Kansas City Today

The wind energy industry has slowed across the country, but some Kansas towns want to invest in it for economic growth. We’ll hear about the push for renewable energy in rural Kansas — and the obstacles it faces. Plus: Hear why support for 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, is stronger in some states than in others.

Western Kansas has the potential to capitalize on the region’s high energy demands. There’s plenty of land, wind and sun to be the center of renewable energy production. But skepticism can bring these projects to a halt. Calen Moore with the Kansas News Service reports.

The national suicide and crisis hotline, 988, launched less than four years ago and has already responded to nearly 20 million contacts. But support for 988 is stronger in some states than in others. Harvest Public Media’s Michael Marks has more.

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.

To prepare for increased immigration enforcement activity, Boots on the Ground Midwest has organized neighborhood groups, facilitated mutual aid and trained thousands to legally observe and record officers. Interest in their trainings spiked after the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

The federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis has receded. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers continue to arrest and detain people across the country, including in the Kansas City metro. KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin sat down with the Boots on the Ground Midwest co-founder Martha Lawrence to discuss its strategy.

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.

Newspapers in large cities, with lots of possible subscribers, are struggling to keep operating without major cuts. In small towns, it’s even harder. But one Kansas town is making it work.

Council Grove, Kansas, is a small town with a rich history and a unique distinction: With a population of about 2,200, it is the smallest town in the United States with a daily newspaper. The Council Grove Republican publishes every Monday through Thursday. Kansas Public Radio’s Matthew Algeo tagged along with its publisher to see how the paper comes together.

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.

Independence, Missouri, officials are considering tax breaks for a massive AI data center, but many residents don’t even want it built in the first place. Plus: After almost a year of conflict, a private prison operator is finally playing nice with the city of Leavenworth to get a permit for an ICE detention facility.

A private prison company has moved one step closer to opening a planned 1,000-bed immigration detention center in Kansas, but with restrictions included by local government officials after hearing a raft of concerns from the public. Zane Iriwin of the Kansas News Service shares the details with Brian Ellison.

Officials are clearing the way for a massive artificial intelligence data center to be built in Independence. But as KCUR’s Savannah Hawley-Bates reports, local residents are racing the clock to try to stop it.

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 and Emily Younker.

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

With the World Cup just four months away, Kansas City will play a major role in not only hosting games, but also serving as a base camp for some of the biggest names in the tournament. Is the city ready? We'll talk about what to watch in the run-up.

Argentina’s team will make its base camp here, along with at least England and the Netherlands. That could bring a lot more fans to town for the duration of the World Cup. KCUR’s Madeline Fox and the Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff talked about what that means for the city on the SportsBeat KC podcast.

Want more World Cup news? Sign up for KCUR's free World Cup newsletter here.

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.

The Port Authority of Kansas City voted unanimously this week to cut ties with Platform Ventures, after learning of the developer's plans to sell a massive warehouse in south Kansas City to the federal government for use as a mass immigrant detention facility.

The site was originally given tax breaks by Port KC because of its potential to bring industrial development into the area. Port KC said it was blindsided by the company's decision to sell the space. Kansas City Council also banned permitting for nonmunicipal detention centers in the city, but it's unclear if that will stop the project.

KCUR's Up To Date host Steve Kraske spoke with race and culture reporter Celisa Calacal about the possible detention facility, and the public reaction to it.

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.

Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City is building entire neighborhoods of affordable housing in Kansas. The nonprofit is using a real estate tool known as a community land trust to ensure the homes remain affordable forever. Plus: The USDA's "Climate Hubs" have helped farmers adapt to a changing climate, but their funding may be in jeopardy.

The cost of housing in Kansas continues to rise, and many lower-income residents struggle to buy a home. But a new type of affordable housing aims to help fill that gap. As Dylan Lysen of the Kansas News Service reports, Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City is building entire neighborhoods with a tool that makes homes cheaper to purchase.

Farmers across the country continue to experience more extreme and unpredictable weather. The U.S. Department of Agriculture created “regional climate hubs” more than a decade ago to better understand how climate change affects agriculture and help farmers adapt. But as Harvest Public Media’s Rachel Cramer reports, the future of these hubs is uncertain.

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.

About 60% of the teachers, principals, aides and other staff at KIPP Kansas City have left in the last year, describing a chaotic environment with frequent mishaps — shorted pay, canceled school trips and bus failures. Leaders say they're trying to reimagine the charter school, but not everyone is on board.

Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Maria Benevento of the Beacon about troubles the program is facing.

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.

More than a year after Missouri voters narrowly approved the legalization of sports betting, the books are now open across the state. Missourians wagered more than $543 million in December, although the state made little tax revenue from that. Now a bill could legalize video lottery terminals.

The monetary amount of wagers placed in the first month of sports gambling far exceeded some predictions. Yet, promotional offers offset taxable profits, leaving the state with less than $1 million in revenue. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Rudi Keller of the Missouri Independent about the latest for gambling legislation and tax revenue in the state.

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 Jacob Smollen, 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.

While more teens are getting their financial advice from social media, one group of students are taking charge of a real-life credit union from inside a high school in the North Kansas City School District. And yes, they use real money.

KCUR’s Jodi Fortino has more on how students are learning to manage money, open accounts and make transactions without leaving campus.

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.