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Detainees in a Cottonwood Falls jail describe sleeping on the floor in overcapacity cells. Amid a national deportation surge, this jail is one of the region’s primary immigration detention centers.
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Missouri Democrats gathered in St. Louis on Saturday for their annual Truman Dinner, the biggest event of the year for a party that remains on the outs in state politics. The 2026 midterms will also include critical votes on a proposed abortion ban and a measure making it harder to change the constitution.
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The case centers on a student in the Blue Springs School District. A 5-2 ruling from the state's highest court recently found that the Missouri Human Rights Act “does not cover claims based on gender identity," but it used a definition of "sex" that's more than two decades old.
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The final Senate version of the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" contains restrictions on medical provider taxes that alarmed Missouri health experts — and Sen. Josh Hawley. But he voted for the bill anyways, after adding $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals.
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County Legislator Sean Smith helped lead the recall effort of Jackson County Executive Frank White, which local election officials confirmed had enough signatures Monday to go to a vote. White has accused Smith of illegally using taxpayer-funded staff to promote the petition campaign.
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The Republican megabill cuts trillions in taxes, while scaling back spending on Medicaid and other federal programs. It now heads to the House, where some GOP lawmakers are signaling major objections.
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The governor's office cited some unexpected budget items, and a recently passed bill eliminating Missouri's capital gains tax, as reasons for reducing spending. His largest veto was over $1 billion for a road construction program.
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Pay raises approved unanimously by the Kansas Board of Regents range from 4% to 12% and come as most Kansas colleges have cut budgets and raised tuition to address projected enrollment declines.
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Missouri is one of two states where a judge can hand down death when juries cannot agree unanimously on a sentence. Since the law changed in 1984, at least 18 people have been sentenced to death by a judge, and four have been executed.
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The sweeping Republican bill extends tax cuts while scaling back spending on Medicaid and SNAP. It now heads to President Trump's desk for his signature.
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The Kansas City Royals need to get moving if the team wants a new stadium by 2031. Decision makers in Jackson County, Clay County and North Kansas City do not want to repeat the mistake of working out details after it’s been placed on a ballot.
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Scientists in the Columbia, Missouri, lab have studied the relationship between animals, toxic chemicals and ecosystems since the 1960s. Today, research of PFAS, invasive and endangered species and other environmental risks could end if this part of the U.S. Department of Interior is defunded.
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Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach alleged that the Olathe, Shawnee Mission, and Kansas City, Kansas, school districts are violating federal law by not properly notifying parents of their students’ gender identity.
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At issue was whether school systems are required to provide parents with an "opt-out" option when parents claim their religious beliefs conflict with their children's course material.
Government
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Gov. Mike Parson and four statewide officials took their oaths of offices on Monday — ushering in four more years of near total Republican rule over Missouri.
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An ordinance introduced by Mayor Quinton Lucas would force some taxpayer-funded organizations to pay employees at least $15 an hour by 2022.
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The officer is charged with using excessive force against the teenager, who pleaded ‘I can’t breathe.’
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Kansas City officials are deliberating who will become the next city manager, overseeing everything from snow removal to the annual budget.
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Federal authorities say the effort led to over 500 arrests in Kansas City, but that included arrests under other operations. Civil rights leaders were highly critical of it, calling it "undue civilian terror."
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Currently, only the governor and state auditor are restricted to two consecutive terms in Missouri. Opponents of the Amendment 1 ballot measure say it's a solution in need of a problem.
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Members of the city’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee refused to attend Wednesday’s meeting, stalling city business. They’re calling on Teresa Loar to be removed as committee chair.
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Most of the money will go towards supporting small businesses in Clay County, in the form of grants of up to $50,000 each.
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Changing who is ultimately responsible for the department’s actions requires support from the Missouri General Assembly or a statewide vote.
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Most of the cuts will effect higher and K-12 education. The Office of Administration, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Department of Social Services will also see cuts in funding.
Elections
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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.
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A vote in the full state House of Representatives could come as early as Monday. The changes would also need the approval the Senate and then voters.
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The departing GOP official made a major splash in his short time as Missouri attorney general.
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Two county clerks report being contacted by the DOJ seeking access to election machines made by Dominion Voting Systems, the company at the center of false allegations of vote rigging during the 2020 presidential election.
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Few election cycles in living memory have been quite as chaotic as the 2024 presidential election. A new book from journalists Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen looks at what happened behind the scenes in Washington as the campaign unfolded. The authors are in Kansas City for an American Public Square event on Wednesday.
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President Trump recently announced his intent to "lead a movement" to end mail-in ballots and the use of voting machines in states' elections. Both are used extensively in Missouri and Kansas, and election officials weigh in about what those changes would mean.
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A new Missouri law requires the school district to get voter approval to continue the four-day week. But whether Independence voters will weigh in on keeping the shorter schedule may depend on the outcome of a lawsuit the school district filed against the state.