Kansas City Today

A new Kansas City Star investigation reveals that the plaintiff in a case brought forward against the city by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has ties to the mafia.

Midwest lawmakers have tried and failed to ban paraquat, a toxic weedkiller that’s been tied to Parkinson’s disease. One state senator plans to keep fighting. Plus: The federal government has released new rules controlling how farmers can use the controversial herbicide dicamba.

The August primary elections were big for Johnson County Democrats, with primary wins for U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton and Kansas governor candidate Cindy Holscher. What should voters expect in November, and what does it say about the future of the party and the state?

Purple martins are back in Kansas. Thousands of the birds are gathering near the Wichita airport each evening as they prepare for their annual migration. Plus: A small town in southcentral Kansas proudly bears the nickname “Midway USA,” positioning itself firmly between California and New York.

Missouri's candidates are set for the November general election under a redrawn congressional map. But with Kansas City's three districts carved to specifically benefit Republicans, even longtime U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II faces a tough race.

Childcare costs in Missouri and Kansas can now rival a mortgage for working families, but two Midwestern lawmakers are fighting to change that. Plus: After the Affordable Care Act tax credits lapsed, healthcare premiums spiked for millions of farmers and ranchers.

 State Sen. Rick Brattin was selected by voters during last week's primary election as the Republican candidate for Missouri's 5th Congressional District, a seat currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II. The 5th District is expected to lean more Republican under newly drawn congressional maps.

Two winners of last week's primaries are aiming for their first terms representing Missouri in Congress next year. We'll hear how Republican Chris Stigall and Democrat Jordan Herrera plan to unite their respective parties and secure seats in Washington.

Drive-in theaters have shown movies under the stars for generations, and many Kansas filmgoers still see value for these nostalgic experiences in a changing movie landscape. Plus: There’s a chance the wheat in your spaghetti could be grown in western Kansas in the next few years.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a citizen referendum that would have given voters the chance to overturn the new Republican-drawn congressional map. Hoskins said the measure was unconstitutional, but the group People Not Politicians said he's being "obstructionist."

Missouri residents overwhelmingly voted against proposals to eliminate the income tax and change how citizens can change the Missouri constitution. Meanwhile, Kansans elected Reverend Adam Hamilton as the Democratic opponent to U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and Democrat Cindy Holscher and Republican Ty Masterson will face each other in the race for Kansas governor.

Today, Missourians will decide the fate of a proposed constitutional amendment that gives lawmakers the ability to expand sales and use taxes in order to eliminate the state income tax.

Missouri Republicans want to make it harder to amend the state’s constitution, but even backers of Amendment 4 acknowledge it’s getting a rough reception. Plus: Missouri’s 6th Congressional District has an open race for the first time since 2000.

Missouri’s Republican supermajority redrew the state’s congressional boundaries last year to make the 4th and 5th districts a tougher battle for Democrats. We'll talk through the races before Tuesday's primary, the first election under the newly gerrymandered map.

People living in homeless encampments say Missouri and Kansas cities have been more aggressive about enforcement since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision. Plus: Latino communities in Wichita are on edge after immigration agents asked a bus full of people to present proof of citizenship.

As Gov. Laura Kelly finishes out her last term in office, seven Republicans and three Democrats are making their case to replace her. Find out about the candidates before the Aug. 4 primary. Plus: The cyclospora outbreak has some people scrutinizing where their produce comes from.

The World Cup has come and gone in Kansas City. What could the city's success as a host city mean for future events?

In the Aug. 4 election, Kansas Citians will decide whether to extend a sales tax aimed at re-developing neighborhoods east of Troost, and vote on $1.7 billion in bonds for water and sewers. What's at stake in the votes?

Maud Wagner, one of the country’s first known female commercial tattoo artists, was born in Emporia, Kansas. She joined a sideshow act with her sister until a fateful meeting pushed her to pursue carnival stardom, inked from head to toe.

Experts say affordable housing and a lower cost of living are driving people back into the Midwest. Plus: Many farmers are worried whether they'll see a profit this year thanks to high supply costs.

Kansas City opened its doors to thousands of international visitors during the World Cup. What kind of impressions did we make?

Five Republicans are running to replace U.S. Rep. Sam Graves in Missouri’s 6th District. Conservative talk show radio host Chris Stigall talks policy ahead of the August primary.

Several Republicans are running to replace U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, who isn’t running for reelection in Missouri’s 6th District. Kansas City Council member Nathan Willett shares what his priorities would be if he is elected, and why he thinks he’s the right fit for the job.

The biggest natural disaster ever to hit Kansas City struck 75 years ago. The Black Friday Flood of 1951 is remembered as bigger, nastier and worse than you can probably imagine.

Immigrants to the U.S. without legal status have found themselves facing deportation to a country where they have no ties. Independence resident Alisa Ramdial Shahib is one of the latest.

Advocacy groups say immigration enforcement in Kansas City resulted in the detention of at least 30 people during the World Cup. The increased ICE presence across the Kansas City metro has kept residents on edge, and led to a backlog in the court system.

A sales tax that funds Missouri’s parks and soil and water conservation is back on the ballot this August. It's sharing the spotlight with eight other amendments, leaving advocates wondering if they can cut through the noise.

After a 40-year career in financial services, Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Sandy Spidel Neumann is focused on optimization. She spoke on KCUR's Up To Date about how her business background has prepared her for Congress.

Bright pedicabs are zipping across Kansas City during the World Cup and they're here to stay. Plus: Organizers of a new music venue in Kansas City say it’s a place where the listening comes first. 515 Music Hub was a result of the city's Open Doors program for the World Cup, but wants to keep going after.

Missouri saw 2,690 deaths from Alzheimer's in 2024 — a 145% increase since 2000. One southeast Missouri couple is trying to convince lawmakers their support is critical. Plus: A substance abuse counselor in Kansas City has developed secular recovery programs focused on inclusivity.

Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Erik Murray wants "solutions, not chaos" for healthcare and the economy. He spoke on KCUR's Up to Date about the challenges he thinks are most pressing for Kansans in the federal government.

The discovery of an ancient Kansas settlement named Etzanoa is challenging long-held views that all Indigenous people on the Great Plains were nomadic. Plus: Kansas boasts its own version of the Liberty Bell at a small town in Marion County.

First-term Kansas state Sen. Patrick Schmidt said Kansans’ needs are greater than what lawmakers can address at the state level. He spoke on KCUR's Up to Date about why his experience sets him apart from his Democratic opponents.

If you go to any ice cream truck or swimming pool snack bar, you’ll likely find the red, white and blue Bomb Pop. The famous treat was invented in Kansas City in 1955. But when the popsicle first came out during the Cold War, some parents didn’t like the idea of selling a frozen weapon of war to children.

Cameras with license plate-reading capabilities are used by law enforcement agencies and cities around the U.S., including in Missouri and Kansas. But some residents are resisting the surveillance.

It's a crowded primary race for Democrats hoping to take on incumbent Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall. Democrat Christy Davis spoke on KCUR's Up to Date about why she's running and how her experience working for the USDA sets her apart.

Rural hospitals in Kansas will use federal money to help them transform and expand access to healthcare. Some are creating new services like mobile maternal health clinics, but looming Medicaid cuts still mean many hospitals are at risk of closing.

Kansas City’s transit authority could become among the first in the nation to use AI-powered cameras on city buses to help strengthen security and more quickly detect banned passengers. But critics worry about privacy and scaring away riders.

Only about 2% of aircraft pilots and flight engineers are Black. A group of men, inspired by the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, is trying to change that by highlighting careers in aviation. A KCUR reporter visited Red Tail Academy to learn about why that number is so low.

Across the country, data centers have attracted controversy for everything from overuse of utilities to tax breaks. Now, some Missourians are trying to track down those details through public records requests, appearances at public meetings and other grassroots efforts.

The Algerian men’s national team adopted Lawrence as its home base for the World Cup. In return, the Kansas college town embraced the team in a big way — and flooded the streets Monday when Algeria won its first match of the tournament.

Many fans going to the first World Cup match in Kansas City last week were delayed by hours-long traffic jams. Local organizers made some changes to the transit system ahead of Saturday's Ecuador-Curaçao game — but were they enough?

A recently released audit of Missouri’s finances shows the state is on the brink of a budget crisis. Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick discusses what his office found and how he wants elected officials to respond.

Hundreds flocked to a Kansas greenhouse to witness the colorful and pungent bloom of a rare, very smelly plant. Plus: An important bridge in Wichita was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which supporters say will aid its future preservation.

Kansas voters will soon decide if they want to elect justices to the state’s highest court, instead of the current, merit-based nomination system. Some former justices worry direct elections could interfere with important decision-making.

Soccer first came to Kansas City through youth leagues in the 1970s, and a co-founder of the Brookside Soccer Club tells us how it changed the city. Plus: We'll take you to last night's World Cup match between Argentina and Algeria, the first of six games in Kansas City.

A federal program under fire from the Trump Administration has bought and shipped American grain to the world’s hungry for seven decades. Hear why the fight to save Food for Peace raises a fundamental question about the focus of U.S. international food aid.

Leawood pastor Rev. Adam Hamilton thinks he can bridge the divide in Washington and bring costs down for the people of Kansas. He spoke to KCUR's Up To Date about why he decided to run for Sen. Roger Marshall's U.S. Senate seat.

An Olathe police officer violated department policy by calling an ICE hotline during a traffic stop, a call that ultimately led to a man's deportation. Learn the details behind the traffic stop and an update on the man's family.

A year ago, a group of concerned people in Missouri got together to help immigrants detained by ICE, and they've since expanded to seven affiliates in three states. Plus: Even though ICE raids are less visible than this winter, fear among immigrants remains high.