Kansas City Today

Several Republicans are running to replace U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, who isn't running for reelection in Missouri's 6th District. Kansas City Council member Nathan Willett shares what his priorities would be if he is elected, and why he thinks he's the right fit for the job.

The biggest natural disaster ever to hit Kansas City struck 75 years ago. The Black Friday Flood of 1951 is remembered as bigger, nastier and worse than you can probably imagine.

Immigrants to the U.S. without legal status have found themselves facing deportation to a country where they have no ties. Independence resident Alisa Ramdial Shahib is one of the latest.

Advocacy groups say immigration enforcement in Kansas City resulted in the detention of at least 30 people during the World Cup. The increased ICE presence across the Kansas City metro has kept residents on edge, and led to a backlog in the court system.

A sales tax that funds Missouri's parks and soil and water conservation is back on the ballot this August. It's sharing the spotlight with eight other amendments, leaving advocates wondering if they can cut through the noise.

After a 40-year career in financial services, Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Sandy Spidel Neumann is focused on optimization. She spoke on KCUR's Up To Date about how her business background has prepared her for Congress.

Bright pedicabs are zipping across Kansas City during the World Cup and they're here to stay. Plus: Organizers of a new music venue in Kansas City say it's a place where the listening comes first. 515 Music Hub was a result of the city's Open Doors program for the World Cup, but wants to keep going after.

Missouri saw 2,690 deaths from Alzheimer's in 2024 — a 145% increase since 2000. One southeast Missouri couple is trying to convince lawmakers their support is critical. Plus: A substance abuse counselor in Kansas City has developed secular recovery programs focused on inclusivity.

Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Erik Murray wants "solutions, not chaos" for healthcare and the economy. He spoke on KCUR's Up to Date about the challenges he thinks are most pressing for Kansans in the federal government.

The discovery of an ancient Kansas settlement named Etzanoa is challenging long-held views that all Indigenous people on the Great Plains were nomadic. Plus: Kansas boasts its own version of the Liberty Bell at a small town in Marion County.

First-term Kansas state Sen. Patrick Schmidt said Kansans' needs are greater than what lawmakers can address at the state level. He spoke on KCUR's Up to Date about why his experience sets him apart from his Democratic opponents.

If you go to any ice cream truck or swimming pool snack bar, you'll likely find the red, white and blue Bomb Pop. The famous treat was invented in Kansas City in 1955. But when the popsicle first came out during the Cold War, some parents didn't like the idea of selling a frozen weapon of war to children.

Cameras with license plate-reading capabilities are used by law enforcement agencies and cities around the U.S., including in Missouri and Kansas. But some residents are resisting the surveillance.

It's a crowded primary race for Democrats hoping to take on incumbent Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall. Democrat Christy Davis spoke on KCUR's Up to Date about why she's running and how her experience working for the USDA sets her apart.

Rural hospitals in Kansas will use federal money to help them transform and expand access to healthcare. Some are creating new services like mobile maternal health clinics, but looming Medicaid cuts still mean many hospitals are at risk of closing.

Kansas City's transit authority could become among the first in the nation to use AI-powered cameras on city buses to help strengthen security and more quickly detect banned passengers. But critics worry about privacy and scaring away riders.

Only about 2% of aircraft pilots and flight engineers are Black. A group of men, inspired by the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, is trying to change that by highlighting careers in aviation. A KCUR reporter visited Red Tail Academy to learn about why that number is so low.

Across the country, data centers have attracted controversy for everything from overuse of utilities to tax breaks. Now, some Missourians are trying to track down those details through public records requests, appearances at public meetings and other grassroots efforts.

The Algerian men's national team adopted Lawrence as its home base for the World Cup. In return, the Kansas college town embraced the team in a big way — and flooded the streets Monday when Algeria won its first match of the tournament.

Many fans going to the first World Cup match in Kansas City last week were delayed by hours-long traffic jams. Local organizers made some changes to the transit system ahead of Saturday's Ecuador-Curaçao game — but were they enough?

A recently released audit of Missouri's finances shows the state is on the brink of a budget crisis. Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick discusses what his office found and how he wants elected officials to respond.

Hundreds flocked to a Kansas greenhouse to witness the colorful and pungent bloom of a rare, very smelly plant. Plus: An important bridge in Wichita was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which supporters say will aid its future preservation.

Kansas voters will soon decide if they want to elect justices to the state's highest court, instead of the current, merit-based nomination system. Some former justices worry direct elections could interfere with important decision-making.

Soccer first came to Kansas City through youth leagues in the 1970s, and a co-founder of the Brookside Soccer Club tells us how it changed the city. Plus: We'll take you to last night's World Cup match between Argentina and Algeria, the first of six games in Kansas City.

A federal program under fire from the Trump Administration has bought and shipped American grain to the world's hungry for seven decades. Hear why the fight to save Food for Peace raises a fundamental question about the focus of U.S. international food aid.

Leawood pastor Rev. Adam Hamilton thinks he can bridge the divide in Washington and bring costs down for the people of Kansas. He spoke to KCUR's Up To Date about why he decided to run for Sen. Roger Marshall's U.S. Senate seat.

An Olathe police officer violated department policy by calling an ICE hotline during a traffic stop, a call that ultimately led to a man's deportation. Learn the details behind the traffic stop and an update on the man's family.

A year ago, a group of concerned people in Missouri got together to help immigrants detained by ICE, and they've since expanded to seven affiliates in three states. Plus: Even though ICE raids are less visible than this winter, fear among immigrants remains high.

Going to a World Cup game, for many, requires hours of sitting in online queues, months of planning and thousands of dollars. Still, for KCUR health reporter Noah Taborda, the opportunity is too important to pass up. Plus: Amateur soccer players in Kansas City are hoping to host their own local pickup games with players from other countries.

Data centers are on the fast track in communities across the Midwest and Great Plains, but rising concerns over water, energy and noise leave lawmakers rushing to catch up. Plus: Supporters and opponents are debating a proposed data center in southwest Kansas.

The Kansas City Council is bringing back its efforts to ban conversion therapy after it repealed a 2019 ordinance last month. Council member Jonathan Duncan discusses how the new proposal restricting "dangerous therapies" is intended to comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling.

Kansas City's efforts to host the World Cup go back all the way to 1988. Now the tournament is finally here, after four years of preparations reshaped the metro's infrastructure. Is the city ready — and could it ever be?

Fifteen former residents of Change Academy at Lake of the Ozarks say they were physically assaulted by staff, and some say they were sexually abused by other residents a youth residential treatment center in Missouri that takes in children from across the country.

Industries and cities used to pollute rivers so heavily that at least one caught fire a dozen times. But like the Spring River in Kansas, some waterways are now bouncing back. Plus: Residents in a small Kansas town are upset about a smelly landfill.

World Cup officials have said 650,000 soccer fans will visit Kansas City over the course of the monthlong tournament. But how will we know how many actually show up? Hear what we're seeing in the weeks before the FIFA World Cup.

Kansas City metro bus riders now have to pay fares after six years of free rides. After decades of underfunded public transit, advocates worry that this will worsen a "death spiral" of fewer riders.

For immigrants looking to stay in the U.S legally, asylum is often their last hope, but judges are denying more claims. Plus: A Missouri man living in the U.S. for 25 years will be deported to Mexico after authorities pulled him over for not having a front license plate.

More than 45,000 habeas corpus cases have flooded federal courts across the country with petitioners alleging their detention was illegal. In Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska, these filings have been overwhelmingly successful, according to an analysis by the Marshall Project and the Midwest Newsroom.

Jackson County legislative Chairman Manny Abarca, now a candidate for county executive, was banned from Paseo Academy for what school officials deemed “unsafe” behavior in the building. We'll hear details of the letter to Abarca from Kansas City Public Schools' legal counsel.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway calls crypto currency ATMs “getaway cars for fraud.” She discusses how her office is cracking down on the scams, and how to identify the red flags — plus talks about ongoing lawsuits over redistricting.

Kansas City hosts its FIFA World Cup games starting next month, and one Olathe teacher is making sure her students know what's happening — and who's coming to town. We'll hear how local students are becoming experts on the different countries who will play in Kansas City this summer.

With the costs of groceries rising and food assistance falling, community gardens can help keep healthy produce on a family's table. Hear how food banks and other groups around Kansas are growing their own.