Up To Date

Addiction resources go unused if people aren't willing to talk about substance use in the first place. A local nonprofit, First Call, is helping Kansas Citians find available support.

Many Latino- and immigrant-owned businesses are struggling to make ends meet as a result of decreased foot traffic along Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. Many reports that sales are down between 30 to 60%, and a community leader says the losses are driven by fears of ICE raids and the impact of President Trump's tariffs.

At the All-Star break, the Kansas City Royals find themselves with a record of 47-50, behind several other teams in the American League vying for a spot in the playoffs. How will general manager J.J. Picollo address the team's needs in the coming weeks?

Gwen Grant spends a lot of time uplifting and advocating for Kansas City's Black community, but what does she do with her down time? She joined KCUR's Up To Date for an installment of our series "5 Questions."

Kansas City's taco scene has it all: out-of-this-world al pastor, tender tripa and even veggie delights, all wrapped in corn tortillas or flour. Here's where to find the tastiest street tacos, Sonoran-style tacos and more across the metro.

Charlie Shields, the CEO of University Health in Kansas City, says federal Medicaid cuts passed in President Trump's recent budget bill are likely to pose challenges for the hospital system. University Health relies on Medicaid reimbursements more than other providers in the metro.

Andre Harris, founder of the nonprofit Dads Against Crime, says that Kansas City's violent crime problem can't be fixed if people can't feel comfortable talking to law enforcement and discussing mental health.

President Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” cuts about $1 trillion in federal Medicaid funding. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley helped push for the inclusion of money for rural hospitals, but experts say it's just "a drop in the bucket" — and could force even more providers to close.

Jackson County's legislature has certified a recall election against County Executive Frank White Jr., although the date has yet to be determined. Legislative Chair DaRon McGee says the recall vote is about White's mishandling of property taxes, but White says the campaign against him is politically motivated.

Kansas City awarded $800,000 in grants to three nonprofits that serve homeless youth— an effort to protect the metro's at-risk residents and prevent adult homelessness.

On Monday, lawmakers in Kansas opted to extend the deadline for state incentives, so that the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have more time to negotiate building new stadiums across state lines. Kansas House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard joined KCUR's Up To Date to explain where things stand.

Melesa Johnson is six months into her role as Jackson County Prosecutor after winning election last year. Faced with concerns about burglaries and property crimes, Johnson has drastically increased the rate at which her office has pursued charges, and points to the success of a deterrence initiative.

"Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder' by Rachel McCarthy James traces the foundational and violent role of the axe from prehistoric times to the present. And — yes — the infamous Lizzie Borden case does get a chapter, as do a pair of relatively recent Kansas City murders.

The New York Times published a list of the "100 best movies of the 21st century" so far. So KCUR's Up To Date assembled a panel of Kansas City movie critics to weigh in on the list — which they criticized as not diverse enough — and to find out what movies they'd rank at the top of the chart.

Americans have less national pride than ever, according to new Gallup polling, with a big split along party lines. For many Kansas City residents, patriotism means more than a reflection of support for national political figures.

In bestselling author Michael Grunwald's new book "We Are Eating The Earth," he highlights how agriculture is dramatically contributing to climate change. He's speaking next week at the Kansas City Public Library.

Youth violence has fallen in Wyandotte County, in part due to the ThrYve program. Barry Anderson took part when he was a student at Wyandotte High School, and credits the program with teaching him basic life skills necessary to attend the University of Kansas.

Housed at both KU and UMKC, the university centers protect and support individuals with developmental disabilities. Now, they're at risk of closing under President Trump's proposed budget.

Illegal dumping has been a problem in Kansas City for decades. Now, a year after the city instituted tougher penalties on offenders, Council member Crispin Rea says things are moving in the right direction.

Taxpayers in Kansas and Missouri still don't know if they'll be asked to help fund the stadiums for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs. The lack of transparency and public participation from the teams has some people questioning if a deal is in their best interest.

Kevin Yoder once represented Kansans from Wyandotte County south to Edgerton, Spring Hill and Louisburg. He joined KCUR's Up To Date for our series "5 Questions."

As Republicans in the U.S. Senate work to pass President Donald Trump's budget bill, Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, from Missouri's 5th District, views its contents as dangerous for the health of Americans.

Today marks 10 years since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide in the Obergefell v. Hodges decision. KCUR spoke to Kansas City couples about their love stories — and what the anniversary means to them.

Greg Justice, a 64-year-old Prairie Village resident, recently competed on this season of NBC's obstacle course reality show "American Ninja Warrior."

Generations of rock 'n' roll fans have enjoyed the award-winning music of Chicago. In the band's 58th consecutive year of touring, they'll perform at Kansas City's Starlight Theatre.

As the ceasefire between Iran and Israel went into effect, U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, a Republican from Missouri, told KCUR that he backs President Trump's decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Alford's district includes Whiteman Air Force Base, where the bombers were launched.

Tricia Rojo Bushnell spent the past 12 years bringing innocent incarcerated individuals home at the Midwest Innocence Project. Now, she's leaving to be the executive director at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice.

Tricia Rojo Bushnell spent the past 12 years bringing innocent incarcerated individuals home at the Midwest Innocence Project. Now, she's leaving to be the executive director at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice.

Roxanne Jones is a nurse with Global Care Force, an organization based in Lenexa that provides medical aid around the world. She returned Saturday to the United States from Jordan, a country located in between Israel and Iran, and witnessed missiles fly between the two nations.

Chicken can sometimes get a bad rap but, fried, pan-seared, or smoked, it's a versatile meat that sops up flavor like a sponge. Here's where to find the tastiest broilers, fryers, and roasters in the metro, including crispy Korean fried chicken and succulent wings.

Cotton-top tamarins are a critically endangered species. Wyoming toads were once listed as extinct. Recent births of both animals at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium are a show of some progress in their wildlife conservation efforts.

KCUR hosted a town hall in Belton, Missouri, with Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford of the 4th Congressional District. He answered questions from constituents about what's happening in Washington — including the Trump administration's immigration policies and tariffs, recent protests, and violence against lawmakers.

Mayor Quinton Lucas convened a Commission on Reparations back in May 2023, with the goal of producing recommendations on how the city could repair harms from racism. Two years later, much of that work has yet to begin.

The killing of a Democratic state representative in Minnesota this past weekend has Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes concerned about her and her family's safety. The name of Missouri U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II was also included on the suspect's "hit list."

Kansas City is exactly one year away from the first FIFA World Cup match at Arrowhead Stadium. KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer joined KCUR's Up To Date for an update on how the nonprofit is working through security and helping businesses prepare.

Kansas City native Juana Summers, a co-host of NPR's "All Things Considered," returned to her hometown to join KCUR at its 2025 Radioactive Gala. She joined Up To Date to talk about getting her start here in journalism, and the importance of public media.

Emily Brown founded Attane Health four years ago to ensure people with chronic health problems have access to the right foods to improve their health. Now, her work has won her the Spark Prize, an unrestricted award from the Missouri Foundation for Health to keep the innovation going.

A KCATA committee has approved a new transit-oriented apartment community in Kansas City, Kansas, at the intersection of State Avenue and Turner Diagonal Freeway. The authority's Board of Commissioners will review the project later this summer.

If the U.S. Senate signs off on the rescission package passed by the U.S. House on Thursday, the loss of federal funding would be an immediate hit to hundreds of public broadcasters like KCUR. "We're going to rely on this community to figure out ways so that we are not having to diminish the service we provide," says General Manager Sarah Morris.

Small business owners want Kansas Citians to know they don't want to raise prices, but President Donald Trump's turbulent tariff policy has put them in a tough spot. Businesses say the situation is "unsettling."

The drones head out before human first responders to scope out the scene. Lenexa Police say it's cut response times by two minutes in emergency situations, and the city just approved funding to buy more.

In response to the policies of the Trump administration, "No Kings" protesters will take to the streets around the country this Saturday. KCUR's Up To Date spoke with one of the organizers of a protest in Kansas City.