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Zane Irwin/Kansas News ServiceDetainees 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. -
Jason Rosenbaum/St. Louis Public RadioMissouri 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 U.S. House voted Thursday on a rescission bill to claw back money for foreign aid programs, along with the next two years of funding for the public media system. The measure now goes to the Senate. -
The city of Prairie Village wants to move ahead with a new $30 million municipal complex, but a vocal group of residents say the public deserves more input. Signs with the message "Let Prairie Village Vote" have begun popping up in yards across town. -
The Missouri House closed the special session Wednesday with votes to finance professional sports stadiums in Kansas City and disaster relief. -
Bills that would help fund new stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and provide $100 million in storm relief for St. Louis passed out of committees. If the House does not make any changes, the bills could pass the entire legislature on Wednesday. -
The bill has been called “Trey’s Law,” referring to the late Trey Carlock, who died by suicide in 2019 after being sexually abused at the Branson-based Kanakuk Kamps. It passed as part of a larger public safety package. -
Trump's decision opens up individual aid for people affected by the deadly tornado that devastated parts of the St. Louis region. -
Kansas lawmakers inserted language in the state budget that would restrict what food benefit recipients can buy. Critics say that defining what counts as unhealthy food and drinks is tricky, and the current ban has glaring loopholes. -
Missouri state Sen. Rick Brattin stepped down as chair of the Missouri Freedom Caucus just days after voting in favor of a Kansas City stadium funding deal. The conservative group criticized the plan as a "handout to billionaire sports team owners." -
Businesses along Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, are taking a hit as customers stay home and cut back on spending. "I don’t know what will happen,” one business owner said. "It's scary." -
The Kansas City Council passed a resolution in 2023 that declared the city a transgender “safe haven,” in response to Missouri and Kansas restricting gender-affirming care. But one community leader says the city hasn’t followed through on that promise with material action. -
Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said he will push to make sure President Donald Trump approves Gov. Mike Kehoe's request for tornado relief funds. -
The stadium funding plan now goes to the Missouri House. While Kansas has offered to pay 70% of the cost of new stadiums if the Kansas City teams move, Missouri's offer would cover about half the cost.
Government
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The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that a panel of legislative leaders lacked the power to reverse Gov. Kelly’s controversial limits on church and funeral services. -
A few minutes of your time and about $100 gets you certified for Missouri’s medical marijuana program. A clinic near St. Louis even offered a “Pot of Gold… -
The coronavirus continues to spread in Kansas. The result of emergency orders is that many people are staying in their homes.The shutdown of businesses… -
Kansas lawmakers approved a basic budget this week before heading home to await whatever the coronavirus has in store for the state and their… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — The week started with a Kansas House Democrat making an unusual request to not just his fellow lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but… -
As federal and state courts cancel in-person proceedings amid concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, one court remains open for business, albeit not… -
LAWRENCE, Kansas — Kansas’ prisons and many of its county jails have suspended in-person visits indefinitely to keep down the risk of coronavirus… -
A Kansas City Council committee on Wednesday advanced a $1.7 billion city budget in a chaotic, difficult-to-follow meeting in which most of the committee… -
Kansas lawmakers are making contingency plans in case the spread of the coronavirus forces an early end to the 2020 legislative session. A shortened… -
Renters in Kansas City, Missouri, are giving Mayor Quinton Lucas a Friday deadline to find money to fund an office that would enforce tenants’…
Elections
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The former Missouri Secretary of State and co-host of the podcast Majority 54 says Harris' presumptive nomination for the presidential race is energizing Democrats to "do the work." -
Democratic delegates who had pledged themselves to Biden following Kansas and Missouri’s presidential primary votes were largely united around Harris before they met Monday night to endorse her. The votes helped give Harris enough support to secure the party's presumptive nomination. -
News of President Joe Biden ending his presidential re-election run leaves many Democrats rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, and the Kansas Democratic Party chair both say they will both back her campaign. -
Fundraising in the Republican and Democratic primaries for Missouri governor has exceeded $21 million, with the majority going to Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe. But the race for attorney general is also proving pricey. -
Three Democrats are facing off in the 2024 Democratic primary for Jackson County Prosecutor, after Jean Peters Baker announced she would not run for re-election. John Gromowsky and Melesa Johnson joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss issues facing the office. -
This is a big election year for Missouri and Kansas, and the 2024 KC Voter Guide can help you make sense of it all. KCUR, the KC Media Collective and The Kansas City Star put together all of the information you need to make informed decisions as a voter in Jackson, Johnson, Clay, Platte and Wyandotte counties. -
Hundreds of candidates will appear on dozens of different ballots across the Kansas City metro during the August primary. They are precinct or county committee members, and they make up the backbone of their chosen party’s ability to build grassroots support and to set policy priorities. -
Pat Contreras and Patty Lewis are facing off in the 2024 Democratic primary for Missouri's 7th Senate District. The candidates joined KCUR's Up To Date for a debate and to discuss what issues are facing the district. -
A growing number of young potential voters are increasingly frustrated by the politicians they have to choose from. One Kansas City resident says the age of candidates is a big reason why. Plus: Two years after Kansas lawmakers reshaped the state’s four congressional districts, there’s a scramble for an open seat in the 2nd District. -
Republican Calvin Hayden has repeatedly criticized Johnson County's election system and recent increases in Democratic voter registrations, but his years-long probe into election results has failed to successfully present any charges of fraud.
