Kansas City Today

Two factions within the Jackson County legislature risk losing $70 million in federal relief funds because they can't agree on how to spend them. It’s the latest point of contention in a consistently difficult relationship between legislators and the county executive.

Jackson County can spend $70 million in federal COVID relief funding on projects and programs across the county, but the legislature can’t agree on how to use it. If they don’t come to terms by the end of the month, it will go back to the federal government. Nomin Ujiyediin speaks with KCUR's Savannah Hawley-Bates to learn more about why consensus has been so hard to reach, and what impact the disagreement could have.

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.

Disgraced former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski was found dead by apparent suicide in his home Monday morning, on the day his long-awaited trial was meant to begin. Soon after, the federal case against him was dismissed. Who will be held accountable now — if anyone?

From the KCUR Studios podcast: "Overlooked: Golubski on Trial," KCUR's Peggy Lowe and Madeline Fox break down the news of Golubski's death, its impact on his victims, and what it means in the national conversation about police accountability.

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.

Many of Kansas City's four-lane roads are too fast and too empty. The city plans to slim down many of its most dangerous stretches, like Troost Avenue, 39th Street and Independence Avenue, to curb vehicle and pedestrian accidents.

Josh Merchant, local government reporter for The Beacon, talks to Nomin Ujiyediin about Kansas City's plans to build slower, safer roads.

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 Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

More than two years after his arrest, and after decades of allegedly terrorizing the Black men and women of Kansas City, Kansas, disgraced former detective Roger Golubski is headed to face trial on federal charges this Monday.

On Dec. 2, 2024, the former Kansas City, Kansas, detective will face federal prosecutors, his alleged victims and a jury over charges that he kidnapped and raped vulnerable Black women using the power of his badge.

Today, we're bringing you a special episode from another KCUR Studios podcast: “Overlooked: Golubski On Trial.” In a new season of the award-winning investigative series from KCUR Studios and The Midwest Newsroom, we’ll be exploring the evidence against Golubski and reporting from inside the courtroom to find out what happens.

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.

No, it’s not Taylor and Travis… but another Kansas City Chiefs love story will premiere on the Hallmark Channel this weekend. Plus: A new Kansas celebrity was made this month when Wichita's Chock Chapple appeared on ABC's "The Golden Bachelorette" and won the hand of Joan Vassos.

The new Hallmark film “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” was filmed right here in Kansas City, including at Arrowhead Stadium and in Independence Square. A Hallmark superfan joined KCUR's Steve Kraske on Up To Date to discuss the film, and what it was like to be an extra, ahead of its release this weekend.

Wichita insurance executive Chock Chapple rose to reality TV fame this fall when he starred in ABC’s “The Golden Bachelorette,” a dating show for people later in life. In the season finale, he got engaged to the show’s lead, Joan Vassos. The one sticky part? Joan lives in Maryland, and the couple is currently apartment hunting in New York City.

Chapple spoke with KMUW's Rose Conlon about the couple’s Kansas date, where they’re planning to live, and what it was like being on national TV.

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.

A University of Missouri professor spent years listening to insects — hear how his work is influencing other researchers. Plus, a 117-year-old African American church in Parkville is getting much-needed restoration work thanks to the National Heritage fund.

Insects play a crucial role in ecosystems all around the world, and scientists say we still have much more to discover. That includes how the tiny creatures talk to each other. More scientists are exploring insect vibrations as communication. And as Harvest Public Media’s Héctor Alejandro Arzate reports, one Missouri professor’s research has been foundational to that study.

A historically-Black church in Missouri is getting help from a federal grant to restore important aging structures in African American communities. KCUR’s Julie Denesha reports the congregation plans to revive a Thanksgiving tradition for the first time in years.

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

Kansas City Today is hosted by Luke Martin. 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.

Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly shares what she'll focus on accomplishing over her last two years in office as she faces an even stronger GOP legislative supermajority. Plus political headlines from across the metro.

In a conversation with Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up To Date, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she would not give up on trying to expand Medicaid in the state and that she would not run for another office (except, perhaps, "school board somewhere").

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 Lisa Rodriguez and Gabe Rosenberg.

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

For half a decade, the Kansas City nonprofit WeCode/KC has offered hands-on computer and coding classes primarily to Black students, to make a difference in the tech industry. Plus: A Kansas business processes film for photographers, cinematographers and even pop stars like Megan Thee Stallion.

Black and Latino people are underrepresented in Kansas City’s growing technology industry. KCUR's Brandon Azim has the story of one local organization that’s providing hands-on training for minority kids to provide a path to some of these high paying jobs.

Many photographers and cinematographers worried that film was destined to fade away after digital cameras grew in popularity in the early 2000s. But film is making a big comeback, including in Hollywood. Celia Hack spoke with a Wichita business taking part in the resurgence, even as many of its clients are more than a thousand miles away.

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 Kansas doctor wants to make everyday health care more affordable through a model called direct primary care, where patients pay a monthly fee for services instead of using insurance. Plus: The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a new leader this school year.

A health care model called direct primary care, where patients pay a flat-rate monthly fee instead of using insurance, is growing in popularity. Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of the Kansas News Service profiles one Wichita physician and his direct primary care practice.

This school year, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is under new leadership. Karla Eslinger has more than 30 years of experience in education, including as a teacher, principal and superintendent. Most recently, though, the Ozark Republican served a combined six years in the Missouri Legislature. St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg sat down with Eslinger to talk about her goals for the department, and why she decided to make the switch.

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 Missouri farmers are growing perennial crops like elderberries that are good for the soil and require less labor. But getting those berries into the hands of consumers can take a lot of work. Plus: Farmers are increasingly working jobs away from the farm in order to stay afloat.

Perennial crops, which don’t have to be replanted each year, are proven to be good for the soil and, by extension, the environment. But markets for these crops can be hard to find. KBIA’s Jana Rose Schleis explores how Missouri growers and researchers made the elderberry a success.

You might have an image of a farmer in their tractor or with a bucket feeding livestock. In reality, farmers often work in office cubicles, at the wheel of school buses or in shops stocking shelves. Today, about 85% of farm families rely on off-farm income. As Harvest Public Media contributor Teresa Homsi reports, that’s because farmers often need another part-time, or even a full-time, job to stay in business.

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.