KCUR

With high prices at the grocery store, legislators across the middle of the country have moved away from sales taxes on food purchases.

People are flocking to backyard chickens this year, in part due to the sky-high cost of eggs at the grocery store. Some first-timers have turned to chicken rentals to try out ownership for a few months.

The spring planting season is getting started for many Midwest farmers. Federal data suggests that fewer acres will be planted in soybeans than last year, in part because of the U.S. trade war with China.

The U.S. trade war with China is coming at a tough time for American farmers, who are already dealing with lower crop prices and higher costs for farm necessities. Tariffs are likely to push crop prices further down, while increasing the costs for fertilizer and farm equipment.

The closure of four of the six Regional Climate Centers across the U.S. occurred after funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ran out. A recent report stated that the Trump administration plans to propose a 25% cut to NOAA's budget next fiscal year.

After May 7, people age 18 and older who want to travel domestically by air and enter certain federal buildings will need to present a Real ID or a valid passport.

Kansas lawmakers made passing property tax relief their top priority this session. But now that it's over, Republicans and Democrats alike are frustrated by a lack of action.

Thousands of schools, farmers and food pantries in the Midwest and Great Plains planned on federal dollars over the next year to support local food purchases. And then the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut the programs.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 29, but the veto was overridden by the Republican-dominated House and Senate. It opens health officials to lawsuits over quarantine decisions and removed their authority to ban public gatherings.

Efforts to keep junk foods from being paid for by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, are increasing at the federal and state level. Lawmakers proposing such bills say they want to encourage healthy habits, but some food advocates say the restrictions would have harmful effects.