Savannah Hawley

The hyperscale data center would go in eastern Independence, near schools and an ammunition plant. A growing number of residents are trying to stop city officials from providing any tax incentives to the company to keep it from being built.

Around 80% of bus stops across the metro do not have somewhere for riders to sit. Even fewer have a shelter. An interactive map from KCUR shows where to find amenities at each bus stop in the metro, and what the area transit agencies are doing to add more.

Frank White III has led the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority since 2022. The KCATA board decided to not renew his contract amid high tensions between the agency and Kansas City, and a looming fiscal cliff that has threatened service cuts multiple times this year.

Quinton Lucas said the plan to split Kansas City could make the Republican-held 4th and 6th districts more competitive. The mayor, who is term-limited from running for reelection, said he may try to flip U.S. Rep. Mark Alford's 4th District seat.

Missouri lawmakers overturned the mandated sick leave law that voters approved by a wide margin. Two Kansas City workers are part of the effort to put sick days back on the ballot, this time as a constitutional amendment lawmakers can't repeal.

President Trump has been pressuring Gov. Mike Kehoe to call a special session for mid-decade redistricting. Republican lawmakers hope to gerrymander congressional lines around Kansas City, diluting Democratic voting power and making it harder for Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to win in the 2026 midterms.

Much of south Kansas City, Missouri, and its neighborhoods north of the Missouri River are transit deserts. City council members who represent those areas are focused on improving transit. But without more regional funding, it'll be a struggle just to keep the few bus lines that already exist.

The city won't work with CJR Construction Group for two years, after the company repeatedly violated its prevailing wage rules. This is the first time Kansas City has debarred a contractor in years.

The National Weather Service says a "confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado" was located near Raytown, moving east at 45 mph towards Independence. Tornado warnings have been canceled for Jackson County and surrounding areas, but the threat of flash flooding remains.

Mario Vasquez is the first Latino person to permanently hold the role. The city manager is one of the most powerful positions in Kansas City, and Vasquez will have to balance large projects with regaining the public's trust.