Kansas City Today

McClatchy, one of the biggest newspaper companies in the country, laid off dozens of journalists last week, including several in Kansas City. These decisions not only affect the news you see, but also the way that local government functions.

As medical costs rise, Kansans are turning to organizations called Medical Loan Closets that lend out donated items like wheelchairs and walkers for little or no cost. These medical loan closets are helping people maintain their independence, especially for aging residents.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state must use its 2022 congressional map for the upcoming November elections — rather than the redrawn map used during the primary. That means a much different race for candidates in the 5th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and his Republican Rick Brattin.

Federal officials are targeting four Kansas schools for their policies surrounding transgender students. But what is it like to be a transgender student in those districts? We'll hear from one student who spent formative years of her life at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.

Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wants voters to judge him by his record but Democratic challenger Chris Mann is making that record a target. We’ll have a look at the race for Kansas attorney general. Plus: a recap of last week's rollercoaster over congressional maps in Missouri.

A decade ago, a federal task force laid out a plan to help monarch butterflies along their journey by returning roadsides to native habitat, particularly Interstate-35 in Missouri and Kansas.

Corn and soybean harvests are starting just as the fuel farmers need to reap is shooting up in price. Plus, older Americans on fixed incomes are hit especially hard when food costs spike.

A New York Times report found that Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, of Kansas, sued hundreds of his patients over medical debt when he was practicing medicine in the western part of the state.

Data centers that power AI are exploding across the Midwest — and so is opposition to them. Now, people across the political spectrum want to see stricter regulation and more transparency.

Harry Houdini was a master of escape. He was also a self-promoter who once performed a stunt in downtown Kansas City to draw an audience to his shows. We'll learn about the Houdini escape that originated right here in Kansas City.

The U.S. Department of Justice has followed through on its threat to sue Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools based on a dispute over the district’s transgender policies.

Tenants of the North Lawn apartments in Kansas City's Historic Northeast were forced to move out by the city due to the complex's hazardous conditions — capping off years of troubles with a landlord who failed to make proper fixes. But a deal with the city and the new owner should allow tenants to move back to a repaired building.

Kansas City is dishing out a lot of money for new development plans, specifically toward the Country Club Plaza and Royals downtown ballpark. How do the two projects stack up against each other — and why does Kansas City feel like it needs to give those owners public funding?

Over the summer, an internationally renowned expert on authoritarianism visited Kansas to investigate the state's new polices on transgender rights. Hear why New York Times columnist M. Gessen sees similarities between Kansas and Nazi Germany.

Saying goodbye to a pet can be really hard. But one business in Kansas City is offering a unique way to preserve their memory: preserving and articulating their skeleton. Plus: As more people pick up pickleball to stay fit, emergency room visits related to the sport have nearly quadrupled.

There’s a chance your next bowl of cereal or protein shake will include milk that came from Kansas. Dairy production in the state has quadrupled over the last couple decades, and that growth rests on the shoulders of immigrant workers in rural Kansas.

Sports economists looking at the $600 million deal between the Royals and the Kansas City Council aren’t very impressed. The quickly-passed measure leaves many unanswered questions about where the public funds will come from, how much risk Kansas City will take on, and if the economic benefits will actually pan out.

Birdwatchers in Kansas might notice tiny, yellow birds in their backyards, a songbird that only recently started breeding in Kansas. Plus: Midwest prairies are turning into woodland. Ranchers are trying to stop this change, but it’s an uphill battle.

Last week, a Missouri judge declined to put two measures that received hundreds of thousands of petition signatures on the November ballot. Now the state Supreme Court will take a look. We'll take a closer look at the redistricting referendum and Respect Missouri Voters amendment.

For decades, the names of thousands of local enslaved people lay hidden in deeds, wills, probate records and bills of sale. A recent discovery is shedding new light on Missouri's history of slavery.