Byron J. Love

Teenagers now average nearly five hours per day on social media. But as Kansas and Missouri kids head back to school, experts say it's important to limit their screen time. Plus: We'll hear from a new teacher in Kansas about what she’s hoping from her first year on the job.

In November, voters in Missouri will have the opportunity to raise the state's minimum wage for a third time. Hear from organizers who support the ballot measure. Also, headlines from around the metro.

Much of Kansas City experiences some heat island effect. As global temperatures rise, Kansas City planners and environmental experts are trying harder to make these hot spots cooler. Plus: Missouri hasn't just outlawed abortion — it's also funding anti-abortion organizations that are working in neighboring states.

Marcellus Williams remains on death row in Missouri after 20 years, despite evidence that he is innocent in the 1998 murder of a St. Louis woman. But a plea deal that would have saved him from the death penalty, in exchange for life in prison, was blocked by the Missouri Supreme Court.

Nearly 50 cases of tuberculosis have been confirmed in Wyandotte County — more than the total number of cases in the state of Kansas last year. Still, experts say overall public risk is low.

An increasingly popular way for political campaigns to connect to voters is through text messaging. And while you may find the barrage of messages annoying — they're probably working. Plus, Kansas Democrats are hoping to flip enough seats in the state Legislature to get rid of the Republican supermajority.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves is casting blame on a lack of consequences for young people who commit property crimes like stealing cars. She says that light punishments from the juvenile court system are emboldening teens and causing the crimes to escalate — like in the recent murder of Shaun Brady.

Missouri quietly restricted its policy for transgender residents to change the gender markers on their state IDs. For some people, it was the last straw. Plus: How Children’s Mercy researchers are working to make genetic testing more accessible in rural Kansas.

Kansas City has lots of women’s sports fans and soon, they’ll have a dedicated space to watch matches together. The Dub, the first dedicated bar for women's sports in the state of Missouri, plans to open this year around the corner from the Kansas City Public Library downtown.

A new Missouri legislative panel investigates crime committed by undocumented immigrants, and is holding hearings around the state. But it's gotten pushback from residents because reports about the extent of immigrant crimes are mostly exaggerated or completely false.