Kansas City Today

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...

Harry Houdini was a master of escape. He was also a self-promoter who once performed a stunt in downtown Kansas City to draw an audience to his shows. We'll learn about the Houdini escape that originated right here in Kansas City. Harry Houdini first visited Kansas City as a 12 year old, and he maintained a connection here throughout his career. On Friday, Sept. 11, the Society of American Magicia...

The U.S. Department of Justice has followed through on its threat to sue Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools based on a dispute over the district’s transgender policies.  On Up To Date, KCUR's education reporter Jodi Fortino told Steve Kraske the district says it is in full compliance with federal law and will defend itself in court.  Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and...

Tenants of the North Lawn apartments in Kansas City's Historic Northeast were forced to move out by the city due to the complex's hazardous conditions — capping off years of troubles with a landlord who failed to make proper fixes. But a deal with the city and the new owner should allow tenants to move back to a repaired building.

Kansas City is dishing out a lot of money for new development plans, specifically toward the Country Club Plaza and Royals downtown ballpark. How do the two projects stack up against each other — and why does Kansas City feel like it needs to give those owners public funding?

Over the summer, an internationally renowned expert on authoritarianism visited Kansas to investigate the state's new polices on transgender rights. Hear why New York Times columnist M. Gessen sees similarities between Kansas and Nazi Germany. In July, Senate Bill 244 took effect in Kansas, invalidating the birth certificates and drivers licenses of people who have changed the gender markers on th...

Saying goodbye to a pet can be really hard. But one business in Kansas City is offering a unique way to preserve their memory: preserving and articulating their skeleton. Plus: As more people pick up pickleball to stay fit, emergency room visits related to the sport have nearly quadrupled. At Oracle Natural Science in Kansas City's Crossroads Arts District, taxidermy and skeleton preservation can...

There’s a chance your next bowl of cereal or protein shake will include milk that came from Kansas. Dairy production in the state has quadrupled over the last couple decades, and that growth rests on the shoulders of immigrant workers in rural Kansas.

Sports economists looking at the $600 million deal between the Royals and the Kansas City Council aren’t very impressed. The quickly-passed measure leaves many unanswered questions about where the public funds will come from, how much risk Kansas City will take on, and if the economic benefits will actually pan out.

Birdwatchers in Kansas might notice tiny, yellow birds in their backyards, a songbird that only recently started breeding in Kansas. Plus: Midwest prairies are turning into woodland. Ranchers are trying to stop this change, but it’s an uphill battle.

Last week, a Missouri judge declined to put two measures that received hundreds of thousands of petition signatures on the November ballot. Now the state Supreme Court will take a look. We'll take a closer look at the redistricting referendum and Respect Missouri Voters amendment. Last Wednesday, Cole County Judge Daniel Green sided with Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in two cases where...

For decades, the names of thousands of local enslaved people lay hidden in deeds, wills, probate records and bills of sale. A recent discovery is shedding new light on Missouri's history of slavery. A surprising discovery in an old property record is helping uncover the names of enslaved people who lived in Jackson County. KCUR’s Julie Denesha reports on a new database that makes those old records...

International students have traditionally been able to stay in the country for as long as they needed to finish their academic programs. The Trump administration is changing that policy, leaving Missouri and Kansas students and college officials worried about the future.