Kansas City Today

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 Byron Love, Jacob Smollen, and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker. You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate .

Missouri Republicans are facing the sobering reality that the new congressional map they passed in September isn’t a done deal. A voter-led referendum could derail the GOP’s plans for more favorable congressional lines. 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 KC...

The Independence board of education first approved a four-day school week in December 2022 to help recruit and retain teachers amid a chronic shortage across the state. Whether the district can keep its shortened week, though, will be decided by voters on Nov. 4. A Missouri law passed last year requires certain school districts to ask voters to approve a four-day week. So, beginning with the 2026-...

Kansas City has been in the national news a lot lately, including one surprising place: stories about the New York City mayoral race. Many national news outlets, most of them conservative-leaning, have zeroed in on candidate Zohran Mamdani’s proposals for free bus fare and government-run grocery stores, and they’re using Kansas City as a negative example of both. New York City’s 2025 election has...

Students at Ruskin High School in south Kansas City have the newest Teacher of the Year in Missouri — and they’re not surprised. Hear from them about why their teacher came out on top. Plus: The number of people experiencing homelessness in Kansas fell this year, but President Donald Trump recently ended federal funding for programs that provide permanent housing with no strings attached. Contact...

A Kansas City car salesman has opened a business hosting legal car sideshows. He hopes the space will make city streets safer, after years of complaints from businesses and residents about crowds and violence. 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...

A Kansas college cross-country runner collapsed from exertional heat stroke during a blistering hot practice in August. Former athletes and trainers say this doesn't surprise them.  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 by Gabe Rosenb...

The federal government is going on four weeks of being shut down. Beyond the 30,000 federal workers around Kansas City who are working without pay, the shutdown also has trickle-down consequences for local mental health departments. 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 Byron L...

The traffic cones have all but left Main Street as the Streetcar Extension opens after more than three years of construction, but now drivers will face a new obstacle: transit-only lanes. Plus: Raising giant pumpkins is a labor of love for some Midwest growers, and the pumpkins keep getting bigger and bigger.  Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest...

Companies are racing to roll out nuclear reactor designs that would be faster to build and could meet rising demand for energy from tech firms running AI data centers. Two nuclear companies are proposing to build reactors in Kansas. Plus: Data centers are fundamentally changing the landscape for electric utilities in Missouri and beyond. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram...

Thousands of volunteers in Missouri are trying to get enough signatures to force a statewide vote on a congressional map, which state lawmakers recently gerrymandered to favor Republicans. But state officials aren't making it easy for them. Plus: U.S. farmers are experimenting with short corn. It's corn, but shorter. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the...

TAKE THE INFO FROM THE DESCRIPTION OF YOUR PODCAST DESCRIPTION AND PLACE HERE, ALONG WITH SHOW CREDITS, CONTACT INFO, AND SUPPORT INFO. SEE BELOW: EX: Troost Avenue was a racial dividing line for decades. Missouri’s recent redistricting efforts now use the street to split Kansas City into separate congressional districts. Plus: The Trump administration is promising billions in bailout money for fa...

The Missouri attorney general’s office is demanding Planned Parenthood hand over patient medical records and other documents for a pending court trial. We speak to a reporter to find out more about the case. 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 Byron Love and KCUR Studios,...

Four Kansas school districts say they haven’t received any complaints about their gender identity policies. But the federal government is investigating them anyway — and it has threatened to withhold federal funding from them. 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 Byron Love...

Kansas' 2026 Teacher of the Year is Rachel Marlow, a music teacher at an Olathe elementary school. Her students say she's deserving of the award because she goes above and beyond in her classes. 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 Byron Love, Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios...

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Many Kansas students are getting excited about girls’ flag football, which was launched in the state with help and funding from the Kansas City Chiefs. Learn about the sport and its rising popularity. 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 Byron Love, Jacob Smollen and KCUR S...

Voters in both Kansas and Missouri have chosen to protect reproductive rights in their state constitutions. So why are abortion rights advocates challenging both states in court? We’ll have the latest on pending legal battles and the state of the abortion debate in the region. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on  Instagram  and  Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is host...

Museums usually keep art behind glass or tucked in storage, but one Lawrence museum lets people get closer. We'll take a trip to “Open Fridays” at the Spencer Museum. 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 Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Emily Younker and Gabe Rose...

Frank White Jr. has been unseated as Jackson County Executive after losing a special recall election on Tuesday. However, he's fighting the election in court, while county legislators move forward with picking his replacement — a process that could include little public input. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on  Instagram  and  Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is host...

Federal dollars will help bring internet connection to rural communities across the U.S. But new guidance from the Trump administration is asking states to consider the lowest-cost options. What's the status of efforts to fund broadband infrastructure? 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...

Mountain lions in Kansas? Yep! While wildlife officials say there's no evidence of a "resident population," a number of the big cats have been seen passing through the state, and sightings have been on the rise. 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 Byron Love and KCUR Studio...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants states to provide personal information about SNAP applicants dating back to 2020. But Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is refusing, despite the threat of millions in funding being withheld — and a lawsuit from Attorney General Kris Kobach. Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on  Instagram  and  Facebook for the latest news. Kansas City Today is hosted by...

Sports betting is expected to start in Missouri on Dec. 1. But some are concerned about the consequences of making gambling so easy to access. Plus: Beef is as expensive as it’s ever been, thanks to the high cost of cattle. When will prices come down? 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...

Copper wire thefts are on the rise in Missouri, and Kansas City is getting it hard. It turns out that the value of the metal is skyrocketing in no small part due to the Trump administration's 50% tariff on copper imports. 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 Byron Love and...