Kansas City Today

The Kansas City Council recently removed a 75-year-old rule that required businesses to provide a certain number of parking spots. Some residents and visitors say the change will exacerbate an already frustrating parking situation.

Supporters of the ordinance believe lifting the minimums will open the door for small-business growth and affordable housing. KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with reporter Brandon Azim about the mixed reaction to the change and its potential impacts.

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 Jacob Smollen 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.

An Olathe native will officiate some of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. We’ll learn what it took to land a spot on the referee crew and how he’s preparing for the massive event.

Kyle Atkins shared how he's getting ready for the tournament with Steve Kraske on KCUR's daily talk show, Up To Date.

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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

After passing a $51 billion budget, Missouri lawmakers return to Jefferson City for the final week of this year's session. Hear what's in and what's out of this year's funding package, and which big issues remain on the agenda in this final week.

KCUR's Brian Ellison sat down with Rudi Keller of the Missouri Independent to talk about the final week of legislative session.

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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

During the first weekend in May, Latinos from across Kansas City celebrated 100 years of a beloved Cinco de Mayo fiesta at the Guadalupe Centers. What began as an annual celebration of Mexican immigrants and their cultural roots has grown into a weekend-long block party filled with music, food and the chance for longtime supporters to reconnect.

We’re bringing you an occasional series about Kansas City’s neighborhood spots, and the people who bring them to life. Reporter Celisa Calacal introduces us to the families of Mexican immigrants who have been attending the same Cinco de Mayo fiesta for decades. The Guadalupe Centers has hosted the party for 100 years now, and it’s grown into a weekend-long block party filled with music, food and the chance to reconnect.

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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

Tornado warning sirens have been a frequent sound in the Kansas City area so far this year. This month is likely to be much of the same, according to Zachary Leasor, a state climatologist with the University of Missouri.

Nomin Ujiyedin spoke with Leasor about the state's recent bouts of severe weather. He explained that rising temperatures — potentially caused by climate change — have extended the area's tornado and severe weather season.

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 Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

It’s getting more difficult to find an attorney in rural Kansas as people retire, so the state is offering incentives to attract a new generation of lawyers. Still, filling the civic leadership roles left by veteran lawyers will not be easy.

The shortage of attorneys in many rural areas has left people without the legal help they need. But a new Kansas law will give incentives to lawyers who practice or plan to practice in rural areas of the state. As Kansas News Service reporter Zach Boblitt explains, they have big shoes to fill.

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 Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

Residents of a rural Johnson County community are confronting a new data center proposal from San Francisco-based Beale Infrastructure, just weeks after they blocked a similar proposal.

KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with Taylor O’Connor, reporter at The Kansas City Star, about what she learned from residents in the area.

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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

Pastor Adam Hamilton, of Leawood, went on a tour of Kansas the last couple of months to explore running for the U.S. Senate. Now, he's officially in — as a Democrat. We'll discuss how Hamilton's entrance has injected energy and controversy into the race to unseat Republican Sen. Roger Marshall.

So why is this preacher with no elected experience getting so much attention? KCUR's Brian Ellison talked with Kansas Reflector reporter Anna Kaminski about Hamilton and his impact on the race.

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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

When a Kansas City opera held auditions of older dogs for a new production, canine owners around the metro answered the call. Meet the working dogs trying out for a critical role in “Of Mice and Men." Plus: We'll take a tour of the Kansas Statehouse and a new mural depicting 13 women’s civil rights advocates.

A recent casting call for a Kansas City opera sought an actor with a gentle temperament willing to sit, roll over, and stay quiet while they are on stage. KCUR’s Julie Denesha met the dogs who auditioned for a role in the Lyric Opera's “Of Mice and Men."

The Kansas Statehouse isn’t just where debates are held and laws are made. It’s also a living museum, filled with quirky artifacts and quiet tributes to the people who built the state. Kansas Public Radio's Courtney Lane recently took a free tour.

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 Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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

Newly appointed University of Missouri-Kansas City Police Chief Daniel Graves faces opposition from some members of the university's student body. In 2021, Graves wrote a letter advocating for former Kansas City Police Detective Eric DeValkenaere, who was convicted of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

Students plan to protest the decision to hire Graves, who is also the husband of Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves. Cassandra Flores, a reporter for Roo News — UMKC's student news outlet — spoke with Steve Kraske about students' concerns on Up To Date.

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 Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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