Kansas City Today KCUR Studios

Margie Vandeven has spent seven years at the helm of Missouri public schools, but she’ll step down at the end of June. The outgoing commissioner shares her thoughts about key issues facing Missouri schools. Also, headlines from across the metro.

Kansas lawmakers will soon return for a special session to try to reach a tax-cutting agreement with Gov. Laura Kelly. Plus: Solar power is the fastest growing source of electricity in the U.S., but some new solar installations are taking land once used to grow food. Researchers are looking for ways to do both.

Kansas will be the first state to let foster teens pick a family without losing foster care benefits. Plus: A number of Midwestern states, including Kansas and Missouri, introduced legislation this year that would give rights to embryos and fetuses.

College students across the country have been protesting Israel’s war in Gaza for months. Now, some students in the University of Missouri System are demanding that its endowment stop investing in Israeli companies and weapons manufacturers.

In a new memoir, Overland Park resident Chelan David recounts visiting all 50 states in the U.S. with his daughters, a journey of bonding and self-discovery. Plus: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says if lawmakers can’t come up with a tax-cut plan the state can afford, she’ll keep calling more special sessions.

Missouri State Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo is leaving office to become the next executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. After this spring's failed stadium tax vote, what will this new role have in store for him?