Courtesy of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Missouri lawmakers cut the Imagination Library's budget for the upcoming fiscal year by more than half — from about $6 million to $2 million. The state education department said it won't have the money to enroll new children in the program after next month.
![Gov. Mike Kehoe acknowledged some Montgomery County residents' concerns about electricity prices and environmental impacts at the announcement in High Hill of a Google data center this week but said the company had "done [the] work to ensure that their growth does not come at the expense of the community this center calls home"](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b770f29/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1152+0+0/resize/960x540!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnpr.brightspotcdn.com%2Fdims3%2Fdefault%2Fstrip%2Ffalse%2Fcrop%2F2048x1152%200%200%2Fresize%2F2048x1152%21%2F%3Furl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fad%2F52%2F7774817644b8904f5f6a692270b7%2Fkehoeind.jpeg)
Steph Quinn
/
Missouri Independent
@kcur893 Kansas City, the smallest of World Cup host cities, had a lot to do before it welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors for the tournament. So it’s built a second, temporary transit system to get all those visitors and residents around town. The main problem is: Those shuttles are not sticking around. “Connect KC 26” adds more than 200 new buses to the city’s transit network. They will carry visitors to 15 different locations where no direct bus service currently exists — plus the airport, stadium, and FIFA Fan Festival. But after the World Cup ends in July, those new buses will disappear — along with a quarter of the city’s existing bus routes, thanks to chronic underfunding of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. KCUR’s Savannah Hawley-Bates reports on why local advocates and officials hope the World Cup can help increase support for transportation funding. And you can find all of our World Cup coverage at kcur.org/worldcup 🎙️Hosted by Savannah Hawley-Bates 📹Produced and filmed by Zach Perez 🖥️Edited by Gabe Rosenberg #kansascity #worldcup #publictransportation ♬ original sound - KCUR - Kansas City
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Turning your grass into a garden isn't as complicated as you think, but it will take time and effort. Kansas City experts offer this step-by-step guide that breaks down the process, from killing your lawn to picking plants to grow. -
City Council members on Thursday repealed a ban on the controversial practice that was first approved in 2019. The split decision comes after a group of Christian counselors and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued the city. -
An amendment banning abortion will go before Missouri voters in November, possibly alongside a referendum on the state's gerrymandered congressional map. But a proposal to expand sales taxes and eliminate the income tax will appear in the smaller-turnout August election. -
The April 2026 Missouri Jobs Report has seasonally adjusted unemployment at 3.8%, down slightly from March and the same time last year. But national economic strain may shrink the entertainment and leisure industries, threatening summer jobs for teenagers. -
The EF5 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, became the deadliest in modern history — killing 158 people. Although little damage is now visible to the naked eye, to the survivors, volunteers and healthcare workers, the scars remain. -
A Florissant man born in Mexico will be deported after spending more than 26 years in the United States. Despite having no criminal history and just two traffic violations, Victor López Delara will be deported to a country he last lived in at age 4. -
Former Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Office director Andrea Dorch left the office after raising concerns about Kansas City's deal with Meta to build a data center in the Northland. Kansas City settled a lawsuit she filed alongside a $400,000 settlement for a 2022 crash involving a city fire truck. -
The roller rink at Blues Park is planned to open in August as part of the “Revive the Vine” plan to beef up amenities in the Historic 18th and Vine District. -
A 3% tuition hike for graduate students is also recommended, ranging from $16 to $29 per credit hour based on campus and program.
Can I still get World Cup tickets? How do I get to the stadium? Where can I join a watch party? KCUR has all the answers — whether you’re a local or new to town for the tournament.
