Kansas City Today

After eight years comforting patients and families at the University of Missouri Children's Hospital in Columbia, a golden retriever named Link is retiring. The therapy dog has brought joy to countless children during some of their most difficult moments.

The University of Kansas is refusing to answer questions over how much it pays student-athletes and where that $20.5 million comes from, even though salaries are public for every other university employee. That's raising concerns over transparency and financial priorities.

College football games are getting hotter as summer-like temperatures stretch into fall. With the season starting even earlier in 2027, Kansas and Missouri players, fans and marching bands could face greater risks of heat-related illness.

There was a lot of talk last week about the "Blue Wave" that swept through Congress and governors' mansions across the country, but it also made its way to the ruby red legislative chambers of Topeka and Jefferson City. We'll hear about how Republican supermajorities in both states are now a thing of the past.

Across the Midwest, thousands of children and adults with disabilities are waiting for Medicaid waivers to help pay for their care at home. Also, U.S. farmers are looking for more drought-resistant crops. Sorghum could be the answer.

The World Cup brought new investments, infrastructure improvements and business opportunities to Kansas City. Months after the tournament ended, some of those changes are here to stay, while others have already disappeared.

Rev. Adam Hamilton has become the first Democrat in nearly a century to win a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas. Meanwhile, Missouri voters rejected proposals to ban abortions and cement a gerrymandered congressional map. We'll run down all the biggest election results from both states.

Voters in Missouri and Kansas are deciding some critical races and ballot measures today: constitutional amendments on abortion access, a tight U.S. Senate contest, a governor's race and more. But lower on the ballot is something just as important: judge retention elections. We'll break down how the judicial retention process works in both states and what voters should know before heading to the p...

Affordability is looming over the coming midterm elections, with new research revealing that almost a quarter of Midwestern households report having trouble paying their bills, mortgage, or rent. Plus: Missourians said “no” in August to a proposed amendment that would have made it harder to change the state constitution. Now, a different amendment could make it lawmakers to reverse voter-approved...

The Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph documents the country’s torrid history of mental health treatment, but it has an eerie reputation itself. Take a visit inside one of Missouri’s most peculiar museums — located in the former State Insane Asylum No. 2.

Missouri voters will decide whether to create a state-owned investment fund that supporters say could eventually replace state taxes and provide long-term financial stability. Amendment 7 critics worry it could jeopardize funding for essential services.

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is blaming his Democratic opponent, Adam Hamilton, for a "split" in the United Methodist Church. But the reality is much more complex. Plus: Missouri voters will once again decide whether to restrict abortion access in the state. How is it different from the last ban?

Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson and Democratic state Rep. Keri Ingle are competing for a closely watched state Senate seat representing Lee's Summit and Blue Springs. The race could determine whether Republicans maintain their supermajority in the Missouri Senate.

Midterm elections are just over a week away, and a lot is at stake for both Republicans and Democrats in Missouri. Several key measures and races appearing on the ballot could have big impacts on the future of the state's political ecosystem.

Every four years, most Missouri counties elect a sheriff to lead law enforcement efforts. That process is outlined in state statute, but if voters approve Amendment 8 at the polls on Nov. 3, the election of sheriffs will also be required in the state constitution. Plus, 30 years ago, roadrunners were spotted in only 28 counties in Kansas, or about a fourth of the state. But a changing climate has...

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Republican Ty Masterson leads Democrat Cindy Holscher in the race for Kansas governor. Plus: How the deportation of a parent can affect children's mental and physical health.

In the Kansas City Ballet’s production of “The Wizard of Oz,” running through Oct. 25, Dorothy Gale’s ruby-red pointe shoes sparkle with hundreds of tiny rhinestones. Plus: Horse racing is back in Kansas for the first time in 16 years, with gambling revenue helping attract competitors from surrounding states.

Jackson County voters on Nov. 3 will decide whether to renew the county’s 1/4-cent anti-crime sales tax, known as COMBAT. The tax generates between $25-30 million per year to support the county's crime and drug prevention efforts.

The U.S. Senate race in Kansas has attracted national attention. But where do Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton stand on affordability, healthcare, the war in Iran and other issues that matter to Kansan? Plus: Missouri produces the third-most beef cattle in the country but the spike in diesel prices has been hitting farmers hard.

The Kansas City Council passed a financing package that moved the Royals’ stadium development forward in a big way. The deal will tap 30 years of tax growth to repay the costs of construction, to the tune of $1.4 billion. Economists say it's deeply flawed.

Since a 9-year-old girl was struck and killed by a car while riding her bike to school in Kansas City one year ago, city leaders, local organizations, and families have been trying to improve traffic infrastructure and car culture to make streets safer.

The makeup of the Jackson County Legislature will change dramatically after the November election, with seven of nine seats getting new representatives. There are also no returning faces in the race for Jackson County executive, after years of scandal and controversy over property taxes.

A Kansas bakery's Facebook post about an unpaid bill from 2020 went viral — because the delinquent customer was Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall. After the $678 bill ended up making national news, the Marshall campaign settled its debt, with interest.

Early voting begins in much of Kansas this week — where a critical U.S. Senate seat and most state offices are on the ballot. The big races for governor, secretary of state and attorney general are all closer than expected.

Two Kansas City area hospitals have been suing patients over unpaid medical bills. We’ll hear why medical debt is becoming a bigger part of many people’s lives.