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Tyrone Turner/WAMURoughly 1.4 million federal workers are going without pay due to the government shutdown — including 30,000 in the Kansas City area. About half of them are furloughed, while the other half has been deemed essential and is working without pay. -
Eric Schmid/Special to Harvest Public MediaEmployees at Missouri's food banks said the government shutdown's halt of food benefits could put a strain on their organizations, which have already seen an increase in demand this year.
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Because the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is funded by the federal government, the ongoing shutdown means states aren't getting that money. House Minority Leader Ashley Aune said it will be devastating for Missouri families. -
Rep. Sam Graves of Tarkio is trying to pass a major overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including taking it out of the purview of the Department of Homeland Security. -
A Missouri group is working to overturn the map that gives the state one more Republican seat in Congress. If they get enough signatures, the map cannot take effect unless Missourians approve them. -
Volunteers at protests across the state focused on collecting signatures for a 2026 ballot measure that would overturn Missouri's recent redistricting plan. The new map was drawn by Republican lawmakers to weaken Democratic voting power around Kansas City. -
"Free buses" is one of the big ideas that helped Zohran Mamdani win the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City. But in Kansas City, the bus system is going the opposite direction after years of free fares — mostly because of a lack of transit funding. -
Since 2023, access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones has radically diminished in Missouri, thanks in part to national attention and political outcry. -
Catherine Hanaway recently returned to public office after nearly 20 years. As Missouri's attorney general, she’ll be handling major litigation involving abortion and congressional redistricting. -
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is arguing that the referendum is usurping the legislature's power to redraw congressional districts. But lawyers with the anti-redistricting group say Hanaway is "absolutely wrong" about the constitution. -
Jackson County's new executive outlines his plan for property taxes and stadiums: 'Relief is coming'Phil LeVota was sworn in this week as Jackson County executive after a nomination process that was criticized by some as “smoke and mirrors.” Taking over the rest of Frank White Jr.'s term, he will face the daunting task of fixing the property tax assessment process. -
The Kansas City Council moved forward with a plan to build a modular jail with about 100 beds. Officials say the temporary facility is necessary, as plans to build a permanent municipal jail will take years. -
Opponents fear that Kansas Republican lawmakers will break Johnson County into multiple Congressional districts in order to push out Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids. GOP leaders were at the White House this week after approving funding for a special session. -
Gov. Mike Kehoe has repeatedly said the plan was drafted in his office. A filing by the attorney general's office says only that "various governmental actors" worked on the plan to give a seat to the GOP.
Government
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Emily Brown runs a nonprofit in the Kansas City area. She is a black woman who wears her hair naturally. In 2016, she was invited to speak at a national… -
Taxpayers in Kansas City, Missouri, have a chance between now and March 3 to influence how the city spends their money.Mayor Quinton Lucas released his… -
As city and state governments across the country legalize marijuana, Kansas City’s mayor wants to make it easier to clean the slate for people convicted… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — Kansas is unmatched in its tracking of ex-convicts, resulting in more than 21,000 people convicted of sex, drug or violent crimes being… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — When it comes to cybersecurity, most Kansas counties are behind. Overall, only eight county websites end in .gov, a domain extension… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s transportation plan isn’t as bold as those that came before it.Since the 1990s, Kansas has spent tens of… -
Kansas is slipping to the back of the pack on some critical economic measures. In this episode of Statehouse Blend Kansas, host Jim McLean talks with… -
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says that without focusing on basic city services in 2020, any goodwill that’s been built up means nothing.“I can say… -
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is set to release his proposed budget Thursday, and it’s roughly $3 million short of what transportation officials say… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — Wendy Couser, a former juvenile intake officer at the Newton Police Department, has always believed in the importance of consequences.…
Elections
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During the Super Bowl, money changes hands based on the result of almost everything — the coin toss, the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach and even the length of the national anthem. Kansas' attempt to cash in on sports betting has yielded paltry results so far, and Missouri voters are considering a similar measure this November. -
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the coalition behind Amendment 3, has raised more than $16 million since launching in January. The largest donations have come from four out-of-state progressive nonprofits that are supporting abortion rights campaigns in several states. -
Former President Trump was the target of what the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination” at his West Palm Beach golf club. President Biden said he was briefed and a person has been detained. -
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican who serves as the state’s chief elections officer, told Postmaster General Louis DeJoy there was cause to be “extremely concerned” about “a troubling pattern that persists in the U.S. Postal Service’s processing and handling of ballots.” -
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft decertified a November ballot measure to legalize abortion, and pulled it from the state website, before the Missouri Supreme Court had the chance decide whether it violated state law. -
Unhoused people face unique challenges in voting. Learn how to register to vote with a step-by-step guide tailored for homeless people in Kansas City. Here's how to get necessary documents like a birth certificate and state ID. -
The campaign behind the reproductive-rights amendment plans to appeal the decision, and as part of the judge’s stipulations, Amendment 3 will not yet be taken off the ballot -
An increasingly popular way for political campaigns to connect to voters is through text messaging. And while you may find them annoying — they're probably working. Plus, Kansas Democrats are hoping to flip enough seats in the state Legislature to get rid of the Republican supermajority. -
World renowned crop artist Stan Herd completed his images of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz on Sunday, on a farm near the Kansas River in north Lawrence. -
Missouri doesn’t have a particularly robust history of supporting third party or independent candidates. Jared Young, a member of the newly-formed Better Party, hopes to change that in the U.S. Senate race.
