Kansas City Today

The Missouri attorney general’s office is demanding Planned Parenthood hand over patient medical records and other documents for a pending court trial. We speak to a reporter to find out more about the case.

Reproductive health reporter Anna Spoerre of the Missouri Independent talks to Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up To Date about the state's request for patients' medical records — and why the legal battle to abortion access is still going on a year after Missourians voted to legalize the procedure.

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 Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Four Kansas school districts say they haven’t received any complaints about their gender identity policies. But the federal government is investigating them anyway — and it has threatened to withhold federal funding from them.

KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with education reporter Jodi Fortino and the Kansas News Service's Zane Irwin about the investigation and how the school districts have responded.

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

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

Kansas' 2026 Teacher of the Year is Rachel Marlow, a music teacher at an Olathe elementary school. Her students say she deserves the award because she goes above and beyond in her classes.

Students at Central Elementary School in Olathe know what makes a great teacher: patience, a sense of humor and the know-how to make learning fun. KCUR's Jodi Fortino tells us about one such teacher who just happened to be recognized by the state for her excellence in the classroom.

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

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

Western Kansas has inserted itself into the corn belt, and even though there's better crop options for the climate, huge industries and government subsidies make it hard for farmers to switch. Plus: The average American eats more than 40 quarts of popcorn a year, but the snack isn't grown on that many farms.

Over the decades, western Kansas has inserted itself into the corn belt, a region of the Midwest from Ohio to Nebraska that has dominated corn production. Kansas News Service reporter Calen Moore explores why the state grows so much corn — and why the industry faces long-term challenges.

The popcorn harvest will start soon across the Midwest, and plenty of towns hold popcorn festivals this time of year. But U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows fewer than 1,000 popcorn farms exist today. Harvest Public Media contributor Sheila Brummer introduces us to a few people and places where popcorn is a key part of life.

Bonus:

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

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

Many Kansas students are getting excited about girls’ flag football, which was launched in the state with help and funding from the Kansas City Chiefs. Learn about the sport and its rising popularity.

Girls’ flag football is one of the fastest-growing youth sports in the country, and flag football will even make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. Now, some high schools in Kansas are premiering the sport this fall — to much excitement from the students who are playing it. Suzanne Perez of the Kansas News Service reports.

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

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

Voters in both Kansas and Missouri have chosen to protect reproductive rights in their state constitutions. So why are abortion rights advocates challenging both states in court? We’ll have the latest on pending legal battles and the state of the abortion debate in the region.

Abortion rights and restrictions have moved into the court systems in both Missouri and Kansas, where judges' rulings could, in part, impact abortion access for residents. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Anna Kaminski, a reporter for the Kansas Reflector, and Anna Spoerre, who covers reproductive health care for the Missouri Independent, about these issues.

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 Madeline Fox, Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Museums usually keep art behind glass or tucked in storage, but one Lawrence museum lets people get closer. We'll take a trip to “Open Fridays” at the Spencer Museum.

Every Friday, visitors to the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence can request to see tens of thousands of works of art that are not currently on view. KCUR’s Julie Denesha took a trip there to see a few of the hidden treasures on offer.

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 Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Frank White Jr. has been unseated as Jackson County Executive after losing a special recall election on Tuesday. However, he's fighting the election in court, while county legislators move forward with picking his replacement — a process that could include little public input.

Steve Kraske asked Jackson County Legislature Chair DaRon McGee about the unprecedented recall vote and how the county plans to move forward with filling the now vacant position.

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 Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Federal dollars will help bring internet connection to rural communities across the U.S. But new guidance from the Trump administration is asking states to consider the lowest-cost options. What's the status of efforts to fund broadband infrastructure?

Lots of rural communities still aren’t connected to the internet, despite decades of efforts to reach underserved areas. States were close to putting millions of dollars for broadband to use earlier this year — but then the Trump administration offered new guidance. Harvest Public Media’s Anna Pope reports on what that means for the latest effort to get more Americans online.

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 Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Mountain lions in Kansas? Yep! While wildlife officials say there's no evidence of a "resident population," a number of the big cats have been seen passing through the state, and sightings have been on the rise.

When you think of Kansas, you probably don’t think of mountains — or mountain lions. But in recent years, the number of sightings of mountain lions in the state has skyrocketed. What’s bringing these elusive animals here? Kansas Public Radio’s Matthew Algeo recently went looking for answers and mountain lions with a state wildlife biologist.

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 Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

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