veterans

Revenue from marijuana sales has gone up, but fewer people are going to casinos in Missouri. That means funding that goes toward operational needs of the state’s seven veterans homes is still 'year to year to year,' according to lawmakers.

When President Trump made deep cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier this year, grants were cancelled and programs across the country were suspended. In Kansas City, one oral history project for Vietnam War veterans had to be scaled back.

Hundreds of people show up every Thursday to the American Legion Post 153 in Olathe, Kansas, hoping to get lucky at weekly bingo night. It's a chance to reconnect with friends, family and the local veteran community — but the competition is serious.

In 1950, a special committee assembled by President Harry S. Truman delivered its groundbreaking report on desegregating the military. KCUR's Up To Date spoke with two Black veterans to discuss the legacy of Truman's decision and the battles that are still being fought to ensure the integration of the armed forces.

On April 30, 1975, the city of Saigon in South Vietnam fell to the North Vietnamese forces, marking the end of the nearly 20-year Vietnam War. These are the stories of three Kansas Citians with direct ties to the conflict.

Under President Trump's efforts to thin the federal government, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials announced plans to cut about 80,000 positions across the country throughout the year. That would affect several offices in Kansas City and across Missouri.

An executive order issued by President Donald Trump claims that transgender people are unfit to serve in the military. That's a "blatant insult and a betrayal," local service members say.

The futures of transgender troops are uncertain following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which claims that people whose gender does not match their sex assigned at birth are unfit to serve. That's a "blatant insult and a betrayal," local service members say.

The lives of Afghan civilians who worked alongside Americans were at risk once U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan. From more than 7,000 miles away, Army veteran and former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander devised a rescue mission, "Operation Bella," to get allies away from the Taliban.

Military members and their families are especially vulnerable to food insecurity, but Kansas City groups are providing a safety net. Plus: Missouri hemp producers are stuck in confusion after the delay of Gov. Mike Parson's ban on hemp-derived edibles.

According to a recent report, 19% of responding Missouri military-connected families said they were facing low or very low food security. Some Kansas City organizations are working so members of the military community don’t have to choose between the expenses of day-to-day life and going hungry.

The founders of SK8 Shot Studios are taking Kansas City roller-skating rinks by storm. Their plan is to revive the once thriving scene and grow it into a global destination for Black skate culture — one class and skate party at a time.