A group of young people watch a child play with a hula hoop during a Communities Creating Opportunity Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 19, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. The event was filled with games, events, food and pop-up businesses focusing on black culture from around the city.
A fan takes in the performance of the band Animal Collective at The Truman on Monday, July 25, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The band is known for long songs and experimental work in pop music.
Boy Scouts 116 assistant troop master John Steiner III holds a candle during the vigil of Hermann police Sgt. Mason Griffith on Tuesday, March 14, 2024, in Hermann, Mo. The vigil for Sgt. Griffith marked the one year memorial of his death on duty, where he passed away after a standoff with an armed gunman at a local convenience store.
Mike Gariss talks about the journey he has taken from being unhoused to helping run The Connecting Grounds on Thursday, Aug. 21, 205, in Springfield, Mo. The coronavirus pandemic caused him to lose many of his possessions. He now feels a duty to give back to the community resources that helped him.
Jacob Adams walks up the stairs of the Whosoever men's recovery house with his laundry in hand on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Stotts City, Mo. Stotts City is a town known for the drug use and trade. Whosoever and other faith-based programs have come into the town to try and reverse the trend, often clashing with locals.
Glaive rests in between songs during his set on Friday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo.
Emily Lucas, Lewis’ fellow full-time social worker in the St. Louis area offices, moves to show a client in the city jail a paper with homeless shelter resources on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in St. Louis. When not in the office talking with attorneys or in meetings, social workers go to jail often to visit clients. Visitation of clients within the jail is either a contact room, where they are in the same space, or the non-contact room, where they are separated by a small slit and a phone. The overwhelming case load and the bureaucracy of the city jail often make it hard for the social workers to see all the clients they need to help in time.
Mi’Keilee McClain, 9, puts on her glasses to watch the eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, in Sturgeon, Mo. Central Missouri saw the eclipse peak at 94% totality.
Supporters of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quade listen as she gives her concession speech on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at Teamsters Hall in Springfield, Mo. Quade ultimately lost to Republican candidate Mike Kehoe.
From left, former President Trump supporters Victoria Ellis, Ellie Gattermeir, Mattie Chambers, and Rayden Duncan of the Camden County Republican Club pose for a portrait on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, alongside Highway 54, in Camdenton, Mo. Ellis said that if Trump does not get elected, “things will go higher in prices and not back down how they should be.”
DeAnthony Johnson poses for a portrait while Jason Bivins prepares fireworks behind him on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Stotts City, Mo. Bivins is one of the leaders of the faith based recovery program Whosoever, including as a mentor to Johnson and others. Many gathered for the Independence Day celebration put on by the program, in an attempt to bring together locals and currently people in the program together.
Jason Hill, 3, returns a toy duck to the tub after picking a winner on Friday, July 25, 2025, at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield. Hill ultimately picked out a turtle plush toy while his sister claimed a hot dog.
Glenda Stock, left, locks hands with Dr. Vovanti Jones, right, to test her strength while her husband, David Stock, center, watches on Feb. 16 at Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital in Columbia, Mo. Jones is a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She leads her patients and co-workers by example, having been diagnosed with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy at age 20.
Zephanie White walks into the shed in the backyard of her new home on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Springfield, Mo. She moved from a leaky apartment with a parking lot that flooded, destroying her car. She bought the house, her first, with down-payment help from Restore SGF.
Dax Bedell, Assistant Production Manager at Ozarks Public Television, edits a video of general manager Rachel Knight addressing the recent federal funding cuts announced earlier in the day on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Strong Hall, in Springfield, Mo. $1.1 billion was cut from NPR and PBS stations across the country, including "about 10% for the radio station and about a third of the television station budget,” per Knight.
Inmates at the Genesee County jail listen to political candidates pitch themselves from the 8th Congressional District and Senate races on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Flint, Mich. The I.G.N.I.T.E program’s goal is to reduce recidivism rates “by providing inmates with valuable job training, they are equipped with skills they can use upon release to gain meaningful employment and reduce their likelihood of reoffending.”
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham poses for a photo with Jack Yamada while Denzel Pickens shoots a free throw Saturday morning on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Champs Chicken in Columbia, Mo. Yamada says his dream after he graduates college is to cover the WNBA as a reporter. “You see players like Sophie and Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Plum. They got me into it,” Yamada said.
Kian Wascher, 3, covers his ears during a "rally for reproductive freedom" on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at the Midland County Courthouse, in Midland, Mich. Kian was with his Mom, as they held a pro-choice sign and listened to speakers on the 2nd anniversary of the Dobbs decision.
Paul and Ashley Allen give a tour of their family farm on Friday, July 18, 2025, in Ozark. The family plans to use the food for themselves, an honor system farm stand, farm dinner parties and more.
Karen Tighe shows off her improvised congressional campaign shirt in support of State Senator Kristen McDonald-Rivet on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saginaw, Mich. The shirt was formerly from the state senate campaign and has a portion of a sticker from McDonald-Rivet's congressional campaign.
