politics

KCUR invited Congress members from Kansas and Missouri to answer questions from constituents about what's happening in Washington. Despite multiple invitations to each of the area’s federal elected officials, just Democratic Reps. Sharice Davids and Emanuel Cleaver II chose to attend. Here's what we heard.

Timothy Heaphy was an investigator of the January 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol as well as the 2017 Charlottesville riot. He's the author of "Harbingers: What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal about Rising Threats to Democracy," and will visit Kansas City this week for an event at Rainy Day Books.

Missouri's elected officials have been productive so far in 2025, a stark contrast to the deadlocked chambers of the last few years. But with about a month left in the session, a budget and new anti-abortion legislation are still on the to-do list.

President Trump's cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services will impact hundreds of millions of dollars in grant-funded projects around the country. Crosby Kemper, a former director of the Kansas City Public Library who served as IMLS director for four years, worries the agency will be eliminated entirely.

The Missouri Supreme Court will hear a case Wednesday challenging the constitutionality of Proposition A, the minimum wage and sick leave law that voters passed with 58% support in November last year. Bills in the state legislature also aim to modify the law.

Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall has blamed the turmoil that erupted at a recent town hall meeting in rural Kansas on “paid Democratic operatives.” But the people who attended the meeting say they are just Kansans concerned about funding cuts, layoffs and more.

For more than 40 years, Mike Mahoney reported on government and politics for KMBC 9 News. Mahoney joined KCUR's Up To Date for the series "5 Questions."

Americans have increasingly been choosing where they spend their money based on social and political values. KU marketing and psychology professor Dr. Jessica Li shares what's behind this trend.

Political scientists from universities in Missouri and Kansas are noticing more participation at town halls and legislative committee hearings since President Donald Trump took office last month. But whether that trend holds will depend on how future actions play out.

Unity among Republicans means the legislative session is shaping up to be more productive compared to previous years. Here's an update on the bills making their way through the Statehouse.

Two Kansas News Service reporters share the latest developments from the Kansas Legislature as the 2025 session moves past the one month mark.

Jason Kander is a former Missouri Secretary of State and host of the podcast Majority 54. He shared his thoughts on the state of local and national politics, and played along for Up To Date's series "5 Questions."