funding

Kansas City is dishing out a lot of money for new development plans, specifically toward the Country Club Plaza and Royals downtown ballpark. How do the two projects stack up against each other — and why does Kansas City feel like it needs to give those owners public funding?

After the Kansas City Council approved $600 million in funding for a new Crown Center ballpark on Thursday, Councilmember Crispin Rea called the deal a major accomplishment for the city. It will hold the Royals to $55 million over 30 years for community improvements, but some community groups say that's not enough — and want a public vote.

An average of 3,400 animal-related vehicle crashes happen in Missouri each year, resulting in around four fatalities annually. Experts hope a first-of-its-kind study of which state roads need animal crossings will help improve safety for all involved.

A preliminary court order reinstated federal grants largely helping Black, Indigenous, veteran and immigrant farmers access land, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut earlier this year. Now, organizations are cautiously moving forward with their projects.

Rural hospitals in Kansas will use federal money to help them transform and expand access to healthcare. Some are creating new services like mobile maternal health clinics, but looming Medicaid cuts still mean many hospitals are at risk of closing.

"It does feel like this is like a microcosm of what the Black experience looks like in America," one alum said.

The USDA has canceled a grant program that supported small and emerging farmers, cutting nearly $300 million nationwide. Kansas City-area organizations like Cultivate KC and MyCo Planet say the loss is disrupting projects already in progress.

Kansas City officials announced a $600 million funding plan to help pay for a downtown ballpark for the Royals. Mayor Quinton Lucas spoke about the proposal, and answers criticisms about a lack of public vote, with KCUR's Up To Date.

Bills have been introduced to add a 65-cent monthly charge on phone bills to create a permanent source of state funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Kansas City and other World Cup host cities must provide stadium infrastructure, transportation, security, even medical support — with little help from FIFA, despite sky-high ticket prices. And the recent federal funding drama shows that "local pride" may not be enough to pay the bills.

The federal government promised Kansas City $59 million in security funding for the World Cup. The partial government shutdown put funds’ release in limbo until the Department of Homeland Security announced last week it would start sending money.

Kansas lawmakers are offering billions in tax incentives to build a new domed stadium and convince the Chiefs to leave Missouri. University of Kansas associate professor Zachary Mohr joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss how STAR bonds work, and what risks and benefits come with using them.