Kansas City Today

After the departure of longtime superintendent Mark Bedell, Dr. Jennifer Collier stepped into the role of interim superintendent. With 22 years of service in KCPS, Collier believes that experience will help her thrive. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Collier about her plans for the district moving forward.

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. Kraske spoke with Kansas City entrepreneur Lauren Conaway about her life before and after getting 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

Vickey Hartzler, running alongside 21 other Republican candidates, hopes voters will choose her to fill a U.S. Senate seat held by outgoing Sen. Roy Blunt. But it's almost a three-way tie between Hartzler, former Gov. Eric Greitens, and current Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Despite lacking an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, Hartzler believes her time in the U.S. House of Representatives gives her the necessary experience for the job. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Hartzler on Up To Date about what makes her stand out from the other candidates on the ballot.

"They may share my ideas that we need to quit spending money, but I've been there, and as a small business owner, I know how to create jobs," Hartzler said. "So that gives me an advantage there. They're both attorneys. I've signed the front of a paycheck, and not just the back, and that matters."

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

There isn't a lot of mystery about who will be the top candidates for the Kansas governor coming out of August's primaries. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly will almost certainly be re-nominated by her party, and state Attorney General Derek Schmidt will likely get the Republican nod.

That ballot, of course, includes a variety of other major issues — from the state attorney general primary to the constitutional amendment that will determine the fate of abortion rights in the state. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Kansas City Star reporter Katie Bernard about Kansas' election field ahead of the Aug. 2 primary.

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

A subsidiary of Japanese industrial giant Panasonic Corp. announced plans Wednesday to build a $4 billion factory in De Soto, Kansas. Dedicated to making electric car batteries for Tesla, the project could bring upwards of 4,000 jobs to the area. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Kansas State Rep. Stephanie Clayton about what it took to secure the deal.

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

Fewer people are getting tested for the coronavirus, but state health officials are still finding the virus in Missouri sewers. Scientist say wastewater shows the increasing presence of different variants, some of which may escape vaccines or natural immunity. St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Fentem reports that the statewide project is one of the most accurate ways to measure the coronavirus threat.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Kansas City Police continues to investigate a mass shooting that occurred in Westport late Sunday, which resulted in one death and five injuries. City Manager Brian Platt of Kansas City joins Steve Kraske on Up To Date to talk about the shooting and what can be done to curb gun violence in the city.

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

Religious institutions in Kansas have become election advocates, voicing their opinions on the August 2 abortion vote. The proposed constitutional amendment would strip the right to an abortion from the Kansas Constitution, possibly paving the way for a statewide ban. Kansas News Service's Dylan Lysen reports why this is allowed and what it looks like for Kansas congregations.

Prices for wheat are high, but Kansas farmers may not be able to take advantage of the thriving market. Drought throughout the Great Plains means less wheat, and less wheat means less profit. Harvest Public Media's Elizabeth Rembert talks to Kansas farmers about how this affects their bottom line.

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

Many across Kansas City have forgone their masks during this new stage of the pandemic, but the omicron BA.5 variant spells trouble even for those who have already been infected. Kansas City is currently seeing an average of 75 new hospitalizations and over 380 cases per day, although a lack of testing means that case numbers are likely higher.

"It is very contagious, it may evade vaccine immunity, and in individuals who have been infected in the past, they may get re-infected," says Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, dean of the UMKC School of Medicine. "It underscores the importance, though, of the fact that it appears likely that vaccine is holding up and preventing the most serious consequences of these cases, including hospitalization, intensive care units and death."

KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Jackson about how Missourians should stay prepared during this next phase of COVID-19 — including potentially wearing masks indoors.

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

Along with a record state budget and restrictions to sleeping on state land, Missouri's legislative session saw the passage of a wide-ranging voting bill that could change the way elections take place.

From photo ID requirements to the end of presidential primaries, the election process may look different come November. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Peverill Squire, professor of political science at the University of Missouri, about what this means for voters and whether the law will end up challenged in the courts.

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

Benoist Troost was a physician and slave owner who moved to Kansas City in the 1800s. Now, his mark is left on the metro in the form of a well-traveled avenue that bisects Kansas City into eastern and western halves. Chris Goode, owner of Ruby Jean's Juicery on Troost Avenue, is hoping a name change will better reflect the street's growing community. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Goode about what he thinks the new name should be and how he's going to get it 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

This year, Kansas reported 1,400 teacher vacancies, almost twice the number two years ago. Come the fall semester, those shortages are almost sure to be worse. The Kansas News Service's Suzanne Perez reports on what may be driving educators out.

Chillicothe, Missouri, has an unusual claim to fame: It’s the town where pre-sliced bread first debuted back in 1928. The state has even declared July 7, Sliced Bread Day, as an official holiday. But despite being less than a century old, the origin of this revolutionary pantry staple was almost lost to history. From the KCUR podcast A People's History of Kansas City, Suzanne Hogan reports on how the world almost forgot how the world's greatest thing was created.

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