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What changes in KC when the drinking slows

At least six Kansas City area breweries have closed since early last year, and owners say the bigger loss is the gathering space.

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Kansas City has lost several breweries, bars and pubs in recent years, leaving fewer places for socialization. Why it matters: Americans are drinking less for good reasons, but bars and taprooms do more than just pour booze — they provide places to gather without a plan.

A West Bottoms redevelopment could look like Los Angeles

Eight mostly vacant buildings near Eighth and Madison could undergo a transformation.

A developer pursuing a multibuilding project in the West Bottoms has tackled a strikingly similar landscape before — in LA&#x27;s industrial belt.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Borman Group&#x27;s work" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thebormangroup.com/" data-vars-content-id="d641d1f1-4a1e-4d41-9e2c-f53310113971" data-vars-headline="A West Bottoms redevelopment could look like Los Angeles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thebormangroup.com/" target="_blank">The Borman Group&#x27;s work</a> out West offers a look at the potential for the project in Kansas City as Port KC considers public financing and property tax incentives for it.

Rural Kansas is turning majority-minority early

The U.S. won't become majority-minority until 2046, but four rural Kansas counties and Wyandotte County are already there.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Census data" data-vars-click-url="https://ipsr.unit2.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/2pop29.pdf" data-vars-content-id="d68a86e0-3cfc-4b0a-a45b-220b4010d145" data-vars-headline="Rural Kansas is turning majority-minority early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ipsr.unit2.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/2pop29.pdf" target="_blank">Census data</a> shows a majority-minority U.S. population is decades away, but four Kansas counties and the metro&#x27;s Wyandotte County have already crossed that line. The big picture: The shift is reshaping the state, from meatpacking towns in southwest Kansas to the metro&#x27;s urban core, part of the nationwide rural trend identified in an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios analysis." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/majority-minority-rural-america-black-latino" data-vars-content-id="d68a86e0-3cfc-4b0a-a45b-220b4010d145" data-vars-headline="Rural Kansas is turning majority-minority early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/majority-minority-rural-america-black-latino" target="_self">Axios analysis.</a>

KC's last 8pm sunset is days away

Most of the country has already lost its late sunsets, but the KC metro has until Aug. 23 to 25 depending on your county.

Most Americans have already seen their final 8pm sunset of the year, but Kansas City still has about a week of late light left.The big picture: We lose a little more light every day as the Earth&#x27;s Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun until Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year.<ul><li>The farther west within a time zone you live, the later your sunsets typically run, and KC sits in the western stretch of the Central time zone.</li></ul>

KC's college pipeline is shrinking

Missouri and Kansas are projected to send 12% fewer graduates out of high school by 2041.

Students moving into Kansas City dorms this month are the first college class drawn from a declining pool of high school graduates, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wiche.edu/knocking/key-findings/graduates/" data-vars-content-id="d49b915e-feed-4581-ba06-dd887782761f" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s college pipeline is shrinking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wiche.edu/knocking/key-findings/graduates/" target="_blank">per</a> the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE).Why it matters: Every class after this one gets smaller, and schools that recruit close to home have the most to lose.

Two festivals, one very full weekend of eating

The 47th Ethnic Enrichment Festival runs Friday through Sunday, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's hot dog festival takes over Saturday night.

More than 40,000 people are expected to eat their way through Swope Park this weekend, and thousands more will do the same on the WWI Museum lawn Saturday night.Why it matters: Two major food events land on the same weekend, one a three-day showcase of 42 countries and the other a celebration of hot dogs.

What Kansas City gets in the Royals stadium deal

City council approved agreements on community benefits, construction and financing.

The Royals&#x27; downtown stadium is another step closer after City Council on Thursday approved a package of agreements on community benefits, construction and financing. Why it matters: Public documents shed light on what the Royals are promising the city, including funds to address homelessness and benefit public art.

Parlor's sudden closure blindsides vendors

The East Crossroads food hall gave its seven kitchens four days' notice. Two years ago, its owner warned police the business wouldn't survive.

Parlor closes Saturday, and the seven independent restaurants inside learned about it this week — the same day their customers did.Why it matters: The sudden announcement left businesses at a popular hang in the East Crossroads scrambling with little explanation as to why they have to close.

KC contracting program for women and minority business owners ends

The city council repealed the program that steered contract dollars to minority- and women-owned businesses after the state sued.

Kansas City ended 45 years of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="contracting goals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3188/16" data-vars-content-id="d3923310-2abc-4724-8279-36ed38bf8e12" data-vars-headline="KC contracting program for women and minority business owners ends" 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/3188/16" target="_blank">contracting goals</a> for minority- and women-owned businesses after a state lawsuit said they were discriminatory.Why it matters: The repeal of the Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program changes how the city awards hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts each year, and the lawsuit that prompted it isn&#x27;t over.

KC's Ivan "the Squatch" dominates in beard battle

Ivan the "Squatch" Pancic dominated the Big Beautiful Badass Beard Battle.

Culture

A Kansas City man stole the show at a Nebraska beard competition that was judged by some of competitive facial hair&#x27;s biggest wigs.The big picture: Ivan &quot;the Squatch&quot; Pancic dominated the Big Beautiful Badass Beard Battle last weekend with 13 inches of flowing facial locks, taking home four first-place finishes, including the Best Beard Award and Best in Show.

Western Auto was relit after going dark. It's not the first time.

The 74-year-old sign is a city icon and a point of local pride.

Public officials and residents of the Western Auto building gathered on the roof Tuesday night to flip the switch on a fully repaired sign after more than a year.Why it matters: The 74-year-old sign is a city icon and a point of local pride, inspiring everything from paintings to T-shirt designs and bracelet charms.

"Nothing has changed" for KC parents after Trump's vaccine order

Kansas City students still need the same vaccines to start school this fall.

The White House wants to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shrink the childhood vaccine schedule" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/trump-vaccines-midterms-measles-order" data-vars-content-id="791c3aca-cdf2-4c29-bc02-a4b2bb81f190" data-vars-headline="&quot;Nothing has changed&quot; for KC parents after Trump&#x27;s vaccine order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/trump-vaccines-midterms-measles-order" target="_self">shrink the childhood vaccine schedule</a>, but the shots your kid needs to start school in Kansas City this month haven&#x27;t changed.Why it matters: KC&#x27;s health director says families are confused about what the new order means, clinic traffic is down, and kids still need their required shots to start school in the next two weeks.

Axios Latino

An area chart showing annual public high school graduates in the U.S. for graduating classes 1993-2024 and projections for 2025-2032. Graduations rose from 2.2m in 1993 and are expected to peak at 3.5m in 2025 and fall to 3.2m by 2032. The South has the largest number of graduates, followed by the West, Midwest, and Northeast in that order.


Annual public high school graduates in the U.S.

Data: National Center for Education Statistics; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

A map showing rural counties in the U.S. as of 2023. Of 1,957 rural counties, 221, or 11.3% are majority-minority. Most of these counties are in the southwest, deep South, and Alaska.

Axios Visuals: 2026-08-04-rural-minority

Data: U.S. Census, USDA; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

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News 🗞

KC's college pipeline is shrinking

Two festivals, one very full weekend of eating

What Kansas City gets in the Royals stadium deal

Parlor's sudden closure blindsides vendors

Rural Kansas is turning majority-minority early