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Most of Kansas was once covered by an ocean of grass and wildflowers. But that diverse prairie biome is collapsing, partly because of our obsession with trees. Humans have unleashed an aggressive “Green Glacier” that’s swallowing the Great Plains, and for these ranchers, saving the environment means being a tree killer — not a tree hugger. (This episode comes to us from the new KCUR Studios podcast Up From Dust, reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos.)

The centrist group was officially recognized last month as the state’s third minor party. The party's chairperson says the goal is to provide a middle ground for Kansans who don’t feel represented by Democrats or Republicans.

The Black Ancestors Awareness Campaign of Weston, a small but mighty nonprofit dedicated to documenting the untold stories of Weston's Black forebears, held its first Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee in 2021. Since then, the small river town just north of Kansas City has become a destination for regional Black history.

Margie Vandeven has spent seven years at the helm of Missouri public schools, but she’ll step down at the end of June. The outgoing commissioner shares her thoughts about key issues facing Missouri schools. Also, headlines from across the metro.

College students across the country have been protesting Israel’s war in Gaza for months. Now, some students in the University of Missouri System are demanding that its endowment stop investing in Israeli companies and weapons manufacturers.

Kansas City's Vision Zero program aims to completely eliminate traffic deaths by 2030. Except last year, fatalities went up, and in 2024 they're increasing even more. Leaders say the effort comes down to greater education, political will and cash.

The Kansas City Royals have made a huge comeback this year after a disastrous 2023 season. Here’s how the team is performing so far, and how management plans to approach the MLB's July 30 trade deadline.

Edward Newsome's new book, "Down Syndrome & The Power of a Father’s Love,” chronicles his life and experience raising a child with a developmental disability.

The Kansas Department of Corrections is using opioid settlement funds to pay for a program to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Opioids like fentanyl are a major driver of rapidly rising overdose deaths in Kansas. Also, headlines from across the metro.

Ella Messner set a time of 5:04.35 for the 1600-meter race — a personal record by 17 seconds — at the HOKA Festival of Miles in St. Louis this spring. It cemented her status as one of the fastest 8th grade runners in the country.