I love to read a newspaper in the morning.
I live in Kansas City and still (this word is deliberate) subscribe to the Kansas City Star. I have had it delivered to where I live since I moved to the KC region in 1990.
What has happened to this paper in the last ten years is a shame. On most days of the week, it seems to be a quarter of what it used to be.
Now and then it does have fascinating, well-research articles on the Kansas City area. Several weeks ago, it had a great story of the increasing integration of the Kansas City over the last two decades. They was a report on the ranking of nursing homes in the area. It talked about how this winter, which seems especially cold, is not a severe as recent winters. It is covering the stupid legislation that is happening in the State of Kansas and the fight over Medicaid expansion. Of course, it reports on local murders (KC has one of the highest murder rates per capita in the country). Its reports on the resistance of a county to the north of Kansas City to an audit by the Missouri Auditor have been excellent.
The Kansas City metropolitan area spans two states: Missouri and Kansas. So, the daily paper has to cover the politics and events in both states. It includes four Congressional districts and for US Senators.
Trump’s emergency declaration is top news. At the national level, we certainly know what Graham, Schumer, and Pelosi think. The Star carries AP, McClatchy, and sometimes NY Times articles on events in DC. We know that there are some Republican Senators like Rubio (channeling their inner-Flake) who are distressed by Trump’s declaration.
However, since Saturday, I have yet to see even a sidebar on what the six local members of Congress have said about Trump’s declaration. How are citizens to make an informed decision about their members of Congress if we don’t know their views on important events in Washington?
What newspaper serving a particular locality decides it is not important to report what the views of the local members of Congress on a national issue? Of course, someone have no view on the issue is also news. (I have an email into the editor of the paper asking why there has been no reporting on local members’ views.)
It is non-reporting like this that makes me question why I still get the Kansas City Star.
What are papers in your part of the country reporting on their members of Congress?