Kansas City Today

After 22 years serving Missouri's sprawling Sixth District in Congress, Rep. Sam Graves has been building his seniority in the U.S. House. This service has culminated into a chair position on the House Transportation Committee. Not only does Graves now have wide influence over many federal agencies, the position comes with billions of dollars in spending — with some projects of particular interest to the Kansas City area.

KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Graves about what he hopes to achieve in this position and how he's hoping to stand out next to his more vocal colleagues.

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

In December, 600,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from the Keystone Pipeline, onto Kansas farmland, and into nearby waterways. The pipeline's operator says it's cleaned almost 90% of the spill, but life for locals will be impacted for years. The Kansas New Service's Celia Llopis-Jepsen spoke with residents of Washington County to find out what life has been like since the spill.

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

Leonard Taylor was convicted in 2004 for the murder of his girlfriend and her three children in a St. Louis suburb. But Taylor has always maintained his innocence, claiming he was halfway across the country at the time of the murders. With his execution set for Feb. 7, Taylor and his attorneys are fighting against the clock.

Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with Kansas City Star reporter Katie Moore about Taylor's claims of innocence and who has the power to postpone his execution.

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

America is in a hurry to replace old nuclear warheads before they turn into duds, or something radioactively worse. The Kansas City National Security Campus runs 24/7 making 80% of the non-nuclear parts for nuclear weapons, and as Frank Morris reports, it needs to run faster.

Many states across the Midwest have lost more than 50% of their original wetlands. And that number could grow, depending on how the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a controversial case to define the Waters of the United States. Harvest Public Media and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk’s Juan Pablo Ramirez-Franco reports.

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 & Lisa Rodriguez

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

There's plenty to do at McCoy Park, located in Independence, Missouri, across from the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. But most visitors don’t know that beneath their feet lies the debris from hundreds of homes — all that’s left of a once-vibrant Black neighborhood destroyed by urban renewal. As KCUR’s Savannah Hawley-Bates reports, former residents of The Neck don’t want their stories to be forgotten.

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 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

Bills that seek to limit the participation of transgender girls and women in school sports and ban gender-affirming health care for minors have been taking up much of the air in Jefferson City lately. Other Republican bills have far-reaching ramifications on the art of drag shows in Missouri.

KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with Tori Schafer, deputy director of policy and campaign at the ACLU of Missouri, about the legality and consequence of these bills.

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 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

Before his death in 2022, Lee Brown worked as the controller of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, overseeing the finances of a hugely influential agency. In a lawsuit filed last week, the EDC is now accusing Brown of stealing $3 million from his employer and lying about basic facts like his work history and his
family. Steve Vockrodt of the Midwest Newsroom has the details.

The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game on Sunday to decide who goes to the Super Bowl. It’ll be the fifth straight year the game is played at Arrowhead Stadium. That’s an NFL record, and as KCUR's Greg Echlin
explains, it’s a windfall for Kansas City businesses.

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 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

After a fire knocked out utilities at the Gladstone Court Apartments in northeast Kansas City, tenants were forced to brave freezing temperatures over the weekend. The building's landlord, Parker Webb, also happens to be a board member of reStart, a local social services nonprofit.

KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin spoke with reporters Carlos Moreno and Savannah Hawley about what happened, the larger problems with the building's conditions, and why residents' woes aren't over yet.

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 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

Across the country, state and local governments are studying reparations — what actions can be taken to make amends for the harms of slavery and segregation on Black Americans. In urban areas of Missouri, those discussions center around financial solutions. KBIA's Kassidy Arena reports that rural areas are taking their own steps toward righting historic wrongs, on a neighborhood level.

There are two known cases of Kansas foster children running away and dying in the last year. That’s prompted calls for drastic change in the state foster care system. As Blaise Mesa and Rose Conlon of the Kansas News Service discuss, the state is making some progress in addressing runaway kids.

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 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

Education, infrastructure, and broadband access are just a few priorities Missouri Gov. Mike Parson laid out in his State of the State address in Jefferson City on January 18.

On KCUR's Up To Date, host Steve Kraske and Parson dive into the governor's plans for billions of dollars in state revenue this legislative session.

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 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