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Celia Llopis-Jepsen/Kansas News ServiceThe 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. -
Al Drago/Getty Images North AmericaMissouri 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.
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
State Senate Democratic Leader Doug Beck said Gov. Mike Kehoe should not have authorized a deployment just hours before the federal shutdown. -
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. -
Fred Wellman is the host of the On Democracy podcast, which has been critical of the Republican Party gravitation to Donald Trump. He's the second candidate to join the Democratic primary for the 2nd District, which has become more competitive in recent years. -
A group called "Stop The Ban" is already receiving six-figure donations for its effort to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment that would repeal abortion rights in Missouri. The amendment was written by Republican lawmakers and is set to appear on the 2026 ballot. -
Kansas City is a regional hub for federal offices and the almost 30,000 federal workers who make up the largest workforce in the area. Many of those workers are furloughed without pay, their agencies closed until the government reopens.
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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Last November, Missouri voters approved a measure that raised the minimum wage and allowed employees to earn paid sick leave. But state lawmakers have ensured that in less than a month, the sick leave requirement is going away. -
Because Proposition A, which included a minimum wage hike and mandated paid sick leave, was a statute change, lawmakers were able to repeal it. If it returns as a constitutional amendment, it would be harder to change again. -
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly only has one more year in office, and candidates are already lining up to replace her. We’ll learn about the crowded race to succeed the Democratic governor.
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Those wanting merit-based selection of justices are keen to keep the status quo, while others seek to establish direct elections for justices. -
Rose Mulvany Henry and Christal Watson will face off in November's general election for mayor of the United Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City Kansas. Here's what happened in the Aug. 5 primary election. -
Legislators originally approved the recall vote for August 26, but the Jackson County and Kansas City election boards said they could not possibly meet legal balloting requirements in that short timeframe. -
Primary election day is Tuesday, Aug. 5. Learn more about candidates for a number of Wyandotte County positions, including mayor of the Unified Government. -
After Republican lawmakers rolled back sick leave benefits and targeted abortion rights, a bipartisan coalition called Respect Missouri Voters started pushing an initiative petition seeking to undermine the legislature’s ability to overturn voter-approved measures. -
Six candidates are hoping to replace Tyrone Garner as the next mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. KCUR's Up To Date spoke with Gwendolyn Thomas ahead of the August 5 primary — and we interviewed three other candidates in an episode last week. -
A hearing for two court actions over the election date is scheduled for Aug. 1, while the Jackson County Legislature has an ordinance setting a new election day to consider.
