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KC puts $1M toward new homelessness strategy

City leaders say the flexible fund will help move people experiencing homelessness indoors faster.

News

Kansas City leaders are launching a $1 million <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Housing Gateway Program" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2898/1746" data-vars-content-id="5360b410-406a-4697-bf7a-1ec7b006171d" data-vars-headline="KC puts $1M toward new homelessness strategy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2898/1746" target="_blank">Housing Gateway Program</a> to move people indoors more quickly as homelessness rises.Why it matters: The effort relies on flexible local dollars that aren&#x27;t tied to federal restrictions, giving the city more control over how quickly and where the money is deployed.

Olympic fever packs the ice at KC Curling Club

Nearly 600 people signed up to try curling during the Winter Olympics surge.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Kansas City Curling Club" data-vars-click-url="https://kccurling.com/" data-vars-content-id="8651eaec-21c1-41d4-9a2f-e88329246674" data-vars-headline="Olympic fever packs the ice at KC Curling Club" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kccurling.com/" target="_blank">The Kansas City Curling Club</a> has signed up hundreds of new people to try curling since the Winter Olympics began, flooding its facility with first-timers eager to slide a stone.Why it matters: The club is the only dedicated curling facility within 350 miles of KC, and Olympic buzz is boosting interest in the niche winter sport.

Health coverage hits harder in Kansas than in Missouri

Kansas families spend nearly 10% of income on employer coverage, slightly more than Missouri households.

Health

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Employer health coverage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/11/charted-health-insurance-coverage-family-income" data-vars-content-id="c429a5f5-7d49-4bd8-aca6-42b912e2a71e" data-vars-headline="Health coverage hits harder in Kansas than in Missouri" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/11/charted-health-insurance-coverage-family-income" target="_self">Employer health coverage</a> eats up nearly one-tenth of a typical family&#x27;s income in both Kansas and Missouri, with Kansas households facing a slightly heavier burden, a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Commonwealth Fund study" data-vars-click-url="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2026/is-employer-coverage-affordable-how-states-stack-up" data-vars-content-id="c429a5f5-7d49-4bd8-aca6-42b912e2a71e" data-vars-headline="Health coverage hits harder in Kansas than in Missouri" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2026/is-employer-coverage-affordable-how-states-stack-up" target="_blank">Commonwealth Fund study</a> shows.

Fed World Cup funding to pay for officers, drone defense in KC

Kansas City is getting more than $79 million from the federal government.

Kansas City is getting more than $79 million from the federal government for public safety ahead of the World Cup, leaders announced Thursday.Why it matters: Organizers and public officials want to be ready for anything ahead of the city&#x27;s massive fan influx this summer, although leaders say there are no specific threats at this time.

Rental demand soars in KC for the World Cup

Kansas City is one of the most in-demand World Cup host cities.

Kansas City is one of the most in-demand World Cup host cities right now, with the city leading in occupancy rates and new listings, according to AirDNA, a short-term rental data company.The big picture: With four months left until the tournament, fans are booking rooms before it&#x27;s too late, which is squeezing the market and driving up prices.

KC Mayor Lucas rolls out $2.5B budget for 2026

Public safety will remain the largest slice of the general fund at 75%.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas used his State of the City address on Wednesday to lay out a $2.5 billion budget and a list of priorities for the 2026 World Cup and day-to-day needs.

​​Renting costs less than owning in KC

A new analysis shows renters pay far less each month than homeowners with mortgages.

Renting remains cheaper than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="owning a home" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/affordable-homes-metro-income" data-vars-content-id="7a9eaecd-fe27-4ef6-9b19-2aaa99c38304" data-vars-headline="​​Renting costs less than owning in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/affordable-homes-metro-income" target="_self">owning a home</a> in the Kansas City metro, according to a new LendingTree <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/comparing-rent-vs-owning-a-home-in-nations-largest-metros/" data-vars-content-id="7a9eaecd-fe27-4ef6-9b19-2aaa99c38304" data-vars-headline="​​Renting costs less than owning in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/comparing-rent-vs-owning-a-home-in-nations-largest-metros/" target="_blank">analysis</a> comparing monthly housing costs across the country.Why it matters: The gap between <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="renting" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/02/apartment-construction-rent-prices" data-vars-content-id="7a9eaecd-fe27-4ef6-9b19-2aaa99c38304" data-vars-headline="​​Renting costs less than owning in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/02/apartment-construction-rent-prices" target="_self">renting</a> and owning helps explain why <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="homeownership" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/01/mortgage-rates-home-prices-predictions-2026" data-vars-content-id="7a9eaecd-fe27-4ef6-9b19-2aaa99c38304" data-vars-headline="​​Renting costs less than owning in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/01/mortgage-rates-home-prices-predictions-2026" target="_self">homeownership</a> remains financially out of reach for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="many households" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/02/renting-owning-housing-costs-metro" data-vars-content-id="7a9eaecd-fe27-4ef6-9b19-2aaa99c38304" data-vars-headline="​​Renting costs less than owning in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/02/renting-owning-housing-costs-metro" target="_self">many households</a>, even in relatively affordable metros like KC.

KCPD chief says settlements, overtime causing budget shortfall

Chief Stacey Graves spoke to City Council after an internal memo sparked alarm.

Politics

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Thursday that her call for &quot;drastic cost-reduction measures&quot; was not due to mismanagement, but she owned a lack of communication in releasing a memo that caught city leaders off guard.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The internal memo" data-vars-click-url="https://fox4kc.com/news/kcpd-to-take-drastic-measures-to-maintain-basic-services-during-budget-crisis/" data-vars-content-id="b0f5e186-6dec-4fe1-bb6c-c503b16041c5" data-vars-headline="KCPD chief says settlements, overtime causing budget shortfall" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://fox4kc.com/news/kcpd-to-take-drastic-measures-to-maintain-basic-services-during-budget-crisis/" target="_blank">The internal memo</a>, first reported by FOX4 on Sunday, caused alarm among council members and the mayor and sparked debate over police funding after the department&#x27;s budget <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="increased by 7.64%" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/kcpd-chief-graves-announces-drastic-cost-reduction-measures-to-solve-budgetary-imbalance" data-vars-content-id="b0f5e186-6dec-4fe1-bb6c-c503b16041c5" data-vars-headline="KCPD chief says settlements, overtime causing budget shortfall" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/kcpd-chief-graves-announces-drastic-cost-reduction-measures-to-solve-budgetary-imbalance" target="_blank">increased by 7.64%</a> in 2025 from the previous fiscal year.

Exclusive: Sports ticket prices soar as teams chase premium clientele

Ticket prices rose significantly more than inflation across leagues over the past 10 years.

Sports ticket prices rose significantly more than inflation across leagues over the past 10 years, with premium seats skyrocketing, according to data that ticketing platform Gametime shared with Axios.Why it matters: Going to a game is becoming increasingly unaffordable for some fans, even as demand continues to drive premium pricing.

KC shops round prices as pennies disappear

Kansas City cafes are rounding cash totals to the nearest nickel as customers take the change in stride.

Money

Kansas City cafes and coffee shops are adjusting to life post-penny, rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel after the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Mint produced its final 1-cent coin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/11/13/penny-phasing-out-philadelphia-mint" data-vars-content-id="d28161a2-b9b9-4af1-b64e-499537464a6c" data-vars-headline="KC shops round prices as pennies disappear" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/11/13/penny-phasing-out-philadelphia-mint" target="_self">U.S. Mint produced its final 1-cent coin</a> last week.Why it matters: The end of penny production means <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cash purchases will now be rounded" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/09/trump-penny-production-ending-rounding-tax" data-vars-content-id="d28161a2-b9b9-4af1-b64e-499537464a6c" data-vars-headline="KC shops round prices as pennies disappear" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/09/trump-penny-production-ending-rounding-tax" target="_self">cash purchases will now be rounded</a> up or down, a small shift that could slightly raise costs for cash users but save the government millions.

KC's coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country

Missouri's average cup of coffee jumped 11% this year — the biggest increase in the country — and Kansas City cafés say they're absorbing an even bigger hit to keep prices steady.

Food and Drink

The price of a cup of coffee in Missouri rose 11% over the past year, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="steepest jump in the country" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/coffee-prices-rising-map?utm_" data-vars-content-id="0d6e231c-eb47-4e65-a68a-08d0713b17d6" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/coffee-prices-rising-map?utm_" target="_self">steepest jump in the country</a>, and Kansas City cafés are feeling an even bigger hit.The big picture: Missouri&#x27;s coffee isn&#x27;t the priciest in the nation, but prices have climbed faster here than anywhere else, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Toast data" data-vars-click-url="https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/data/coffee-prices-trends-by-state?utm_" data-vars-content-id="0d6e231c-eb47-4e65-a68a-08d0713b17d6" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/data/coffee-prices-trends-by-state?utm_" target="_blank">Toast data</a>.By the numbers: Missouri&#x27;s average price for a regular coffee hit $3.33, up 11% from last year, while cold brew climbed 9.1% to $5.49.<ul><li>Luckily for Kansas, prices barely moved, increasing 0.5% to $3.00 for hot coffee and 1.7% to $5.09 for cold brew.</li><li>Nationwide, the median hot coffee costs $3.52, a 2.9% rise.</li></ul>💭Abbey&#x27;s thought bubble: I have this tiny habit of accidentally wandering into City Market Coffee every morning for a cold brew, so my wallet has absolutely felt the effects of the increase.What they&#x27;re saying: Ian Davis, who has run <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Blip Coffee Roasters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bliproasters.com/" data-vars-content-id="0d6e231c-eb47-4e65-a68a-08d0713b17d6" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bliproasters.com/" target="_blank">Blip Coffee Roasters</a> in the West Bottoms for 11 years, tells Axios that managing rising costs has become part of running a coffee shop.<ul><li>&quot;We&#x27;re paying about three times what we used to in the 2010s for coffee beans,&quot; Davis says. &quot;If we passed that on to customers, you wouldn&#x27;t be paying $3. You&#x27;d be paying $6 or $7 a cup.&quot;</li></ul><figure><img alt="A bearded man in a black shirt with a tattoo on his arm pours coffee using a glass pot at a wooden stand holding three coffee drippers in a cozy, softly lit cafe." height="1008" id="4b906745-25c7-42f0-8535-d10e2b299aa9" src="https://images.axios.com/FMrO1C1eZjrLYnGlFPM8ufn3YK0=/2025/11/13/1763067250145.png" width="1734"/><figcaption>Blip Coffee Roasters founder Ian Davis. Photo: Courtesy of Blip Coffee Roasters</figcaption></figure><ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Made in KC Café" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mikccafe.com/" data-vars-content-id="0d6e231c-eb47-4e65-a68a-08d0713b17d6" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mikccafe.com/" target="_blank">Made in KC Café</a> co-founder Keith Bradley tells Axios his cafés have also faced rising costs for beans, pastries and supplies, but they haven&#x27;t raised prices since early 2023, choosing to absorb the increases like Blip.</li></ul>Between the lines: The price increase is driven by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="global tariffs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/06/trump-tariffs-inflation-food-coffee" data-vars-content-id="0d6e231c-eb47-4e65-a68a-08d0713b17d6" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/06/trump-tariffs-inflation-food-coffee" target="_self">global tariffs</a> and unpredictable commodity markets.<ul><li>U.S. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tariffs on Brazilian imports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-coffee-exports-us-fall-august-surge-elsewhere-industry-says-2025-09-09/?utm_" data-vars-content-id="0d6e231c-eb47-4e65-a68a-08d0713b17d6" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-coffee-exports-us-fall-august-surge-elsewhere-industry-says-2025-09-09/?utm_" target="_blank">tariffs on Brazilian imports</a> raised costs for roasters after a 50% tax took effect in August, halving exports and driving up bean prices, which are now hitting U.S. cafés and consumers.</li><li>Davis also points to the global &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="C market" data-vars-click-url="https://www.investing.com/commodities/us-coffee-c" data-vars-content-id="0d6e231c-eb47-4e65-a68a-08d0713b17d6" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s coffee prices rising faster than anywhere else in the country" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.investing.com/commodities/us-coffee-c" target="_blank">C market</a>,&quot; where coffee is traded like any other commodity. &quot;It&#x27;s unpredictable,&quot; he says. &quot;Prices change from one harvest to the next, and lately, they&#x27;ve only gone higher.&quot;</li><li>&quot;It&#x27;s not just beans,&quot; he says. &quot;Everything&#x27;s gone up — gas, insurance, utilities. It&#x27;s hard to tell what&#x27;s just inflation and what&#x27;s something bigger.&quot;</li></ul>The bottom line: Coffee costs are up across the board, but for KC shops, the bigger challenge is how long they can keep even bigger increases for customers off the menu.

KC's Head Start sites risk closure as federal shutdown drags on

MARC's 17 Head Start centers are taking financial risks to stay open as the federal shutdown stalls funding — leaving more than 2,300 Kansas City families uncertain about child care.

The Kansas City Head Start centers will stay open, for now, as the federal shutdown threatens to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cut off funding" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/16/head-start-worry-cuts" data-vars-content-id="f05a61db-b8ab-4ec3-a548-72cec1fdf646" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s Head Start sites risk closure as federal shutdown drags on" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/16/head-start-worry-cuts" target="_self">cut off funding</a>.Why it matters: More than 2,350 children and families in the Kansas City area depend on Head Start for free early education, meals and health services — support that working parents could lose if sites close.<ul><li>The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mid-America Regional Council" data-vars-click-url="https://www.marc.org/news/early-learning/marc-head-start-updates" data-vars-content-id="f05a61db-b8ab-4ec3-a548-72cec1fdf646" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s Head Start sites risk closure as federal shutdown drags on" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.marc.org/news/early-learning/marc-head-start-updates" target="_blank">Mid-America Regional Council</a> (MARC) says the 17 Head Start sites in and around the city will continue operating past Nov. 1.</li></ul>