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Leah and Lane HensleyLatinos are expected to be 70% of net new homeowners in the U.S. by 2040. Several local programs — mostly in Spanish, but some in English — are designed to help Latinos jump the hurdles that can stand between them and homeownership. -
Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri IndependentA judge ordered Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite the ballot language for an anti-abortion ballot measure, calling it "insufficient and unfair” because it failed to mention the amendment would repeal abortion rights. Hoskins' new language still doesn't mention the ban.
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During the bill signing ceremony, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said the state decided to be proactive when it comes to preserving water. -
Trump plans to nominate R. Matthew Price to be the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, and St. Louis County Circuit Judge Thomas Albus for the Eastern District. The nominations will have to get U.S. Senate approval. -
The legislation takes aim at ordinances passed in Kansas City and other Missouri cities that protect tenants from discrimination based on the source of their income — especially tenants who use federal housing choice vouchers to pay rent. -
The Trump administration has asked Congress to rescind funds for public broadcasting and foreign aid. Congress has until the end of the week to approve the bill, which is sponsored by Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt. -
Missouri state Reps. Marty Joe Murray and Colin Wellenkamp are part of the bipartisan "Missouri Future Caucus," which is looking into bills about the proliferation of artificial intelligence and disaster preparedness. -
The governor’s budget vetoes included money for tutoring programs, road infrastructure improvements, workforce development, food assistance and arts organizations. "These losses are huge," says Arts Asylum director Evie Craig. -
The Trump administration had appealed a decision that had directed it to stop gutting the U.S. Education Department and to reinstate many of the workers the government had laid off. -
Problems with Tesla, tariffs, and tax breaks have electric vehicle investors worried, even as Panasonic unveiled a massive new battery plant in De Soto, Kansas, on Monday. Leaders at the factory say it’s just a bump in the road. -
President Donald Trump’s new budget package cuts funding for programs like Medicaid and SNAP through work requirements. -
Missouri Republicans say it’s a ‘mistake’ to cut tax that funds Medicaid. Trump’s bill did just thatGov. Mike Kehoe is hopeful Congress will reverse course on major restrictions on medical provider taxes, which were included in the "Big Beautiful Bill" that President Trump signed. All of Missouri's Republican members of Congress voted in favor of it. -
Shannon Ellis, head of the union that represents Kansas City IRS employees, said the Trump administration won’t even confirm how many local federal workers have been lost. But she said that the layoffs and policy changes are demoralizing and delaying critical services. -
Business groups lobbied heavily to overturn Proposition A, passed by 58% of Missouri voters in November 2024, arguing it would cost jobs. The bill also repeals annual inflation adjustments for the minimum wage, which have been in effect since 2006.
Government
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Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says she will decide whether to extend the statewide stay-at-home order “later next week.” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says most businesses should be able to open May 4. -
The lawsuit accuses Smithfield of refusing to change its practices at its plant in Milan, Missouri, in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. -
Protesters ringed the state Capitol in Topeka to press Gov. Laura Kelly for an end to her stay-at-home order. -
Kansas will have to plug a $1.3 billion budget shortfall between now and June 2021, but the state will have to be careful about where it makes cuts. -
Judge ruled state health department 'purposely' violated Sunshine Law in a case brought by a genealogical research service. -
Amid Economic Uncertainty, Kansas City, Missouri, Approves $72 Million To Replace Buck O'Neil BridgeThe Kansas City Council approved millions of dollars in expenditures, despite uncertainty over how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect tax revenues. -
Missouri's governor said he will look at metrics like testing availability and hospital capacity to decide how to ease restrictions. -
The state audit calls into question the sale of a county building for $10 after spending more than $1 million on renovations. -
The coronavirus put tens of thousands of Kansans out of work, and left them frustrated when they try filing for unemployment benefits. -
Kansas' stay-at-home order was supposed to expire Sunday, but Gov. Laura Kelly extended it until at least May 1.
Elections
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Though Missouri's Latino population is still relatively small, it’s growing rapidly. Political watchers say the vote could be increasingly influential in future elections, but reaching and convincing Latino voters is not simple. -
State Sen. Denny Hoskins and State Rep. Barbara Phifer are running to become Missouri’s next secretary of state, the top election official in the state. Here's what they said on issues like absentee voting, mail-in ballots, initiative petitions and libraries. -
Kansas law requires all ballots to arrive by three days after Election Day, with a postmark on or before Election Day. But to avoid delays with the U.S. Postal Service, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab is encouraging voters to drop their ballot off in person. -
The Midwest Newsroom partnered with Emerson College Polling to ask registered voters in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska a wide range of questions ahead of the general election. -
Democrats have long enjoyed support from organized labor, but many union members don’t feel a party allegiance any more. Missouri state Rep. Bill Allen, a Republican, and his opponent, Democrat Shirley Mata, a UAW member, both hope to win over dissatisfied voters. -
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, is tackling political issues even as polarization burdens congregations across the country. Plus: Residents near the Lake of the Ozarks hope that approving a new casino could help bring in more tax revenue and fund some long-needed infrastructure projects. -
Missouri voters: Oct. 9 is your deadline to register to vote for the November election. The deadline for Kansas is Oct. 15. -
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, is tackling political issues even as polarization burdens congregations across the country. -
Derron Black is running as a Republican for the first time for a Missouri Senate district in Kansas City's urban core. He says local Democratic leadership has failed to get his community what it needs, and that voters are ready to look elsewhere for help. Plus: What Missouri voters should know about the 2024 races for secretary of state and treasurer.
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A new survey from The Midwest Newsroom and Emerson College Polling Center asked registered voters in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska about measures on Nov. 5 ballots as well as a variety of political, social and economic subjects.
