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Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public RadioMissouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's office is requesting to change the state's SNAP program and restrict certain food and beverages. The governor's office says the changes would promote healthier food, but it may add headaches for customers and grocers. -
Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3LeVota succeeds Frank White Jr., who was recalled by voters on Sept. 30. LeVota will serve until January 2027, which is the remainder of White's term. He used to work in the county prosecutor's office.
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Experts say the Panasonic plant could tap the breaks on hiring while it waits out economic uncertainty. The company can still collect hundreds of millions of dollars from Kansas even if it does. -
Missouri's House Speaker declined to sign a letter calling for passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill," citing its potential impact on the state's Medicaid program. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said the latest proposal "needs work." -
Jeff Suchman, president of the union representing local U.S. Department of Labor employees, says that layoffs and budget cuts have undercut basic functions like workplace safety and child labor investigations. He argues the Trump administration is trying to destroy morale to get more employees to leave. -
Attorney General Kris Kobach instructed the Kansas Department of Revenue, which houses the division of motor vehicles, not to make gender marker changes while the issue is in litigation. -
Uniting more than 200 sites across eastern Kansas and western Missouri, Freedom's Frontier preserves the story of the border war and the settlement of the western frontier. But the Trump administration has blocked funding for National Heritage Areas. -
One lawmaker said Missouri runs the risk of becoming a "sanctuary state for pedophiles" if the General Assembly doesn't pass a bill that would give victims of child sex abuse more time to press civil charges against their abusers. -
The Missouri Republican also said he's confident the U.S. Senate will pass President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," although he agrees with Sen. Josh Hawley that the measure should not cut Medicaid benefits. -
The peaceful protest in Topeka was one of hundreds of demonstrations against President Donald Trump ahead of a military parade in Washington, D.C. -
The Kansas Court of Appeals decision reverses a district court order that prohibited transgender people from changing driver's licenses to reflect their gender identity. -
Mayor Quinton Lucas called the action by Republican Mike Kehoe an "unnecessary escalation." He also criticized the state's lack of response when a white nationalist hate group marched through Kansas City last month. -
The “No Kings Day of Defiance” was organized nationwide at the same time a military parade will mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C. The date also coincides with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday as well as Flag Day. -
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.
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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With many Republicans promoting anti-immigrant and racist messaging in the 2024 election, and support for deportations and other tough immigration policies, the director of KC For Refugees says her community feels increasingly isolated. -
Question 1 on Jackson County's Nov. 5 ballot would increase the average homeowner’s tax bill about $20 a year and bring in $8 million for senior services like free meals and transportation. -
With Jackson County's senior services already straining for lack of funding, and the senior population expected to get even bigger, advocates are asking Jackson County voters to approve a property tax this November to help older adults age in place. -
Aunque la población Latina de St. Louis y Missouri es todavía relativamente pequeña, está creciendo rápidamente. Los observadores políticos dicen que su voto podría ser cada vez más influyente en los años que vienen. -
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.
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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.
