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When the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opened the Bloch Building , its "lens" architecture was so different from the existing museum that many didn't see how the two could stand side by side. Today, the architect of the addition, Steven Holl , talks about returning to his building ten years later. Then, we learn about an ongoing and enduring increase in wildfires and what it means for the people whose job it is to manage the effects.

When Beck Weathers' climbing group joined other expeditions summiting Mount Everest in May of 1996, no one knew eight mountaineers would not return. Today, we speak with Weathers about his survival story, and learn about an opera depicting the deadly climb . Then, we catch up with three Kansas City chefs lending their prowess to a high-profile culinary event hosted by the James Beard Foundation. Despite the pressure, executive chef Debbie Gold is already looking forward to putting on a great

For as long as there has been recorded music, there have been cover songs. Today, music writer Ray Padgett shares the stories behind some of the greatest cover songs of all time — from Whitney Houston's version of a Dolly Parton classic to Johnny Cash's take on an easily-overlooked Nine Inch Nails track . We also hear from callers about the cover songs that made an impact on them.

After losing her son to murder in 2011, Rosilyn Temple turned her grief into action. She formed Mothers in Charge , whose members respond to every homicide call in Kansas City, Missouri. Her story is now the subject of a new documentary , and Temple and director Jon Brick explain how the film came about. Then, Overland Park is having its first competitive mayoral race in two cycles. Incumbent Mayor Carl Gerlach and challenger Charlotte O'Hara give their views on the big issues facing the third

Kansas volunteers are committed to preserving a national icon: the bald eagle. Today, we speak with the filmmakers of a documentary short about the year-round work to document and band the offspring of nesting eagles in the Sunflower State. Then, we meet the two candidates for this year's mayoral election in Kansas City, Kansas. Incumbent Mark Holland and challenger David Alvey discuss current issues in Wyandotte County and how their plans differ in terms of moving the Unified Government forward

Kansas City residents will vote on the fate of existing facilities at KCI in a week. We hit the most common points of concern about the project, and city council members Jolie Justus, 4th District , and Dan Fowler, 2nd District , respond to them. Then, the we break down the big-picture narratives of the Vietnam War with two American perspectives from soldiers who were officers in the conflict. As part of Big Read KC , Col. Thomas Dials and Dr. James Willbanks discuss their individual

John Grisham's career has taken him from attorney, to Mississippi state representative, to best-selling author. Today, we speak with the acclaimed writer about his latest legal thriller, The Rooster Bar , which explores the underbelly tactics of for-profit law schools. We also learn about Grisham's career beginnings, work with the Midwest Innocence Project, and his process transforming the dry and weighty topics of the legal world into relatable, high-drama page-turners. John Grisham discusses

Even though the winds and rain have subsided, the carnage wrought by Hurricanes Maria and Irma have left parts of the Caribbean without power and everyday necessities. Today, we find out how recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are progressing from two Kansas City relief workers who saw the devastation firsthand. Then, learn interesting facts, folk-wisdom, and oddities of the Show-Me State, via a brand new Missouri Almanac .

During World War I, millions of letters were sent between the American servicemen in Europe and their loved ones back home. Kansas City author and publicist Pat O'Neill focused in on 223 letters sent during the war by his grandfather. Today, we learn Sgt. George Wigert's story . Then, we meet Mexico's top diplomat in the U.S., Gerónimo Gutiérrez , who faces tough challenges representing his country during the Trump Administration. He says the North American neighbors' fates are deeply

It's not every day you see — well, hear about — a set of 17-foot-tall, 4 1/2-ton gilded doors, but today is that day. We broadcast live from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and get the rundown on just such a set of doors, originally sculpted in the 15th century by Lorenzo Ghiberti . Then, we find out how a trip to the Musée d’ Ethnographie du Trocadéro transformed the way Pablo Picasso thought about the human body, and get a preview of the Nelson's newest exhibit. ' Through the Eyes of Picasso