Frank Morris

Kansas City, MO – Long term forecast, look for warming with alternating droughts, floods and an ever increasing chance of ice storms and tornadoes for the next 100 years. The Director of the US Agriculture Department's National Soil Tilth Lab Jerry Hatfield says large parts of Kansas will likely have to stop growing wheat. Heavy storms will pose serious challenges for Missouri farmers. Hatfield doesn't think there will be less rain in total, but he expects it will be a whole lot less predictable.

Kansas City, MO – Missouri 5th District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver gave a fiery, impromptu speech to the election night crowd at the Midland Theater in Kansas City as he announced Senator John McCain's concession.

Kansas City, MO – There were several hundred hard core Democrats at the Midland Theater last night. Ecstatic, would be a pretty good word to describe them.

But heady as President Elect Obama's victory was and as much as they relished the gains in the Senate and House, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, fresh off his own very convincing win, says the Democratic government about to take over had better not get too cocky.

By Frank Morris

Kansas City, MO – Federal officials are investigating text messages and robo calls encouraging Missouri voters to vote tomorrow.

Complaints started coming in from around the state this morning. They were short text messages and automated calls, some attributed to CNN, with the same message: "Because of delays, Obama supporters are advised to vote Wednesday."

Kansas City, MO – An election snafu stalled voting for hours in central Kansas City, Missouri this morning.

Thousands of voters in Kansas City lined up well before 6 this morning. But when the polls opened at several sites in the central part of the city, election workers had bad news: The wrong voter registration books had been delivered.

Jason Semour says he's voted at the same location for 12 years, and never seen delays. This morning, Semour says he waited, with about 200 others, for two hours until workers finally delivered the right voter registration book.

Lee's Summit, Missouri – Senator Joe Biden says the Republicans are out of touch, and waging a nasty campaign against Senator Obama. The Democratic Vice Presidential nominee was in Lee's Summit, Missouri on Monday morning.

Senator Biden needled Senator John McCain for supporting President Bush on taxes, regulation and other fiscal policy. He called McCain a sidekick, not a maverick. Biden then accused the McCain/Palin campaign of taking on an overly negative tone, that he says has undercut prospects to reunite the country after tomorrow.

By Frank Morris

Lee's Summitt – Senator Biden needled Senator John McCain for supporting President Bush on taxes, regulation and other fiscal policy. He called McCain a sidekick, not a maverick. Biden then accused the McCain/Palin campaign of taking on an overly negative tone, that he says has undercut prospects to reunite the country after tomorrow.

Kansas City, MO – The presidential race is as close, if not closer in Missouri than anywhere else in the country. The difference here will be in the ground game.

Missouri Democrats say they're about to launch the most massive get out the vote effort the state has ever witnessed. Republicans say, "Bring it on."

KCUR's Frank Morris reports.

Kansas City, MO – The troubled economy is driving thousands of people into food pantries for the first time ever this year. At the same time donations to those pantries are drying up and some have run out of food entirely, even here, in the nation's breadbasket. But while the economic hard times are pummeling food pantries, they're doing great things for another service catering to the poor thrift stores. KCUR's Frank Morris reports.

By Frank Morris

Belton, MO – A crowd of about 6-thousand arrayed on a Baptist school football field cheered Senator McCain's pledge to end the Iraq war in victory. Then McCain echoed Obama's running mate, Senator Joe Biden, who recently predicted that Obama would face an international crisis early in his term, if he's elected president.

We don't want a president who invites texting from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting in two wars.

Independence, MO – Republican Presidential Candidate, John McCain, campaigned in Missouri today. He spoke about the nation's economy this morning at the Truman Presidential Library in Independence. KCUR's Frank Morris reports from there.

Michelle Obama is also in the area today. She's hosting a rally for her husband, Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, this evening at the 18th and vine jazz district.

Kansas City, MO – Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser says crime is going to be his primary near term focus, moving forward after the city's impasse over the mayor's wife's involvement in City Hall. But published reports of Republican operative Jeff Roe consulting the mayor exasperated tensions between the him and the council.

Kansas City, MO – The outcome of the presidential election could come down to the vote in key parts of Missouri. The campaigns for Senator John McCain, the Republican, and Senator Barack Obama, the Democrat are both in high gear working here. As part of our ongoing election courage, KCUR's Frank Morris spoke with Senator Obama's campaign Chief of Staff , Jim Messina, about the ground war in Missouri.

Kansas City, MO – Kansas City has done something perhaps no other city has. It passed an ordinance to keep the mayor's wife from volunteering in the mayor's office.

The mayor responded with the first veto in the city's history.

With mounting crime, crumbling sewers and a fiscal crisis looming, KCUR's Frank Morris reports on what brought Kansas City to its current impasse.

Mark Funkhouser is a serious, imposing guy, especially sitting on his front porch, talking about the role of his wife, Gloria Squitiro at City Hall.

Kansas City – For months, members of the City Council, and others, have complained about the role Gloria Squitiro, Funkhouser's wife, plays in the mayor's office. Squitiro puts in upwards of 20 hours a week, making calls, following policy, and --apparently-
annoying people. Last week the council voted 12-1 (Funkhouser being the 1) passing an ordinance prohibiting family volunteers (i.e. Squitiro) from working in city offices. Last night, Funkhouser vetoed it.