Kansas City is one of 15 cities joining the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance — a program that integrates artificial intelligence into city governments — the organization announced today.

Why it matters: The city will use AI to speed up and better run its 311 service, a hotline and app that helps city staff respond to non-emergency problems, answer questions and provide services like fixing potholes and removing snow.

Zoom in: KC will use AI to route residents' requests and categorize inquiries to make responses faster, Carrie Bishop, who leads data and AI initiatives for the government innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, tells Axios.

• The city will also use it to expand multi-language services to reach more residents, she says, pointing to San Jose, California, as an example.

The big picture: The City Data Alliance helps local governments "lead in the age of AI," according to James Anderson, government innovation lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies.

• The organization will provide tools, training and technical support to help city staff integrate the new technology.

Between the lines: Mayor Quinton Lucas tells Axios 311 is underused in some areas of town, and response times could be improved in historically underserved areas.

• "It's about, 'How do we make sure every Kansas Citian has a working fire hydrant in their neighborhood?'" he says.
• He says the ultimate goal is integrating the tech into every public-facing department, including water, parks, public works and planning.

Yes, but: AI has been known to make things up and generate biased or discriminatory responses.

• "We know that the technology needs to be given careful guardrails, and involve humans in the loop," Bishop tells us. She says the City Data Alliance provides the ability to responsibly try out the tools and make sure they work correctly before scaling them.

What's next: Bloomberg representatives began meeting with city staff this month. Tech integration will be ongoing through May 2026.

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The FDA is cracking down on a potent compound found in kratom supplements, which are sold in Kansas and Missouri with no state oversight.

Why it matters: Products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a compound that acts like an opioid and has been dubbed "legal morphine" by researchers, have surged in popularity.

The latest: On Tuesday, the FDA recommended more regulation and warned consumers about the risks.

• Last month, the FDA sent a letter to companies about the illegal marketing of these products, calling them potentially dangerous and unproven.

Zoom in: Products with 7-OH, including pills and powders, are widely available in Kansas and Missouri.

• Kansas introduced a bill this year that would regulate kratom like a food product and would require buyers to be at least 21. The bill hasn't passed.
• Missouri's House advanced a similar bill in March that would restrict kratom to buyers 21 and older and ban synthetic or contaminated versions. The bill drew criticism for allowing products with up to 2% 7-OH to remain on shelves if they aren't labeled as kratom.
• The bill still needs final approval in the House and Senate to become law.

Threat level: OH-7 "is a pure opioid," says Chris McCurdy, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida who's studied kratom for over 20 years. That means it interacts with opioid receptors the same way prescription opioids do, so it could be highly addictive, researchers warn.

The bottom line: For now, concentrated 7-OH products remain legal here, but that could change if proposed consumer protection legislation passes.

ICE agents arrested at least 12 workers during raids yesterday at two El Toro Loco Mexican Bar & Grill locations in Kansas City, Kansas, and Lenexa. Advocacy groups said workers were detained, restaurants were left unlocked, and food was still cooking in the kitchen. The warrant cited potential labor trafficking and human smuggling. (Kansas City Star)

🛫 Kansas City International Airport launched a new accessibility tool to help travelers who are blind or have low vision navigate terminals with real-time audio assistance. The Aira app is free to use inside the airport. (KMBC)

🍜 Vietnam Cafe announced plans to open a second location in Overland Park next year. The longtime Columbus Park favorite will move into a former Beef-a-Roo space on 135th Street and add a drive-thru for banh mi and coffee to-go. (Johnson County Post)

It may be the middle of summer, but a stop inside Made in KC suggests the holidays are closer than the calendar says.

Why it matters: It's not Christmas. Bah humbug.

What's inside: I spotted a display of lowball glasses painted with colorful Christmas lights and looping "Kansas City" script, sitting just a few shelves away from standard summer merch.

• Nearby, I found a wall of ornaments with everything from Chiefs helmets to KC skylines and Sporting KC logos, hanging neatly and fully stocked.

Between the lines: While there's no full-blown holiday section (yet), the presence of festive decor when it's 90 degrees outside feels like a quiet seasonal creep. The kind that might make you pause or reach for your wallet.

💭 Abbey's thought bubble: I think it's too soon. I'm all for local goods and holiday cheer, but July feels early. Let's at least get to Nov. 1, right?

• Still, I know people who live for Christmas in July. So maybe I'm just no fun.

The bottom line: What do you think? Are you ready to see ornaments before Halloween? Or should we save the lights and garland for colder months?

• Reply to this email and tell us when the season should really start.