Kansas City Today

Most of the bills passed by Missouri lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson this past legislative session went into effect last Monday. But one issue that still hasn’t made it through Jefferson City is legalizing sports betting. As St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg reports, the path forward in the legislature for sports betting isn’t an easy one, and could ultimately be a decision for Missouri voters instead.

Last year, the U.S. exported $18.5 billion worth of corn, more than a quarter of which went to Mexico. But that trade relationship has been strained in recent years, with Mexico’s president trying to ban the import of genetically modified corn. As Harvest Public Media’s Dana Cronin explains, the president’s decree pits cultural conviction against a major trade agreement.

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

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

Eloise Reynolds, a resident of Olivette, Missouri, encountered a perplexing reality in medical billing: Providers can come after patients for more money well after a bill has been paid. Samantha Liss, Midwest correspondent for KFF Health News, reports.

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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

At Kansas City’s new gender-neutral square dance, you won’t hear words like “Ladies” and “Gents” being called out with the dance moves. KCUR’s Julie Denesha takes us to a unique, do-si-do scene in the West Bottoms at the Oddball Hoedown.

While the Vietnam War was being fought a sea away, a battle was raging among white and Black service members over proper treatment. The racial conflict was so intense, the army was eventually forced to respond. KCUR contributor Anne Kniggendorf spoke with University of Kansas professor Beth Baily about her new book "An Army Afire" that chronicles this internal crisis.

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

When refugees arrive in the United States, they face significant barriers to fit into their new environment. In car-dominated Kansas City, one of the biggest challenges is learning how to drive. KCUR’s Noah Zahn reports.

Child care is hard for Kansas parents to find — so hard that some providers say you should start looking for infant care the second you know you’re having a baby. Blaise Mesa of the Kansas News Service reports child care providers are also struggling to grow, despite their businesses being in high demand.

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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

In June, police discovered the remains of 36-year-old Janie Crosdale in the Missouri River, about 90 miles east of Kansas City. Law enforcement had been searching for Crosdale in connection with the case against Timothy Haslett, Jr., who is accused of beating and sexual assaulting a woman who said she was held in his basement. The case has raised questions about how Kansas City police handle cases of missing Black women.

KCUR's Steve Kraske sat down with KCUR investigative reporter Peggy Lowe and Kris Wade, executive director of Justice Project KC, to talk about why fewer Black women are reported as missing, and how difficult it can be to investigate these 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 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

A ban on gender affirming care for minors in Missouri took effect yesterday, after a judge declined to block it from taking effect. KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke with St Louis. Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about what the ban brings and what to expect from the courts in the near future.

More than a dozen locations across Kansas, Missouri and Iowa experienced heat indexes of over 120 degrees during last week’s record-breaking heatwave. Farmworkers are particularly vulnerable to these kinds of temperatures, being 35 times more likely to die from the heat. Harvest Public Media’s Eva Tesfaye reports that the federal government is trying to create a heat standard for workers, but the process could take years.

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

Cryptocurrency kiosks have spread across the Kansas City area in recent years. ATMs emblazoned with the words "Bitcoin" and little other information have been installed in gas stations, liquor stores, smoke shops and other locations, predominantly in lower-income neighborhoods.

Dan Mika of the Kansas City Beacon shares why critics call the machines a targeted attempt to exploit financially vulnerable people with steep fees and a volatile product that’s difficult to cash out.

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

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Paris Norvell 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 year is shaping up to be one of Kansas City's most violent years ever, in part due to rising gun violence. KCUR's Laura Ziegler spoke with some Black women who have decided to protect themselves by buying guns.

Chronic wasting disease is an infection that's been making its way through deer populations for years. Unsure whether it could affect humans, some scientists hope a ban on deer baiting could slow the spread in Kansas. Kansas News Service reporters Celia Llopis-Jepsen and Blaise Mesa sat down to talk about the issue.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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

For decades, Kansas City officials have tried — and failed — to turn Brush Creek into an attraction people enjoy. And it’s not for lack of investment. Floods, failure to follow through on big plans and some bad luck have kept it from being a gathering place. As KCUR’s Savannah Hawley-Bates reports, the city is drafting a new plan to change the creek and is relying on community members to tell them what they want.

Ranchers across the Midwest and Great Plains are battling black vultures, a federally protected bird that has a reputation for killing newborn livestock. Harvest Public Media’s Xcaret Nuñez reports while the birds play an important ecological role, their expanding population is becoming a big nuisance for ranchers.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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

A plan to change zoning laws to allow for more multi-family housing in Prairie Village has drawn sharp opposition from some residents, who worry diversifying housing threatens the suburb's identity as an exclusive community affordable mostly to middle- and upper-class families. A group called PV United has circulated a series of petitions aimed at stopping any zoning changes and even reshaping the look of city government.

KCUR's Steve Kraske spoke about the issue with Josh Merchant of The Kansas City Beacon who says the debate is pitting neighbors against one another.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter 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