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 Care
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.
Posted inState Government
Missouri gives ‘one of the biggest millionaire tax cuts’ this year, report says
This year, Missouri became the first state in the country to tax income but not capital gains. That could present a challenge as the state prepares to face a budget shortfall.
Posted inHealth Care
$50,000 for signing off: Missouri’s rules are blocking access to care, nurse practitioners say
Nurse practitioners and midwives have been pushing to get the law changed in Missouri, but haven’t made any progress. Now, one Columbia nurse is suing the state.