Kansas City Today

Kansas voters have rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have stripped away the right to an abortion. KCUR's Peggy Lowe spoke with Steven Koranda, editor at the Kansas News Service, about the first such vote since the fall of Roe v. Wade — in a heavily Republican state — and what it says to the rest of the nation.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Byron Love, Trevor Grandin, and KCUR Studios and edited by Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Kansas and Missouri are both headed to the polls on Tuesday for primary elections. Additionally, Kansans will weigh in on an abortion rights amendment. See KCUR's voter guides for Missouri and Kansas for more.

The sheriff of Johnson County — Kansas's largest county — says he's received over 200 reports of election fraud, but a records request from KCUR turned up only one such report — and that one may have been an accident. Steve Vockrodt of the Midwest Newsroom talks to NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about his reporting on Weekend Edition Sunday.

From Colorado to Missouri, Native American organizations across the Midwest are trying to help communities reconnect with their culinary traditions. Harvest Public Media's Lauren Hines reports on how the food sovereignty movement is embracing plants and cuisines rejected during colonization.

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, Trevor Grandin, 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

While the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Missouri is grabbing the lion’s share of attention, there’s also a competitive race on the Democratic side. A new Emerson College poll out this week shows Anheuser-Busch heiress Trudy Busch Valentine leading Marine Corps veteran Lucas Kunce by a few percentage points, 39% to 35%. KCUR's Sam Zeff breaks down why Democrats might actually have a shot in Missouri's U.S. Senate race

Three Democrats are running to fill the seat on the Jackson County Legislature being vacated by Scott Burnett, and to represent the diverse district that includes Kansas City’s commercial core. One of those candidates is Manny Abarca, who’s hoping to be the one of the few elected Hispanic officials in the county. KCUR’s Celisa Calacal reports.

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, Trevor Grandin, 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

No fewer than seven Republicans are seeking the nomination for Missouri’s 4th congressional district, now that Rep. Vicky Hartzler is running for U.S. Senate. There are few policy differences among them, so they’re doing what they can to stand out in a crowded field. Whoever wins the GOP primary will almost certainly be headed to Congress, since political forecasters rate the seat as solidly Republican. KCUR’s Savannah Hawley has more.

Do you love shopping for vintage furniture and décor? Items more than 40 years old may be coated with lead paint, while many new items might not be lead-free either. The Midwest Newsroom’s Niara Savage reports.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

This episode of Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Byron Love, Trevor Grandin and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Advance voting has already begun for the Kansas primary election on August 2, which includes a constitutional amendment that would remove the right to an abortion and allow Republican lawmakers to pass an overall ban in the state. The political fight has ignited protests, contentious campaigns and a flood of political financing. Reporter Dylan Lysen of the Kansas News Service spoke with those on both sides of the amendment.

Missouri's recent "trigger ban" is not the first time that abortion has been outlawed in the state. The first set of restrictions came in 1825, forcing many to seek them out illegally. Enter "Doc Annie" Smith, a physician turned "ghost story" whose actions earned her macabre fame and possibly saved many lives. From the KCUR podcast A People's History of Kansas City, Mackenzie Martin uncovers the truth about this Missouri physician.

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, Trevor Grandin, 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

Trudy Busch Valentine, former nurse and heiress to the Anheuser-Busch fortune, has set herself among the front runners for the upcoming Democratic Senate primary in Missouri. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Valentine about health care, the opioid crisis and much more.

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, Trevor Grandin, 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

Lucas Kunce is a political newcomer who believes his Marines background gives him an edge over other Democrats in the Aug. 2 primary. Can a Democrat flip the seat of outgoing U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt? Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Kunce about why he thinks it can be done.

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, Trevor Grandin, 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

Much of the run-up to Missouri's Aug. 2 primary revolves around whether former Gov. Eric Greitens can overcome the scandals that follow him around — from extramarital affairs to allegations of abuse — or whether his opponents can appeal enough to an increasingly Republican state. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum reports.

With Kansas residents set to vote in less than two weeks on the right to an abortion, Missourians on the other side of the state line are working to defeat the constitutional amendment. KCUR’s Celisa Calacal reports that if it passes, Missouri residents will lose one of their few options for abortion access in the region.

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, Trevor Grandin, 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

Buck O’Neil — former Kansas City Monarchs first baseman, and the first African American coach in the MLB — will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend in Cooperstown, New York. As Greg Echlin reports for KCUR, O’Neil’s name and wisdom are still venerated in Kansas City, 16 years after his death.

Abortion is all but illegal in Missouri, and depending on the outcome of the Aug. 2 primary, Kansas may see abortion banned, too. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with author and nonprofit founder Kelsey Walker about her tumultuous emotional and religious journey following her abortion.

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, Trevor Grandin, 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

Medical debt is a burden felt by people across the country, but in Kansas and Missouri, a disproportionate amount of that debt falls on people of color.

According to data crunched by The Urban Institute, communities of color are two times more likely to face medical debt collectors than those in mostly white ZIP codes. Kansas News Service reporter Celia Llopis-Jepsen and editor Stephen Koranda talk about why this is.

Abortion is virtually illegal in Missouri, and depending on the outcome of the August 2 primary, Kansas may see a tightening on abortion access too. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with local entrepreneur Hannah Koenig about her decision to get an abortion.

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, Trevor Grandin 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