Kansas City Today

Missouri Governor Mike Parson delivered his State of the State Address last week. He didn't call for massive new tax cuts or mention critical race theory or drag shows or transgender athletes. Instead, the Republican governor laid out his plans for the state budget and Missouri's record-setting $6 billion surplus, which includes improvements to Interstate 70 and major new investments in education.

It's unclear how Parson’s fellow Republicans will respond to his plans to spend on infrastructure and save for the future, But one group is making its support clear: Democrats. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo about his take on the governor's plans.

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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

Agape Boarding School in Stockton, Missouri, has been at the forefront of the state's reckoning over abuse allegations at unlicensed faith-based boarding schools. Dozens of former students went public with allegations of physical, mental, and sexual abuse by staff at the residential facility, drawing the attention of the Missouri Attorney General and state legislators.

Clara Bates of the Missouri Independent explains what's been happening with Agape and why it took so long to close the troubled school.

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

December's egg prices were up almost 60% compared to prices the same time last year. What caused this staple ingredient to become so expensive? Harvest Public Media's Kendall Crawford explains what's behind the surge in prices.

Many people across the country continue to feel the effects of COVID-19 long after their initial infection. This phenomenon has prompted the opening of long COVID centers throughout the country, with the sole purpose of treating the puzzling ailment. The Kansas News Service's Samantha Horton reports on why Kansas is one of only two states without such a center.

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

A landslide vote last year kept abortion legal in Kansas, but now the fight continues in the Statehouse — where abortion opponents have already introduced legislation that would further restrict access. Kansas News Service reporter Rose Conlon spoke with editor Stephen Koranda about what abortion-related proposals we could see this session.

Unemployment is at a historic low, but many Missouri businesses are struggling to find employees as otherwise eligible workers are out with complications of long COVID. KBIA’s Briana Heaney has the story of one worker in Missouri who wants to work, but physically can’t — and how experiences like this are putting a squeeze on the labor market.

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

It’s the start of a new year for city government and one of the first major orders of business is to set the ballot for the next municipal election in April. Kansas City’s entire city council, along with the mayor, will be up for election. But two other major issues — including a new sales tax on recreational marijuana and a tax aimed at short-term rentals, like Airbnb — will also be decided by voters. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas about how that additional revenue might be spent.

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

Despite considerable progress made since the lifetime of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the fight for civil rights and racial equity is far from finished. KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke on Up To Date with folk singer Danny Cox and civil rights activist Al Brooks about MLK's legacy and the current landscape of social justice.

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

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been huge in his five years as the Kansas City Chiefs’ starter, but going into this year’s NFL playoffs there’s a less-heralded player to watch. Greg Echlin reports for KCUR about the big impact Jerick McKinnon is making on the team.

A gaggle of retirees, military vets and ex-bikers gather at the Neighborhood Café in Lee’s Summit every morning. The men often skip the cinnamon rolls and say they mostly come for the camaraderie — plus the never-ending supply of decaffeinated coffee. Reporter Carlos Moreno introduces us to the "Decaf Boys," as part of KCUR's occasional series about Kansas City’s neighborhood joints and the customers who bring them to life.

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

Shayla Curts had been doing everything that Jackson County courts asked of her, with the hopes of getting her life back on track and reuniting with her two children in foster care. A few weeks before the end of the year, Curts was shot and killed. KCUR's Laura Ziegler has the story of one of 2022's final murders in Kansas City and how the victim's family thinks it could've been prevented.

The Ogallala Aquifer provides water for many people across the high plains of Kansas, but years of high-intensity crop irrigation have caused the water level to drop. The Kansas News Service's David Condos reports on one region's plan to save water and stem an already devastating drought.

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

Lotus Care House, near 31st Street and Linwood Boulevard, provides shelter and services for people experiencing homelessness. As KCUR’s Lawrence Brooks IV reports, it’s Kansas City’s only “housing-first” option to guide chronically homeless people back to permanent housing.

In many rural towns, local hospitals are community fixtures. When they close, the entire community feels the ripple effects, and access to critical health care is put in jeopardy. For the Midwest Newsroom, Sebastián Martínez Valdivia reports on how this is playing out in one rural Missouri town.

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

A Kansas Bureau of Investigation report released late Friday documents a chronic pattern of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the state and the church’s history of protecting its clergy. The report found that dioceses across Kansas frequently failed to follow church policies regarding allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

Scott Canon, editor of the Kansas News Service, shares details of this investigation.

Homeowners in one Kansas City neighborhood who are burdened by massive property tax increases will soon see relief thanks to a new and unique plan. KCUR’s Celisa Calacal reports from the Westside.

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