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Kansas City Alerts

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Kansas City.

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Get smarter, faster on what matters in Kansas City with Travis Meier and Abbey Higginbotham.

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How and where to go plogging in Kansas City

With Earth Day this month, you can celebrate nature while contributing to a healthier planet.

Climate

You&#x27;ve heard of jogging. You&#x27;ve heard of picking up litter. Combine the two, and you get &quot;plogging.&quot;Why it matters: Earth Day is this month, and locals are looking for ways to celebrate nature while contributing to a healthier planet.

Thousands could lose Medicaid in Missouri, Kansas

New rules could leave thousands without coverage by 2027.

News

Missouri and Kansas are adjusting <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Medicaid" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/health" data-vars-content-id="1f619b0c-d2f5-416e-bd1e-10b9d1a09d67" data-vars-headline="Thousands could lose Medicaid in Missouri, Kansas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/health" target="_self">Medicaid</a> budgets ahead of federal changes expected to cut coverage for thousands of people.

🍬 KC shops rolling out Easter goodies

Check out these local holiday sweets ahead of April 5.

Food and Drink

Easter is hopping closer, and for some, that means candy.The big picture: Local confectioners are rolling out seasonal sweet treats as residents seek to stock their baskets.

A bridge in Kansas is being compared to The High Line in NYC

The bridge entertainment district — which includes a restaurant, beer garden and event space — is set to open April 1.

A decommissioned railroad bridge over the Kansas River is being transformed in a way that &quot;feels very similar&quot; to New York City&#x27;s High Line, Friends of the High Line executive director Alan van Capelle tells Axios.Why it matters: The one-of-a-kind project in Kansas City has garnered local and national support for its ambition and design, and could provide a blueprint for future transformational projects.

KC Symphony's new performance hall would triple its capacity

The new venue would be designed for audiences of up to 4,600.

The Kansas City Symphony this week announced plans to build a new performance hall nearly triple the size of its current space, with a target opening in 2028.Why it matters: The symphony is expanding its footprint with its own venue designed for specialty shows and capable of attracting midsized touring acts.

Our surrogacy laws are all over the place

Kansas and Missouri take different legal paths for surrogacy families.

Kansas City families navigating surrogacy face two different legal systems depending on which side of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state line" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405661817300229" data-vars-content-id="f51c8653-a805-4dd4-8046-9ca7ce5b0a32" data-vars-headline="Our surrogacy laws are all over the place" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405661817300229" target="_blank">state line</a> they use.The big picture: Some state regulations have barriers for intended parents who are single, unmarried, not a heterosexual couple and/or not genetically related to the child.

KC knows its liquor and our history proves it

From gin to whiskey, these distilleries reflect KC's liquor roots.

Kansas City&#x27;s liquor history shows up in what you&#x27;re drinking, from revived pre-Prohibition <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="whiskey styles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mymcpl.org/blogs/history-whiskey-kc" data-vars-content-id="b7f270ad-c286-4782-8883-8f7f62b50c39" data-vars-headline="KC knows its liquor and our history proves it" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mymcpl.org/blogs/history-whiskey-kc" target="_blank">whiskey styles</a> to spirits shaped by bootlegging. Here are a few distilleries to visit.

New report projects downtown KC population boom

A major influx of residents means KCMO needs a lot more housing.

Kansas City&#x27;s downtown population is projected to grow by roughly 33% over the next decade, according to a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.downtownkc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DTKC-2026-Market-Update-Q1.pdf" data-vars-content-id="356b4ac8-bbfb-4082-9776-e4ed40a673a8" data-vars-headline="New report projects downtown KC population boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.downtownkc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DTKC-2026-Market-Update-Q1.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> by the Downtown Council.Why it matters: The unprecedented influx of nearly 11,000 new residents would require a lot more housing, even as city leaders and advocates struggle to balance affordability with developer incentives.

Downtown KC is almost back to pre-pandemic foot traffic

Downtown KC visits hit 95% of pre-pandemic levels, driven by residents, workers and events.

Downtown Kansas City has recovered about 95% of its pre-COVID visitor foot traffic, rebounding from pandemic-era lows to levels that almost rival 2019 and outpace many major cities.Why it matters: KC&#x27;s recovery is happening more fully because it is no longer tied to one group returning, unlike in other states, where downtowns are still waiting on office workers.

First look: River House sets the menu for Rock Island Bridge

River House brings smoked chicken, oysters and cocktails to the bridge.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Rock Island Bridge" data-vars-click-url="https://rockislandkc.com/" data-vars-content-id="093d72ad-9ef6-4d44-9884-cd2caa337563" data-vars-headline="First look: River House sets the menu for Rock Island Bridge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://rockislandkc.com/" target="_blank">Rock Island Bridge</a> opens Wednesday with a restaurant and walk-up window built to make food part of the draw, not an afterthought.The big picture: Kansas City has no shortage of places with a view, and Rock Island provides just that. However, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="River House" data-vars-click-url="https://answerharbor.com/2025/12/22/the-riverhouse-a-waterfront-menu-worth-exploring/?fi=0&amp;cid=3c4ac6a6-e084-40ba-8d49-57498b22786e&amp;sub=riverhouserestaurant.com&amp;utm_source=riverhouserestaurant.com&amp;hide_featured=1" data-vars-content-id="093d72ad-9ef6-4d44-9884-cd2caa337563" data-vars-headline="First look: River House sets the menu for Rock Island Bridge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://answerharbor.com/2025/12/22/the-riverhouse-a-waterfront-menu-worth-exploring/?fi=0&amp;cid=3c4ac6a6-e084-40ba-8d49-57498b22786e&amp;sub=riverhouserestaurant.com&amp;utm_source=riverhouserestaurant.com&amp;hide_featured=1" target="_blank">River House</a> is betting people will come back for smoked chicken, oysters, cocktails and food designed to fit a night over the river.

Detention center takes detainees before oversight panel is in place

About 20 detainees are held as officials finalize oversight of the Leavenworth ICE site.

Leavenworth&#x27;s ICE detention facility is already holding about 20 detainees as the city is finalizing an oversight committee meant to monitor conditions at the site.Why it matters: The Leavenworth City Commission approved reopening the former prison earlier this month with a plan for local oversight, but that system is still being put in place.

KC Fashion Week pulls designers from coast to coast

Designers from across the U.S. showcase work as Fashion Week marks 15 years.

<figure><img alt="Runway fashion show with two models in peach dresses; one has lime-green underlayer and lace-up sandals. Purple lighting, audience on both sides, some people filming; backdrop with large white letters." height="720" id="9996c299-1111-47da-bebf-cc6c0d66c9ab" src="https://images.axios.com/ANqvQqZWKuv0Y83M27fCPl3xnBQ=/2026/03/26/1774558986435.gif" width="1280"/><figcaption>Models walking the runway at KCFW. Photo: Abbey Higginbotham/Axios</figcaption></figure>Designers from across the country are showing in Kansas City this week as Fashion Week celebrates its 15th year.Why it matters: KC is no longer just a stop on the fashion map. Designers are choosing it to reach new customers and build their brands in the middle of the country.

🎶 Why some are returning to MP3 players

Why some are returning to MP3 players

A choropleth map categorizing U.S. states by legal status of surrogacy arrangements. Gestational and genetic surrogacy is enforceable in 15 states, Gestational surrogacy is enforceable in 14, and surrogacy is unregulated in 15.

News 🗞

KC Symphony's new performance hall would triple its capacity

Thousands could lose Medicaid in Missouri, Kansas

Why some are returning to MP3 players

Our surrogacy laws are all over the place

🪧 Library workers move to unionize