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Newly appointed University of Missouri-Kansas City Police Chief Daniel Graves faces opposition from the university's student body. In 2021, Graves wrote a letter advocating for former Kansas City Police Detective Eric DeValkenaere, who was convicted of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today i...

In rural southwest Kansas, high-flying fighters are working to spread lucha libre, traditional Mexican wrestling. The sport carries cultural history and uses wrestling to address modern challenges in the world. Plus: Protein is everywhere, from Starbucks lattes to new dietary guidelines that ask Americans to prioritize protein. But what do nutritionists have to say about it? Contact the show at ne...

When Congress ended pandemic-era free lunches for public schools in 2022, student meal debt skyrocketed in Kansas. One Wichita-area 6th grader launched her own fundraiser to tackle students’ lunch tabs at her school district. Plus: "Cow goggles" are allowing farmers to see through bovine eyes, and potentially improve animal welfare.

Interim Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota spoke with KCUR's Up To Date on Friday about why he jumped into this year's election for a full term, despite repeatedly promising not to. Then, hours later, LeVota announced he would drop out. Six months ago, Phil LeVota was appointed Jackson County Executive on an interim basis after the recall of Frank White Jr. LeVota promised he wouldn’t seek a ful...

The Kansas City Royals finally picked a spot for their new ballpark: Crown Center. While the financials have yet to be figured out, one architecture expert says that the initial design and location look good — with one exception. Up To Date's Steve Krake spoke with author, architecture critic and lecturer Paul Goldberger about the first renderings of the proposed ballpark and why baseball is gener...

In Kansas, radical abolitionist John Brown is associated with a violent period of the state’s history in the lead-up to the Civil War. One hundred and seventy years later, some modern day activists and educators are still debating his legacy. Enduring debates over Brown’s legacy bring to the table those who condemn violence no matter the cause, activists who lionize him, and educators who view his...

Property taxes dominated the conversation in this year's Kansas legislative session — but infighting mean that lawmakers left without delivering any of their promised reforms. However, the GOP-dominated legislature managed to pass some big bills, sometimes over the veto of Gov. Laura Kelly. Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Kansas Public Radio's Statehouse Bureau Chief, Zach Boblitt, about the session. ...

A Kansas City nonprofit has spent the past decade using donated flowers from special events to brighten up the rooms of seniors living in health care facilities. Hear more about how this nonprofit is supporting the next generation of local florists though scholarships. A Kansas City nonprofit has been spreading thousands of recycled flowers and joy to senior care facilities for the past 10 years....

Since January 2025, more than 3,200 people from nearly 80 Missouri countries have been arrested by ICE. We learn about new figures obtained through a public records lawsuit released by the Deportation Data Project.  Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Luke Nozicka of The Midwest Newsroom about the project and how few of the arrested immigrants have criminal convictions or charges.  Contact the show at news...

A nonprofit program in Kansas City believes songwriting can help teens through mental health challenges. We'll stop by by Rebel Song Academy to hear how students are finding their calm through music.  Since 2017, the nonprofit Rebel Song Academy has been found to help adolescents deal with a variety of mental health challenges by having them study composition and perform music together. KCUR's Bra...

The Trump administration is trying to ease a farm worker shortage in part by cutting mandatory wages for foreign guest workers. But both immigration hardliners and labor advocates are pushing back. Plus: More urban schools in Missouri are finding value in teaching their students about the farming process.  Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news...

In 2022, Joplin Police sniper Keaton Siebanaler mistakenly shot and killed 2-year old Clesslynn Crawford during a hostage standoff. For almost four years, the city of Joplin fiercely guarded the identity of "Sniper 1." But KCUR and The Midwest Newsroom fought in court to name Siebanaler — who was just hired by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Ins...

Despite efforts from the Columbia community, Owen Ramsingh, the Columbia man detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year, has been deported to the Netherlands. Ramsingh is now adjusting to his new home.  Owen Ramsingh, a green card holder who lived in Columbia, Missouri until he was picked up at O'Hare International Airport in Missouri, was sent back to his country of origin earlier...

Kansas City officials announced a $600 million funding plan to help pay for a downtown ballpark for the Royals. Mayor Quinton Lucas spoke about the proposal, and answers criticisms about a lack of public vote, with KCUR's Up To Date. Lucas talked about why he thinks Washington Square Park will help "activate" downtown Kansas City, and defended the city's funding for a Royals stadium , with KCUR's...

Johnson County's Negro Creek runs through southern Overland Park and Leawood, and went mostly unknown and unmapped. But when social justice protests emerged in 2020, people took notice and petitioned to change the name. After years of research and public discussions, the creek will keep its name, but get new signage explaining its history. In a live conversation at Rochester Brewing & Roasting...

Kansas lawmakers wrapped up the majority of their annual work at the end of March, including passing a number of bills related to schools. The legislators are returning this week to vote on potentially overriding the governor's vetoes. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Jacob Smo...

Voters around Kansas City went to the polls yesterday, and we'll break down the elections. Plus: A community health center in southeast Kansas is working on solving rural health workforce shortages by introducing elementary schoolers to... frog dissections. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by Madeline Fox. It...

Voters around Kansas City are headed to the polls to decide the fate of a critical earnings tax, local school board races and more. Plus: The Missouri House is considering bills regulating AI-generated intimate depictions of minors, and requiring adult content websites to verify the age of users. But critics have raised free speech concerns. Missouri lawmakers are debating several bills that could...

A judge ruled that the Republican-leaning “Missouri First” congressional map will be in effect for the November election. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit to stop a referendum effort, claiming that voters don't have the power to overturn the map. Catherine Hanaway became the fourth Missouri Attorney General in six years when she was sworn into office just over six mo...

Missouri’s 2026 election cycle got a jolt last week when longtime Republican Rep. Sam Graves announced his retirement. His departure could tell us a lot about where the GOP stands going into the midterm elections — and could make the 6th congressional district race a lot more competitive. 62-year-old Tarkio Republican first won his seat in 2000, in a district that stretches across all of Missouri'...

Kansas City recently passed a $2.6 billion spending plan that keeps expenses relatively flat. But, some departments like police are still seeing growth, despite some opposition. We'll break down the city's spending and why you should care about it. Kansas City has passed its budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins May 1. It includes more money for police and transit, but overall spending...

The World Cup comes to Kansas City this summer, and many fans will want to stay up late watching and partying. Kansas is close to approving longer hours for serving alcohol during the event, after Missouri passed its own law, so bars and restaurants don't lose business across the state line. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City T...

The Hickman Mills School District is trying to help fill its budget shortfall by asking voters to approve a $20 million bond and free up more money for operating expenses like teacher pay, staff benefits and more.  The stakes are high for the Hickman Mills School District in the April 7 election as it faces a multi-million-dollar budget deficit, and a full state audit of its finances. KCUR educati...

Voters in Kansas City, Missouri, will soon decide whether to renew the city's earnings tax on wages, salaries and profits. If the measure fails, Missouri law forbids the tax from being revived, so Kansas City will need to find another source for hundreds of millions of dollars. KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Josh Merchant, local government reporter at The Beacon, about the 63-year-old earnings...

Captain Ahab’s preoccupation with a white whale is set to music in a new Kansas City world premiere. It’s Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick,” told in authentic, 19th-century sea shanties.  Authentic 19th-century sea shanties help drive the tale of a man’s obsession with a great white whale in the world premiere of a new production in Kansas City. KCUR’s Julie Denesha takes us behind the scenes of “Moby...