Long waiting lists and kidneys wasted: The state of organ transplants and how it affects Missouri and Kansas While thousands linger on organ waiting lists, the national transplant network is ditching 40-year-old systems and struggling to remake itself.

Some good reporting by the great Suzanne King ... Long waiting lists and kidneys wasted: The state of organ transplants and how it affects Missouri and Kansas thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025...

ICYMI

Can we save millions of migrating birds? In 1978, a young scientist “brazenly trespassed” around a Chicago building in search of dead birds. He unwittingly began a 40-year journey that could help save countless warblers, thrushes and more. M...

Have an interest in the environment? The Midwest? How to stop birds from dying by soaring into office buildings? Here's a tight, smart podcast for you: www.kcur.org/2025-03-04/c...
from @Celia_LJ

How Kansas City is both defined, and held back, by the state line The state line remains a stubborn obstacle to addressing some of the Kansas City area's most pressing issues.

How Kansas City is both defined, and held back, by the state line
The Kansas-Missouri border splits Kansas City and divides the metro region more evenly, and sometimes problematically, than any American metro region cut in two by a state line.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025...

Today's my first day unmoored to newsrooms. I mostly enjoyed the heck out of them. Got to go so many places and see so many things I would have missed in a different line of work. And I was blessed to work with tons of smart, cool people. But it's nice to step away from deadlines.

Even after voters, and now a judge, backed abortion rights, access in Missouri will remain difficult A Jackson County judge ruled Planned Parenthood can begin offering abortion services after the passage of Amendment 3. What comes next for rural patients?

Voters passed Amendment 3 in November to guarantee abortion rights in the Missouri Constitution. That kicked in Dec. 5. But that voter action followed decades of work by the General Assembly to regulate abortion into oblivion.

Missouri ended its cannabis prohibition. Now it's looking at the public health consequences Public health experts want more education about the potential risks of using marijuana and more studies to understand them.

Missouri's got weed worries.
Public health experts want more education about the potential risks of using marijuana and more studies to understand them.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

Massive geothermal project brings fresh opportunity to small Utah town A company is in the process of building what's expected to be the world's largest enhanced geothermal project.

“You can't just say, ‘No, everybody stay away,’ because pretty soon you're going to end up with a ghost town.”

Milford, Utah hopes a geothermal energy project can boost its economy without changing its charm.

My story airing nationwide today on @wbur.org’s Here & Now ⤵️
www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

A little bit of heresy in the modern journo chatter

Prescription delivery in Missouri faces delays under USPS rural service plan USPS plans to consolidate some services to regional hubs in Kansas City and St. Louis. Critics say the move will create negative outcomes for rural customers, especially those who rely on the mail for...

Prescription delivery in Missouri faces delays under USPS rural service plan
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

Soil health is big business, but KU researchers say many fungal products don't work as promised There’s no shortage of products designed to grow beneficial fungi that will help your crops or garden. Whether they actually do that, though, is a different matter.

Guys, we gotta talk about soil health. It's quite the buzzword & pretty awesome. But also... ppl are spending lots of 💵💵💵 on these products. So it's worth digging into their quality. Today I wrote about scientists doing just that--> www.kcur.org/news/2024-12... #climatechange #agriculture #gardening

Kansas City mayor accused of skirting city gift ban by using nonprofit to pay for travel • Missouri Independent Mayor Quinton Lucas and Morgan Said used a nonprofit to fund thousands of dollars in Kansas City Chiefs tickets and travel.

The nonprofit was used by Mayor Quinton Lucas’ predecessor primarily to bring speakers to Kansas City to talk about economic development. Lucas and his former chief of staff use it for Chiefs tickets, hotel stays, flights and dinners. #moleg #mogov

Missouri, Kansas lawmakers proposing bill to reduce gun suicides Lawmakers in Kansas and Missouri have proposed a voluntarily do-not-sell list for firearms. The bill is trying to reduce gun suicides.

Is this bill the key to reducing gun suicides in Kansas and Missouri?
Kansas and Missouri lawmakers are introducing bills that let people voluntarily exclude themselves from gun sales.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

One tree at a time: A plan for reviving Kansas City’s urban forest Trees cool cities, soak up greenhouse gases and make people healthier. Scientists say even one tree can make a difference, and Kansas City is planting thousands.

One tree at a time: A plan for reviving Kansas City’s urban forest
Trees cool cities, soak up greenhouse gases and make people healthier. Scientists say even one tree can make a difference, and Kansas City is planting thousands.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

Kansas' jump in food insecurity is mostly attributed to two things: rising inflation and pandemic-era benefit programs running out. Combined, they leave less money for families and force tough choices between paying bills or eating.

Hickman Mills schools meet performance goal, but Missouri moved goalposts The district scored higher than 70% on its state performance report, but Missouri wants more data before it changes accreditation.

Hickman Mills schools meet its performance goal, but Missouri moved the goalposts
The district scored higher than 70% on its state performance report, but Missouri wants more data before it changes accreditation.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

Child hunger rose 6%, and it isn’t clear what Kansas lawmakers will do More Kansas children face food insecurity after pandemic-era programs ran out. It isn't clear if the Kansas Legislature will act.

Child hunger rose 6%, and it isn’t clear what Kansas lawmakers will do
The number of children who don’t know where their next meal will come from is rising. The state Legislature hasn’t said it’ll be a priority.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

Kansas City may rule on Urbavore’s future at today’s City Council meeting A year-long dispute over Kansas City’s zoning rules for urban farms could come to a head at today’s City Council meeting. Here’s what to know.

Kansas City looking to resolve disputes over Urbavore and urban farming
A year-long dispute over Kansas City’s zoning rules for urban farms could come to a head at today’s City Council meeting. Here’s what to know.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

What Kansas City Public Schools will do if voters pass the first bond in 58 years The $474 million plan includes adding a new middle school in the former Southwest High School building and moving career and technical education programs into Central High School.

What Kansas City Public Schools will do if voters pass the district’s first bond in 58 years
It's $474 million for a new middle school in the former Southwest High School building and moving career and technical education programs into Central High School.
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

ICYMI

Stealing from Kansas City’s poor: Thieves use bogus machines to scan EBT cards and rob food stamp accounts Thefts from SNAP accounts pose an ongoing threat to families who rely on food assistance for groceries, Missouri official warns.

Stealing from Kansas City’s poor: Thieves use bogus machines to scan EBT cards and rob food stamp accounts
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

Google is further cracking down on sites publishing ‘parasite SEO’ content Google’s “site reputation abuse” policy is getting an update.

Google is further cracking down on sites publishing ‘parasite SEO’ content

Nine out of ten Amazon addictions can prob be traced back to the Scholastic Book Fair.

“If the federal government is going to be involved with private businesses and financing their profits, we expect the government to exercise every available avenue to protect tenants’ rights,” said Tara Raghuveer, the director of KC Tenants.

From swing state to red state: A peek below the surface of county results in Missouri Where has the Democratic Party lost the most support since 2008? What Missouri counties most closely predict the statewide margin in elections? And how did this year compare to the two other times…

The Beacon created election maps of how Missourians in every county voted this year and how it relates to election patterns over the past 20 years. We looked at 26 races, including all presidential & gubernatorial races since 2008, the 2018 auditor race and 15 ballot issues.

An Independence school hopes converting an auditorium will fix overflowing classrooms In late October, around 80 students had transferred away from their neighborhood schools in the Independence School District due to lack of space.

Fairmount Elementary School in Independence tore the shelves out of a storage closet, installed a smart television and a whiteboard — and started using the space for teaching. “There is literally not a single space that is not being utilized,” Principal Younts said.

“Over the next year, I lay in bed,” said Kelly Meiners, who chaired the physical therapy department at Rockhurst University. “I had no idea what was going on with me. I felt I was severely drugged and drunk. I couldn’t make sense of anything. I couldn’t think straight.”

Weathered COVID before? Scientists say every new infection puts you at risk of getting long COVID The sometimes debilitating illness infects a third of people who come down with a case of COVID. Scientists and doctors are scrambling to understand and treat it.

A 49-year-old professor and marathon runner came down with a relatively minor case of COVID in 2021. She stayed home from the office, even though her symptoms felt like nothing more than a bad cold. That quickly changed in the weeks after her initial infection cleared up.

Kansas lawmaker Chris Croft ‘so stinking excited about the possibility’ of dissolving school boards Videos posted to X, formerly Twitter, show Rep. Chris Croft suggesting the idea was possible and he had researched it. The video was from 2023 and he has not publicly acted on it.

Kansas lawmaker Chris Croft ‘so stinking excited about the possibility’ of dissolving school boards: Videos posted to X show Rep. Chris Croft suggesting the idea was possible and he had researched it. The video was from 2023 and he has not publicly acted on it.

Weathered COVID before? Scientists say every new infection puts you at risk of getting long COVID The sometimes debilitating illness infects a third of people who come down with a case of COVID. Scientists and doctors are scrambling to understand and treat it.

icymi Weathered COVID before? Scientists say every new infection puts you at risk of getting long COVID
thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...