Savannah Hawley

Pharmacy technicians at the University of Kansas Health System narrowly lost their May union election. But nearly 40% of the ballots arrived in the mail late, potentially changing the results. So far, the Kansas state board hasn't counted them, but organizers are demanding a redo.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will begin charging fares again next month. When it does, United Way will connect with area nonprofits to provide free and reduced fares.

A judge sided with the city of Independence and denied residents' efforts to put massive tax breaks for an AI data center up to voters.

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.