Nonprofit hospitals are required to help those who can't pay, but as medical costs rise and health insurance coverage shrinks, some patient advocates say hospitals need to do more.

Asking the right questions is just the first step. Actually getting support, especially for moms in rural Missouri, is where providers say things get even harder.

Kansas’ By-Right Housing Development Act took effect July 1. It makes it easier to build ADUs in KCK and kickstarts zoning changes underway in Wyandotte County.

A plumber, an attorney, an incumbent and a health insurance broker. Here are your at-large candidates for the Jackson County Legislature.

Property taxes, public transportation, audits and small business services. Here are Alan Rohlfing and Stacy Lake’s top priorities if elected to lead the county.

Missouri’s state education board voted not to ask the governor and lawmakers for full school funding.

UMKC workers push for $19 wage floor for service and maintenance jobs, university says pay is based on the cost of labor, not the cost of living

At least 10 unvaccinated people must quarantine for 21 days. Public health leaders urge others to get vaccinated to avoid future outbreaks.

More than half of Missouri’s counties are now classified as maternity care deserts, a new March of Dimes report found. A closure can increase travel times by almost 30 minutes, data shows.

County voters will be asked in November if they want to add the special tax for health, which could also support other services for unhoused residents. A second sales tax for parks and roads is going…

Parents with Schools Beyond Screens expressed worries to the Park Hill school board about screen overuse and its effect on learning outcomes.

An Afghan ally of the U.S. military became a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit challenging a travel ban. He recently reunited with his family in Kansas City.

One order bars the state from using gerrymandered maps. The other says it has to.

The end of enhanced subsidies for ACA plans is adding to the tally of uninsured patients. New Medicaid requirements coming in January could be a multiplier.

Andrea Bough, who represented the 6th District at-large, has departed the City Council to lead the city’s economic development agency. She is being replaced by former Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McManus.

Mike McDonald is the first person appointed to a non-voting role on the board set aside for an active classroom teacher.

A message from the Raytown School District to teachers said they need permission for crowdfunding efforts and that any donations are the property of the district.

As health insurance costs climb, more patients turn to direct primary care for basic care. Patients get quick access for a monthly fee.

Kansas City’s Haitian community is generations deep and growing, filled with nurses, dentists and other health professionals. Newer arrivals fear deportation after the loss of a protected immigration…

More than half of Jackson County’s polling places experienced shortages of preprinted ballots, leading to long wait times and frustration.

The 11-page ‘community impact partnership agreement’ commits at least $55 million back to Kansas City over 30 years. Here’s what the public gets and how it compares to other deals.

Three members wanted to lower property tax rates enough to keep revenue flat, but they were overruled.

Gillon Property Group will finance the redevelopment using $1.49 billion in bonds issued by Port KC. But Gillon ultimately will be responsible to pay back that debt.

The commission’s resolution, now heading to the City Council, recommends that the same safety-net providers continue getting health levy funds, while opening a path for new ones.

Zoning review coming in response to the “By-Right Housing Development Act,” a state law that took effect July 1.

The Kansas City Council voted 11-2 to commit $600 million to the Royals for a new ballpark. Here’s a look at the political and financial math behind the deal.

Supporters say the plan gives parents more information, but opponents say it could be a source of confusion and stigma.

Missouri Head Start providers agree some rules are burdensome. But as the federal government proposes a sweeping overhaul of regulations, they question what it could mean for the program.

Despite a new presidential order, health officials urge parents to stick with longstanding guidance about routine shots.

After the defeat of Amendments 4 and 5, some Missourians are wondering if Missouri is a stealth blue state when it comes to ballot issues.

Kansas City could approve a deal with the Royals within the next two weeks. But the public still doesn’t know where the $600 million will come from or whether the city was successful in negotiating…

A $3.7 million grant from the EPA will be used to remediate 54 vacant lots in the Douglass-Sumner neighborhood in northeast Wyandotte County.

Two weeks after a public meeting broke down in jeers, Mayor Quinton Lucas invited Kansas City worker groups to talk. Here’s what they agree on — and what they don’t.

The panel, established by the City Council, is exploring remedies for past discrimination against the city's Black community.

HIV health providers have already absorbed some cuts and fear more. They worry that gains made toward eliminating the virus are in jeopardy.

Immigrant communities fearful of expanding ICE enforcement are changing how they work and function in society. Their decisions are having broad economic impact.

Preliminary rate filings show every ACA marketplace carrier planning to raise prices in 2027. Insurers blame rising costs.

Voters in Johnson and Miami counties and much of northern, western and southeastern Kansas chose Republican candidates for the general election in November.

Missouri voters turned out for Tuesday’s primary election in large numbers, overwhelmingly rejecting Amendment 4 and Amendment 5.

Find live results for Missouri Amendments 1, 2, 4 and 5 and Kansas results on making Supreme Court justices electable.

Sales tax on certain clothing, school supplies and computers is waived Aug. 7-9.

The Beacon analyzed Amendment 5 ads to examine the claims and what the amendment actually does.

Kansans will decide Aug. 4 whether to keep the state’s current process for selecting Supreme Court justices or to make the positions elected.

As cyclospora cases climb in Missouri and Kansas, public health investigators are tracing illnesses through a vast produce supply chain, while some advocates argue regional food systems could make…

What is the Housing Trust Fund? Will a “yes” vote increase my taxes? What kind of housing would the $100 million help fund?

The amendment’s sponsor says it won’t affect schools in the short term and could help in the long term. But critics say it leaves too many unanswered questions.

A guide to Kansas City Question 3: the boundaries, the cost, the projects built so far and the arguments around renewing the CCED sales tax.

Current 4th District Legislator DaRon McGee is not seeking reelection, leaving an open seat in the county legislature. Two Democrats and one Republican are campaigning to replace him

The August election candidates for Jackson County's 3rd District include Dennis Rowland, Phyllis Hernandez, Tony Miller and Scott Qualls