Kansas

After decades of irrigation, the aquifer that makes life possible in dry western Kansas is reaching a critical point. Several counties have already lost more than half of their underground water. But a new plan could save more of what’s left.

The cause for the spill is still unclear. What's known is the type of oil that was piped: tar sands oil, also called diluted bitumen. It's a lot harder to clean up than conventional oil.

A ruptured pipeline northwest of Kansas City dumped about 588,000 gallons of oil into a creek running through rural pastureland, throwing operator TC Energy's federal permit into question.

Thanks to decades of conservation efforts, Hays has become the California of Kansas — a place where thinking about your water use is a way of life. For now, it’s an outlier. But as climate change brings drier, hotter weather to Kansas, more cities may have to follow a similar path.

After an extremely tight election, Democrat Laura Kelly, governor of Kansas, wins four more years in offer over her Republican challenger Kelly held off Republican challenger Derek Schmidt.

Abortion is on the ballot in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont, but it's also playing a major role in races for governor, attorney general and state supreme courts nationwide.

As climate change intensifies droughts, other states are looking at how to tighten their water use, as Hays plans new strategies for its long-term water survival.

Two counties in Kansas approved regulations allowing the construction of what would be the largest utility-scale solar farm in the state. But while residents say they support green energy, there's a vocal contingent pushing back against building 2,000 acres of panels so close to their communities.

Mount Rushmore and the Great Lakes are a couple of the Midwest’s tourism magnets, but some states have to work against their reputations to attract visitors. They’re getting creative by highlighting amenities that can be a bit off the beaten path.

People bristle and resist when told what they can or cannot do. We knew this about guns, vaccinations and masks. And we are seeing some of that with regard to abortion rights, even in red states.