Could World Cup fans camp out in Kansas City? The Beacon explores what’s behind the idea, what campgrounds are seeing and how cities plan to respond.
Thomas White
Thomas White covers workforce and economic impact for The Beacon, reporting on policies, programs, and systems that help or hinder everyday people's pursuit of the American Dream. White is an emerging reporter with previous experience at The Community Voice and The Pitch Magazine. The KC-area native spent over a decade in hospitality before earning his journalism degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City as a first-generation college graduate from a working-class family.
Posted inLabor
Kansas City’s tipped workers could pay the price for World Cup culture clash
KC restaurants are split on adding automatic tips during the World Cup. For tipped workers the stakes are real — and the safety net is thin.
Posted inLabor
Missing the first rung: Entry-level job seekers in Kansas and Missouri feel hiring slowdown
Hiring is at a historically slow pace and young Missouri and Kansas workers are feeling it. Here’s what’s reshaping the entry-level job market.
Posted inHousing
Priced out: KCPS eyes vacant historic school building for teacher housing in Brookside
KCPS is exploring converting the vacant Bryant School in Brookside into affordable housing for teachers — but the idea faces challenges.
Posted inLabor
Kansas City data centers and AI flip the script on job security
KC’s data center boom is a windfall for construction trades. But the AI powered by those buildings is already reshaping who has job security — and who doesn’t.
Posted inEconomics
‘Blinded by dollar signs’: Independence wrestles with 90% tax abatement for massive AI data center
Independence votes March 2 on a 90% tax abatement for Nebius’ proposed $151 billion data center. Here’s how the deal works and what residents think.
Posted inHousing
Hoping for more affordable housing, Kansas City rolls back energy efficiency codes
Some officials hope less restrictive codes will reduce costs and spur new housing. Others say it will cost residents in the long run.
Posted inLocal Government
Nearly $103M raised through taxes on online sales bypass voter-approved funds in Kansas City budget
Voters have approved seven special revenue sales taxes for things like transit, public safety and infrastructure. But taxes collected on online purchases from out-of-state retailers bypass those uses in the city budget.
Posted inHousing
Working homelessness: When ‘getting a job’ isn’t enough in KC
Increasing numbers of sheltered families have jobs while a growing population is caught in the gap between the wages they earn and the cost of housing. It’s a formula for rising homelessness.
Posted inEconomics
Proposed Wyandotte data centers require a lot of power: Will that increase your bill?
Data centers could triple Wyandotte County’s power demand. BPU says it can serve data centers without higher utility bills for other ratepayers, but that hasn’t been the case in other markets.