Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)

The Kansas City Aviation Department expects nearly 400,000 people through the airport during Thanksgiving week, meaning an increased chance of local infections. One local group is helping travelers take proper precautions.

Kansas City is considering changes to Highway 71 as part of its project to reconnect the neighborhoods torn apart decades ago by its construction. But some residents who live near the highway wonder if officials have their best interests in mind.

Kansas City brought multiple departments together for a one-day event to help entrepreneurs get ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup games next summer. The training could become an annual tradition as city officials strive to make it less complicated to own a business.

After borrowing $1.4 billion to redevelop the Country Club Plaza, the Gillion Property Group is now seeking millions in tax breaks from a Kansas City agency. Residents are also concerned about new construction renderings showing 200-foot apartment buildings and a major change to the neighborhood’s style.

Joey Thomas has been sponsoring a turkey giveaway for almost 20 years. But he says this year feels different. Low-income families and businesses are all struggling with higher prices, a long federal shutdown and smaller, delayed SNAP benefits.

The Kansas City Council recently changed certain rules around short-term rentals to make it easier for residents to host World Cup visitors next summer. And dozens of people recently attended a "crash course" to learn how they can capitalize on all those visitors by offering their own rentals.

Kansas City officials are waging a war against graffiti, scrubbing surfaces clean only to see them tagged again the next day. Businesses and hotels are fighting back to send the message that downtown is a welcoming, thriving and safe place.

Mike Corrigan is maintaining a centuries-old craft of making and repairing brass instruments. Musicians from Bruno Mars' band, Lincoln Center's jazz series and others from around the world come to his shop, which is also working to train the next generation.

Kansas City will test out a new expansion of the legal drink-serving window during the FIFA 2026 World Cup. The temporary rule aims to boost tourism and business, while regulators stress safety and prepare for an unprecedented surge in nightlife activity.

One agreement pays Platt $192,000, and the second, $308,000. The Kansas City Council fired Platt in March after losing a whistleblower lawsuit that cost the city almost a million dollars.

More than 200 times a month, graffiti appears on downtown walls, buildings and signs. City officials say they scrub the surfaces clean, only to see them tagged again the next day. But businesses and hotels are fighting back, sending the message that downtown Kansas City is a welcoming, thriving and safe place.

Kansas City will host six FIFA World Cup matches in the summer of 2026. Whether you’re a local or among the hundreds of thousands of people expected to travel in, KCUR put together some pointers for what to expect from the tournament — and how to become a soccer fan.