Kansas City Today

Every 10 years, states redraw their congressional districts based on new population data from the U.S. Census. That process can have a big impact on what Congress looks like, and how Americans are represented in our legislature. Jason Rosenbaum, political correspondent for Saint Louis Public Radio, helps explain what redistricting is and what may or may not change in Missouri districts.

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 with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Transgender inmates say the Kansas prison system put them in danger by refusing to accept their gender or provide gender-affirming care. As Blaise Mesa of the Kansas News Service reports, many say the environment inside Kansas prisons left them especially vulnerable to violence, leading some to consider or attempt suicide.

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 with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez.

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

The Missouri General Assembly is at work and facing a list of issues to tackle. Redistricting, education, Medicaid expansion and, as always, the state budget are just a few of the topics that lawmakers must handle. Jason Hancock, editor-in-chief of the Missouri Independent, and Sarah Kellogg, Statehouse reporter at St. Louis Public Radio, keep close eyes on the Capitol and preview the five-month legislative session with Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up To Date.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, hopes to boost her re-election prospects with tax cuts. That creates a dilemma for Republicans who control the Kansas Legislature. Typically they’re all about cutting taxes, but they’re reluctant to give Kelly a big win. As Jim McLean of the Kansas News Service reports, that could make for some interesting political theater during the 2022 legislative session starting this 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 with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez.

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

On Jan. 6, 2021, pro-Trump mobs breached the nation’s capitol, forcing U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and his colleagues to shelter in place. On the insurrection's one-year anniversary, the congressman reflects on the deadly attack and its effect on democracy with Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up To Date.

As COVID-19 cases worsen and hospitals warn of dire conditions, Kansas City Council on Thursday passed a mask mandate for K-12 schools while Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly instituted a new emergency order. We'll bring you the latest on COVID news from around 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 with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley created one of the lasting images of the Jan. 6 insurrection when he raised his fist in support of Trump supporters outside the Capitol Building. Hawley was one of a few senators who disputed President Joe Biden’s victory, despite no evidence of election fraud.

But one year later, the Missouri senator has faced no major political recourse for his actions. Steve Vockrodt of the NPR Midwest Newsroom reports that Hawley has been able to operate in a state that’s taken a hard swing to the political right in recent years.

And, a lot of good has come out of Joplin Missouri’s long recovery from the EF5 Tornado that destroyed a third of the town a decade ago. But the lessons learned include a dark truth of disaster recovery; at some point people tend to turn on their leaders.

As Mayfield, Kentucky, and other communities start to rebuild after recent tornado disasters, they can find some insights from Joplin, Missouri. An EF5 tornado took out a third of the town a decade ago, and it's been a slow recovery since. In the second of a two-part series, KCUR’s Frank Morris reports the lessons learned since then have been applied to disasters around the world.

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 with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Reports of racism in Kansas City area high schools are leading to heightened concerns among Black parents and their children. But as KCUR's Luke Martin reports, a recent Blue Springs High School graduate and her mother argue the ways that local students of color are treated poorly are not new.

Last month's devastating tornado outbreaks in Kentucky sparked a massive recovery effort and left residents hoping that life would soon return to some kind of normal. But as KCUR’S Frank Morris reports, residents of Joplin, Missouri, which was hit by an EF5 tornado a decade ago, know better.

Plus, following the holidays, COVID cases in the Kansas City metro have reached their highest point on record.

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 with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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