After MU employees received an email from UM System President Mun Choi that cautioned disruptive speech, First Amendment experts say the email creates a ‘chilling effect.’

It's unclear what the university would flag as "disruptive" speech. A university spokesperson declined to comment to KBIA. www.kbia.org/kbia-news/20...

On Thursday Sep. 5, a second Starbucks location in Columbia voted to unionize and began discussing bargaining with officials to discuss better working conditions.

Confusion is rising after the FDA approved the updated COVID-19 vaccine formula but has limited access to those with certain health conditions.

Former U.S. attorney and Missouri House Speaker takes on the role as Missouri’s 45th attorney general.

House Joint Resolution 3, if passed in the current special session and approved by voters in next year’s midterm election, would require any new constitutional amendments to win each congressional district to be ratified.

The Mizzou Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks are set to take the field on Saturday - for the first time since 2011. But as KBIA’s Rebecca Smith reports, the rivalry actually goes back nearly 200 years.

We're neck and neck with our friends at @kansaspublicradio.bsky.social 👀 Keep sharing and keep giving, so we can beat the Jayhawks! You can make a gift here: www.kbia.org/radiorivals Remember: Gifts from new donors are worth DOUBLE the points. Join the fight!

Just in time for the Mizzou - Kansas showdown this Saturday, KBIA and @kansaspublicradio.bsky.social are facing off in a Radio Rivals competition. Every gift given to a station = one point. The losing station will have to admit defeat on-air. Donate to BEAT the Jayhawks! www.kbia.org/radiorivals

About 10% of Missouri is now abnormally dry, with drought returning to parts of the state after a wet spring and summer.

KBIA is inviting you to take our listener survey, so we can better meet your needs. This a cooperative project between KBIA and a senior capstone class at the Missouri School of Journalism (@mujschool.bsky.social). Tap the link below to get started: missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

The Pettis County Health Center in Sedalia is now a Milk Depot, collecting breast milk donations to help premature and medically fragile infants across Missouri.

Columbia’s Opportunity Campus, a one-stop hub for homeless services, is set to open this spring despite a $3.4 million funding gap.

Matthew Price has been appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, covering 66 counties including Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield.

Missouri’s population grew 1.5% from 2020 to 2024 due to migration, though some mid-Missouri counties, including Randolph and Audrain, saw declines.

Mid-Missouri farmers say they’re feeling the effects of the recent heat wave, because the temperature both makes it harder for farmers to work long hours and gives cattle less energy to bulk up.

Food insecurity is on the rise in Missouri and Boone County according to the Missouri Hunger Atlas, a project at the University of Missouri that tracks hunger in the state.

Service dogs in the United States have long been trained to assist people. Now, one University of Missouri researcher is focusing on the bond between humans and animals and looking at the health of service dogs.

A team of University of Missouri researchers has discovered a way to genetically modify a plant’s genes to produce more oil for biofuels using arabidopsis, a type of mustard plant.

Leaders of Columbia's VAC say their annual back to school backpacks are costing more to produce due to inflation.

D'Markus Thomas-Brown, administrator for Columbia's new Office of Violence Prevention, talks about why it's important to look at the "ecosystem" producing violent events, rather than blaming "bad actors."

The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved new rates for Ameren's gas customers, adding around 12 percent, or $13, to the average Missouri customers' monthly bills.

Community members gathered at Love Columbia to learn about Accessory Dwelling Units. Meeting attendees said they were interested in building the structures to combat Columbia's housing shortage.

Boone Health officials in Audrain County say recent changes may actually expedite the construction of the hospital in Mexico, Missouri, which would include an emergency room and a dozen beds.

Ameren officials are asking state regulators for approval to install lithium-ion batteries at a site in Jefferson County and is also proposing a new gas power plant on the former Rush Island coal plant.

D'Markus Thomas-Brown, administrator for the City of Columbia's new Office of Violence Prevention, talks about why he feels it's important to look at the "ecosystem" that produces violent events, rather than just blaming individual "bad actors."

Columbia’s Disabilities Commission is updating the city’s ADA Grievance Form, allowing people to report alleged discrimination within the city’s services or programs.

Missouri drivers could see advances in road maintenance to help mitigate the buckling of roads caused by rising temperatures due to climate change.

On July 10, Gov. Kehoe signed into law a bill that eliminates the “tampon” tax on menstrual products and diapers. The new law cuts the tax rate on menstrual products and diapers by almost three-quarters.

A crowd gathered outside Sen. Hawley’s office in Columbia to participate in the national “Good Trouble” protest. Organized by Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, the protesters voiced opposition to the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’

Northeast Missouri Area Health Education Center is holding camps for 7th to 12th graders in rural Missouri hospitals to show them healthcare job opportunities in their own communities.

Boone Health is looking for a business partner to aid expansion that could rejuvenate hospital access to Missourians.

Missouri State Climatologist Zack Leasor determines if there’s drought in Missouri, but change in the environment has made drought more difficult to define in a shifting climate.

Mental health was the leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum Missourians, with Black women being 2.5 times more likely to die during pregnancy and postpartum than white women..

Boone Health is searching for a strategic partner amid a 30% rise in ER visits since 2019. Plans include growth in Columbia and 26 rural counties with a decision coming in September of 2026.

More Missourians are seeing fireflies this summer, but experts say long-term populations are still down. Scientists recommend leaving grass longer, avoiding pesticides and reducing outdoor lighting at night.

Room at the Inn is now open all day on Saturdays, offering breakfast through the long-running Saturday Morning Cafe. The shelter gives guests relief from the heat and a place to stay during the day.

In Hannibal, Missouri, students have portrayed Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher each year since 1956. The program teaches public speaking and local history and helps young people connect with Mark Twain’s legacy.

A MU study finds that using slimming filters on social media can fuel self-comparison and body image issues. Even seeing filtered posts from others can increase the desire to lose weight and heighten body dissatisfaction.

Missouri regained access to Title X reproductive health funds after a 3-month freeze. Health officials say Medicaid cuts proposed in Congress could still endanger rural clinics and patients who rely on these programs.

CoMo Mobile Aid offers vital services to Columbia’s unhoused community. Volunteer Mikala reflects on how this grassroots approach shapes both her medical career and personal outlook.

New Chief of Police Bobby Calvert focuses on recruitment, retention, and community relations to address Moberly’s crime issues.

A fungus known as red crown rot is affecting Missouri soybeans, causing crop losses with no cure in sight.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 120,000 Missourians are living with the disease. But a newly approved blood test could lead to earlier and cheaper diagnosis of the disease.

June 30 is the deadline for seniors to apply for a personal property tax credit.

Drag artist David Hall speaks on his achievements within LGBTQ+ pageantry and why this representation is important to drag artists of color.

Red crown rot stems from a fungus that lives in the soil. It's first confirmed case in Missouri was last year.

Scientists at the Columbia Environmental Research Center study animals, ecosystems and contaminants.

More than a hundred people gathered at the Fayette courthouse for last Friday for This Gospel Fest as a part of Juneteenth celebrations.

The Moberly Police Department has been experiencing ongoing staffing and funding shortages but gaps are expected to close with Kehoe's Missouri Blue Shield Program.