Kansas City Today

Truman State University students can now declare a brand new major: cannabis and natural medicinals. KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with Truman State dean Timothy Walston on Up To Date to learn why it's needed and to discuss Missouri’s bustling marijuana industry.

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 Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Madeline Fox.

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

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is seeking a second term next year. And a crowded field of Democratic challengers is looking to oust the Missouri Republican. But as St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum reports, Democrats are torn about whether a competitive primary is a blessing or an unnecessary waste of time and resources.

The Kansas City Royals could set a record for team losses during this final weekend of regular season baseball. But talk in Kansas City has been less about their lack of winning and more about where a new baseball stadium should go. As Greg Echlin reports for KCUR, many fans have united over what will be lost if and when the Royals change zip codes.

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 Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Missourians who are arrested, deemed unfit to stand trial and ordered into mental health treatment are now detained in jail for an average of eight months before being transferred to a mental health facility. And that wait time used to be even longer.

KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Missouri Independent reporter Clara Bates about why wait times are so long for people who haven't been convicted of a crime, and what the state is doing in 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 Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

For many years, the dominant narrative has said that small towns across the Midwest were drying up and losing their populations to metropolitan areas. During the pandemic, many large cities saw their populations decline as folks fled to the suburbs.

KCUR's Steve Kraske sat down with Flatland's Cami Koons to talk about how some rural communities are revitalizing their downtown districts with hopes of attracting younger, city-dwelling tourists.

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 Trevor Grandin, Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Homicides could set a record again this year, as nonfatal shootings are down from last year — likely because of deadlier guns on Kansas City's streets. But many people who are hit by gunfire survive, only to struggle with physical and mental issues. These kinds of shootings have been increasing, too, leaving more families to pick up the pieces. KCUR’s Peggy Lowe reports.

Community composting operations are popping up in cities across the country, hoping to keep food waste out of landfills and return nutrients to the soil. But not all cities are welcoming them, especially when neighbors complain about bad smells and pests. Harvest Public Media’s Eva Tesfaye reports on how cities in the Midwest are handling these new operations.

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 Paris Norvell, Byron Love, and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

It feels as if workers are going on strike left and right these days, but union membership has hit all time lows in recent years. So what's driving this surge in labor organizing?

On KCUR's Up To Date, Steve Kraske spoke with Dante Wilson, President of UAW local 31, about the local autoworkers union impacted by the strikes against GM and Stellantis.

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 Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Five years ago, two of Jackson County’s top officials were sentenced to prison for misusing campaign funds. County executive Mike Sanders got more than two years of prison time. His aide, Calvin Williford, only got six months for the same crime, apparently because he was helping with a federal investigation into other Jackson County politicians. So, what ever happened to that investigation? KCUR's Carlos Moreno sat down with KCUR's Sam Zeff to learn more.

Late last month, Zaiylah Bronson was found dead in the trunk of her boyfriend’s car in Wichita. Prosecutors say he strangled her. She was 16 weeks pregnant. Bronson’s death is focusing attention on persistent domestic violence issues that experts say have worsened during the pandemic, including for pregnant women. Rose Conlon reports for the Kansas News Service.

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 Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Utility rates don’t always rank high among hot-button political controversies. But the last few months in Missouri have seen an increasingly contentious dance playing out.

Evergy has seen blowback from customers and elected officials over mandatory time-of-use pricing, which it's expected to implement next month under an order from the Missouri Public Service Commission. That might encourage conservation, and a reduced used of fossil fuels, though that’s led some to say the whole thing is part of a political agenda.

Host Brian Ellison spoke with Allison Kite, data reporter for The Missouri Independent and Kansas Reflector, about these new plans and how they will impact current Evergy customers.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

Most retired state employees in Kansas who rely on pension payments haven't seen cost-of-living adjustments in 25 years. A higher rate of inflation has caused the value of their payments to diminish greatly. KCUR's Dylan Lysen reports on the advocates who are calling for a boost in retirement pay.

Climate change is making farming riskier and the act of subsidizing crops more expensive. As the farm bill nears its renewal date, some think that taxpayers' money is being wasted on such a volatile industry. Harvest Public Media's Frank Morris reports on those arguing that crop subsidies are shielding farmers too much.

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 Trevor Grandin, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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

This week, the Jackson County Legislature passed a property tax credit for seniors that will go into effect next year. It comes after assessed home values increased by an average of 40% this year. Under the legislation, Jackson County seniors whose homes are valued less than $550,000 can start applying for relief next year. If they are eligible for the program, seniors would see their property tax bill frozen at the 2023 level, something supporters say will benefit people living on a fixed income.

KCUR's Madeline Fox sat down with local government reporter Celisa Calacal and education reporter Jodi Fortino to understand how the tax credits will work — and how it could affect schools.

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 Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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