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KC "breathes soccer": Dutch journalists on first impressions

Kansas City has better World Cup energy than New York, they say.

News

Kansas City has better World Cup energy than New York, according to Dutch sports journalists Sjoerd Mossou and Etienne Verhoeff.Why it matters: With the Dutch team&#x27;s arrival and matches fast approaching, foreign press — and soon fans — are experiencing KC for the first time.

How Algeria became Lawrence's World Cup team

Algeria chose Lawrence as its World Cup base camp, and the town answered with anthems, a carved flag and a welcome bigger than anyone planned.

Lawrence has thrown Algeria&#x27;s World Cup team a welcome bigger than the city ever planned ahead of Tuesday&#x27;s match.Why it matters: The welcome has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="gone viral" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tiktok.com/@meninblazers/video/7649928348205976845?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc" data-vars-content-id="32dfa09d-734c-44af-9e23-125c11d008a8" data-vars-headline="How Algeria became Lawrence&#x27;s World Cup team" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meninblazers/video/7649928348205976845?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc" target="_blank">gone viral</a>, turning a Midwestern college town into a national story while giving Algeria a genuine home crowd before it faces a heavy favorite, Argentina.

Inside KC's World Cup Fan Fest

Fans from 153 countries registered for the free festival at the WWI Museum lawn, where Mexico supporters owned opening day. It runs select days through July 11.

<figure><img alt="Large crowd at a park festival passes under a red heart arch; a blue tent reads COME AGAIN in the background among green shirts, people, and city buildings." height="720" id="3c41dc3d-6eaa-472f-b1e8-23c1a1ad1a28" src="https://images.axios.com/LTw9h0Mb9j2aTmC-2e3yNm1GIjA=/2026/06/11/1781214711734.gif" width="1280"/><figcaption>Fans were pumped entering Fan Fest. GIF: Abbey Higginbotham/Axios.</figcaption></figure>Kansas City&#x27;s free <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="FIFA Fan Festival" data-vars-click-url="https://kansascityfwc26.com/fifa-fan-festival/" data-vars-content-id="82d33bb5-98c1-4a8c-9175-9245591d29f1" data-vars-headline="Inside KC&#x27;s World Cup Fan Fest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/fifa-fan-festival/" target="_blank">FIFA Fan Festival</a> threw open its gates Thursday, packing the National WWI Museum lawn with giant screens, local barbecue and a 65-foot-tall glowing heart.Why it matters: Match tickets are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="scarce and pricey" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/08/world-cup-2026-tickets-prices-fifa-resale" data-vars-content-id="82d33bb5-98c1-4a8c-9175-9245591d29f1" data-vars-headline="Inside KC&#x27;s World Cup Fan Fest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/08/world-cup-2026-tickets-prices-fifa-resale" target="_self">scarce and pricey</a>, so the festival is the closest most fans will get to the World Cup.

Fans are camping out for Messi in KC

Fans are lining up outside the team's riverfront hotel.

Sports

Argentina fans have gathered outside <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Origin Hotel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/02/06/argentina-base-in-kansas-city-thousands-fans" data-vars-content-id="3d56116c-677c-4acd-8b1d-574d7415c80b" data-vars-headline="Fans are camping out for Messi in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/02/06/argentina-base-in-kansas-city-thousands-fans" target="_self">Origin Hotel</a> day after day since the squad arrived, hoping for a glimpse of the World Cup champions.The big picture: The team&#x27;s riverfront hotel has become a daily draw, wrapped in Argentina&#x27;s blue and white with a giant Messi banner hanging off the side.

KC puts homelessness funding under audit

The city is ordering a 30-day audit of the nonprofit overseeing $20 million in federal homelessness funding.

Kansas City is rebuilding its homelessness response on two fronts: a $10 million plan to move unhoused individuals indoors and an audit of the agency overseeing the metro&#x27;s federal funding.The big picture: KC has the highest rate of chronic unsheltered homelessness of any major U.S. city, according to the<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development" data-vars-click-url="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2023-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" data-vars-content-id="a67182bd-83a2-4228-97e4-6ae0092d918f" data-vars-headline="KC puts homelessness funding under audit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2023-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" target="_blank"> U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development</a> (HUD), and this is the biggest overhaul of the local response in years.

Violent crime in KC continues to drop

Homicides fell 25% and robberies dropped 38% in Kansas City in the first three months of 2026, part of a sharp nationwide decline in violent crime across America's largest cities.

Violent crime fell sharply in Kansas City in early 2026, mirroring a nationwide decline across America&#x27;s largest cities that has continued since a pandemic-era spike.Why it matters: Data from 67 major U.S. law enforcement agencies, including KCPD, show violent crime fell across most major categories during the first quarter compared with the same period in 2025.

Local nonprofit turns unwanted guns into garden tools

No ID, no paperwork, no questions. The Kansas City nonprofit is one of the few routes for permanently destroying an unwanted gun, and it's coming to Johnson County Saturday.

Kansas City nonprofit <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Guns to Gardens" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gunstogardenskc.org/about" data-vars-content-id="e72f699a-a560-478b-9395-a890179a66ed" data-vars-headline="Local nonprofit turns unwanted guns into garden tools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gunstogardenskc.org/about" target="_blank">Guns to Gardens</a> is destroying unwanted firearms, cutting them up and handing the pieces to blacksmiths who turn them into garden tools.Why it matters: There&#x27;s no easy way to permanently get rid of an unwanted gun in the U.S. Owners can sell, trade or surrender them, but a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CBS investigation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-sell-guns-crime-atf/" data-vars-content-id="e72f699a-a560-478b-9395-a890179a66ed" data-vars-headline="Local nonprofit turns unwanted guns into garden tools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-sell-guns-crime-atf/" target="_blank">CBS investigation</a> found that in most cases they end up back in circulation.<ul><li>Guns to Gardens is one route where they&#x27;ll end up as scrap metal.</li></ul>

KC runs its largest security drill yet for World Cup

More than 200 local, state and federal officers tested their response at the National WWI Museum as part of a $79M federally funded push to keep Fan Fest attendees safe.

More than 200 law enforcement officers ran a World Cup security exercise Tuesday at the National World War I Museum and Memorial.Why it matters: It was a large-scale, real-time training session for the people who will be keeping Fan Fest attendees safe this summer.

KC crash data signals early signs of improvement

Serious and fatal crashes are down after four years of increases.

Travel

Kansas City traffic data shows fatal and serious injury crashes may be starting to decrease after a four-year upward trend.Why it matters: It&#x27;s a sign that KCMO&#x27;s street safety initiatives might be starting to take hold, despite the numbers lagging behind predictions and city officials saying it&#x27;s too early to tell.

Kansas City police will use drones as first responders

Drones will be launched remotely from "nests" throughout the city.

The Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) is taking to the skies thanks to a fleet of drones, a new team of pilots and special permission from the federal government.Why it matters: Police say the technology will be used to respond to emergency calls faster and help officers on the ground, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="local" data-vars-click-url="https://kansascitymag.com/police-departments-around-kc-are-deploying-camerad-up-drones-and-retailers-are-using-the-devices-to-deliver-packages-is-everyone-good-with-this/" data-vars-content-id="771eb851-820b-4b25-b8c5-ae144ed685b1" data-vars-headline="Kansas City police will use drones as first responders" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kansascitymag.com/police-departments-around-kc-are-deploying-camerad-up-drones-and-retailers-are-using-the-devices-to-deliver-packages-is-everyone-good-with-this/" target="_blank">local</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="national" data-vars-click-url="https://www.aclu.org/documents/eye-in-the-sky-policing-needs-strict-limits" data-vars-content-id="771eb851-820b-4b25-b8c5-ae144ed685b1" data-vars-headline="Kansas City police will use drones as first responders" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.aclu.org/documents/eye-in-the-sky-policing-needs-strict-limits" target="_blank">national</a> concerns over law enforcement&#x27;s expanded reach remain.

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.

KC businesses train staff for ICE encounters as arrests surge

Kansas City business owners are prepping staff for rising ICE activity in workplaces.

Local businesses are training staff to respond to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ICE encounters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/01/15/ice-detention-expansion-kansas-city" data-vars-content-id="93d002a9-89d0-435e-bc6a-9cbed883e747" data-vars-headline="KC businesses train staff for ICE encounters as arrests surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/01/15/ice-detention-expansion-kansas-city" target="_self">ICE encounters</a> as immigration arrests rise across the metro and move farther into neighborhoods and workplaces.The big picture: Immigration arrests jumped 76% in Missouri and nearly tripled in Kansas last year, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Deportation Data Project" data-vars-click-url="https://deportationdata.org/" data-vars-content-id="93d002a9-89d0-435e-bc6a-9cbed883e747" data-vars-headline="KC businesses train staff for ICE encounters as arrests surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://deportationdata.org/" target="_blank">Deportation Data Project</a> figures analyzed by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="KCTV5" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kctv5.com/2026/01/24/ice-arrests-surge-kansas-city-metro-following-trump-immigration-orders/" data-vars-content-id="93d002a9-89d0-435e-bc6a-9cbed883e747" data-vars-headline="KC businesses train staff for ICE encounters as arrests surge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kctv5.com/2026/01/24/ice-arrests-surge-kansas-city-metro-following-trump-immigration-orders/" target="_blank">KCTV5</a>.<ul><li>Business owners say the shift is forcing them to prepare for law enforcement situations they never expected to encounter on the job.</li></ul>

Bitter cold weather sends more people to KC shelters

Bitter cold weather sent more people to warming centers across the metro this weekend.

Kansas City&#x27;s cold snap last weekend pushed shelters and warming sites to their limits, resurfacing the question of how the city can increase its shelter space.Why it matters: When temperatures plunge, getting people experiencing homelessness indoors becomes a greater safety issue.

Winter travel in KC: What to know

Snow and extreme cold could make driving, transit, and flights trickier across the KC metro. Here's what to know before you head out.

Public Safety

This weekend&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="winter storm" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/01/22/stay-home-kc-snow-predictions-rise-ahead-of-winter-storm" data-vars-content-id="a5c6a997-4cd5-49c9-98dd-2ddc43263aec" data-vars-headline="Winter travel in KC: What to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/01/22/stay-home-kc-snow-predictions-rise-ahead-of-winter-storm" target="_self">winter storm</a> is expected to make travel around KC increasingly hazardous.The big picture: If you don&#x27;t have to travel this weekend, don&#x27;t. If you must, here&#x27;s what to know before heading out.