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When a Kansas City opera held auditions of older dogs for a new production, canine owners around the metro answered the call. Meet the working dogs trying out for a critical role in “Of Mice and Men." Plus: We'll take a tour of the Kansas Statehouse and a new mural depicting 13 women’s civil rights advocates.A recent casting call for a Kansas City opera sought an actor with a gentle temperament willing to sit, roll over, and stay quiet while they are on stage. KCUR’s Julie Denesha met the dogs who auditioned for a role in the Lyric Opera's “Of Mice and Men.The Kansas Statehouse isn’t just where debates are held and laws are made. It’s also a living museum, filled with quirky artifacts and quiet tributes to the people who built the state. Kansas Public Radio's Courtney Lane recently took a free tour.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 full term for the office, but then last month he filed for election after all.LeVota joined Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up To Date to talk about his reasoning behind running, the new task force that he assembled to address the future of the stadium complex after the Royals and Chiefs leave, and what's happening with property tax assessments.Just hours after this interview was recorded, LeVota announced he would end his reelection bid.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

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 generally moving closer to the heart of cities.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Madeline Fox. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

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 story as a useful way of discussing modern dilemmas without all of today’s political baggage. Zane Irwin of the Kansas News Service reports.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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. Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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. And now, it’s supporting the next generation of florists. KCUR’s Jodi Fortino has more on the new scholarship for students at a local community college learning floral arranging firsthand. Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 Brandon Azim reports.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 this year. KBIA’s Addison Zanger went to the city of Utrecht to see how Ramsingh is adjusting to his new home.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 Up To Date. This conversation was recorded live at the Rochester Brewing and Roasting Company in the Crossroads.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 in the Crossroads, Johnson County Commissioner Becky Fast and Jay Holbert, past president of NAACP, tell KCUR's Steve Kraske why Negro Creek kept its name and the efforts to uncover the identity of the man escaping slavery that inspired it. Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Madeline Fox. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 change the way people use the internet. As KBIA’s Bella Zielinski reports, it’s a tricky balance for the Republican-controlled legislature, as the bills introduce more protections for minors but could also allow for more government regulation of internet spaces.Kansas City Today is hosted by Frank Morris. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 months ago. She joined KCUR's Steve Kraske on Up To Date to discuss Missouri's battle over redistricting maps, as well as topics ranging from illegal gambling to the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law. Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Madeline Fox. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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's northern third. The recently redrawn Missouri congressional map adds even more of Kansas City into the seat. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum reports on what this means for the 2026 elections.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Jodi Fortino. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 will remain mostly flat because of a projected budget deficit. KCUR’s local government reporter, Savannah Hawley-Bates, spoke to news editor Emily Younker about this. Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 education reporter Jodi Fortino sat down with host Zane Irwin to tell us more about how voters will be asked to approve a general obligation bond for building debt and maintenance needs.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 tax and what's at stake in April's election.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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 Dick: A Sea Shanty."Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Rural communities across Kansas are losing their grocery stores and small towns are coming up with new ways to revive them. But some of those solutions have not panned out.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Independence, Missouri, residents will vote on April 7 for their next mayor and to fill two at-large city council seats. Recent debates over tax incentives for a massive data center could factor into the races.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Health conditions like concussions and tinnitus don’t usually present externally, and patients can often feel incredibly isolated. But one University of Kansas professor is researching how music can offer relief.If you’ve ever had a health issue that isn't clearly physical, you know how frustrating it can be to describe the symptoms only to be dismissed by friends, or have doctors tell you there’s not much they can do. KCUR’s Noah Taborda sat down with a researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center who is validating those feelings, and hoping to provide a little relief.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Missouri lawmakers are returning from a break at the midway point of this year’s legislative session. Among the biggest issues are a Republican proposal to end the state income tax and expand sales taxes, a criminal justice overhaul, and a bipartisan bill to crack down on "date rape" drugs.Missouri Independent political correspondent Jason Hancock gives Up To Date's Steve Kraske the rundown of what's happening at the capitol. Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

A dispute over a mural outside a hamburger restaurant in Salina, Kansas, could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Plus: Three massive bronze bison sculpted by a Missouri artist are joining the collection at the largest natural history museum in the world.A mural depicting hamburger-like UFOs in Salina, Kansas, is at the center of a dispute that could end up going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue: Is the mural a work of art protected by the First Amendment? Or is it an advertisement subject to the city’s sign code? As Kansas Public Radio’s Matthew Algeo reports, the outcome of the case could affect cities and towns across the country.A Missouri sculptor has created three larger-than-life bison for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington. KCUR’s Julie Denesha reports the project is a part of the country's 250th birthday celebration.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

For many people, artificial intelligence and chatbots have become a part of daily life. That includes some Kansas lawmakers, who are using chatbots to help keep track of bills or gather information in a fast-paced legislative session — since they have no guidelines for responsible use of AI.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Parts of Wyandotte County have long experienced flooding from the Kansas River. A multi-year levee project is designed to address the problem, but some residents and experts say more attention must go to the impact of decaying underground infrastructure.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

The federal government promised Kansas City $59 million in security funding for the World Cup, but a partial shutdown put that money in limbo — with just months before the games kicked off. Plus: Mosses are the underdogs of the plant world. Now a group of scientists is coming together to protect them.Kansas City’s first World Cup game kicks off in three months, and organizers are working in high gear to make sure the city is ready to host the biggest event in its history. But cities across the country were getting nervous as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security delayed the distribution of millions in funding. KCUR's Halle Jackson spoke with Up To Date hots Steve Kraske about what happened to the money.More than 1,600 plants and animals are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. But out of all of those, only one is a moss. Harvest Public Media’s Kate Grumke reports on a new effort to protect these tiny plants that are important, but often overlooked.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

More and more Missourians are waiting in jail for services from the state’s mental health department, with a backlog of more than 500 people with stalled cases. Hear what mental health directors are telling state lawmakers.Missouri Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn told state lawmakers that the department and courts need options to get defendants treatment in their communities. KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Social Services reporter Steph Quinn of The Missouri Independent about the waitlist. Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

Kansas lawmakers are considering restricting student protests after high schoolers organized walkouts across the state in protest of immigration enforcement. We’ll hear from three students about their experience. Plus: We'll go inside the Greenhouse Print Space, a Kansas City studio keeping hundreds of years of printmaking technology alive.Earlier this year, students at several high schools across Kansas organized walkouts protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now, state lawmakers are looking to restrict student protests during the school day. KMUW’s Daniel Caudill spoke with three students — Beronika Jurado, Gabby Delaney and Ellie Swindle — at Derby High School near Wichita who participated in a walkout, and asked them to talk about their experience.A creative space hidden in the historic West Bottoms houses hundreds of years of printing technology, and hosts classes and clubs where Kansas City artists and hobbyists can create new art. KCUR’s Julie Denesha takes us inside.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

The Leavenworth city commission voted on Tuesday to grant CoreCivic a special use permit to operate an ICE detention center, which will be central to President Trump's mass deportation efforts. The vote came despite intense community opposition and a yearlong legal battle.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

A Kansas law forced a foster family to decide between asking their adopted son to move out when he turned 18, or send four younger boys out of their foster home. State lawmakers are considering a bill to make sure other foster families are not forced to make the same impossible choice.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Laura Ziegler. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Sometimes, after an accident, medical bills force families to give up nonessential expenses, like their kids’ sports. A local charity is helping families in that situation. We'll hear from the organization’s founder and families the group has helped.About 72% of Americans with medical debt say it came from a short-term medical expense, like an accident or hospital stay. That’s according to data from KFF, a nonpartisan health research organization. Those costs can mean families have to give up nonessential expenses, like children’s sports programs. A charity is helping kids in Kansas and Missouri finish the season. Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of the Kansas News Service reports.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Madeline Fox. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Electricity prices are increasing and are now the fastest driver of inflation. Plus: Some lawmakers want to break up Missouri’s electric monopolies, but it's unclear if that could lower monthly bills.Since 2021, electricity prices nationwide have increased nearly 40%. In Missouri, families below the poverty line spend nearly a quarter of their income on those utility costs. As KBIA’s Jana Rose Schleis reports, these rising costs have become political, and experts say the power to respond lies with state lawmakers.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Kansas City was one of many U.S. cities with laws against jaywalking until advocates realized that police were mostly handing out tickets to Black men. Here's how Kansas City repealed its ban and reclaimed the right to jaywalk.Kansas City helped start a trend by becoming the first major city in the U.S. to repeal its ban on jaywalking. It was a full-circle moment because Kansas City had also been the first city to restrict jaywalking — and was the birthplace of the word itself. From A People’s History of Kansas City, Mackenzie Martin reports.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate. 

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority promised free bus rides for those who need it, as it brings back fares this June. But riders and nonprofits are still waiting to see how that will work. Plus: Missouri cattle farmers who contract red meat allergies from alpha-gal syndrome are suddenly put at risk by their livelihood.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

On Tuesday, the U.S. and Israel continued attacks on Iran that started over the weekend. Now, President Donald Trump is saying the war may continue for weeks to come. Many Iranians and Iranian Americans are celebrating the potential for democracy in the country, but are anxious about the expanding violence. Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Kansas City Council voted to relax some controversial portions of its energy code that builders said made it harder to build affordable housing — or anything. Over the past few years, the city has seen a drop in new home construction compared to surrounding cities and suburbs, but the standards aren't the only reason.KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with The Beacon's workforce and economic impact reporter Thomas White about the impact of the energy efficiency standards, and why the city is changing its mind.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Kansas legislators have had an unusually busy year so far — most recently the passage of a law that restricts bathroom usage for transgender people, and prohibits gender changes on IDs. We'll hear about what's been passed at the halfway point, and what's still to come.Zane Irwin of the Kansas News Service walks KCUR's Brian Ellison through where we are, and what we should expect in the remaining weeks of the session.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

The Missouri Republican Party is mulling over how national headwinds could affect key state legislative races and ballot initiatives, such as an abortion ban and redistricting referendum. Plus: Missouri colleges and universities are racing to fulfill a new request for student data from the U.S. Department of Education.The Missouri Republican Party is riding an unprecedented wave of success into the 2026 election cycle. But the party’s leaders acknowledge that in this midterm election, with critical ballot initiatives, a negative national environment for Republicans may affect their chances. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum has this report from the recent Missouri GOP Lincoln Days in Springfield.In August, the U.S. Department of Education issued a memo demanding that federally funded universities upload additional student enrollment data from the last six years, broken down by race, gender, standardized test scores, high school GPA and family income. But as KBIA's Kat Ramkumar reports, a rushed deadline and lack of staffing has led to problems.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Increased immigration enforcement in Olathe is worrying the community. Students across Johnson County have staged protests against ICE, but a recent school walkout led to an altercation with pro-Trump students and several arrests.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Urban rivers are struggling with water pollution, as the Blue River in Kansas City shows. Restoring riverside woodlands and other natural areas could lead to a healthier river.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Frank Morris. It is produced by 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.

The Kansas City Police Department paid nearly $11 million to settle settlements over police misconduct and wrongful deaths during this fiscal year. As Kansas City faces budget issues and World Cup security demands, some city leaders want to exert more control over these growing legal costs.Up To Date host Steve Kraske spoke with KCUR investigative reporter Peggy Lowe about the public concern over the Kansas City Police Department's finances, and how budget pressures may affect services. Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has proposed having citizens vote to phase out the state income tax over the next five years. But is that a viable option for the state budget? Brian Ellison spoke with Amy Blouin, president and CEO of the Missouri Budget project, about the details of the governor's proposal and how it may hurt the average Missourian more than help. Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

Artist Heidi Pitre’s new show brings together literature, nostalgia and pen-and-ink illustrations on vintage library checkout cards. Pitre brings her library card art to — where else? — the Kansas City Public Library.Before computers, borrowing a book from the library meant writing your name on a 3-by-5-inch card, and the librarian would stamp it with a due date. When you returned the book, the little card went back into the pocket inside the cover.A new exhibition features these vintage cards covered with illustrations by Kansas City artist Heidi Pitre. On a card for Stephen King’s “The Shining,” for instance, she drew a typewriter; “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” got a regal lion.Pitre met Kansas City Public Library’s Laura Spencer at a local tea shop to talk about her project.Contact the show at [email protected]. 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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.