Audio Feature

Western Kansas has inserted itself into the corn belt, a region of the Midwest from Ohio to Nebraska that has dominated corn production. There might be better crop options for the Kansas climate, but huge industries and government subsidies help keep corn growing.

The American Heartland has experienced a boom in wineries over the last three decades. But with U.S. wine sales trending down since 2019, some producers are feeling the effects more than others.

Every Friday, the Spencer Museum of Art opens its entire collection of prints, drawings and photographs to the public. Visitors can explore up close pieces that are usually kept in storage or behind glass.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association has not sanctioned girls' flag football as a full varsity sport, but this year’s pilot program could set a path for that to happen.

Farmers and ranchers eradicated mountain lions from Kansas in the early 20th century, but now the big cats are coming back.

Scientists and seed companies are working on shrinking corn. The subtle difference in height has led to some big changes in how shorter corn can be planted and managed in the Corn Belt.

Detainees in a Cottonwood Falls jail describe sleeping on the floor in overcapacity cells. Amid a national deportation surge, this jail is one of the region’s primary immigration detention centers.

Legal sports gambling is set to begin in Missouri on Dec. 1, more than a year after voters approved legalization. Many bettors are eager for it to begin, but addiction health advocates are concerned about easily accessible mobile gambling.

The legal group says low-income people are disproportionately affected by the cost of bail and calls for using no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. But President Donald Trump argues it's leading to a rise in crime.

Quick-growing blooms of bacteria and algae have long been a hazard in lakes and rivers, because of the toxins they produce. Fueled in part by agricultural runoff, these blooms are also threatening public water systems, making water temporarily unusable, and forcing some cities and towns to take costly preventive measures.

The death of Charles Adair, 50, which has been ruled a homicide, was due to a common police procedure called prone restraint. "This is in the hands of the law officers," a medical expert said.

Harold Smith’s newest paintings take familiar works of art like Grant Wood’s “American Gothic,” Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” and Leonardo DaVinci’s “The Last Supper” and reimagines them with people he grew up with.