Sports betting became legal in Missouri this week. It marks the end of a years-long effort that came down to a statewide vote, and will likely transform the sports industry throughout the state. Plus: Lesser prairie chickens used to roam across Kansas and the Great Plains by the millions, but now there’s only a few thousand.
Initially passed through a constitutional amendment in November 2024, Missourians can legally place bets on sports as of this week. The effort to legalize sports wagering had the backing of Missouri’s professional sports organizations. St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg reports on what’s to come, including how gambling has already changed sports and can continue doing so.
The lesser prairie chicken was once a common sight in the southern Great Plains. But much of its habitat is now gone, and its numbers are dwindling. In recent years, the federal government has flip-flopped on protections for the bird, first awarding but then removing “endangered” status in Texas and “threatened” status in Oklahoma and Kansas this summer. Harvest Public Media’s Anna Pope reports on how states and landowners are continuing the conservation efforts.
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Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.
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