Missouri
Family fears federal housing cuts could jeopardize their Missouri home
Calvin Bentley still recalls how he felt when he finally moved his wife and 7-year-old son into a public housing development in Kansas City, Missouri: “Liberated.”
His family’s arrival at West Bluff Townhomes downtown followed nights in sketchy hotel rooms and a struggle by he and his wife, Symone, to pull together first and last month’s rent each time they had to move.
“We were going from place to place, paying monthly leases and weekly payments just to be able to have a roof over our head,” he said.
But now the Bentleys find themselves fearing that cuts in Washington could threaten the only stable home they have had in months as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency eyes the Department of Housing and Urban Development for significant cuts in its effort to downsize the federal government.
Housing advocates and local housing officials say DOGE could reduce the agency’s staff by as much as 50%, leaving the 4 million low-income American families, like the Bentleys, who rely on federal funding to keep a roof over their heads, worried about how that could affect their lives.
Their effort to get a spot in public housing was not easy, Symone Bentley said.
“We spent many, many nights crying, praying,” she said recently.
Symone and Calvin Bentley fear they could end up back where they started, scraping together money doing Door Dash and Amazon deliveries late into the night to pay for basic necessities.
“Let’s just be real, if you really don’t have much housing, you probably don’t have much money to eat either,” Calvin Bentley said. “And if you were driving, you probably don’t have money for gas either.”
He called it a “domino effect” of financial instability.
Edwin Lowndes, director of the Kansas City Housing Authority, said he agrees with Musk and President Donald Trump that inefficiencies in government “need to be fixed.” But he fears the “chainsaw” approach embraced by Musk is not the best way to do it.
Instead, he wants HUD’s leadership to define its mission and then ask, “What’s the most efficient and effective way to accomplish the objective?”
“I think every single business does that,” he said. “So we should do that in our federal programs, as well.”
Lowndes’ office uses federal money from HUD to pay landlords through housing vouchers for more than 8,000 families in Kansas City that would otherwise likely be homeless. Another 25,000 families are on a waiting list.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development had about 8,800 staff members nationwide at the beginning of the year and has already laid off hundreds of employees, according to two HUD sources. The agency has not said how many employees have been fired since DOGE was created in January.
But a document obtained by NBC News shows future possible cuts of HUD staff by as much as 50% across the agency, including in the unit that handles rental assistance, which could shrink from 1,529 staffers to 765 by mid-May, according to the document.
A source familiar with discussions about staff cuts told NBC News that “conversations are ongoing as the Department explores consolidation while continuing to prioritize service.”
The department is inventorying personnel and programs to ensure “they are working for the American people and delivering the best results,” it said in a statement.
“HUD serves our most vulnerable and will continue to do so in the most efficient and effective way possible,” the department said.
Lowndes said he fears that looming staff cuts in Washington and in regional HUD offices will disrupt funds he uses to pay landlords. But he remains optimistic.
“The practical side of me says in the pragmatic side, ‘Congress won’t allow that to happen, whether it’s Democrat or Republican,’” he said. “I think when they really get down to looking at what they need to do, there are enough voices on both sides to say this is a program that, while it has inefficiencies, it’s needed. We cannot just walk away.”
For Calvin Bentley, the fear that his new home could be jeopardized is real given that he and his family now feel safe. He says he wishes more people could get the help they received.
“It literally shows that there are programs to help people who just need, just a little, just need a leg up there,” he said. “There is hope.”
A Jackson County judge on Friday denied Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s attempt to immediately stop Kansas City-based CBD American Shaman and several affiliated companies from selling kratom products.
The motion for a temporary restraining order, which was filed alongside the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, took particular aim at the more potent 7-OH products, which Hanaway argues are “hazardous opioids” banned by state and federal law.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles McKenzie’s ruling Friday stated there are “competing affidavits” from experts on both sides of the argument, following a hearing on the motion earlier this week.
“The court cannot find, based on the oral argument of the parties, the respective competing affidavits presented and the pleadings, whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits at this juncture in the proceedings in order for the court to grant relief in the form of a temporary restraining order,” McKenzie’s order states.
Hanaway’s argument was backed by sworn statements from an undercover narcotics officer with the highway patrol who said 7-OH is being used to cut fentanyl and a woman whose brother died from a kratom overdose.
Her office also submitted an FDA report that points to 7-OH as “a potent opioid that poses an emerging public health threat” and states health data showing synthetic 7-OH was involved in at least 197 Missouri deaths.
American Shaman submitted statements of its own from five toxicology and addiction experts, who largely said there wasn’t enough evidence to show that 7-OH and kratom posed a public health risk. One who researched narcotics said she had never heard of 7-OH being used to cut fentanyl.
Company owner Vince Sanders’ statement detailed how he came up with the idea to create 7-OH products, which now have an “enormous” demand, particularly among people who need pain management.
Sanders could not be reached for comment about the ruling on Friday.
McKenzie denied a temporary restraining order “without prejudice,” meaning that he would like to see more evidence.
“It is because of this finding that the court determines it necessary to hold an additional hearing,” he wrote, “where it can consider the parties’ respective positions with the potential of testimonial evidence and other properly introduced evidence, all as more fully developed by the parties, in order to further analyze these issues.”
The judge will consider “other injunctive relief sought in the pleadings at a future hearing to consider the issues,” the order states.
Hanaway filed a similar lawsuit Thursday against Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, and its owners Dustin Robinson and Ajaykumar Patel.
The group received a warning letter from the FDA for producing 7-OH products last year, similar to one received by Shaman Botanicals.
“This is another step in our ongoing crackdown on kratom manufacturers who flout the law and try to justify endangering Missourians in the name of profit,” Hanaway said in a press release Thursday.
“Our mission is to safeguard Missourians from unregulated and addictive substances, and we will continue to pursue every legal tool available to protect public health and safety.”
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 7-2-5
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 9-6-8
Evening Wild: 7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 7-1-9-9
Midday Wild: 1
Evening: 6-9-8-9
Evening Wild: 2
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 10 drawing
Early Bird: 02
Morning: 11
Matinee: 10
Prime Time: 12
Night Owl: 11
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 10 drawing
09-18-23-31-39
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
BURLINGTON JUNCTION, Mo. (KCTV) – A head-on collision on Highway 71 killed 3 people and seriously injured a 4th, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
State Troopers say the crash happened around 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, near the intersection of Highway 71 and 170th St. – about a mile and a half north of Burlington Junction.
Investigators say a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by a 59-year-old woman from Carthage, Texas, was heading north on the highway when it crossed the centerline.
The Chevrolet struck a southbound 2026 Ford Explorer head-on, according to MSHP. Both vehicles caught fire and came to rest in the southbound lane.
State Troopers note that the crash killed the Texas driver, a 67-year-old woman from Harlan, Iowa and a 76-year-old woman from Rockwell City, Iowa.
The Ford’s driver – a 72-year-old man from Rockwell City – was airlifted to Bryan West Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, with serious injuries, according to first responders.
Troopers say all four people involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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