-
Eric Lee/St. Louis Public RadioA Jackson County judge halted a number of Missouri's abortion restrictions after voters passed Amendment 3. But this week, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a bill that gives the attorney general the right to appeal temporary pauses against state laws or constitutional provisions. -
Rachel Wada/for ProPublicaCourt records show how former Missouri GOP chair Ed Martin and an ally urged online criticism of a judge handling a case he was involved in — which experts say is an ethical violation. Now he's the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., where he targets Trump's critics with legal threats.
-
President Trump has called on Congress to rescind $1.1 billion in funding from the public broadcasters. KCUR is one of the 1,300 locally and independently managed stations that are funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in addition to NPR and PBS. -
The Secretary of State would get greater power to re-write challenged ballot language before courts could intervene. The Attorney General would also have more ability to appeal injunctions against state laws — including the one that's currently allowing abortion to occur in Missouri. -
Business owners are required to tell their workers about their right to paid sick leave on Tuesday. But a bill in the Missouri legislature and a case in the Missouri Supreme Court could take away the provision, which voters widely approved last fall, before it begins May 1. -
Currently, it’s illegal to bring guns on public transit even with a concealed carry permit. Supporters of the bill say it would allow passengers to protect themselves and safeguard Second Amendment rights, but opponents say it will endanger passengers. -
Some opponents worry the bill restricts free speech and could be used to silence criticism of Israel. The bill's sponsor, a St. Louis Republican, says allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza would be considered antisemitic. -
Federal immigration enforcement moved through western Kansas and detained several people. It comes after President Donald Trump promised deportations of people in the country without legal status. Southwest Kansas has a high percentage of immigrants. -
Video gambling machines already proliferate throughout Missouri despite formal gambling bans due to a legal loophole. Supporters of the bill say it would be more harmful to leave them unregulated. -
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put Missouri's 2nd Congressional District on its target list for the first time since 2020. The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Ann Wagner. -
Kansas City officials have said the bulk of the money generated by the quarter-cent public safety sales tax will go toward a new municipal detention center. -
Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure that will provide nine charter schools and traditional Kansas City Public Schools campuses with nearly $500 million to address longstanding maintenance needs and improve learning environments. -
The bill’s fiscal impact note estimates that removing the capital gains tax on personal income alone would represent a loss of over $100 million to the state’s general revenue fund each year. -
Navigators help people enroll in Medicaid and insurance on the federal marketplace. Federal funding cuts by the Trump administration mean Kansas will have less navigators.
Government
-
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. -
The police raid on the Marion County Record potentially violated federal law and constitutional rights. It could leave taxpayers covering a big legal settlement. -
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. -
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." -
The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer's latest book examines the moral evolution of the 16th president from childhood through his time in office. -
The comprehensive collaborative plan would work on reducing homelessness not only in Kansas City but in the region. -
Kansas City attorney Stacy Lake has a plan to do better than the incumbent. That plan focuses on putting county residents first. -
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. -
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.' -
A deep dive from the 2020 election through Joe Biden's first year as president reveals the struggle to hold the country together.
Elections
-
Ahead of the 2024 election, learn how Missouri and Kansas keep voter registration lists up to date, count and protect ballots, and certify election results. -
Americans are more stressed than normal about this year's presidential election. If you're feeling anxious waiting for results to come in, here are a few tips. -
Democrat Andrew Mall and Republican Sen. Mike Thompson squared off on issues important to Johnson County in a debate on KCUR's Up To Date. The tight race could help determine the fate of the Kansas Legislature's GOP supermajority. -
A 2020 Census survey found that 2.4% of potential voters didn’t cast a ballot because they couldn’t get to the polls. To address this problem, a number of local organizations are offering free or discounted rides for this Tuesday’s election. -
As nativist rhetoric hits a fever pitch ahead of the 2024 election, immigrants and refugees in Kansas City question their safety, and their future, in the U.S. -
Missouri voters will soon decide whether GOP lawmakers went too far by banning most abortion in the state. We'll go inside the high-stakes battle over Amendment 3. Plus: That and other ballot issues have been drawing millions of dollars in campaign funds from outside the state. -
Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman discusses how his office has handled high early voting turnout, and how they plan to prepare for a busy Nov. 5. -
The Midwest Newsroom analyzed the funders behind high-profile proposed ballot measures and the amount they’re spending. Abortion and sports betting campaigns are the leading targets for out-of-state money. -
Kansas City resident Nathan Kline is the Green Party's candidate for the U.S. Senate race in Missouri. He is running on a platform focused heavily on campaign finance reform. -
With early voting well underway and Election Day next Tuesday, KCUR's Up To Date breaks down what you need to know about some of the biggest races in Missouri and Kansas.
