Kansas City Today

Southwest Kansas communities are feeling the effects of intensifying anti-immigrant rhetoric in politics. Promises of mass deportations have caused anxiety to spike throughout the region, where immigrants make up a large part of the population.

Widespread misinformation on social media about Immigration Customs Enforcement raids is fueling fear in the region. As Calen Moore of the Kansas News Service reports, the resulting mental exhaustion has already hindered the daily lives of these Kansans.

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 Olivia Hewitt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

After the sudden closure of a Kansas City, Kansas, health clinic that mostly served unhoused and uninsured patients, staffers at Care Beyond the Boulevard mobile health clinic ramped up operations to help fill the gap.

Last summer, staff at the Duchesne clinic in Kansas City, Kansas, got some devastating news: The clinic, which mostly served uninsured, unhoused and non-English speaking patients, would close in six weeks. KCUR’s Josh Marvine reports how Duchesne’s former employees have worked to help mobile health clinic Care Beyond the Boulevard meet their community’s needs.

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 Olivia Hewitt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Homeownership is a path to generational wealth, but many Black families have struggled to own their own homes. Habitat for Humanity Kansas City found a way to help. Plus: In Missouri and across the country, plant libraries that could help fight climate change are in danger of funding cuts.

Less than half of Black Kansas Citians own their own homes. That’s about 30% fewer than white homeowners. KCUR’s Brandon Azim explains what some of the barriers are for prospective Black buyers, and one nonprofit’s effort to bridge the gap.

At institutions around the world there are special libraries that contain millions of plants, called herbaria. As scientists work to understand and adapt to climate change, these plant collections have become even more important. But in some places, their future is in question. Harvest Public Media’s Kate Grumke reports on why scientists want you to care about herbaria.

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 Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

New Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is facing a $300 million showdown over education spending in Jefferson City. His budget proposal didn't include enough money to fund schools to the level that the state's formula demands, and some legislators are pushing back.

Education funding makes up about a third of the state's budget. And while Kehoe's proposed hundreds of millions in increased aid for transportation, teacher salaries and more, it's still not fully funding schools according to the law.

On KCUR's Up To Date, Steve Kraske invited Dr. Kari Monsees, deputy commission in the Division of Financial and Administrative Services, to break down how education funding works.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison.. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

The head of the U.S. Postal Service is stepping down, but rural communities in Missouri and the Midwest are worried about service already in decline. Plus: A Kansas congressional delegation is working hard to revive a gutted foreign aid program that farmers say they can’t live without.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy had backed a plan for the USPS to consolidate operations, especially in rural areas. That plan has faced a lot of opposition but it’s unclear what will happen once DeJoy steps down. Harvest Public Media’s Héctor Alejandro Arzate reports.

Elon Musk’s government cost cutting spree has at least temporarily hobbled a 70-year-old foreign aid program that feeds hungry people and helps to keep Kansas farmers in business. As KCUR’s Frank Morris reports, Kansas Republicans are rushing to resurrect the Food for Peace initiative.

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 Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri have resumed elective abortions for the first time since Amendment 3 passed in November — years after the state banned the practice following the end of Roe v. Wade. But some Republican lawmakers are vowing to get abortion back on the ballot.

KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with The Missouri Independent’s Anna Spoerre to get the latest on abortion care in the state. They discuss whether abortion access could face more court challenges, and how Planned Parenthood plans to expand.

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 Olivia Hewitt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Wyandotte County is experiencing one of the largest outbreaks of tuberculosis in recent U.S. history. But emails obtained by the Kanas News Service show tension between the state and county health department officials that may have made the response more difficult.

The outbreak appears to be winding down, but the head of the Wyandotte County Public Health Department parted with the county last week. Kansas News Service reporter Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga and editor Stephen Koranda give us a behind-the-scenes look at whether this fighting hindered outbreak response.

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 Olivia Hewitt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

An executive order issued by President Donald Trump claims that transgender people are unfit to serve in the military. That's a "blatant insult and a betrayal," local service members say.

One week into his second term in office, Trump signed an executive order requiring the Secretary of Defense to establish guidance and standards for service members whose gender identities do not reflect their sex assigned at birth. Legal challenges have already been filed against the order.

Maj. Kara Corcoran, an Army infantry officer who transitioned in 2018, told KCUR's Up To Date that even though speaking publicly could jeopardize her career, it's important to speak out for the younger service members who don't have a voice. "I'm going to fight with all my might," Corcoran said.

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 Olivia Hewitt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Madeline Fox.

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

Five years ago, Kansas and Missouri reached a truce in the long-running “border war,” ending the poaching of each other's businesses across the state line. Everyone’s been a winner, especially taxpayers, so why is that agreement now at risk of ending?

Kansas and Missouri spent decades embroiled in conflict, trying to lure companies across the state line with financial incentives. Then, they reached a truce, agreeing to hold off on those practices. Back in 2019, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed an executive order, and Missouri passed a law — which expires this August.

So how did we get to this point, and what could it mean for the local economy? KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Frank Lenk, director of the Office of Economic Research at the Mid-America Regional Council, to find out.

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 Olivia Hewitt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Some Kansas Citians fed up with dating apps are looking to a new event created just for the LGBTQ+ community — where you pitch your friends on their behalf, in front of an entire crowd. Plus: Two years after Kansas City native Nathan Louis Jackson passed away, his play “Broke-ology” is returning to his hometown stage.

In the age of online dating, some queer people in Kansas City hope instead for a real-life meet-cute. A new event hands the mic to a friend to help them make a match. KCUR’s Kate Mays reports from “Where to Find Us.”

It’s been 15 years since Nathan Louis Jackson’s play “Broke-ology” has been staged in Kansas City, but a new local production proves its power to inspire audiences hasn’t gone away. KCUR’s Julie Denesha 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 and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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