drought

Legal agreements govern the Great Lakes and some river systems in the U.S., but the Mississippi River doesn’t have a compact. Some mayors on the waterway think it’s time to change that.

State lawmakers want farmers in western Kansas to take action by 2026 to halt declines in the Ogallala aquifer. But the region’s whole agriculture system is built to produce irrigated grain at a high volume.

Doctors who treat eating disorders in Kansas City are seeing more cases among younger people. But resources for "accepting" treatments are not meeting the demand. Plus: Wildlife in the Midwest and Great Plains are suffering from persistent drought.

Drought has scorched much of the Midwest and Great Plains for the last four years. It has destroyed crops and sparked wildfires. Wildlife is also reckoning with the dry conditions – which can change animal behavior and even push species out of some regions.

Democrats have long enjoyed support from organized labor, but many union members don’t feel a party allegiance any more. In Kansas City's Northland, both Republican Rep. Bill Allen and his opponent, UAW member and Democrat Shirley Mata, hope to win over dissatisfied voters. Plus: The Midwest is going through another drought, but farmers might not be eligible for relief.

Programs that provide drought relief to farmers use the U.S. Drought Monitor to determine eligibility, but some experts say it doesn’t always capture local conditions.

Fall is typically a drier time of the year for the Great Plains and Midwest. But drought is once again rearing its head in much of the region, and experts are not seeing relief anytime soon.

River barges are an efficient way to move crops — 15 barges can hold about as much grain as 1,000 semi-trucks. But low river levels are driving up transportation costs for Midwest farmers.

Water scarcity could threaten the Midwest as climate change puts pressure on water systems. With that scarcity, legal fights over water could become more common.

The bagpipe dates back thousands of years, with a rich history and tradition especially in Irish and Scottish communities. Today, we'll meet Kansas City bagpiper Griffin Hall, and learn about the gig that will take him and his instrument to Scotland. Plus: Southwest Kansas is now renowned for beef and grain production, but it used to be known as the watermelon capital of the country. The fruit crop spurred a multibillion dollar agriculture industry, but the water that sustained the melon industry ran dry.

Missouri's cicada outburst has worsened the spread of diseases for farmers. It comes after years of difficult weather conditions, including the recent drought, that have taken a toll on apple growers.

Black women hoping to conceive using donor sperm often have to choose a donor from a different race or put their fertility journey on hold because of a shortage of Black sperm donors. One woman tells us her story. Plus: Parts of Missouri, Kansas and other Midwest states are still in drought, despite recent rains.