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Early voting begins in much of Kansas this week — where a critical U.S. Senate seat and most state offices are on the ballot. The big races for governor, secretary of state and attorney general are all closer than expected. KCUR’s Brian Ellison spoke with Grace Hills and Zach Boblitt, who are on the campaign trail for the Kansas News Service, to get up to speed. Learn more about your ballot, and h...

Two Kansas City area hospitals have been suing patients over unpaid medical bills. We’ll hear why medical debt is becoming a bigger part of many people’s lives. Nomin Ujiyideen spoke with healthcare reporter Suzanne King, of the nonprofit news outlet The Beacon. King recently publish two stories about local hospitals suing patients over medical debt , and the impact this can have on patients' live...

THURSDAY 10/08/2026: Why Midwest electricity bills are rising

A few weeks ago, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began descending on western Kansas. More than 100 people were detained, leaving communities and the massive local beef industry to deal with the aftermath. Southwest Kansas has a large immigrant population. After residents in several towns noticed unfamiliar vehicles driving around, reports of ICE arrests began to emerge. On KCUR's Up To...

A proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution this November would make it harder for state lawmakers to change or overturn laws passed by voters through the initiative petition process. Missourians will vote on Nov. 3 on Amendment 6, which would strengthen protections for the state’s initiative petition process and require a higher threshold for lawmakers change voter-approved measures . On KC...

A proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution would specify that only U.S. citizens may vote in elections. But the problem, according to opponents, is that non-citizens are already prohibited from voting. Kansans will vote on Nov. 3 whether to rephrase the constitution’s requirements for participating in elections to clarify "only" a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vo...

The Kansas City Royals celebrated Denny Matthews’ 8,000th game behind the mic during last week’s matchup against the Cleveland Guardians. An inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Matthews has been "the voice of the Royals" since the team first began 57 years ago. Nearly 20 years and thousands of games later, Matthews is continuing on to his 59th season. Steve Kraske spoke with Matthews...

For years, Soakie's in downtown Kansas City was one of the only Black gay bars in the United States. The bar closed in 2004, as development began on the Power & Light District, but a new historical marker remembers its impact. Soakie's started out as an Italian sandwich shop, but became home to many in Kansas City's Black LGBTQ+ community. The bar eventually closed when development began to ra...

A Kansas City Medicaid enrollee is among several plaintiffs suing over policy changes that would require medically frail people to prove their condition significantly impairs their ability to work. Plus: Massive restrictions on federal food benefits are being felt especially hard in rural areas, where food insecurity is on par with urban centers. Some Missourians who rely on Medicaid are complaini...

Home births have been increasing in Missouri and Kansas. And "free birth," when a person gives birth without the help of a medical professional, has been popularized in recent years by influencers. Hear why experts are concerned, but women who have done it say the practice is misunderstood. Experts say that free births carry a lot of risks, but as Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of the Midwest Newsroom...

If approved by voters on Nov. 3, Missouri Amendment 3 would repeal abortion rights guaranteed in the state Constitution. It also would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth — something that's already prohibited by state law. KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with Anna Spoerre, reproductive health reporter for The Missouri Independent, on Up To Date about Amendment 3 .  Contact the show at news@k...

Flock Safety cameras have sparked bipartisan uproar with many worried that the cameras, which scan license plates, infringe on privacy. Misuse of the cameras and their data has been documented across Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. Also, more farmers are fixing up their decades-old equipment rather than buying new. Flock Safety cameras have become one of the most discussed and controversial t...

Violent crime is going down in Kansas City, but cases of domestic violence are rising. Domestic violence often happens behind closed doors, and in some cases abuse begins subtly and progressively gets more intense. We'll hear from a survivor about what it took for her to leave the relationship, and how she found help. Abuse survivor Carrah Jones and Billie Orr, managing attorney of Legal Aid of We...

A federal appeals court has again sided with Missouri Republicans, ruling the state must use the GOP-leaning congressional map passed by lawmakers last year. Plus: how new limits on federal student loans are impacting future physicians in Kansas. KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with senior news analyst Brian Ellison about the latest redistricting ruling and the Missouri Democratic Party's next move on U...

Communities are killing data center proposals faster than ever. But in a struggling small town, the idea of investment measured in billions of dollars can dwarf anything city leaders had ever hoped to attract previously. Hear the appeal data centers may have to places the information age has so far left behind. If there’s one thing liberal Democrats, MAGA Republicans, and most Americans in between...

Public school funding continues to fall across the U.S., with Missouri facing its own tight budget. Schools are facing tough decisions like collecting more in taxes, reducing staff members and programs, closing buildings — or all of the above. Lower tax revenue, rising inflation and the end of COVID-19 funding are a few reasons that public schools are seeing smaller budgets, leading many districts...

McClatchy, one of the biggest newspaper companies in the country, laid off dozens of journalists last week, including several in Kansas City. These decisions not only affect the news you see, but also the way that local government functions. Joy Jenkins, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, says that a recent Northwestern University study found that three-quarters of new...

As medical costs rise, Kansans are turning to organizations called Medical Loan Closets that lend out donated items like wheelchairs and walkers for little or no cost. These medical loan closets are helping people maintain their independence, especially for aging residents. Some Kansans are finding that even with insurance, medical equipment can be hard to afford. Organizations called Medical Loan...

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state must use its 2022 congressional map for the upcoming November elections — rather than the redrawn map used during the primary. That means a much different race for candidates in the 5th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and his Republican Rick Brattin. Both candidates shared their views on the court drama over redistricting, an...

TUESDAY 09/15/2026: What it's really like to be a transgender student in Kansas

Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wants voters to judge him by his record but Democratic challenger Chris Mann is making that record a target. We’ll have a look at the race for Kansas attorney general. Plus: a recap of last week's rollercoaster over congressional maps in Missouri. There’s a rematch this year in the race for Kansas attorney general. Sitting Republican Kris Kobach is ta...

A decade ago, a federal task force laid out a plan to help monarch butterflies along their journey by returning roadsides to native habitat, particularly Interstate-35 in Missouri and Kansas. Plus: some Midwest farms are growing something you might find in your own backyard. Hear about the push to popularize the serviceberry. One of the world’s great migrations has begun. The eastern monarch butte...

Corn and soybean harvests are starting just as the fuel farmers need to reap is shooting up in price. Plus, older Americans on fixed incomes are hit especially hard when food costs spike.  Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by Frank Morris. It is produced by Suzanne Hogan and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Ros...

A New York Times report found that Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, of Kansas, sued hundreds of his patients over medical debt when he was practicing medicine in the western part of the state. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by Noah Taborda. It is produced by Suzanne Hogan and KCUR Studios, and edited by...

Data centers that power AI are exploding across the Midwest — and so is opposition to them. Now, people across the political spectrum want to see stricter regulation and more transparency. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Suzanne Hogan and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe...