Kansas City Today

In Prairie Village, nearly 95% of residents are white, and many renters in this Johnson County suburb are spending more than 30% of their incomes on rent.

An ad hoc committee appointed by the mayor of Prairie Village has submitted recommendations that aim to create more affordable housing and boost diversity in the city. Among other things, the plan would allow more multi-unit buildings in areas zoned for multi-family housing. But not all Prairie Village residents are happy about that.

Up To Date host Steve Kraske spoke with Prairie Village Councilman Ian Graves, Prairie Village United's Dan Schoepf, and Prairie Village for All's Danny Terreros about the plan.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Four years after Johnson County school superintendents started a program to prevent teen suicides, students say it’s actually helping. As KCUR’s Laura Ziegler reports, Zero Reasons Why began after a rise in teen suicides has already contributed to a decline in suicides and an increase in young people reaching out for help.

Families of students in the Independence School District have been frustrated by what they say is a lack of transparency from their school board. As KCUR’s Jodi Fortino reports, those concerns are bubbling over as Independence considers switching to a four-day school week.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

The number of Airbnbs worldwide has risen dramatically over the years, including in Kansas City, where they're popular investment properties. Yet only an estimated 10% of the city’s short-term rentals are properly licensed.

Up To Date host Steve Kraske speaks with KCUR's Celisa Calacal, Kansas City Councilman Eric Bunch, and Columbus Park Community Council President Kate Barsotti about how out-of-town guests are replacing neighbors and why many Kansas Citians are calling for action against Airbnbs.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and C.J. Janovy.

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

The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) will soon make its way to the House after approval by the U.S. Senate this week. The only senator from Kansas or Missouri to vote for the bill was Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt.

That's despite a last minute appeal from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who penned a letter citing five reasons for Blunt to vote against the bill. Among them was a constitutional amendment Missouri passed in 2004 defining marriage as "only between a man and a woman."

KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with the Missouri Independent's Rudi Keller about the RFMA, its effect on Missouri and what might have motivated Ashcroft to send the letter.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Union Station has one of the largest model rail exhibits in the United States, with more than 80 trains of all sizes. And starting in October, the display gets even bigger, featuring snow-covered villages complete with tiny, plastic ice skaters on a pond, dramatic terrain and thousands of sparkling lights. As KCUR’s Laura Spencer reports, it takes dozens of volunteers to bring the holiday magic alive.

Across the Kansas City metro, pinball machines are ringing to life in arcades, bars and home basements. KCUR’s Carlos Moreno reports on how this nostalgic pastime is bringing fans new and old together again.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Kansas' legalization of sports betting last September was hailed as a win by many in the state, but a recent New York Times article examines the extent that lobbyists played in the legislation's passage.

This includes provisions that caused the state to bring in only $271,000 in taxes on $350 million in bets. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with New York Time's investigative reporter Eric Lipton about the story.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Drought now covers more than half of the continental U.S. and its ripple effects touch everything from the food we eat to the air we breathe to the water we drink. In one of the hardest hit regions, the Great Plains, there’s not much relief in sight. For Harvest Public Media and the Kansas News Service, David Condos reports.

Think of this year’s drought as dress rehearsal for the drier, hotter future that scientists predict climate change has in store. Long-lasting drought conditions could change what we eat, how we breathe and where we go for a drink of water. Elizabeth Rembert reports for Harvest Public Media and the Kansas News Service.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Kevin Johnson Jr. is scheduled to be executed today for the 2005 killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer.

A special prosecutor is urging the court to halt the execution after an extensive investigation that concluded the state’s handling of death-eligible prosecutions was rife with pervasive racial bias. Sarah Fenske, executive director of the River City Journalism Fund, spoke to KCUR's Brian Ellison about Johnson's case and how the racial composition of a jury can affect outcomes for defendants.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Mylissa Farmer was 17 weeks pregnant when she was told her baby wouldn't survive birth. Even though doctors at a Joplin hospital recommended terminating her pregnancy, they couldn't perform the procedure because of Missouri's abortion ban. Now, federal investigators are looking into whether the hospital violated federal law by refusing to perform emergency medical care.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Sam Wicentowski spoke with Michelle Banker, Director of Reproductive Rights and Health Litigation at the National Women’s Law Center, and Susan Szuch, health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News Leader, about the story.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

From a small storefront in Old Town Lenexa Jude’s Rum Cakes has been turning out thousands of tasty treats that ship around the country during the holidays. KCUR’s Julie Denesha reports that it all started with a bottle of Panama rum and one family recipe.

No Midwestern cookout is complete without a delicious chili or dip simmering in a Crock-Pot. But when the device was first unveiled by a Kansas City company in 1971, it promised something more: freedom. From KCUR’s food history podcast, Hungry For MO, producer Mackenzie Martin brings us this story (plus tune in at the end of November for a brand new season!).

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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 and Lisa Rodriguez.

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