Kansas City Today

Missouri Republican lawmakers say it's likely they'll have a special session to redraw the state’s congressional lines and eliminate Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's seat. But could the effort backfire? Plus, we'll hear from Missouri state Rep. Michael Johnson of the Legislative Black Caucus about their plans to fight redistricting.

Missouri lawmakers probably didn’t think as the summer began that they’d likely return in the fall to redraw the state’s eight congressional districts. As St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum reports, the push from President Donald Trump to gerrymander Missouri's map could have huge consequences for state politics.

Missouri state Rep. Michael Johnson, a Democrat from Kansas City, is among the lawmakers pushing back against the Republican redistricting effort. On KCUR's Up To Date, Johnson tells Brian Ellison that the Legislative Black Caucus is ready to fight.

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.

Kansas City has seen a lot of storms this year, but the metro has avoided a devastating tornado. Some locals say there’s a reason for that: the Tonganoxie Split. But is there any scientific evidence backing up this long-standing legend?

Urban legend holds that storms break up or swerve before they bring a tornado to the Kansas City metro. Locals call it the Tonganoxie Split, named for the small town west of Kansas City. KCUR’s Maya Cederlund went looking for the answers.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Gabe Rosenberg. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

A private prison company has fought for months to open an immigration detention center in Leavenworth, Kansas. Even though a court has temporarily barred the facility from holding detainees, CoreCivic has hired dozens of detention officers and is advertising more positions.

It’s been two months since a Kansas court temporarily blocked the company CoreCivic from reopening a former private prison as an immigration detention facility. The City of Leavenworth sought the order because CoreCivic has not obtained a special use permit — a requirement the company rejects. Seemingly undeterred by the legal setbacks, CoreCivic is now on a hiring spree. Kansas News Service editor Stephen Koranda sat down with politics reporter Zane Irwin to discuss where things stand in Leavenworth.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Madeline Fox. It is produced by Carter Galloway 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.

Last November, Missouri voters approved a measure that raised the minimum wage and allowed employees to earn paid sick leave. But state lawmakers have ensured that in less than a month, the sick leave requirement is going away.

Missouri voters approved Proposition A, which included mandatory earned paid sick leave. Months later, the Republican-led Legislature repealed the paid sick leave policy, citing hardship for businesses. That takes effect later this month. St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg reports on how workers and businesses are preparing for the change — and how a proposed constitutional amendment could bring the policy back.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Carter Galloway 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.

There’s a community of collectors, artists and kids keeping the marble culture alive in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Plus: A lucky pig in eastern Kansas managed to cheat death after jumping off a truck transporting it to a feedlot.

Kids and adults have played with marbles for generations, and marble-like games date back to ancient civilizations. Although marbles may seem a bit old-fashioned compared to today’s selection of digital and online games, the Moon Marble Co. in Kansas has been cranking out colorful orbs of small sizes since 1997 — and inviting the public to see the process. KMUW's Lu Anne Stephens reports.

About 130 million pigs are slaughtered annually in the United States. But each year, a relatively small number of them cheat death by jumping off the trucks transporting them to a feedlot or slaughterhouse. One “jumper” who was later named Gilbert was recently found along a highway in eastern Kansas. Kansas Public Radio's Matthew Algeo reports.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Carter Galloway 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.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly only has one more year in office, and candidates are already lining up to replace her. We’ll learn about the crowded race to succeed the Democratic governor.

Zane Irwin of the Kansas News Service spoke with Steve Kraske about who's who in the race for the Sunflower State’s top job 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 Madeline Fox. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

The eyes of the world will soon be on Arrowhead Stadium for a World Cup quarterfinal match. But Lawrence, Kansas, is also trying to get in on the action by promoting itself as the perfect training site for a team.

The World Cup soccer tournament is coming to Kansas City next summer. A total of six games will be played at Arrowhead, drawing in hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from across the globe. The University of Kansas and the city of Lawrence are pitching the Rock Chalk Park sports complex as a training ground for a World Cup team. Kansas Public Radio's Matthew Algeo reports.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Peggy Lowe. It is produced by Carter Galloway 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.

Changes to federal food assistance could cause thousands of Kansans to lose some or all of their benefits. The consequences for low-income families will depend now, more than ever, on state lawmakers. Plus: When you're shopping the produce section of a grocery store, you probably want to buy local — but that food probably traveled a long way to get there.

This summer, Congress passed a massive bill that lowers taxes and places new restrictions on Medicaid and SNAP. Federal food assistance helps feed almost 190,000 Kansans every year, and 40 million people nationwide. There are new limits on who is eligible for SNAP and how much of the cost the U.S. government covers. If low-income families lose benefits, they’ll rely more on food banks like Harvester’s. Zane Irwin of the Kansas News Service explains.

Stop at the produce section at your local grocery store and you’ll take a small trip around the world. Bananas from Ecuador and Costa Rica. Tomatoes, avocados and asparagus from Mexico. Bell peppers from Canada. That wasn’t always the case. In recent decades, U.S. consumers expanded their palates as favorable trade agreements led to a spike in imported goods. Now, the U.S. is on track for the largest agricultural trade deficit in the country’s history. Harvest Public Media's Molly Ashford reports.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Gabe Rosenberg. It is produced by Carter Galloway 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.

Kayakers are trying to clean up garbage from the Kansas River, but new trash keeps coming. Learn about the small nonprofit group determined to protect the waterway. Plus: Extreme drought in the Midwest and Great Plains is allowing a fungus that kills trees to flourish. How are forestry crews and experts adapting to rapidly changing tree canopies?

Volunteers are restoring the beauty of sandbars on the Kansas River by removing literal tons of decades-old garbage. From the Kansas News Service podcast Up From Dust, Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports.

Drought in the middle of the country is opening the door for pests and pathogens that can kill trees. That’s particularly true of a fungus that’s found on oak tree bark, which can turn deadly after extremely dry weather. Harvest Public Media contributor Jackie Ourada reports on how that’s impacting bur oak trees, once known as the "King of the Great Plains."

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Gabe Rosenberg. It is produced by Byron Love 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.

Missouri has banned medical gender-affirming health care for youth and some adults since 2023. But there are plenty of other forms of gender-affirming care happening in the state, and advocates say it’s saving lives. Plus: Missouri’s Medicaid program is about to go through a major change with the advent of federally imposed work requirements.

In 2023, the Missouri Legislature passed a law banning medical gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy, surgeries and puberty blockers. The ban impacts minors, as well as incarcerated adults and those using Medicaid. Advocates say non-medical forms of gender affirmation, such as haircuts, clothing choices, makeup or facial hair, are important when medical care is inaccessible. KBIA's Rebecca Smith spoke with the owners of some businesses that provide that care.

The Trump administration's recently enacted tax and spending bill requires Medicaid enrollees to work, be in school or volunteer in order to qualify. And although critics of such requirements believe they exist to kick eligible people out of the health care program, Missouri’s Medicaid director contends they could be implemented in an unobtrusive way. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum 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 Carter Galloway 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.