Kansas City Today

Across the Midwest, thousands of children and adults with disabilities are waiting for Medicaid waivers to help pay for their care at home. Also, U.S. farmers are looking for more drought-resistant crops. Sorghum could be the answer.

Thousands of people with disabilities in Kansas are waiting for Medicaid waivers to help them stay at home and still pay for care. Missouri doesn’t have a waitlist, but people still wait months for services. We'll hear from Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of the Midwest Newsroom about what it’s like to navigate the waiver process.

It’s an uphill climb for any ingredient to find a place in the grocery store. Shelf space is limited, consumers can be set in their ways. But thanks to a drier climate, a sturdy cereal may have a chance to break into American diets. Harvest Public Media’s Michael Marks has that story.

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. It was edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Emily Younker and Madeline Fox.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

The World Cup brought new investments, infrastructure improvements and business opportunities to Kansas City. Months after the tournament ended, some of those changes are here to stay, while others have already disappeared.

With colorful murals and expanded public spaces, Kansas City's summer of soccer left its mark across the metro. But not every project has found a way to continue, and some small businesses are still figuring out how to turn temporary opportunities into long-term success. KCUR's Anna Neumann reports on which World Cup investments are sticking around and whether the tournament's legacy will deliver lasting benefits to the region.

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 Adelyn Mui and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Rev. Adam Hamilton has become the first Democrat in nearly a century to win a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas. Meanwhile, Missouri voters rejected proposals to ban abortions and cement a gerrymandered congressional map. We'll run down all the biggest election results from both states.

KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin speaks with Brian Ellison about the election results — although some remain too close to call.

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, Adelyn Moi, and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Madeline Fox.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Voters in Missouri and Kansas are deciding some critical races and ballot measures today: constitutional amendments on abortion access, a tight U.S. Senate contest, a governor's race and more. But lower on the ballot is something just as important: judge retention elections. We'll break down how the judicial retention process works in both states and what voters should know before heading to the polls.

Unlike other elected officials, many judges in Missouri and Kansas are appointed through nonpartisan selection processes and later face voters in retention elections. Recent efforts to change how judges are selected have sparked debates over the role of politics in the courts. On Up To Date, KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with reporters Savannah Hawley-Bates and Grace Hills about judge retention for both Missouri and Kansas.

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 Adelyn Mui and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Affordability is looming over the coming midterm elections, with new research revealing that almost a quarter of Midwestern households report having trouble paying their bills, mortgage, or rent. Plus: Missourians said “no” in August to a proposed amendment that would have made it harder to change the state constitution. Now, a different amendment could make it harder for lawmakers to reverse voter-approved initiatives.

One of the Midwest's calling cards used to be that it's affordable. That’s true of both Kansas and Missouri. But, with inflation and stagnant wages, life may not feel affordable anymore. The Midwest Newsroom asked voters in the region how the cost of living is informing their votes in the midterms. Managing editor Holly Edgell reports.

In August, Missourians soundly rejected a proposal that would have made it much harder to amend the state constitution. Less than three months later, Missouri voters will now decide if they want to make it nearly impossible for lawmakers to change citizen-led initiatives. St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg reports on Amendment 6.

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 Madeline Fox and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

The Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph documents the country’s torrid history of mental health treatment, but it has an eerie reputation itself. Take a visit inside one of Missouri’s most peculiar museums — located in the former State Insane Asylum No. 2.

Inside the Glore are stories of thousands of patients and a bizarre collection of torture devices giving it quite the eerie reputation. But the museum’s creator also had empathetic ambitions that live on today. From KCUR’s podcast “A People’s History of Kansas City,” Suzanne Hogan explores.

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 Madeline Fox, Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Missouri voters will decide whether to create a state-owned investment fund that supporters say could eventually replace state taxes and provide long-term financial stability. Amendment 7 critics worry it could jeopardize funding for essential services.

The proposed Show-Me Prosperity Fund would invest Missouri tax money in the stock market, with the goal of generating enough revenue to eliminate taxes in about 100 years. But the amendment doesn't specify how the fund would initially be financed. KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with Republican state Rep. Colin Wellenkamp, who sponsored the legislation, and UMKC economics professor Sirisha Naidu about the proposal's potential benefits and risks.

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 Adelyn Mui 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.

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is blaming his Democratic opponent, Adam Hamilton, for a "split" in the United Methodist Church. But the reality is much more complex. Plus: Missouri voters will once again decide whether to restrict abortion access in the state. How is it different from the last ban?

Adam Hamilton, a prominent United Methodist pastor, is facing criticism from Roger Marshall's campaign over his role in the church's division. The Kansas News Service's Grace Hills examines the claims and the complicated history behind the split.

Two years after Missouri voters approved constitutional protections for abortion, Republican lawmakers are seeking to reverse them. St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg explains what Amendment 3 would change and what's at stake in November.

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 Adelyn Mui 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.

Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson and Democratic state Rep. Keri Ingle are competing for a closely watched state Senate seat representing Lee's Summit and Blue Springs. The race could determine whether Republicans maintain their supermajority in the Missouri Senate.

Missouri's 8th Senate District has become increasingly competitive as the Kansas City suburbs shift politically. The two candidates have raised millions of dollars and differ on major issues, including public education funding and private school vouchers. KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin speaks with the Missouri Independent's Annelise Hanshaw about what's at stake in the race, where the candidates stand and why it's drawing so much attention.

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 Adelyn Mui 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.

Midterm elections are just over a week away, and a lot is at stake for both Republicans and Democrats in Missouri. Several key measures and races appearing on the ballot could have big impacts on the future of the state's political ecosystem.

KCUR's senior news analyst, Brian Ellison, spoke with Kacen Bayless, with The Kansas City Star, about what he's looking out for in Missouri ahead of Nov. 3.

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 Seth Jahraus 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.