Man charged in slaying of mother found in trunk after baby abandoned

Officials to present plan to unify KC area’s splintered transit system

Today, no fewer than five transit agencies operate in the Kansas City area: the recently created Kansas City streetcar authority and four bus systems run by Independence, Johnson County and both Kansas Citys. On Wednesday, Area Transportation Authority chairman Robbie Makinen and Johnson County Commissioner Steve Klika will present a plan to make the ATA “the regional transit authority it was meant to be.”

Doctors call for limits on ads for energy drinks

A group representing 225,000 U.S. doctors called for a ban on marketing energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster to youths. On Tuesday the American Medical Association, in a vote at its annual policy meeting in Chicago, endorsed a policy that called for limiting how the caffeinated beverages are sold to those younger than 18.

Taco Bell jumps on protein craze with menu test

Taco Bell plans to test a "Power Protein" menu that it's hoping will eventually be hit with its core audience - young men. The menu represents the first products to stem from Taco Bell's announcement in April that it would work to provide more balanced options. Fast-food chains across the industry have been touting healthy new eats in hopes of losing their junk food image.

ST. LOUIS | A St. Louis man is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Ebony Jackson, whose body was discovered days after her baby was found abandoned at an apartment complex.