A report says several Kansas policies restrict access to birth control. Also, the state falls short of protecting access to contraceptives by having no policies in several key areas.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law a bill that eliminates the so-called "tampon tax" on menstrual products and diapers. But the law doesn't prevent local municipalities from imposing their own additional taxes.

Signed 35 years ago this month, the ADA was the world’s first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities — guaranteeing equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, and more. But it likely wouldn't have passed without the relentless pressure of grassroots activists and Kansas Republican Bob Dole.

Lead exposure is a common issue in southeast Kansas and nearby parts of Missouri and Oklahoma. Health experts say there are few accessible resources for high-risk communities.

President Donald Trump’s new budget package cuts funding for programs like Medicaid and SNAP through work requirements.

Gov. Mike Kehoe is hopeful Congress will reverse course on major restrictions on medical provider taxes, which were included in the "Big Beautiful Bill" that President Trump signed. All of Missouri's Republican members of Congress voted in favor of it.

The new federal law is expected to eliminate $1 trillion in federal spending on Medicaid over the next decade. University Health in Kansas City, which counts on Medicaid for more than half of its patient revenue, expects a huge financial hit but vows that cutting services and staff will be the last resort.

In the last week, the Kansas health department has recorded four additional measles cases. That brings the state's total to 87, most of which are in southwest Kansas. The disease was declared eliminated 25 years ago.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley was able to include the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in a major budgetary package signed by President Trump last week. It expands the number of Missouri residents who can receive benefits after being exposed to radioactive waste.

Planned Parenthood Great Rivers opened its books for patients to make abortion appointments starting next week. It's the latest in a saga over abortion access after Missouri voters passed Amendment 3 last November.

A Jackson County Circuit Court judge blocked enforcement last week of nearly all Missouri laws that restrict abortion, ruling the 2024 passage of Amendment 3 enshrined the right to an abortion in the state constitution. Missouri has already started and stopped abortion services several times this year as legal battles continue.