Kansas City Today

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Kansas City Today is a daily news podcast from KCUR Studios bringing you all things Kansas City, wrapped up in 15 minutes or less. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, it’ll be waiting in your feed every weekday. Hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin.

KCUR Studios


    • Oct 30, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 13m AVG DURATION
    • 1,058 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Kansas City Today

    And the award for Missouri Teacher of the Year goes to...

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2025 15:00


    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.

    Kansas City's Throttle Dome offers a legal space for car sideshows

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2025 11:00


    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.

    Why a Kansas college runner collapsed in extreme heat

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2025 13:52


    A Kansas college cross-country runner ended up "on the verge of death" from exertional heat stroke during a blistering hot practice in August. Former athletes and trainers say this doesn't surprise them.

    Shutdown consequences reach into Johnson County

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2025 13:54


    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.

    Ding ding! Make way for the streetcar

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2025 14:27


    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.

    Could Kansas get new nuclear reactors?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 14:05


    Companies are racing to roll out nuclear reactor designs that would be faster to build and could meet rising demand for energy from AI data centers. Two nuclear companies have proposals for new reactors in Kansas. Plus: Data centers are fundamentally changing the landscape for electric utilities in Missouri and beyond.

    Missouri voters want to overturn gerrymandered map

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 13:56


    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!

    Missouri state-funded vouchers are going to religious schools

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 13:12


    Missouri legislators recently approved the use of millions in state funding for MOScholars, a K-12 school scholarship program that had previously been supported by tax-deductible donations. But an investigation found that nearly all of those state-funded vouchers were used for religious schools.

    Kansas Young Republicans ensnared by racist chat leak

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2025 13:04


    Republican leaders are responding to an investigative report that exposed racist messages shared by Young Republican organizations in Kansas and around the country — while Gov. Laura Kelly says the Kansas GOP is setting a poor example itself. Plus: Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is laying out her agenda, particularly on crime and abortion.

    How an anti-fascist mural ended up in Kansas City

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2025 13:07


    The University of Missouri–Kansas City recently restored one of the last remaining murals of a nearly forgotten Spanish painter. Hear the story of Luis Quintanilla and how he ended up in Kansas City.

    Missouri students adapt to school days without cellphones

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2025 10:51


    Missouri schools now have a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in place. How are students and teachers adapting?

    Medicaid cuts are a time bomb for Kansas hospitals

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2025 11:25


    Kansas has more rural hospitals at risk of closure than any other state. Changes at the federal level are further complicating the situation, leaving hospital officials planning for the future.

    Redistricting splits Kansas City along a historic racial divide

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 14:30


    Troost Avenue was a racial dividing line for decades. Now, Missouri's recent redistricting efforts are using the street to split Kansas City into separate congressional districts. Plus: The Trump administration is promising billions in bailout money for farmers affected by tariffs and facing a tough economy this year.

    Why is Missouri demanding abortion patient records?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2025 13:38


    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.

    Why are four Kansas school districts being investigated?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 10:04


    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.

    And the award for Kansas Teacher of the Year goes to ...

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 10:47


    Kansas' 2026 Teacher of the Year is Rachel Marlow, a music teacher at an Olathe elementary school. Her students say she deserves the award because she goes above and beyond in her classes.

    It's corn! We can tell you all about it

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 15:00


    Western Kansas has inserted itself into the corn belt, and even though there's better crop options for the climate, huge industries and government subsidies make it hard for farmers to switch. Plus: The average American eats more than 40 quarts of popcorn a year, but the snack isn't grown on that many farms.

    Girls' flag football is taking the field in Kansas

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 10:45


    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.

    Abortion is on the docket in Missouri and Kansas courts

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2025 15:00


    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.

    How to explore a Lawrence museum's hidden treasures

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 11:14


    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.

    Voters recalled Frank White Jr. Now things could get messy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 13:33


    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.

    What will it take to get rural Missouri and Kansas online?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 11:00


    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?

    Kansans are spotting more mountain lions

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 10:30


    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 in recent years.

    Kansas is in a battle over SNAP recipient data

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025 14:24


    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 losing millions in federal funding and a lawsuit from state Attorney General Kris Kobach.

    Is Missouri ready for legal sports betting?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 13:50


    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?

    Why Missouri has become a hotspot for copper thefts

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2025 13:07


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

    Inside an ICE facility in Kansas

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 9:00


    Former detainees are speaking out about what they say are poor conditions at an immigration detention center in eastern Kansas.

    Fewer international students means a big problem for colleges

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 15:00


    The Trump administration's clampdown on student visas means that colleges and universities have gotten a lot fewer students from abroad this year. That could spell trouble for higher education and the U.S. as a whole. Plus: A University of Kansas professor wrote the literal book on "Swiftynomics," about the economic impact of women's work — and Taylor Swift herself.

    What to know about the recall election for Frank White Jr.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2025 15:00


    Election Day is just over a week away, and absentee voting is already underway, in the recall of Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. We'll explain the backstory of this unusual special election, and what it means if you vote yes or no.

    A Kansas City spin on 'American Gothic' and 'The Last Supper'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 11:01


    Kansas City, Kansas, artist Harold Smith's new series of paintings puts a personal spin on iconic works from art history by adding in his friends and neighbors. You can see these "Around the Way Folk, Saints in Uncommon Places" now at the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka.

    Kansas ACLU goes against Trump on cashless bail

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 11:24


    President Donald Trump says that cashless bail is leading to a rise in crime, and wants to see it ended nationwide. But a study from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas found the opposite, and argues that cash bail for nonviolent crimes is hurting low-income residents.

    A death in the Wyandotte County Jail

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 11:04


    Critical questions remain about how a 50-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man died in the Wyandotte County Jail more than two months ago. Charles Adair's death has been ruled a homicide, but new details reveal striking similarities to the death of George Floyd in 2020.

    What will happen to Kansas' small family-run newspapers?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 14:16


    Kansas has lost about 50 newspapers in the past 20 years. And as the owners of many small, family-owned papers get older, it's uncertain who will keep the presses running when they retire. Plus: Missouri Republicans shattered norms when they pushed through redistricting and amendment changes in a special session — and it could have long-term consequences.

    Missouri could make it hard for voters to change the constitution

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 15:00


    Missouri's legislature passed not one but two measures on Friday taking aim at voting rights. In addition to the gerrymandered congressional map, a proposal you might not have have heard much about would heavily restrict citizen-led constitutional amendments.

    Troost may once again divide Kansas City

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 13:32


    Troost Avenue in Kansas City was a historic dividing line during the era of racial segregation. Now, as Missouri Republicans look to pass a gerrymandered new congressional map, this avenue would once again split Kansas City.

    Kansas doulas helping Indigenous women

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 10:11


    Indigenous maternal mortality rates have been rising in Kansas for at least two decades. A group of Kansas women is training to bridge modern medicine and cultural practices in birth.

    Will Kansas Republicans try for another gerrymander?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 14:16


    Kansas Republicans already redrew Rep. Sharice Davids' district in 2022. But the state's sole Democratic Congress member held onto her seat anyways. So while Missouri Republicans push through their own gerrymander, some Kansas leaders want to try again.

    Bye to Bailey

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 11:00


    Andrew Bailey officially left the Missouri attorney general's office yesterday to take on a new position at the FBI. In just a few years, Bailey defined himself through loyalty to President Trump and his opposition to abortion and racial diversity initiatives. Both his admirers and detractors believe he could make a major national impact.

    Inside the 'very tense' Missouri special session

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 14:27


    Missouri lawmakers are considering a new map of congressional districts and initiative petition reform during a special legislative session. A reporter from St. Louis Public Radio provides an inside look at last week's committee meetings, debate and testimonies.

    The Kansas museum that's saving Civil War flags

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 13:53


    Dozens of rare and historic Civil War battle flags stored at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka are falling apart and in desperate need of restoration. Learn more about the museum's preservation efforts. Plus: The Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers will face off on the football field this weekend for the first time since 2011.

    Why Missouri utility companies are monopolies

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 13:26


    When consumers get their utility bills every month, it's not always clear why energy costs as much as it does — and there are usually no other options. Why? The upfront investment and barriers to entry create natural energy industry monopolies. Plus: Learn why local fruits and veggies are often more expensive than produce shipped thousands of miles.

    Trying to keep Missourians out of prison for good

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 10:44


    More than 30% of formerly incarcerated Missourians return to prison within three years. It can be hard for these individuals to find a path to reentry, but one group seems to have landed on a solution that's beginning to keep offenders out of prison for good.

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