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Democrats and Republicans have different proposals to keep feeding hundreds of thousands of Kansans. Food banks are preparing for an influx of demand.
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More than two dozen Democratic-led states, including Kansas, are suing the Agriculture Department after the Trump administration said it would not use emergency funds to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
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This year’s candidates for mayor include a 30-year attorney and a nonprofit executive. They told The Beacon about the biggest issues facing Wyandotte County, including property taxes, public safety, staff culture and affordability.
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Prairie Village is divided on whether to construct a new municipal complex — mirroring a dramatic fight two years ago over housing and zoning. Nowhere is that conflict more apparent than in this year’s city council election.
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The executive director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation recently told state lawmakers that they should outlaw drinks infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
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Republican Scott Schwab, who is also running for governor in 2026, is using a federal database to confirm U.S. citizenship of people registered to vote.
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Roughly 1.4 million federal workers are going without pay due to the government shutdown — including 30,000 in the Kansas City area. About half of them are furloughed, while the other half has been deemed essential and is working without pay.
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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.
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A new lawsuit accuses Missouri GOP lawmakers of trying to trick voters by writing an intentionally deceptive summary for a ballot measure that would make it much harder for voters to pass a constitutional amendment.
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The federal government remains shut down. Soon, that could affect Head Start educational programming and SNAP benefits in the Kansas City region.
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The Department of the Interior is currently blocked from carrying out its plan to terminate more than 2,000 positions. That includes nearly everyone at the Columbia Environmental Research Center, which has studied ecosystems, animals and toxic chemicals for more than 60 years.
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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.
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Rep. Sam Graves of Tarkio is trying to pass a major overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including taking it out of the purview of the Department of Homeland Security.
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A Missouri group is working to overturn the map that gives the state one more Republican seat in Congress. If they get enough signatures, the map cannot take effect unless Missourians approve them.
Government
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Fighting fires has evolved, but federal safety regulations haven’t changed for nearly half a century. Now the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed new safety standards. It's great news for career and paid firefighters, but volunteer departments say the new rules could bog them down with expensive and irrelevant regulations.
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The police raid on the Marion County Record potentially violated federal law and constitutional rights. It could leave taxpayers covering a big legal settlement.
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Mirroring federal legislation passed on Dec. 8, Missouri Rep. Chris Sander, a Republican from Lone Jack, has pre-filed a bill to recognize marriage between two individuals.
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The proposal by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft would threaten the funding of libraries over "non-age-appropriate materials" for minors. But former library administrators say the rules are "redundant and unnecessary."
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer's latest book examines the moral evolution of the 16th president from childhood through his time in office.
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The comprehensive collaborative plan would work on reducing homelessness not only in Kansas City but in the region.
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Kansas City attorney Stacy Lake has a plan to do better than the incumbent. That plan focuses on putting county residents first.
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David A. Paterson says he was ready to be governor, but the media's focus on his blindness obscured what he was trying to accomplish.
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Mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde have reinvigorated gun control advocates across the country. March For Our Lives rallies in hundreds of U.S. cities will take place Saturday to 'demand a nation free of gun violence.'
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A deep dive from the 2020 election through Joe Biden's first year as president reveals the struggle to hold the country together.
Elections
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Prairie Village will see turnover on the city council after November’s election. Four of the six incumbents whose terms are up are not running again. Chi Nguyen, who represents Ward 3, and Greg Shelton, who represents Ward 5, joined KCUR's Up To Date to reflect on their terms and the recent controversies that have shaped the city.
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Tuesday's election saw 85% of voters supporting the recall of Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., which will set off a rush by county legislators to appoint his replacement. But White is asking the Missouri Supreme Court to stop the vote certification.
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White has served as county executive since 2016. Tens of thousands of signatures were gathered to trigger the special election, which White believes was called illegally.
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Phil LeVota, DaRon McGee and Dan Tarwater are the three biggest names being quietly discussed to potentially replace Frank White Jr. if he’s recalled. Here’s how the process would work.
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Jackson County residents will decide Tuesday, Sept. 30, on whether to recall County Executive Frank White Jr. Proponents and opponents shared their perspectives ahead of the vote, and explain what will happen if White gets recalled.
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Even as court cases seek to throw out the new redistricting plan approved in the special session, a referendum campaign to put it before voters is gaining momentum. At the same time, campaign committees are preparing to battle over the initiative process.
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At least four states with Republican election officials have offered public data but not sensitive information — driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers — sought by the U.S. Department of Justice. But they're taking pains not to pick a fight with President Donald Trump.
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Early voting is beginning in the Sept. 30 recall election for Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. Supporters of the recall are upset about how White handled property assessments. Opponents say the construction lobby is trying to clear the path for “sweetheart stadium deals.”
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Union leaders say Diane Albert and Hazel Stabler have changed significantly since they joined the board as part of a conservative wave of candidates who focused on mask mandates, critical race theory and other culture war issues.
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The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said it's up to businesses to determine what is done with employees’ earned paid sick leave.