Josh Merchant

Al Jazeera Media Network condemns the targeted assassination of its correspondents Anas Al Sharif and Mohammeel Qraiqea, along with photographers Ibrahim Al Thaher, and Mohamed Nofal, by Israeli forces.

#JournalismIsNotACrime

Your guide to Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, primary elections Primary election day is Tuesday, Aug. 5. Learn more about candidates for a number of Wyandotte County positions, including mayor of the Unified Government.

Primary election day is tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 5. Learn more about candidates for a number of Wyandotte County positions, including mayor of the Unified Government. (@thebeacon.bsky.social) https://loom.ly/ebkNmnU

Property taxes, policing and political culture: Where the mayor candidates stand on key issues in Wyandotte County The Beacon reached out to all six candidates for mayor in Wyandotte County to help you understand what’s at stake on Aug. 5. All but one responded.

The Beacon reached out to all six candidates for mayor in #Wyandotte County to help you understand what’s at stake on Aug. 5. All but one responded.

Defying DeSantis, Florida Pride Marchers Light Up Jacksonville Bridge with Rainbow Organizers demonstrated that they didn’t need state permission for queer visibility.

1. Florida banned cities from lighting up bridges rainbow colors for Pride.

So the people of Jacksonville did it themselves using flashlights and gels.

They opened the drawbridge to block them.

So they marched to a different bridge.

The latest from S. Baum.

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‘What the hell are we doing here?’: Weeks into the fiscal year, KCPD has already maxed out its lawsuit fund During a public budget hearing, KCPD budget officials told the council that $3.5 million would be enough for legal expenses this year. Two months later, the board announced $18.1 million in lawsuit se...

To learn more about how KCPD pays for lawsuit settlements, check out my new story at @thebeacon.bsky.social

‘What the hell are we doing here?’: Weeks into the fiscal year, KCPD has already maxed out its lawsuit fund During a public budget hearing, KCPD budget officials told the council that $3.5 million would be enough for legal expenses this year. Two months later, the board announced $18.1 million in lawsuit se...

City Hall is getting frustrated that lawsuit settlements are costing Kansas City taxpayers millions of dollars while elected officials have very little ability to actually change the department's behavior.

City Councilman Johnathan Duncan said it's an "untenable position."

‘What the hell are we doing here?’: Weeks into the fiscal year, KCPD has already maxed out its lawsuit fund During a public budget hearing, KCPD budget officials told the council that $3.5 million would be enough for legal expenses this year. Two months later, the board announced $18.1 million in lawsuit se...

To put that number into context, KCMO spent $8.5 million when it bought and delivered trash carts to every house last year. The entire Vision Zero budget this year is $8 million.

“It makes anyone who’s sitting here in government-land say, ‘What the hell are we doing here?’” Lucas told me.

‘What the hell are we doing here?’: Weeks into the fiscal year, KCPD has already maxed out its lawsuit fund During a public budget hearing, KCPD budget officials told the council that $3.5 million would be enough for legal expenses this year. Two months later, the board announced $18.1 million in lawsuit se...

NEW KCPD STORY: At the budget hearings in Feb, Mayor Lucas asked KCPD if $3.5 million would be enough to pay for upcoming lawsuits. They told him it was a “reasonable amount.”

Two months later, KCPD announced it would pay $18.1 million for two settlements. That is 5x the amount they budgeted for.

KC meteorologists rely on the National Weather Service — nearly 2,500 job cuts put storm warnings at risk Trump layoffs have hit the National Weather Service, the agency responsible for collecting weather data. That could spell danger for millions of people who rely on accurate forecasts.

You might notice weather forecasts becoming less accurate. There's a reason for that.

A Seat at The Table: The Impacts of Dyslexia on students and parents Join us for a discussion on how dyslexia affects students and parents - come grab a seat at the table!

Dyslexia affects 20% of people and represents nearly 90% of all those with learning disabilities. So, let's talk about what that means for you: join The Beacon & RevEd on 5/20 for an important conversation around how Dyslexia affects students and families.

Gridlock in local government: Jackson County has been operating without an approved budget for months County Executive Frank White vetoed the Jackson County budget in January, then four county legislators sued him. The county is still at odds three months later.

This is a bit of a long one. But if it helps, my editors tell me it’s a quicker read than it looks!

Check it out at @thebeacon.bsky.social 🙂

Gridlock in local government: Jackson County has been operating without an approved budget for months County Executive Frank White vetoed the Jackson County budget in January, then four county legislators sued him. The county is still at odds three months later.

…And it could get more severe. The legislators’ lawyer plans to ask a judge to restrain county spending. That means that the county may only be able to spend money on salaries.

But Legislator Smith, who’s part of the lawsuit, told me that urgency might be what could bring this crisis to a close.

Gridlock in local government: Jackson County has been operating without an approved budget for months County Executive Frank White vetoed the Jackson County budget in January, then four county legislators sued him. The county is still at odds three months later.

That’s why a controlling majority of the legislature is holding up a growing number of funding measures.

That includes buying ice melt, hiring softball umpires and even getting meals for county inmates. Funding from the COMBAT public safety sales tax is also on hold.

Gridlock in local government: Jackson County has been operating without an approved budget for months County Executive Frank White vetoed the Jackson County budget in January, then four county legislators sued him. The county is still at odds three months later.

In the meantime, the county's using last year’s budget. White's chief of staff tells me that’s standard practice whenever a body of government fails to pass a budget.

But the four legislators say the county should be using the budget they passed (and White vetoed) instead of last year’s budget.

Gridlock in local government: Jackson County has been operating without an approved budget for months County Executive Frank White vetoed the Jackson County budget in January, then four county legislators sued him. The county is still at odds three months later.

It all started in January, when White vetoed the county budget. Four legislators filed a lawsuit, arguing that his veto was illegal.

They say that White can only veto the budget until the new year, when the budget takes effect. His veto came on Jan. 9.

Gridlock in local government: Jackson County has been operating without an approved budget for months County Executive Frank White vetoed the Jackson County budget in January, then four county legislators sued him. The county is still at odds three months later.

NEW STORY: This has flown under the radar, but Jackson County is still operating without an approved budget more than three months into the year.

County leaders say it’s an unprecedented situation that’s seriously hurting the county’s ability to provide services.

Tonight's the night! Join us over Zoom at 5p for a listening session to hear from experts on Missouri's primary care provider shortage, ask your questions and hear about solutions as the physician workforce ages.
www.eventbrite.com/e/a-seat-at-...

losing my mind rn

Jackson County may roll back property assessments — but don’t hold your breath for a refund A judge ruled that Jackson County has to roll back its property assessment increases. But there’s still no end in sight for the county’s assessment troubles.

Jackson County residents were riled up because of a court ruling last week in which a judge sided with the Missouri State Tax Commission, ordering the county to roll back recent property assessment increases that were greater than 15% — roughly three out of four properties. buff.ly/FiLbqqd

a bunch more ballots dropped and it’s still at like 85% yes….. WOW

An open letter to the City of Kansas City, Missouri, from its local journalists Our newsrooms believe that shared knowledge is critical to a well-functioning society and participation in democratic processes. That's why we call on Kansas City Council to set expectations for the n...

An open letter to the City of Kansas City, Missouri:

Shared knowledge is critical to a well-functioning society and participation in democratic processes. That's why we call on Kansas City Council to set expectations for the next city manager to work more collaboratively with journalists.

A bar chart showing length of tenure for city managers. Brian Platt ranks 10th out of 15. The top spots are L.P. Cookingham (with 19 years) and Henry McElroy with 13 years. The bottom spots are Reed McKinley, Robert Weatherford and Harry Fleming, who all served less than a year.

Now that Platt's out, his tenure ranks around the middle of the pack in terms of length. He was in the job for more than four years — longer than Weatherford, or Larry Brown in the 1990s. But much shorter than L.P. Cookingham (19 years) or Troy Schulte (10 years).

There's been plenty of drama around this job for 100 years — especially from 1959–63.

When Weatherford resigned in 1962, I found this quote from a city councilman in The Star's archives:

“It’s too bad, in a way," he said. "It's too bad that we didn’t get a chance to confer that honor on him.”

A pie chart showing the reasons why Kansas City managers left the job. Three voluntarily resigned, four left for a new job, one went on medical leave and seven were ousted.

Platt was the 15th city manager since the job was created in the 1920s. Of those 15, Platt is the seventh to be ousted.

What's relatively unusual is the fact that the council voted to remove him. Typically, the council forces the manager to resign.

City Manager Brian Platt has officially been fired.

It turns out that city managers in KC are just about as likely to be fired as they are to resign on their own terms.

I take a look at some of that history in my latest for @thebeacon.bsky.social!

thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025...

As Missouri teens get into deadly car wrecks, a lawmaker wants to require driver’s education Missourians are more likely to flunk their driver’s test than pass it. This bill would create a mandatory driver’s education course in high schools.

When Missourians line up to take the written test before getting their learner’s permit, only 39% will get a passing score. Compare that to Kansas, where 76% pass the test.

As Kansas City Life Insurance flattens houses in the Valentine neighborhood, residents anxiously await what’s next KC Life said its plans for a future mixed-use development are not ready to be made public. Valentine residents complain that the insurance company has been hollowing out the neighborhood for decades.

Kansas City Life Insurance (which owns all but four properties in this area) demolished 23 homes this fall. Residents are angry that after decades of demolitions, the company still has not presented a concrete plan to the public for what will replace the homes. thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

As Kansas City Life Insurance flattens houses in the Valentine neighborhood, residents anxiously await what’s next KC Life said its plans for a future mixed-use development are not ready to be made public. Valentine residents complain that the insurance company has been hollowing out the neighborhood for decades.

My latest for @thebeacon.bsky.social about the home demolitions in the Valentine neighborhood.

In 1909, there were 80 homes and businesses on a four-block area of this neighborhood. All but eight of them have been demolished as of last month. thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024...

Thank you, Zach!