125 years ago, Kansas City’s very own Doc Brown performed at Convention Hall in Washington D.C. alongside the United States Marine Band. Brown is known for popularizing 'the cakewalk,' a dance which began as a form of resistance by enslaved Black people.

Nicolette Paige, Rick Cole and Xavier Fleming have held a steady presence in the Kansas City music scene for more than 15 years. As a trio, they blend reggae, neo-soul and a warm, organic sound into what Paige calls “soulful, feel-good music” wherever they play.

Developers behind the project are seeking a $309 million tax incentive through the Port Authority of Kansas City. That would particularly impact Kansas City Public Schools, which receives the majority of the Plaza’s property tax revenue. (@thebeacon.bsky.social)

A new study from the St. Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine sheds light on the lives of 10 racoons in Forest Park, including a particularly adventurous forager named Frankie. (from St. Louis Public Radio)

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has fired business leaders who accepted a federal contract to design immigration detention facilities. "Why we would ever participate in something that mirrors the harm and trauma once done to our people?” asked the tribal chairperson. (from Kansas Reflector)

A five-year effort to mark the a notorious slave prison in St. Louis will come to fruition next month, when a bronze historical plaque will be installed near Ballpark Village and Busch Stadium. (from St. Louis Public Radio)

Ryan Patton and Michael Sullivan are taking a swing with a $15 million golf entertainment complex in Johnson County. “What sets us apart is we put an equal amount of thought and energy into the entertainment as the dining,” Patton said. (from Startland News)

Federal immigration agents arrested Julio Rojas without a warrant and deported him without a hearing, leaving him separated from his young son. Court records show his only interaction with the law was a traffic ticket in 2018. (@kansasreflector.com)

Hilary Singer, executive director of Jewish Vocational Services, said that the Trump administration has repeated anti-refugee rhetoric for years, and the AP reports that a plan to review all admitted refugee cases was in the works even before the National Guard shooting.

The Spring River, which flows from the Missouri Ozarks into Kansas and down toward Oklahoma’s Grand Lake, is seeing encouraging signs that several species that once called it home are coming back.

The Kansas City, Kansas, pinball bar has long hosted an open pinball league, but players say the local pinball scene was mostly dominated by men. That is, until this past spring, when a group of players at the 403 Club created a dedicated Women’s Pinball League.

FIFA has opened up the next round of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, for the first time since fans found out who is playing where and when in the first round of matches. Tickets range in price from $140 to over $1200.

It takes thousands of production artists, light and set designers, actors, and directors to create a vibrant live theater culture in Kansas City. And, in this current season, you’ll find everything from Broadway musicals to experimental community theater.

The company billed it as positive, sustainable economic development that redirected waste from aging landfills. Some Armourdale residents and environmental activists said the facility did not address flood risks, traffic volumes or health effects. (from Kansas Reflector)

Dr. Jason Stubbs thinks his research could help millions of Americans who are living with chronic kidney disease, but he's still waiting to hear if the National Institutes of Health will fund his latest grant application. (from The Beacon)

An effort is underway by President Donald Trump and cities like Kansas City, Kansas, to clear unhoused people from living in public spaces. But one Overland Park mental health expert fears homelessness will be criminalized.

BREAKING: The Panasonic plant in DeSoto, Kansas, was shut down today after a Johnson County Sheriff's officer shot a person suspected of stabbing someone. The suspect is dead, and the stabbing victim has been transported to the hospital in critical condition.

In Kansas City, singles looking for love have a new way to find possible matches: live, in-person and with an audience. Can a local reimagining of “The Dating Game” lead to love in a loveless city?

The executive order is the latest in a series of attempts by the Trump administration to hold back state-level AI rules. Experts say it's not legal, and many Republicans, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, are also uncomfortable with the effort. (@npr.org)

At grassland sites worldwide, including the Midwest and Great Plains, scientists simulated extreme drought conditions. The study provides a far-reaching and systematic look at the effects of drought severity.

Health care for some immigrants was stripped away more than three months ago when President Donald Trump rescinded a rule that offered health care plans to people who migrated to the U.S. as children. (@kansasreflector.com)

On Tuesday, 19 people spoke during a public comment session at the standing-room-only Leavenworth City Council meeting to share their concerns about CoreCivic and ask the city to deny the company’s special use permit application. (@kansasreflector.com)

The Lenexa, Kansas Police Department uses a company called Force Science to train its officers on use of force tactics. But experts in law enforcement say the company's research doesn't stand up to scrutiny, and fuels an adversarial relationship between police and the public.

That KC Dating Show is helping Kansas City singles battle the region's horrible dating scene by letting them turn on the charm and flirt with potential matches in front of a live audience. There next show is tonight at 7 pm at recordBar.

Opponents of Missouri's gerrymandered congressional map just submitted more than 305,000 signatures to force a vote on the plan. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins still has the chance to reject a referendum. (@stlpublicradio.bsky.social)

According to a Tuesday night post in the Facebook group "Bring Owen Home," a New Mexico judge issued Owen Ramsingh a lifetime ban from the U.S. There is a possibility of filing a waiver in 8-10 years to lift the ban. (@kbianews.bsky.social)

During the group stage of the World Cup, reigning champion Argentina and three-time finalist Netherlands will each play a match at Arrowhead Stadium — and local residents originally from the nations are thrilled.

With the World Cup teams now determined for Kansas City’s first four games next June, fans can now join another FIFA draw for their chance to buy tickets. But they won't be cheap.

This week, petitioners challenging Missouri's gerrymandered new congressional map submitted 305,000 signatures seeking to halt the law and put it up for a statewide vote. That's more than twice as many as needed. But a whole tangle of legal challenges lay ahead.

Judge Jay Befort dealt the setback to the county commission in a ruling Tuesday, siding with state Attorney General Kris Kobach that a state law does not allow the tax to be extended for uses the county commission had in mind. (@johnsoncountypost.bsky.social)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday its approval of a Missouri waiver that disqualifies certain sugary foods from being eligible for the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (@stlpublicradio.bsky.social)

Like most of the people detained as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation blitz, Rojas had no criminal record. The federal agents had no warrant for his arrest. (@kansasreflector.com)

The Nicolette Paige Trio is made up of three veterans of the Kansas City music scene: frontwoman and guitarist Nicolette Paige, guitarist Rick Cole and percussionist/saxophonist Xavier Fleming.

KC Water leaders say maintenance costs are climbing and aging concrete is a concern at their Briarcliff facility. They’re urging support for a new treatment plant in Kansas City.

This year saw the formation of the Kansas City area's first Women’s Pinball League. The Strawberry Hill bar is a place where beginners and pros of all ages and “walks of life” gather each Thursday for slap-saves, snacks, and sisterhood.

Private prison company CoreCivic has applied for a permit to hold immigration detainees at its dormant Leavenworth facility. The move comes after months of legal battles over the detention center, which CoreCivic seeks to operate on behalf of ICE.

Republican Sen. Doug Shane, who represents Gardner in the Kansas Legislature, wants to add stiffer penalties to state landlord and tenant law, so that a tenant could sue a landlord for up to $10,000 for each violation, like failing to provide running water.

The Missouri State Board of Education appears to support legislation creating public-school open enrollment, but members are split on what the policy means. (@missouriindependent.com)

Board members of the Plaza Westport Neighborhood Association (PWNA) say the proposals submitted by Gillion Property Group are too vague overall. But there’s one change in particular that isn’t sitting well: taller buildings.

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BREAKING: A Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation-owned business landed a federal contract to assist facility design for immigration detention centers. The tribe said the project does not align with its values.

Cases of alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy caused by tick bites, in Missouri means more people are looking for a mammal-free way to eat out. Some restaurants in the southern part of the state are adapting their menus for patrons. (@kbianews.bsky.social)

Opponents of the new map contended that lawmakers couldn't engage in mid-decade redistricting. But a Cole County judge ruled there's no explicit prohibition on the practice. (@stlpublicradio.bsky.social)

President Trump's push to get Missouri to send another Republican to Congress in 2026 is facing a major challenge after opponents submitted more than 305,000 signatures to place the state's new map up for a statewide vote. (@stlpublicradio.bsky.social)

Under new ownership, a rescue plan for the Country Club Plaza is underway. Now, city officials and community leaders are facing a massive tax incentive request that they worry could hurt public schools and government services. (@thebeacon.bsky.social)

A lawsuit from Republican states, led by the Missouri attorney general, put SAVE borrowers in limbo for months, a time during which they were not required to make payments on their loans. That would change if the proposed settlement is approved. (@npr.org)

Columbia resident Owen Ramsingh is being deported to the Netherlands, despite recently renewed his green card for 10 years. Ramsingh had just two drug-related incidents on his record when he was detained by ICE. (@kbianews.bsky.social)

The fish and rare mussels hiding in the Spring River that flows through Kansas and Missouri are signs that environmental cleanups are helping river wildlife recover from a century of mining pollution.

Argentina, fronted by Lionel Messi and winner of the 2022 World Cup, will play in Kansas City on June 16. The schedule was announced on the second day of the draw, which attracted thousands of local soccer fans to Power & Light on its first day for the reveal of match groups.

If the end-of-year expiration date is not extended, enhanced ACA marketplace participants will see premiums rise anywhere between $300 and $1000. Six in 10 of the respondents to a KFF poll said they could not afford a $300 increase. (@missouriindependent.com)