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Cara Penquite/Columbia MissourianStarting in late 2026, Missouri drivers will no longer leave car dealerships with a temporary tag, and buyers will have to pay sales tax at the time of purchase. -
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.
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China is the source of 80% of toys purchased in the U.S. Two business owners in Kansas have been forced by the president's barrage of trade barriers to buy product early and in bulk, and deal with supply-chain issues. -
As Missouri lawmakers prepare to debate a counter offer to keep the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City, economists say Kansas’ proposal to use STAR bonds may not be financially feasible. “You are not going to generate enough net revenue to cover one of the facilities, let alone two,” one expert says. -
The Senate Freedom Caucus is demanding tax cuts in exchange for not blocking stadium funds for the Royals and Chiefs, while Democrats retaliated for slights during the regular session by derailing the routine work of signing bills. The tensions don't bode well for next week's special session. -
The report from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey didn't include a "disparity index" showing whether police stopped drivers in minority groups more frequently than white drivers. -
Kansas legislators passed a law this year that bans gender-affirming treatments for young transgender people. Plaintiffs say it violates fundamental rights in the state constitution. -
The Missouri Supreme Court reinstated several anti-abortion laws, even though abortion rights are now protected in the state constitution, and sent the issue back to a Kansas City judge. But abortion services remain available at clinics on the Kansas side of the metro. -
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requested personally identifiable information from SNAP recipients including names, dates of birth, addresses and Social Security numbers, along with total SNAP benefits received. Kansas, however, refused the request. -
In addition to legislation addressing the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs' stadiums, the special session will also focus on tornado relief for St. Louis and several projects that failed to get funded at the last minute. -
If President Trump approves the disaster declaration, individuals could receive housing, transportation and health care-related aid. -
Jose Madrid-Leiva applied for a type of visa for crime victims and authorities said he qualified for immigration protections. His detention suggests a new frontier in immigration enforcement. -
This month, Kansas received a letter from the federal government that demanded “unfettered access to comprehensive data from all State programs that receive federal funding," including Social Security numbers and personal addresses of SNAP recipients. -
Is bipartisanship dead in Missouri? After months of improving cooperation and goodwill, a single move brought it all crashing down.
Government
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If the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is as bad at the 2008 financial crisis, furloughs and layoffs could be widespread, a new report says. -
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s proposes that the federal government help pay employee’s wages at companies affected by the COVID-19 crisis. -
Senate majority leader says this is not an appropriate time to push controversial legislation. -
Abundant Life Baptist Church, which drew 4,500 worshipers every Sunday before the pandemic, claims the county’s orders favor restaurants, salons and other businesses over houses of worship. -
Different reopening dates and restrictions have resulted in “an almost impossible situation for people to be able to comply with," according to one mayor. -
While the interruption was initially met with laughter and confusion, city staff quickly moved to end the meeting after the hijackers used a racial slur. -
House Democrats say the budget is unbalanced and they’ll need to return later in the year to make adjustments. -
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's new order will remain in effect until Sunday, May 31, and will be re-evaluated before it expires. -
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has yet to deliver his updated recommendations, but lawmakers must pass a state budget by May 8. -
Blunt likened his idea to "Shark Tank": $1 billion in federal funding would underwrite testing ideas.
Elections
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It was a strong night for Republicans, and not just because Donald Trump recaptured the White House. Political experts from Kansas and Missouri discuss what the election results tell us on the local and national level. -
Missouri residents voted to legalize abortion, overturning one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the nation. They also voted to raise the minimum wage and send Josh Hawley back to the U.S. Senate. In Kansas, voters reelected Sharice Davids to the U.S. House. Plus, Kansas City and Johnson County voters made big decisions about their top law enforcement officials. -
Flash floods led to the deaths of two poll workers in Wright County. -
Around 79,000 eligible Kansas voters are naturalized citizens. Their vote could help decide close races. -
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Missouri and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Kansas (although Johnson County opens an hour earlier!). With the U.S. presidential race at the top of the ticket, and a critical abortion rights amendment plus statewide and congressional races below, it's a stacked election. We break down the races on both sides of the state line.
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Missouri polling places are open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. See live primary election results for U.S. president, Senate, governor, and statewide ballot issues like abortion rights and sports betting. -
Kansas polling places are open from at least 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. See live election results as they come in for the U.S. presidential election, U.S. House and more. -
Students at Guadalupe Centers High School have spent weeks learning about specific races, ballot measures and candidates — even though many of them can't vote yet. -
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have used vastly divergent communication strategies this election cycle. A rhetoric professor explains to KCUR's Up To Date what he is seeing from both campaigns. -
Do you have a valid voter ID for Missouri or Kansas? Or know what you cannot wear inside a polling location? Anne Calvert, president of the local League of Women Voters, shares what you need to know as we near the last days to vote.
