made his way up to meet Biden after the event ended. So did Rep. Jake LaTurner who, with his children, posed for a photo with the president.
The political calculus was easier for Gov. Laura Kelly, who is set to become the chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association next year. She brought a football with her and got it signed by Biden and Mahomes (though she was angling for, and didn’t get, Kelce).
Biden harped on the unity sports provide during his remarks at the event, saying the Chiefs reminded us of who we are as Americans.
“You’re showing the power of one of the most elusive things in the world: unity,” Biden said. “When people from different backgrounds, each with your own personalities, work together as one team. You play together with a distinct style, in constant motion with a real joy of the game and a love for each other and a great city to -- you represent.”
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid seemed to take the message to heart. After the event he told reporters he agreed with what Biden said about sports being a unifying cause.
“One thing I take from this,” Reid said. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or independent. It’s about the unity and the opportunity to come together here as the United States and be a part of that.”
Any unity that was on display didn’t last very long. By Tuesday, Marshall’s office was sending out press releases highlighting the senator’s criticism of Biden. One line? “I don’t know how the president sleeps at night.”
More from Missouri
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell announced his campaign this to challenge Sen. Josh Hawley in 2024. He’s jumping into a Democratic primary against former Marine Lucas Kunce, who launched his second effort for Senate after losing to Anheuser-Busch heiress Trudy Busch Valentine in 2022 (Busch Valentine lost to Sen. Eric Schmitt by 13 percentage points). If Bell were to win, he’d become Missouri’s first Black senator.
Here are headlines from across the state:
STL County prosecutor Bell launches campaign against Hawley, Kacen Bayless
Top Missouri Republicans spar in court over ballot measure to restore abortion rights, Kacen Bayless
Missouri enacts ban on trans athletes in women’s sports as Parson signs two anti-LGBTQ bills, Kacen Bayless
Mother says Missouri amusement park would not let her son bring in LGTBQ+ Pride tote, Andrea Klick
Curtains open, curtains close: Witnessing the execution of Michael Tisius in Missouri, Katie Moore
And across Kansas
Kansas abortion providers filed a lawsuit this week challenging state laws that require them to share medically incorrect or unproven information with patients, as long as the state’s waiting period before someone can get an abortion. The providers are challenging long-standing rules that require them to tell patients that the abortion pill regimen can be reversed after the first pill and required counseling clinics must give patients.
Kansas abortion providers challenge in court 24-hour waiting period, other requirements, Katie Bernard
Olathe receives $18 million in federal aid to eliminate dangerous railroad crossing, Katie Bernard
KS could remove 125,000 people from Medicaid after pandemic. Kelly calls for expansion, Jonathan Shorman
Human smuggling law takes effect in July. What will it mean for undocumented immigrants?, Natalie Wallington
More Kansas families can apply for $1,000 for tutoring, other education help after pandemic, Katie Bernard
The latest from Kansas City
In Kansas City …
Kansas City Chiefs visit White House for first time to celebrate Super Bowl victory, Daniel Desrochers
Passport delays leave Kansas City travelers in limbo, jeopardizing summer trip plans, Jonathan Shorman
Drag, dance, cash prizes and tough crowds. See Kansas City Pride’s new Ballroom show, J.M. Banks
Have a news tip? Send it along to ddesrochers@kcstar.com
Odds and ends
Go home, House
The House was in the middle of a procedural vote on legislation that would prevent the Biden administration from regulating gas stoves when something unusual happened — the rule began to fail.
A group of 11 Republicans — mostly members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus — had launched a revolt against House leadership after it rammed through the bill to prevent the federal government from defaulting on its debt.
These hard-line conservatives felt the deal didn’t go far enough in reducing the federal deficit and decided to effectively take the House hostage until they could get some concessions out of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Those concessions remain unclear.
Instead, because in Congress, bills are typically only passed with the majority of the majority, the Freedom Caucus has effectively stalled McCarthy’s agenda. He doesn’t have the votes to be able to pass the type of messaging bills the House has been passing that have no chance of clearing the Senate.
In a bit of a twist — it’s only the bills Democrats don’t like that are stalled in the Senate. If McCarthy were to try and get through something that had bipartisan support — say, more aid to the Ukrainian military — he’d likely be able to pass it.
But in the meantime, most House members were able to get an extra long weekend and Republican efforts to save gas stoves from those dastardly bureaucrats will have to wait.
Davids LGBTQ legislation
Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, and one of just 13 members of Congress who are openly LGBTQ, proposed a bill on Thursday aimed at protecting the mental health of LGBTQ kids.
“Youth here in Kansas and across the country continue to struggle with mental health challenges, but we are failing many of our most vulnerable children on this issue,” Davids said in a press release.
Davids also introduced this bill last Congress. It aims to commission a report on the mental health of people using federal services, including LGBTQ youth in foster care and increases mental health supports for the community.
Studies show that LGBTQ youth disproportionately face homelessness and are disproportionately likely to die by suicide or express suicidal thoughts.
The legislation comes in a moment when conservatives have launched a bevy of bills aimed at restricting LGBTQ rights, particularly the rights of transgender youth.
It also comes at the beginning of LGBTQ Pride month, which arose out of protests against discriminatory policies in the 1960s and 70s.
Moran in France
Sen. Jerry Moran this week traveled to Normandy to speak at the 79th anniversary of D-Day. He spoke at an event that also featured Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, alongside French dignitaries.
Every year, there’s an event to mark the day where more than 425,000 allied and German troops were killed when the allied forces launched an amphibious attack to make landfall in France. It marked the beginning of a campaign to Berlin that helped bring down the Nazis, six years after their army had started taking over Europe.
“It is my hope that each of us, and people from every nation, can show the same resolve, the same stalwart defiance, any place tyranny seeks to gain a foothold,” Moran said. “We must cherish the lessons and the example of those who stormed these beaches 79 years ago. But even more importantly, we must apply those lessons in our daily lives, whether that be in France or the United States. “
Happy Friday
Here’s the very long article that helped bring down the CEO of CNN. I could go for some ribs. All of my friends are into this song by Kylie Minogue, but I like the older version by Edith Piaf better.
Enjoy your weekend.
Looking for more?
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