Missouri voters reject Amendment 4, protecting main tool for direct democracy

The vote marks a sharp rebuke of Republican lawmakers who pushed the measure amid anger over abortion rights and other issues.

kansascity.com

US push to defund ‘DEI bike lanes’ will make roads less safe, advocates say

Trump administration boasts of cutting $1.73bn already allocated for cycling improvements to city streets

theguardian.com

ICE’s Secret Weapon Is in Your Community

While attempting to maintain a relatively lower profile, ICE is managing to arrest record numbers of people. Here’s how it’s doing that.

newrepublic.com

Midtown development quietly wins approval to add 202 apartments on parking lot site - Kansas City Business Journal

More than 200 new apartments planned for years at a former Midtown call center site got internal approval from planning staff.

bizjournals.com

KC Streetcar proposes route connecting downtown to 18th & Vine, at a cost of $175 million

Officials presented a plan for an east-west streetcar route that runs between Kansas City's historic jazz district and Main Street, where it would intersect with the existing north-south line. The pro...

kcur.org

Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him

Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.

nytimes.com

Florida’s nursing homes are bracing for life without Haitian TPS workers

The Supreme Court ended their legal status. Patients will pay the price.

motherjones.com

Five Cups of Coffee a Day Is Fine for Most Adults, Heart Association Says

The research has been mixed but the association says evidence of coffee’s safety and even benefits has been growing over time.

wsj.com

Federal Agents Were Told FBI Will No Longer Investigate ICE Confrontations

Senior officials deny such a change is in the works, despite guidance shared with agents around the country in recent days.

nytimes.com

How Mudlarking Became London’s Hottest Hobby

Searching for ancient objects in the Thames used to be a niche pastime. Then came Instagram, permits, and a desperate desire for connection with the past.

newyorker.com

‘Frustrating’ meeting about midtown KC Costco offers few answers, residents say

Dozens of Kansas City residents pressed Costco officials about converting the Linwood Boulevard store to a business center and express concern about losing the pharmacy.

kansascity.com

Royals-tied company buys property near future Crown Center ballpark site. What we know

Plans for the former Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City site, and nearby city-owned Washington Square Park, remain to be announced.

kansascity.com

Jackson County could vote on transit tax to help fund buses. Residents can weigh in now

A county-wide sales tax could provide tens of millions of dollars each year for public transportation, potentially reversing the yearslong trend of Kansas City riders losing bus routes. Jackson County...

kcur.org

‘Safer streets are not created by chance’: Group looks at causes of St. Louis walking, biking deaths

Last year, 22 fewer pedestrians died in St. Louis and St. Louis County compared to 2024, but five cyclists died after a year of no bicyclist deaths.

stlpr.org

kansascity.com

Kansas City bus agency wants to use AI facial recognition. Critics say it'll make riders less safe

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority could be one of the first in the nation to add AI-powered facial recognition cameras to its bus fleet this fall. National nonprofits and a KCATA commissio...

kcur.org

States that won't obey Trump order will have their mail ballots halted, postmaster says

The U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver mail ballots in states that refuse to turn over lists of voters under a proposed rule, the agency’s chief executive said Wednesday, angering Democrats who warn th...

newsfromthestates.com

Judges block Trump push for Michigan voter info, setting up possible Supreme Court fight

A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled the Department of Justice isn’t entitled to access the sensitive personal data of Michigan voters, a setback in President Donald Trump’s push to assert power...

newsfromthestates.com

Here’s the latest.

nytimes.com

Congress Clears Housing Bill, Cementing a Rare Bipartisan Feat

nytimes.com

Chicago's Bike Lanes Don't Hurt Businesses, City Report Finds

As protected bike lanes face opposition in some neighborhoods, city-backed case studies found lanes in a half-dozen corridors have not contributed to a negative impact on economic activity.

blockclubchicago.org

Elon Musk’s Race War Just Took Darker Turn—Time for a Global Response

The violent fascist riots in Belfast reveal the future that the trillionaire really wants. We need an international movement to constrain him.

newrepublic.com

It's official: Developer will attempt 20-story data center in place of historic Library District building - Kansas City Business Journal

A historic building in Downtown sees plans filed to turn it into a data center tower, despite earlier intimations the historic structure would be preserved.

bizjournals.com

washingtonpost.com

Trump ‘trampled’ voter privacy by feeding info into Homeland Security system, judge says

The Trump administration illegally overhauled a U.S. Department of Homeland Security computer program in its hunt for noncitizen voters, a judge ruled Monday in a stinging decision that laid into fede...

newsfromthestates.com

Missouri lawmakers revive a massive tax incentive tool

Projects like the Royals’ proposed ballpark at Crown Center and the KC Current’s riverfront stadium expansion could receive additional city and state funding through the program.

thebeaconnews.org

A 20-story data center tower could be built in downtown Kansas City. See where

The tower would include a commercial space on the ground floor, which renderings show could be a coffee shop.

kansascity.com