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Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3As the shutdown of the federal government stretches into its third week, employees are starting to feel the financial strain of being furloughed or working without pay. Many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck, and food assistance programs in the region are starting to prepare for an influx of need. -
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesUnions representing federal employees have asked a federal judge in San Francisco to halt the Trump administration's latest round of layoffs, which are coming amid the government shutdown.
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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. -
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. -
The state's new congressional map uses Troost Avenue as a dividing line, and groups majority Black neighborhoods in east Kansas City with rural communities in the middle of the state. Community leaders worry the new divide will mean the needs of underserved urban neighborhoods go ignored. -
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe mobilized Guard members to assist ICE with "data entry, case management, and logistical support." Military experts say they also worry how these new deployments will affect recruitment and public trust. -
The Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to reject an appeal from Attorney General Kris Kobach allows the state to resume a process that had been in place for more than 20 years. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
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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Missouri voters: Oct. 9 is your deadline to register to vote for the November election. The deadline for Kansas is Oct. 15. -
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, is tackling political issues even as polarization burdens congregations across the country. -
Derron Black is running as a Republican for the first time for a Missouri Senate district in Kansas City's urban core. He says local Democratic leadership has failed to get his community what it needs, and that voters are ready to look elsewhere for help. Plus: What Missouri voters should know about the 2024 races for secretary of state and treasurer. -
A new survey from The Midwest Newsroom and Emerson College Polling Center asked registered voters in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska about measures on Nov. 5 ballots as well as a variety of political, social and economic subjects. -
New legislatures could overhaul school vouchers in Arizona, give the Democratic governor more clout in Kansas, and counter a progressive trend in Minnesota. -
In addition to federal, state and local races, judges will be on the ballot in every Missouri county this November. While some judges are elected in partisan elections, Missouri also has a non-partisan merit selection system. -
According to a recent poll, Republicans have a lead in every statewide race in Missouri. The largest gap between candidates is in the race for secretary of state, the top election official. -
With the election for Johnson County Sheriff now between Democrat Byron Roberson and Republican Doug Bedford, polarizing issues that Calvin Hayden had campaigned on — election skepticism and immigration for example — have dropped in prominence. -
Nearly a third of Missouri’s workforce could get a raise and paid sick time if voters pass Proposition A in November. But some economists and small-business owners say companies may struggle to keep their workforce. -
Voters in a record number of states — including the battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada — are set to decide this fall whether to enact far-reaching changes to how their elections are run. In Missouri, a constitutional amendment could ban ranked-choice voting if it passes in November.
