Incumbent Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly sparred with Republican challenger Derek Schmidt, currently the state attorney general, Wednesday in a debate sponsored by the Johnson County Bar Association and Kansas City PBS. They differed on education issues including school safety and whether to let transgender athletes compete in girls' and women’s sports. Schmidt said transgender athletes pose a threat to Title IX, the federal education law barring discrimination based on gender. Dylan Lysen of the Kansas News Services breaks down Kelly's responses and what both candidates view as the biggest threats facing Kansas.

Women’s professional soccer figures to be more prominent in Kansas City, with the groundbreaking Thursday of a women’s soccer stadium just north of downtown. As Greg Echlin reports for KCUR, this year’s turnaround by the playoff-bound pro club ranks as one of the biggest reversals in Kansas City sports history.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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