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Missouri 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.
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LeVota 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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The Trump administration says it has started the process of issuing "substantial" reduction-in-force notices to federal employees. Court filings suggest around 4,200 affected so far.
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The Jackson County Legislature will appoint an interim county executive to serve until November 2026. Former County Executive Frank White Jr. was recalled by voters on Sept. 30, and former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes is serving for up to 30 days as temporary county executive.
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Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' proposed ballot language was "fair and sufficient," even though it does not explicitly state that the constitutional amendment would again ban most abortions in Missouri.
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A new draft White House memo suggests a 2019 law signed by President Trump that guarantees federal employees get paid after a shutdown ends would not apply to furloughed workers. The Kansas City region has tens of thousands of federal workers who could be affected.
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The federal government is currently shut down. NPR's network is following the ways the government shutdown is affecting services across the country, including in Missouri and Kansas.
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The office of Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is subpoenaing patient medical records, incident reports, “adverse event documentation” and more from Planned Parenthood. The organization called the request "nothing more than an attempt to harass" them and is fighting back in court.
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The St. Louis Democrat's decision sets up a nationally watched rematch against Congressman Wesley Bell, who defeated Bush in one of the most expensive primaries in American history. Pro-Israel groups had spent millions of dollars against her 2024 campaign.
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Shawn Koch saved hundreds of threatening emails from her ex, Christopher Koch. He threatened to kill her, get her fired, keep their children from her and ruin her life.
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Kansas has been trying to sway the region’s NFL and MLB teams to cross the border. Lawmakers in both Kansas and Missouri have lobbed tax incentives and construction fund packages at the teams.
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The proposed amendment drafted by Republican lawmakers will appear before voters in November 2026, two years after Missourians codified the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution.
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State Senate Democratic Leader Doug Beck said Gov. Mike Kehoe should not have authorized a deployment just hours before the federal shutdown.
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The director of the presidential library and museum in Abilene, Kansas, said he was suddenly told to resign or be fired. He refused to give the Trump administration a historic sword from the museum’s collection.
Government
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Veterans were exposed to toxic air from burn pits overseas and comedian Jon Stewart and the Veterans of Foreign Wars say Congress needs to approve funds to treat them.
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With a one-party majority and a bag of legislative tricks, Kansas lawmakers conceal much of their bill-making process.
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The leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the landmark case would see a complete ban on abortion in Missouri and offer Kansas legislators the opportunity to do the same.
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Local leaders from the Northland to Johnson County are working to make their communities more environmentally sustainable.
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Average starting pay for teachers in Missouri is already the lowest in the country. Now, teachers might not be receiving the raise they were hoping for.
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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the current system of state control over the KCPD undermines the voices of Kansas City residents.
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Facing a budget shortfall in 2020, Missouri cut 200 jobs at the Department of Social Services including positions in the division overseeing abused and neglected children.
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The Missouri senate bill, introduced by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder (R-Sikeston), aims to strengthen and broaden existing rape shield legislation.
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Marshall also signaled he was unlikely to vote for Ketanji Brown Jackson's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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A recent Mother Jones article highlighted a bill co-sponsored by Tracey Mann that would extend tax breaks in opportunity zones where he owns properties.
Elections
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Missouri state Rep. Crystal Quade and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra are both running for governor as Democrats, and although either would be the underdog in November, they could benefit from a proposed amendment to legalize abortion. Plus: Rep. Sam Graves is heavily favored to retain his seat representing Missouri’s 6th District, even as some critics say he’s lost touch with constituents.
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Missouri voters will see two statewide ballot items in next week's primary election: Amendment 1, giving tax breaks to child care facilities, and Amendment 4, which would force Kansas City to increase how much funding it gives to the police department. Plus: How Democrats Lucas Kunce and Karla May are planning to take on Republican Josh Hawley for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat.
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In 2022, residents of this district told reporters they felt forgotten by elected officials. On a return visit, we heard from voters that long-serving U.S. Rep. Sam Graves doesn’t spend much time connecting with constituents here. Still, with wide support, he’s destined for a 12th term.
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Will Scharf, an attorney for former President Donald Trump is challenging Andrew Bailey, the current attorney general, as he seeks his first full term in the office. So far, Trump has yet to endorse either candidate.
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World-renowned crop artist Stan Herd is almost finished with the portrait of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee outside Lawrence, Kansas, near the Kansas River.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.