Kansas City Today

What's at stake for Kansas City content creators if the popular social media app TikTok gets banned? The internet is watching an impending U.S. Supreme Court decision closely, and wondering what the Trump administration might do.

KCUR's Brian Ellison talks with @Andr3wsky, and twins Luke and Paul Harwerth of @twinsauce, about how the ban would affect their income and their community.

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.

A fight over fluoride in drinking water in Abilene, Kansas, could preview battles likely to play out in cities across the country as the next presidential administration puts a spotlight on the issue. Plus: President-elect Trump's immigration policies will likely affect the meatpacking industry, and in turn, the cost of food.

Members of the incoming Trump administration want to remove fluoride from public water. It’s drawing more attention to the mineral many cities add to public water supplies to strengthen peoples’ teeth. As Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga reports, a town in Kansas just went through that debate last year.

President Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20th, and has promised mass deportations. That would likely have big impacts on the meatpacking industry, and the price of our food. Ted Genoways reports on what that could mean for workers and consumers.

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.

Missouri this year raised penalties for distracted drivers with its "hands free" law. The state has joined 29 other states and Washington, D.C., in banning phones behind the wheel.

Corporal Justin Howard with the Missouri State Highway Patrol explained the reasoning behind the law, and laid out the possible penalties, with KCUR's Steve Kraske on 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 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 Kansas Legislative session begins today — with Republicans enjoying an expanded supermajority in the Statehouse. Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson discuss what their priorities are for the coming year, including tax cuts.

Hawkins says his fellow Republicans feel "upbeat," while Masterson says he would like to see a constitutional amendment setting property tax caps. KCUR's Steve Kraske sits down with the two GOP leaders to learn more about their legislative priorities.

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 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.

Step inside the tiny A-frame cottage where local bakery Burek and Cake makes fresh Bosnian baked goods on the daily — and always with love. Owner Fatina Hodzic opened it two years ago and already has a slate of regulars, whom she greets by name.

The tiny Bosnian bakery in the Northland has become a destination to gather over cakes, coffee, and bureks, a traditional Bosnian snack made with pastry dough and savory fillings. KCUR's Claudia Brancart 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.

Urban and suburban school districts may have a funding and staffing edge, but small rural districts say their close-knit communities make it easier to identify and support unhoused students. Plus: A website called Sniffspot lets Kansans rent their backyards or other spaces as puppy playgrounds.

Even the best-resourced school districts find it challenging to identify students experiencing homelessness and ensure they receive federally mandated services. KCUR's Jodi Fortino reports on how smaller, rural districts have an advantage in making sure kids don't fall through the cracks.

There’s a new short-term rental app that’s growing across Kansas, and this one is for the dogs. Sniffspot matches pet owners with landowners who rent their backyards or other spaces by the hour as private dog parks. 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 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.

Missouri voters in November narrowly passed an amendment legalizing sports betting. But even as the Chiefs head to the playoffs, fans in Missouri still need to cross the border to place a bet. So what's the holdup?

Amendment 2, passed by Missouri voters in November, mandates that sports betting be operational in the state by December 2025. But the system faces challenges before anyone can actually start gambling.

Jan Zimmerman, chair of the Missouri Gaming Commission — which is tasked with implementing the emergency rules, regulations and licensing — told host Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up To Date she expects wagers to be placed by summer. But there's still a lot of work that needs to be done first.

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 Suzanne Hogan and KCUR Studios. It is edited by Gabe Rosenberg.

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

The Giving Grove, a Kansas City nonprofit that works with residents of under-resourced communities to grow orchards, will translate their educational gardening materials into 12 different languages. Plus: Midwest scientists and enthusiasts are working to preserve and popularize heirloom varieties of collard greens.

A local nonprofit that offers low-income communities access to fruit and nut tree orchards will be better able to serve non-English speakers with a new grant from the federal government. KCUR’s Brandon Azim shares the details.

Collard greens are a nutritious vegetable with a rich cultural heritage in the U.S. Now, scientists and enthusiasts are working to preserve and popularize heirloom varieties that could be tastier and more climate resilient than common grocery greens. Harvest Public Media’s Kate Grumke takes us to a greenhouse in East St. Louis where some of that work is taking place.

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 Suzanne Hogan and KCUR Studios. It is edited by Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Kansas City-area legislators will have some big leadership roles when Missouri General Assembly convenes this week. So does that mean city leaders will finally realize their hopes of reducing gun violence or regaining local control of the city’s police department? (Probably not.)

Lee’s Summit Republican Jon Patterson is set to become Speaker of the Missouri House. And other local legislators of both parties will be in roles that shape the agenda and the conversation in Jefferson City.

One of those is Republican state Sen. Tony Leutkemeyer of Parkville, the new Senate Majority Leader. He’ll get to decide what items of business come up for votes, when, and he told KCUR's Steve Kraske on Up To Date that confronting violent crime will be one of his party’s top priorities this year.

Kraske also spoke with state Rep. Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat who becomes House Minority Leader this week. He asked her why she doubts how much the General Assembly can accomplish this year.

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 Suzanne Hogan, and KCUR Studios. It is edited by Gabe Rosenberg.

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

Nearly two months ago, Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution. But even after a judge froze the state's abortion ban, the procedure still isn’t available yet. Plus: A Kansas City arts magazine has been revived, 23 years after its last issue rolled off the presses.

Back in November, Missouri voters passed Amendment 3, which placed the right to an abortion in the state constitution — essentially nullifying the state’s near-total ban. But the ballot initiative’s approval at the polls marked the beginning of another legal dispute over abortion access. St. Louis Public Radio Editor Brian Moline spoke with health reporter Sarah Fentem about why patients still can’t get an abortion in Missouri even today.

It’s been 23 years since the last issue of Forum Magazine rolled off the presses. But now, thanks to the efforts of editor Andrew Johnson and others, it’s back. KCUR’s Julie Denesha spoke with Johnson about what readers can expect and what the reborn publication means for the local arts community.

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. It is edited by Madeline Fox.

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