Here’s who Kansas City-area voters picked for school and community college boards on Nov. 4, 2025.
Voters approve four-day school week in Independence, pick school board members in Kansas
Posted inState Government
Kansas Republicans fail to get enough support to gerrymander congressional maps
The Kansas Senate had enough support to force a special session, but GOP leadership failed to get 84 House Republicans to agree to return to Topeka.
Posted inElections
Wyandotte County election results: Mayor, commissioners and more
Voters in Wyandotte County cast their ballots for a new mayor and four commissioners on Nov. 4. Here’s what happened.
Posted inBehind the Beacon
Welcome our first chief advancement officer
Amanda Jackson joins The Beacon to guide sustainability efforts across the organization.
Posted inHealth
Lives in the balance: Kansas City’s top cancer researchers worry about federal funding cuts doing lasting damage
Frozen and terminated grants, threatened federal funding cuts and scientists being forced to leave the country all contribute to the uncertainty scientific research institutions face in Kansas City and across the country.
Posted inState Government
Laura Kelly is suing Kris Kobach for not suing the Trump administration
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says she’s the top official in the executive branch, yet Kobach has declined to sue when asked.
Posted inElections
Independence will vote on the 4-day school week. Other Missouri districts are watching closely
A new Missouri law requires certain school districts to get voter approval to start or continue the four-day week. The Independence School District, which is by far the state’s largest district on the shortened week, will put the issue before voters on Nov. 4.
Posted inState Government
Kansas Republicans are trying to gerrymander congressional maps. Is that legal?
A previous Kansas Supreme Court ruling says maps can be drawn for political gain. Race-based gerrymandering isn’t allowed, however.
Posted inBehind the Beacon
Slow service, missing mail: Beacon panel highlights experiences with USPS changes in Missouri
The Beacon heard from a senior fellow and co-director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and the president of the Missouri Farm Bureau about USPS changes in Missouri.
Posted inEconomics
AI disruption is here: Kansas City workers navigate new reality
New data center jobs pay $23/hour, but 40,000 workers face automation risk from AI. Local leaders ponder AI jobs transition ahead.