Kansas City Today

Survivors of last years' shootings at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade say their lives will never be the same. Some lost work or had relationships fail — even just seeing Chiefs jerseys can trigger bad memories.

Last year, a million people gathered downtown to celebrate the Chiefs second-straight Super Bowl win. The happy event took a tragic turn when a mass shooting at the end of the parade killed one person and injured 24 others.

The survivors now live much different lives. Some lost work. Relationships strained. Even watching football carries baggage. One year later, Bram Sable-Smith of KFF Health News reports on how two Kansas women are rebuilding their lives.

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.

One night last month, volunteers ventured out in Missouri to try to tally the state's homeless population. It's an incredibly important but flawed system that is especially difficult in rural areas. Plus: A shortage of attorneys in Kansas is so bad that it could lead to courts dismissing criminal cases.

Each year in January, volunteers venture into the night to count the number of homeless people across the country. It’s part of the annual count directed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Resources for homeless assistance organizations depend on it. Getting an accurate count is a challenge, though, especially in rural regions. The Midwest Newsroom’s Kavahn Mansouri reports.

Kansas is facing a crisis when it comes to defending accused criminals who cannot afford their own attorneys. If the problem is not addressed, there is a risk that courts will throw out criminal cases. Dylan Lysen of the Kansas News Service has the story.

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.

Meet the aronia berry. It's native to North America, easy to grow in the Midwest and full of antioxidants: So why don’t more U.S. consumers know about it?

It seems like every few years, a different kind of fruit or vegetable becomes hip and trendy. But what if the next healthy superfruit was being grown by farmers across the Midwest? The aronia berry, also known as chokeberry, has gained a following in recent years for its reported health benefits and potential market.

But as Harvest Public Media’s Héctor Alejandro Arzate reports, some growers say they’ve struggled to build name recognition and demand for the fruit.

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

The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59 last night in New Orleans, getting their revenge against Kansas City and preventing the Chiefs from making history. Hear what happened in the game, and how both Chiefs and Eagles fans across the metro felt about the loss.

Plus: Kansas homeowners might see property tax relief in the near future. Lawmakers say cutting the unpopular tax is their first priority, but some people are concerned that cutting property taxes could hurt services like education, roads and law enforcement. Zane Irwin reports for the Kansas News Service.

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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.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, now an international star thanks to Taylor Swift, will once again be in the spotlight on Super Bowl Sunday. Plus: KCUR and its NPR sister station in Philadelphia have our own bet on the big game — find out what's at stake.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been front and center in a lot of the team’s biggest moments in the last few years. If the Chiefs hope to pull off the “three-peat” at Super Bowl 59, it’s likely that Kelce will have something to do with it. But as Greg Echlin reports, Kelce has become more comfortable with that over the past two years, thanks in large part to his high-profile girlfriend.

It seems like everyone in Kansas City and Philadelphia is getting in on the action for this year's Super Bowl matchup. Here at KCUR, we've put barbecue on the line with Philadelphia's WHYY. Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with WHYY's Morning Edition host Jennifer Lynn about the wager.

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

Had things gone a different way, Chiefs fans could have been rooting for the world-champion Kansas City Mules this Super Bowl — or perhaps the Kansas City Texans. In a special episode, we're exploring how this controversial name first came to be.

As the dynasty-level Kansas City Chiefs prepare for another Super Bowl appearance this Sunday, the team’s name and controversial fan practices are again in the international spotlight. But where did it all start? From the KCUR Studios podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, Suzanne Hogan has the story. 

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.

The Trump administration’s ban on refugee arrivals and federal funding for resettlement organizations is impacting Kansas City agencies, and their work to support the people who've already arrived.

President Trump ordered the suspension of federally-funded refugee services and admissions. In Kansas City, groups are struggling to serve newly-arrived clients — who have already passed strict vetting to get into the U.S. — with basic financial assistance, food and medicine. KCUR's Steve Kraske talks with Hilary Singer, executive director of refugee resettlement organization Jewish Vocational Service, to learn how their work has been affected, and what she sees as the path forward.

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.

Sandra Hemme spent 43 years in a Missouri prison for a murder she did not commit. But her case should help others wrongfully convicted win their freedom, because the judges directly addressed the issue of false confessions.

Sandra Hemme, the Missouri woman who served 43 years in prison for a murder she did not commit, has been home now for six months. One key detail in her exoneration was that her confession was false — Hemme was heavily sedated during multiple interrogations by St. Joseph Police.

KCUR's Sam Zeff checked in with Hemme's attorney, Sean O’Brien, to talk about how that detail sets the stage for future exoneration cases.

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

A tuberculosis outbreak that started in Wyandotte County, Kansas, has grown to be one of the largest in the U.S. since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started tracking the illness in the 1950s. We'll discuss the disease, what we know about this outbreak's origins, and who's at risk.

Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of the Kansas News Service to understand the situation.

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

Fans of the desserts at Baba’s Pantry will get to try even more sweet treats in a new, dedicated space right next door. After Kansas City embraced their Palestinian deli, the Kamal family is expanding with Baba's Bakery, which they call a "labor of love."

Baba's, on 63rd Street, was well-loved even before Bon Appetit named them one of “10 Best New Restaurants of 2022.” KCUR’s Celisa Calacal reports they will now serve their Middle Eastern desserts in an adjacent storefront.

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