Who is Jon Patterson, Missouri's new Speaker of the House?
A Lee’s Summit Republican is the first Asian-American to be Missouri’s speaker of the house. We'll get to know Rep. Jon Patterson, who hadn’t even held elective office until coming to the House six...
View ArticleThese Kansas City activists are determined heading into Trump’s second term:...
As the U.S. celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day and marks Trump's second inauguration, Kansas City activists worry the new president will follow through on campaign promises like mass deportations...
View ArticleA Midwest farmland owner tests a longstanding wetland conservation law called...
Under a 40-year-old law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can withhold subsidies, like crop insurance and disaster payments, from farmers who clear, drain or convert wetlands. A company that owns...
View ArticleKansas City mayor proposes $1 million for off-duty officers to fight...
While Kansas City, Missouri, considers aid to small businesses plagued by thefts, break-ins and vandalism, the River Market will increase the presence of security officers during the "witching hours"...
View ArticleKansas City is defined, and held back, by the state line
The Kansas-Missouri border splits Kansas City, and divides the metro region more evenly, and sometimes problematically, than any American metro region cut in two by a state line. It affects how public...
View ArticlePresident Trump pardoned the January 6 rioters — including these Missouri...
Missourians charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol include an alleged member of the Proud Boys, a husband and wife, and a man who entered the Capitol dressed as George Washington. All...
View ArticlePresident Trump pardoned the January 6 rioters — including these Kansas...
Kansans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol include alleged members of the Proud Boys, a Topeka City Council candidate and others who've since expressed regret for their actions....
View ArticleEgg prices are soaring again. Here’s why and what to expect
Bird flu has killed millions of hens in recent weeks, shrinking the supply of eggs and hiking up prices at grocery stores.
View ArticleKeeping cheerleaders safe from concussions
A Kansas City doctor is behind a report about the unique injury risks of cheerleading, and is calling for a series of changes to improve safety — including recognizing it as a sport. Plus: Researchers...
View ArticleWhy Kansas City residents are sleeping outside in the cold
Hundreds of unhoused people in Kansas City have been sleeping outside, even in the recent frigid temperatures. We asked them to explain — in their own words — why. Plus: sports betting will soon be...
View ArticleHow popcorn and movie theaters met
Popcorn wasn’t always seen as the ultimate movie snack, but one woman from Kansas City helped change that. Plus: Some Kansas schools are easing up on playground rules in hopes of improving kids’...
View ArticleThis rare bookshop in Kansas quietly preserves the state’s ‘firsthand history’
Watermark West Rare Bookstore has overcome challenges for 40 years, including the internet upending the book business and a drop in rare book collecting. Owner Philip McComish doesn't know what the...
View ArticleKansas City man who shot Ralph Yarl will argue in court the teen tried to...
Andrew Lester, 86, who is white, will argue that he had a right to defend himself because then-16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who is Black, was attempting to enter his house. Lester’s trial begins February 18.
View ArticleMissouri warns of ‘high likelihood’ of radioactive waste in smoldering landfill
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources asked that the EPA assume oversight of the Bridgeton Landfill, arguing it may contain nuclear waste like the adjacent West Lake Landfill.
View ArticleHow a Missouri firefighter’s frustration led to better technology to fight fires
Jason Cerrano got the idea for the SAM Control System about 15 years ago while working a house fire for the Pattonville Fire Protection District. The system is used in more than 120 fire departments in...
View ArticleKansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl, with historic ‘three-peat’ on...
After a tense win in the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will return to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row — and they'll face a familiar foe.
View ArticleHow more tribes are working to bring bison back to their land
Bison — which most tribes refer to as buffalo — are an essential part of many Plains tribes' cultural and spiritual life. Now more tribes and tribal nations are working to reestablish bison herds on...
View ArticleForeign ownership of U.S. farmland is still small but has increased, analysis...
Foreign investors owned about 46 million acres of U.S. farmland in 2023 — which is less than 4% of all American farmland, according to a recent report. The data comes as more states consider limiting...
View ArticleMoral leadership during turbulent times
Religious and moral leaders around the Kansas City metro consider how to guide their communities during the next Trump administration. A local rabbi and reverend share how they lead during turbulent...
View ArticleWhat do Midwest law enforcement agencies say about helping ICE with...
The Midwest Newsroom and its partners asked police departments and sheriff offices in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska to tell us whether they will cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
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