Supermajorities smashed

The University of Kansas is refusing to answer questions over how much it pays student-athletes and where that $20.5 million comes from, even though salaries are public for every other university employee. That's raising concerns over transparency and financial priorities.

College football games are getting hotter as summer-like temperatures stretch into fall. With the season starting even earlier in 2027, Kansas and Missouri players, fans and marching bands could face greater risks of heat-related illness.

There was a lot of talk last week about the "Blue Wave" that swept through Congress and governors' mansions across the country, but it also made its way to the ruby red legislative chambers of Topeka and Jefferson City. We'll hear about how Republican supermajorities in both states are now a thing of the past.

Across the Midwest, thousands of children and adults with disabilities are waiting for Medicaid waivers to help pay for their care at home. Also, U.S. farmers are looking for more drought-resistant crops. Sorghum could be the answer.

The World Cup brought new investments, infrastructure improvements and business opportunities to Kansas City. Months after the tournament ended, some of those changes are here to stay, while others have already disappeared.

Rev. Adam Hamilton has become the first Democrat in nearly a century to win a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas. Meanwhile, Missouri voters rejected proposals to ban abortions and cement a gerrymandered congressional map. We'll run down all the biggest election results from both states.

Voters in Missouri and Kansas are deciding some critical races and ballot measures today: constitutional amendments on abortion access, a tight U.S. Senate contest, a governor's race and more. But lower on the ballot is something just as important: judge retention elections. We'll break down how the judicial retention process works in both states and what voters should know before heading to the polls.

Affordability is looming over the coming midterm elections, with new research revealing that almost a quarter of Midwestern households report having trouble paying their bills, mortgage, or rent. Plus: Missourians said “no” in August to a proposed amendment that would have made it harder to change the state constitution. Now, a different amendment could make it lawmakers to reverse voter-approved initiatives.

The Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph documents the country’s torrid history of mental health treatment, but it has an eerie reputation itself. Take a visit inside one of Missouri’s most peculiar museums — located in the former State Insane Asylum No. 2.

Missouri voters will decide whether to create a state-owned investment fund that supporters say could eventually replace state taxes and provide long-term financial stability. Amendment 7 critics worry it could jeopardize funding for essential services.