The Leavenworth Detention Center in Kansas has been the center of a number of controversies ranging from reports of poor conditions to authorities eavesdropping on phone calls between prisoners and their attorneys. But the federal government's contract with operator CoreCivic will expire soon, following an executive order by President Biden to end relationships with private prisons. Steve Vockrodt, investigative editor of NPR’s Midwest Newsroom, looked into the troubled Leavenworth facility and the future of private prisons.

A holiday tradition for many families is back this year at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. After a pandemic year off, Kansas City Ballet’s "The Nutcracker" returns — but with some noticeable changes, as KCUR’s Laura Spencer reports.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez

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