As flu season settles over the Midwest, new and different vaccine messaging from Washington is spurring vaccine hesitation. And Kansas City health officials are noticing a concerning trend in the number of people contracting whooping cough.

Employees at Missouri's food banks said the government shutdown's halt of food benefits could put a strain on their organizations, which have already seen an increase in demand this year.

Shakea Roper needed to make a lifestyle change, but safety concerns can make it hard to find a place to be more active. Roper teamed up with the Marlborough Community Coalition on a walking group for all ages and skill levels, and transformed how she thinks about being a neighborhood resource.

Because the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is funded by the federal government, the ongoing shutdown means states aren't getting that money. House Minority Leader Ashley Aune said it will be devastating for Missouri families.

The Trump administration in late March slashed $500 million that had already been allocated to food aid nationwide through the Emergency Food Assistance Program. That canceled 124 scheduled deliveries to Missouri food banks.

Since 2023, access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones has radically diminished in Missouri, thanks in part to national attention and political outcry.

Randal Halfmann at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City is hoping to treat diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's by influencing how cells make life-or-death decisions.

Conspiracy theories about health fill a vacuum created by the lack of doctors in Kansas and many other rural communities. Meanwhile, doctors say patients have become increasingly distrustful and sometimes hostile.

For nearly a decade, overdoses have killed hundreds of Missourians annually as deadly synthetic opioids circulated among drug users. The latest data indicates the decrease in deaths could indicate a sustained trend.

Democratic-led states secured a legal victory to keep the personal data of food recipients out of the federal government's reach. But NPR's reporting shows that millions of records on Americans have already been shared, including from Missouri.

Kansas tiene más hospitales rurales con riesgo de cerrar que cualquier otro estado, y los cambios federales podrían reducir aún más los ingresos. Sin embargo, un cambio en los impuestos estatales dariá a los hospitales un respiro de unos años para implementar estrategias a largo plazo.

Missouri already allows dispensaries to offer drive-thru and delivery services, but curbside service would mean customers can pay online in advance so they don't need to exchange cash on site.