More than 7 million veterans nationwide who get medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs are not eligible for dental care. Dentists are stepping up to address the issue in Kansas City.

Both Missouri and Kansas have banned hormone therapy and other gender-affirming care for transgender youth under age 18. A conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a similar law on Wednesday, which local advocates say is "devastating."

Republican lawmakers put a measure on the 2026 ballot that would not just cement an abortion ban in the Missouri Constitution, but would also prevent transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming health care.

Federal lawmakers are considering cutting billions of dollars from Medicaid funding. Experts say that would lead to an increase in hospital closures and uninsured rates in Kansas.

The bill has been called “Trey’s Law,” referring to the late Trey Carlock, who died by suicide in 2019 after being sexually abused at the Branson-based Kanakuk Kamps. It passed as part of a larger public safety package.

The Kansas City Council passed a resolution in 2023 that declared the city a transgender “safe haven,” in response to Missouri and Kansas restricting gender-affirming care. But one community leader says the city hasn’t followed through on that promise with material action.

A bill that would have insulated Bayer and other chemical companies from lawsuits over cancer risks failed in the Missouri Senate, after bipartisan opposition arose. But there's little doubt that the legislation will return next session.

Cuts to federal food aid have already reduced the food available at area food pantries and meal sites. If SNAP gets hit too, nonprofits worry they won’t be able to keep up with demand.

Advocates worry that tens of thousands of vulnerable Missourians will lose Medicaid and food stamps because of new administrative barriers proposed by the GOP-led Congress. Missouri has already come under fire for failing to administer benefits on time.

With no clear indication of when — or if — access to abortion will be restored in Missouri, and a GOP-crafted amendment banning the procedure heading for the ballot next year, advocates on both sides are navigating the uncertainty and gearing up for the fight ahead.

The number of adults with dementia is growing — and so is the number of family members who step in to help. A St. Louis-based nonprofit is trying to meet their needs.

A group of Kansas women say the "pregnancy exclusion" in the state’s Natural Death Act violates the Kansas Constitution.