Jackson County prosecutor says animal abuse reports could help combat...
Prosecutor Melesa Johnson’s office is supporting a state bill that would add animal control officers to the list of those who must report any suspected child or elder abuse. Animal abuse is seen as a...
View ArticleUSDA ended its local food programs. A look at how farmers, schools and food...
Thousands of schools, farmers and food pantries in the Midwest and Great Plains planned on federal dollars over the next year to support local food purchases. And then the U.S. Department of...
View ArticleEaster chocolate is expensive this season. Here’s why
A shortage of cocoa beans is driving up the cost to make chocolate — especially for small chocolatiers. That means people buying chocolate for Easter can expect high prices.
View ArticleShould Missouri and Kansas restrict junk food in SNAP?
Missouri and Kansas lawmakers are trying to eliminate junk food purchases from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. But food accessadvocates worry that restricting...
View ArticleWith no staff left at LIHEAP, the federal utility assistance program,...
About $378 million of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding remains to be distributed. Without federal staff, some experts and advocates worry that low-income customers won’t be able to pay...
View ArticleMissouri workers will soon get paid sick leave. But legislators may kill the...
Business owners are required to tell their workers about their right to paid sick leave on Tuesday. But a bill in the Missouri legislature and a case in the Missouri Supreme Court could take away the...
View ArticleHow Kansas Republicans prevailed during governor's 'veto era'
The Kansas Legislature had a noticeably short session this year. With Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly in what lawmakers dubbed her "veto era," how did Republicans override her decisions?
View ArticleSt. Louis sues Missouri to block part of state takeover of police department
A new Missouri law gives a state board control over the St. Louis Police Department, instead of the mayor, similar to the system in Kansas City. The lawsuit calls it an unfunded mandate because it...
View ArticleTrump plans order to cut funding for NPR and PBS
President Trump has called on Congress to rescind $1.1 billion in funding from the public broadcasters. KCUR is one of the 1,300 locally and independently managed stations that are funded in part by...
View ArticleForget something? Here’s how to improve your memory
Our memories are a big part of what makes us human. But why do some moments tend to stick in our brain for years, while others fade away? Neuroscientists Kausik Si and Elizabeth Kensinger explain the...
View ArticleMissouri Attorney General can appeal wrongfully convicted man's exoneration,...
Christopher Dunn, who was exonerated last year for a wrongful murder conviction, spent 34 years in prison. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has fought against Dunn's release.
View ArticleGot your Real ID? Millions of Midwesterners still don’t have the new, more...
After May 7, people age 18 and older who want to travel domestically by air and enter certain federal buildings will need to present a Real ID or a valid passport.
View ArticleAmeren asks Trump to exempt Missouri coal plants from air pollution rules —...
The Labadie Energy Center and the Sioux Energy Center in Missouri will have two extra years to limit emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants.
View ArticleWhy an 'enrollment cliff' could be bad news for Missouri colleges
The number of students heading to college is projected to decline after this fall. The financial impact is putting some Missouri institutions at risk of significant cuts — or closure. Plus: Some...
View ArticleNPR CEO Katherine Maher addresses future of federal funding for public media
Katherine Maher, president and CEO of National Public Radio, talks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about the White House proposal to eliminate federal funding for public media.
View ArticleKansas will carve out religious vaccine exemptions as it eases some child...
The bill aims to improve access to child care. But some advocates are concerned about provisions related to vaccines and licensing.
View ArticleJackson County will cap property tax assessments this year. But big increases...
The county announced today that it will cap assessment increases at 15% this year. It has been embroiled in a monthslong legal battle over an order to roll back its 2023 assessments, which shocked...
View ArticleRegional Climate Centers shut down abruptly this week. Here's why it matters
The closure of four of the six Regional Climate Centers across the U.S. occurred after funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ran out. A recent report stated that the Trump...
View ArticleThe Van Gogh of the Plains
More than 100 years ago, Swedish-born artist Birger Sandzén helped shape the way Americans picture the Kansas landscape. Today, the largest collection of his paintings, prints, and drawings is in the...
View ArticleLa detención de una persona cerca de una escuela en Kansas City no fue una...
Agentes federales de la DEA detuvieron a una persona cerca de una escuela en Kansas City, de acuerdo con funcionarios de las Escuelas Públicas de Kansas City (KCPS). Aunque el incidente no estuvo...
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