Kansas City Today

This week, petitioners challenging Missouri's gerrymandered new congressional map submitted 305,000 signatures seeking to halt the law and put it up for a statewide vote. That's more than twice as many as needed. But a whole tangle of legal challenges lay ahead. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyed...

Residents of an apartment complex in Gardner, Kansas, were kicked out of their homes earlier this year when the city condemned the property for unsafe living conditions, but one change in a law could help. Plus: A Missouri researcher says "radical empathy" can help combat today's conspiracy theories, which may help when you go home for the holidays. When the city of Gardner in eastern Kansas order...

Kansas City found out over the weekend which countries it will host for World Cup games at Arrowhead Stadium next summer. There’s even a chance two of the world’s greatest players could face off here. 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 Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edi...

For the past four years, a federal program has given Missouri farmers and hungry families a boost by putting locally grown, fresh food on their tables. But the recently canceled Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement won't provide that help this year. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ell...

California startup Deep Fission says it plans to install a nuclear reactor underground at an industrial park in southeast Kansas. Plus, a look at how Lamar Hunt helped U.S. soccer go pro as the United States prepares for the 2026 World Cup. Parsons, Kansas, will be the site of a California startup’s first ever 1-mile-deep nuclear reactor — with support from county commissioners, both Republican Ka...

The number of women over 40 having babies is increasing nationwide, even as the overall birth rate declines. Plus, a nonprofit food distributor created its own mini free market to tackle hunger across the country.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of moms in their 40s having babies exceeded the number of teenagers giving birth for the first time. This is not...

This week, victims of disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, Police Detective Roger Golubski and other social justice advocates marked one year since Golubski died by suicide on Dec. 2, 2024. That was the day his federal trial was to begin on charges that he violated the civil rights of several women through rape and kidnapping. In the year since disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, Police Detective Roger Golub...

Sports betting became legal in Missouri this week. It marks the end of a years-long effort that came down to a statewide vote, and will likely transform the sports industry throughout the state. Plus: Lesser Prairie Chickens used to roam across Kansas and the Great Plains by the millions, but now there’s only a few thousand. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook...

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, passed a revised version of its public camping ban — which includes lesser penalties for first time offenses than the initial proposal. Kansas City, Kansas Police called the measure “dignified,” but opponents worry it will criminalize homelessness. People sleeping outdoors in Kansas City, Kansas, will soon face new legal consequen...

Every year just before the holidays, Scouting America troops across the country collect food items for local pantries, right off our front porches. It’s an effort started 40 years ago from here in Missouri. Scouting for Food became a national Scouting America program in 1988, expanding across the country as thousands of scouts collectively gathered hundreds of thousands of pounds of shelf-stable g...

On Thanksgiving, families will have plenty to debate: politics, football...and pie? Americans also have strong opinions on whether to enjoy pumpkin or sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving. Plus: Holiday get-togethers are on the way, and if you’re looking for fun things to do, you might consider a new card or board game. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the l...

More than 650,000 people could attend the World Cup in Kansas City next summer, and all of them will need a place to stay. That's why the Kansas City Council is changing its rules around short-term rentals to make it easier for residents to host visitors. 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...

For years, the Missouri Department of Corrections was not actually keeping track of the people who died in state prisons — with partial counts, missing names and flat-out wrong information being standard procedure. That is, until a Marshall Project reporter started asking questions.  The Marshall Project engagement reporter Ivy Scott sat down with KCUR’s Nomin Ujiyediin to talk about the effort to...

Since purchasing the Country Club Plaza over a year ago, the Gillion Property group has increased its security and made cosmetic repairs. Now, the company is planning major construction that contrasts with the Plaza’s story-book-like atmosphere, and asking a Kansas City agency for $1.4 billion in tax breaks. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest ne...

In rural Medicine Lodge, Kansas, Sarrah and Kyle Miller were sued last month by their local medical clinic for $230 in unpaid medical expenses. Their story is part of a new pattern. Kansas hospitals have filed thousands of lawsuits against their rural patients in recent years, including many for less than $500.  Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the lates...

Kansas City officials are waging a war against graffiti, scrubbing surfaces clean only to see them tagged again the next day. Businesses and hotels are fighting back to send the message that downtown is a welcoming, thriving and safe place. 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...

A longtime resident of Columbia, Missouri, remains imprisoned in Texas more than a month after he was detained by federal officers. Owen Ramsingh is a green card holder who immigrated to the U.S. as a child, but he’s now facing deportation due to a drug conviction from when he was a teen. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Toda...

Now that the government shutdown is over, tens of thousands of furloughed civil servants are back to work in Kansas City. But that doesn’t mean all is well. KCUR spoke with a Social Security employee who answers the 1-800 line about her experiences working without pay. If you’re a current or federal worker and want to talk about your experiences, email nomin@kcur.org . Contact the show at news@kcu...

FRIDAY 11/14/2025: Independence hair museum finds a second life for its unusual art

The tickborne illness alpha-gal syndrome affects what you can eat. For those who contract it, mealtime becomes a minefield. Plus: American agriculture depends on foreign workers, but President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown is shrinking a farm workforce that many say was already too small. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas Ci...

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history appears to be near an end. But weeks without paychecks and cuts to SNAP benefits put many Kansas Citians in desperate situations — and turning to local support systems like food pantries, mental health services and utility assistance programs. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City To...

A Kansas City historian is preserving the stories of Mexican Americans who served during Vietnam. The new oral history project is titled "In Their Own Words: Mexican American Vietnam Era Veterans." 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 Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited...

As the government shutdown drags on, what’s the experience like for federal workers — not just the thousands who have been furloughed, but those left behind to carry on the work without pay? KCUR spoke with an IRS customer service agent about her experiences working through the shutdown, and her worries for the future. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for th...

A Kansas City therapist started a walking group in a disadvantaged neighborhood that aims to make sure everyone can keep up. We'll take a Friday stroll with the “Marlborough Unstoppables." Plus, a 1962 plane crash heading to Kansas City killed eight crew members and 37 passengers — in what turned out to be the country's first jet bombing. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram...

A major breach of the KCKPD has revealed a list of alleged officer misconduct for the first time, including allegations sexual harassment, excessive force, false arrests and more. Even still, some accusations of misconduct by known corrupt cops, such as disgraced former detective Roger Golubski, did not make the list. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the...