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Cami Koons/FlatlandIn the tiny community of Cuba, Kansas, the annual 'Rock-A-Thon' features a unique and longstanding tradition: a rocking chair marathon. -
Zach Bauman/The BeaconStudies show Black patients have safer outcomes when working with Black doctors — who make up less than 6% of that workforce. Mission Vision Project KC supports underrepresented minority medical students and pushes for more physicians of color.
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Three trans boys and their parents describe growing up amid a wave of anti-trans legislation. -
A nonbinary student teacher was told by an employee of the Fort Osage District that using gender-neutral pronouns was “too personal” and “too political.” Now, Olivia Jackson alleges that the school district discriminated by refusing to hire them because of their gender identity.
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The KCPD's budget takes up the largest chunk of any city department. This marks the first time the city must allocate 25% of its general revenues to the KCPD since the passage of Amendment 4 last year.
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Both bills now go to the Missouri House, where leadership says they are a priority.
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The lawsuit filed by a KCPD officer places blame for quotas and racist patrol tactics on former Chief Rick Smith. Current Chief Stacey Graves says she will remind traffic division to “operate and enforce laws appropriately.”
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The bill would have prevented schools and employers from challenging a claim of religious objection for all vaccines.
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The bill would also lower income taxes and remove taxes on Social Security benefits, which both parties say could be helpful to seniors in the state.
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An insufficient mental health care system pushes families in some states, including Kansas, to give up custody of their children for care. A program in place in New Jersey, Oklahoma and Washington may offer solutions.
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A potential new landfill in southeast Kansas City is on hold after City Council voted earlier this month to oppose it and put a moratorium on landfill permits. Now, a bill headed for the Missouri Senate would add a requirement that surrounding cities approve landfills within a mile of their borders.
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Supporters have tried since 2018 to legalize sports betting in Missouri, but the issue has become linked with video gaming terminals, which operate in a legal gray area in the state.
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The federal government requires banks to inspect every marijuana facility and licensee. Since Missouri's DHSS already does that, banks want them to share that information so they don't have to duplicate effort.
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In addition to proposing cuts to the lawmakers' priorities, Missouri House Budget Chairman Cody Smith, a Republican from Carthage, wants to cut all aid to libraries in retaliation for a lawsuit challenging a new state law.
