KCUR-FM (Kansas City, MO)

Longtime Kansas City Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II may keep his seat after all, following the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision to nix a new congressional map written for this November’s election that carved up Kansas City to make Cleaver’s seat harder for Democrats to win. The court ruled that the Missouri Constitution does not stop voters from weighing in on a redistricting map, which Secretary of State Denny Hoskins initially blocked from appearing on the November ballot.

This story was first published in KCUR's Adventure newsletter. You can sign up to receive stories like this in your inbox every Tuesday. Did you know the game of mini golf traces back to 19th-century Scotland?

A new film distribution venture from AMC is expected to partner with filmmakers to expand the supply of small- to medium-sized movies to theaters across the country — putting more eyes on the big screen and allowing filmmakers to keep ownership of their intellectual property after the theatrical run. Among the inspirations for the endeavor: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film.

Plating Hawaiian Bros’ first restaurant in Belton, Missouri, served as a launchpad for the island-themed restaurant concept, said Grant Kreutzer, noting the brand’s novelty in the region helped it make a name for itself before venturing out with a sprawling franchise model.

When Gillon Property Group bought the Country Club Plaza in 2024, it promised a transformation to the historic shopping district. For years, the Plaza had struggled. Aging infrastructure, vacancies and rising violent crime dented its reputation. The previous owners, Taubman Centers and Macerich Co., defaulted on the shopping center’s $300 million loan. Once Gillon took over the property, the area quickly got a facelift: new paint, additional lighting, increased security and other changes.

Stifling hot weather will linger in the Kansas City area through the Labor Day weekend, unfortunately coinciding with a slew of outdoor festivals. The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning in the Kansas City area though Tuesday evening, with heat index values in the triple digits. Meteorologists expect high temperatures to stretch through the middle of next week, with little relief in the evenings.

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is standing behind his actions — while vowing to fight on.

Want more news about agriculture and the environment? Sign up for the Harvest newsletter for our latest reporting, plus behind-the-scenes exclusives. American farmers are bracing for the impact of new tariffs exchanged between the U.S. and Canada on both their supply costs and their sales. President Donald Trump's administration placed new 50% tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks between the two countries fell apart in late August.

In a decision with national political implications, the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday that a referendum should be placed on the November ballot allowing voters to decide whether to keep or reject the new Republican-drawn congressional map. That also means the gerrymandered districts will not be in place for the Nov. 3 election, which instead will use the previous map that the Missouri General Assembly approved after the 2020 census.

University of Missouri workers rallied outside the school's Memorial Union building Thursday, calling for higher wages and changes to employee benefits as crowds gathered for the school's football season opener. The rally came as fans arrived at the newly renovated north end zone of Memorial Stadium. The $250 million project officially opened Wednesday as Mizzou celebrated new investments across campus.