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Toriano Porter

@torianoporter.bsky.social
618 followers 52 following 260 posts

Author. Speaker. Mentor. Opinion writer. Kansas City Star Editorial Board. Addicted to books, beer, bourbon, biking and ☕️ beans...

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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 12h
He’s a Kansas Army National Guardsman and feels betrayed by the country he enlisted to serve just two years ago. His father, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, sits inside an ICE detention center in Leavenworth without bail. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
ICE detained father while this Kansas soldier served in the Army National Guard | Porter
A Kansas Army Guardsman says ICE detained his undocumented father in Leavenworth, despite a pending immigration application. From Toriano Porter:
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is returning to the Show-Me State after about a year as co-deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Welcome home, Mr. Bailey. We hardly missed you. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
Welcome home, Andrew Bailey. We hardly missed you while you were at the FBI | Porter
Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is coming back to Missouri after about a year at the FBI, leaving questions about his legacy, and controversial lawsuits.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
No amount of social media posturing by Missouri Republicans can disguise the reality that true election integrity starts with following the law, not crying foul when the nation’s highest court calls your bluff. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
Missouri GOP take to X to lament high court map order. They’re crying foul | Porter
SCOTUS orders Missouri to use the 2022 map, exposing GOP leaders like Denny Hoskins and others for illegally pushing the 2025 HB-1 plan and risking voter trust.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Shortly after Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jalilah Otto found Kansas City Police Officer Chris Showalter guilty of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault, Showalter’s victim was asked if Showalter should be a police officer. "No," he said. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A Jackson County judge found Kansas City Police Officer Chris Showalter guilty of fourth-degree misdemeanor assault for using excessive force against a handcuffed man. Sentencing is set for Oct. 29.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
On Wednesday, I attended the trial of Kansas City Police Officer Chris Showalter, who is accused of assault for driving his knee into the neck of a handcuffed man. Below is a link to five things that stood out from witness testimony. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
5 takeaways from the trial of KCPD officer Chris Showalter | Porter
Testimonies in the Kansas City trial recount Hardy’s injuries, bystander recordings, and disputed use of force in Westport. From Toriano Porter:
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
KCPD officer on trial for assault, but why is his victim being prosecuted? LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
KCPD officer on trial for assault, but why is his victim being prosecuted? | Porter
Officer Chris Showalter is accused of assaulting William Michael Hardy during a Westport arrest. Toriano Porter scrutinizes prosecution choices.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Impeach the Missouri Supreme Court? Did GOP leaders in this state really go there? If it was up to me, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins would face impeachment hearings instead for failing to do the job he is required by law to do. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Missouri GOP leaders should impeach Denny Hoskins, not threaten state Supreme Court. My latest column for @KCStarOpinion. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
GOP leaders should impeach Denny Hoskins, not threaten state Supreme Court | Porter
Missouri GOP members threatened the state Supreme Court if the court found Secretary of State Hoskins in contempt. Hoskins defied rulings over a gerrymandered map.
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Reposted by Toriano Porter
S.T. Bikes KC 🚶🚴 🚌 & 🚎 @stbikeskc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I'm pretty excited, Kansas City is installing around 120 new bike racks throughout the city this summer. I've already seen a dozen in the River Market, some in Columbus Park, and Downtown, with more rolling out this fall to a neighborhood near you. www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/de...
kcmo.gov
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Congratulations, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and Attorney General Catherine Hanaway. You both got what you wanted: a full-blown constitutional crisis of your own making. My latest column for The Kansas City Star Opinion. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
It’s clear who caused Missouri gerrymandering legal chaos. Now they own it | Porter
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and Attorney General Catherine Hanaway got the constitutional crisis they apparently wanted, says Toriano Porter.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
To be honest, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' total disregard for the rule of law and the failure to do the job the people elected him to do is a case study in everything that is wrong with politics in this state and elsewhere. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
What constitutional crisis? Hoskins and Hanaway detest Supreme Court double loss | Porter
The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously blocked the gerrymandered HB 1 map and upheld citizen petition rights. From Toriano Porter:
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
In the coming days, we will most likely learn more about the circumstances surrounding MicahJo Barnett’s death. Right now, the most important thing to remember is the positive light coaches and loved ones said he brought to William Jewell College. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Bryson Tiller Nelly Run DMC Beastie Boys Public Enemy
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Wearing a badge is a public trust, and Sheriff Deputy Richard Fatherley forfeited his the moment he knelt on Charles Adair’s back. For the sake of basic accountability and public safety, he has no business wearing a uniform or carrying a gun. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Sen. Eric Schmitt wants to clean up college athletics. While I commend the Republican lawmaker from Missouri for trying his best to establish a nationwide framework to overhaul college sports, do we really think Congress getting involved is the way to go? Link ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
Eric Schmitt wants to protect college sports, but is it really his business? | Porter
The Missouri senator’s Protect College Sports Act seeks to change transfer, eligibility and NIL rules, but Toriano Porter thinks it’s a mistake.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Elected officials in Kansas City should listen to the people and let voters decide if a $600 million funding package for a new $1.9 billion downtown baseball stadium is the best use of public dollars. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Jackson Countians deserve better than a public official holding office while under the cloud of federal bribery charges. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
Should he stay or should he go? The politics of Phil LeVota’s remaining term | Porter
With the Jackson County executive facing an indictment, Toriano Porter weighs whether his resignation would cause more chaos than leaving him in office.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Why Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins must step aside and place voter initiatives on the Missouri ballot. My latest column for @KCStarOpinion... LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Stepped out for a quick trip to the 816 Day celebration in Kansas City. As a native St. Louisan, I always try to support my KCMO folks whenever I can. Ran up on KC Wolf and my guy Joey Cut's small business Frosty Frogs Water Ice and made a stop for a sip at Green Dirt on Oak. ☕️
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
So, someone vandalized an automated license plate recognition camera in Kearney? Bad move. Now the local police are on your back for a potential felony property damage crime. What a terrible way to protest these mass surveillance tools. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Did former Assistant Jackson County Prosecutor Amy McGowan frame former Kansas City resident Keith Carnes for murder? LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
As a parent of three high school-age children in Missouri, I think phone bans in public and private schools here and in Kansas are inherently a bad idea. Certainly I’m not the only one that feels this way, am I? LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti... #kansas #phone #ban #kansas #phone #ban
kansascity.com
KS school phone ban takes effect. Can parents survive with no access to kids? | Porter
Toriano Porter asks: Is cutting off communication from children all day realistic in 2026?
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
In my latest column for The Kansas City Star, I call on the Chiefs to stop the so-called “Tomahawk Chop,” drop the Arrowhead Stadium name entirely and simply change the team’s name from the Chiefs to a more appropriate one. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston should resign. With such chaotic allegations about her personal decisions during her time in office, and including what she has already admitted to, continuing to lead her office would be untenable. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
If you voted no on Kansas' Value Them Both amendment in 2022, vote no on this proposed amendment.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
From @KCStarOpinion: When you head to the polls on Tuesday in the 2026 primary, you’ll be faced with several questions on your ballot. What are they and how should you vote? Our thoughts appear on our updated Election Recommendations page. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/elec...
kansascity.com
Election Recommendations & Endorsements | Kansas City Star
Learn which candidates are endorsed by the Kansas City Star editorial board in local, state races and how to vote on this year's ballot items.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Chiefs Kingdom, the entire Bieniemy family needs our collective thoughts and prayers in what I could only assume is one of the most difficult times of their lives. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
The Kansas City Star Editorial Board recommends a no vote on Amendment 5, warning the measure would shift the tax burden onto low- and middle-income residents. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Legal marijuana in Kansas: The Sunflower State is among just a few states that locks up people for simple possession of cannabis, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. That needs to change. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
My bike ride Saturday in Fort Worth hit a bit differently. I rode by a street named in honor of Atatiana Jefferson, a Black woman fatally shot in 2019 by white Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean. Fort Worth renamed a portion of Allen Avenue and Maddox Avenue in Jefferson’s memory. #sayhername
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
As of now, I have no issue with high-level city officials attending World Cup matches in Kansas City for free. What about you? Agree or disagree? LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Kansas Citians should be able to move about the city freely without being subjected to mass surveillance programs such as facial recognition AI cameras, automatic license plate reader cameras or drones. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Did you know there is a Negro Creek in Johnson County, Kansas? What's the most offensive name of a body of water near you?
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
In my latest column for The Kansas City Star, I urge the Missouri attorney general to lay off the cultural war and do her job to protect all Missourians. Click on the link below or visit www.kansascity.com and #subscribe 🗞 LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
What an unmitigated mess the Kansas City Police Department finds itself in — and the law enforcement agency isn’t alone. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
With missing body of KC highway shooter, there’s plenty of blame to share | Porter
A cadaver dog alerted officials, but human remains were missed for days. It’s time to quit pointing fingers and come up with some answers, says Toriano Porter.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
How did police in Kansas City miss the body of a suspected highway shooter after a thorough search of a burned-down home in Independence? LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Manny’s Mexican Restaurant on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City is eliminating its World Cup tax. Good. Every business that has implemented automatic gratuity for the international soccer tournament should do the same. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Violence prevention is solely lacking in the 18th and Vine Jazz District. Without delay, the Kansas City Council must implement enhanced security screenings on weekend nights during the warmer months in and around the area. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
World Cup visitors: If you’re craving good pizza in Kansas City, try these spots... LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
World Cup visitors: If you’re craving good pizza, try these spots | Porter & Williams
Double Take: Opinion writers Toriano Porter and Mara Rose Williams don’t agree about whether New York-style pizza is better in KC and here’s why.
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Kansas City did that. In my latest column for The Kansas City Star, I write that Kansas City is a worthy World Cup host, the hype is real, but the work isn’t over. To read the piece, click on the link below. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti... #greenscreenvideo #worldcup2026
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Viewing clips from the Downtown Days fiasco in Lee's Summit should serve as a very important reminder to always consider the context of what we see or read on the internet and get the whole story before making assumptions without all the facts. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
That viral video of teens fighting at Lee’s Summit fest isn’t what you think | Porter
“That video is misleading”: Lee’s Summit police urges context before judging social media footage of officer controlling a fight. From Toriano Porter:
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Lee’s Summit’s annual Downtown Days Festival is no more. In a stunning announcement, the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street board of directors decided to call it quits after a raucous weekend saw swarms of unruly teens wreaking havoc at the event. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
In my latest column for the Kansas City Star, I write about a violence-filled weekend that included a mass shooting that left nine people injured, some unruly teens acting a fool in Lee's Summit and a deadly double shooting inside a QuikTrip. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
A very public dustup between Jackson County Legislature Chairman Manny Abarca and Sheriff Darryl Forte about issues with the new County Detention Center needs to end — the sooner the better. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The Kansas City Police Department’s fleet of drones will be at the ready during the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament held here June 11 to July 19. While I understand the need, I do have some concerns about the drones the department has at its disposal. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
The Kansas City Star Opinion team on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Liberty Memorial, in Kansas City. Photo credit: Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com Meet the squad: ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Did you know an analysis ranked all 16 World Cup 2026 host cities across five categories including accessibility, cost, atmosphere, safety and weather, and hotel access and Kansas City finished last? A link to my latest column for The Kansas City Star is below. ⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
A slush fund for election deniers and insurrectionists? Say it isn’t so. In my latest piece for the Kansas City Star, I asked senators from Missouri and Kansas their thoughts on this proposal. To read the piece, click on the link below. LINK ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
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Toriano Porter @torianoporter.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Missouri state Sen. Rick Brattin, a hard-charging, far-right Republican from Harrisonville, needs to chill. A link to my latest column is below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
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