News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Mum’s The Word on the Solar Farm at Kansas City Airport
Area residents flying to and from home may wonder about the fate of the gleaming solar farm at Kansas City International Airport promised a year ago by Kansas City officials and Evergy. The short answer is that attorneys for the city and the consortium Evergy assembled to build the project are still working on the…
Nick’s Picks: Veterans Day, Missouri Politicians, Billie Eilish and More …
Don’t Forget It Is Veterans Day If you thought this would be a good day to head to the DMV or the post office, you’re in for some serious disappointment…everything’s closed. America marks Veterans Day today. Government buildings and banks are closed. And there’s no mail delivery. The National WWI Museum is hosting special commemorative…
A Better Big Blue Battlefield in Kansas City | Part II
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a three-part series on the restoration of the Big Blue Battlefield in Kansas City, Missouri. In the mid-19th century, overland trail teamsters driving wagons west sometimes followed a branch of the Santa Fe Trail out of Independence, using the shortcut to reach fields where the animals used…
Nick’s Picks: Election Day, College Hoops, COVID Battle and More …
Election Day or Election Week? It’s nearly time to say goodbye to all the political ads that have appeared during every commercial break for the past couple of months. Are you going to miss them? What about all the candidate robocalls blowing up your phone? Election Day is finally here on Tuesday. But if you’re…
On the Ballot | Sports Betting in Missouri
Introduction In the wake of Kansas legalizing sports betting, Missouri voters will decide whether or not to allow the same on the other side of the state line. Amendment 2 proposes allowing people 21 years old and older to bet on sports in Missouri. If it passes, the Missouri Gaming Commission would regulate sports betting statewide….
On the Ballot | Ranked-Choice Voting
Introduction On Tuesday voters will decide whether to change Missouri law to prohibit ranked-choice voting and change the language in the Missouri Constitution to say that “only” U.S. Citizens can vote rather than “all”. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank all the candidates in order of preference. The way it works: Transcript Nick Haines [Host,…
On the Ballot | Court Fees to Support Law Enforcement Salaries & Benefits
Introduction Amendment 6, which asks voters to decide whether to amend the Missouri Constitution to allow state courts to charge administrative fees to provide pensions and other compensation to former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys, and circuit attorneys, is on Tuesday’s ballot. The amendment is in direct opposition to a unanimous 2021 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that…
On the Ballot | Missouri Abortion Rights
Introduction Amendment 3 presents Missouri voters with the decision to overturn the state’s abortion ban and enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution. Its inclusion in Missouri’s November ballot is a direct result of a citizen-led campaign that gathered more than 380,000 signatures. If passed, Amendment 3 would overturn Missouri’s abortion ban,…
KC Live Theater Provides Alternative to What People Miss in Shrinking Congregations
When the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre presents “Freud’s Last Session” the weekend of Nov. 22, the audience will hear a debate about God’s existence by actors playing Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis, and C.S. Lewis, one of the 20th Century’s most important Christian writers. But the goal won’t be to convince anyone of any religious, spiritual,…
On the Ballot | Missouri’s Minimum Wage
Introduction Proposition A will appear on Missouri’s November ballot, asking voters to decide on raising the state’s minimum wage and implementing paid sick leave. If approved, the minimum wage would increase to $13.75 in 2025 and $15 in 2026, with annual adjustments based on inflation. The law would also require businesses to provide paid sick…