Kansas City Today

The Kansas City Royals finally picked a spot for their new ballpark: Crown Center. While the financials have yet to be figured out, one architecture expert says that the initial design and location look good — with one exception.

In Kansas, radical abolitionist John Brown is associated with a violent period of the state’s history in the lead-up to the Civil War. One hundred and seventy years later, some modern day activists and educators are still debating his legacy.

Property taxes dominated the conversation in this year's Kansas legislative session — but infighting mean that lawmakers left without delivering any of their promised reforms. However, the GOP-dominated legislature managed to pass some big bills, sometimes over the veto of Gov. Laura Kelly.

A Kansas City nonprofit has spent the past decade using donated flowers from special events to brighten up the rooms of seniors living in health care facilities. And now, there’s a new initiative: scholarships. Hear more about how this nonprofit is supporting the next generation of local florists.

Since January 2025, more than 3,200 people from nearly 80 countries have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Missouri. We learn about new figures obtained through a public records lawsuit released by the Deportation Data Project.

A nonprofit program in Kansas City believes songwriting can help teens through mental health challenges. We'll stop by Rebel Song Academy to hear how students are finding their calm through music.

The Trump administration is trying to ease a farm worker shortage in part by cutting mandatory wages for foreign guest workers. But both immigration hardliners and labor advocates are pushing back. Plus: More urban schools in Missouri are finding value in teaching their students about the farming process.

In 2022, Joplin Police sniper Keaton Siebanaler mistakenly shot and killed 2-year old Clesslynn Crawford during a hostage standoff. For almost four years, the city of Joplin fiercely guarded the identity of "Sniper 1." But KCUR and The Midwest Newsroom fought in court to name Siebanaler — who was just hired by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Despite efforts from the Columbia community, Owen Ramsingh, the Columbia man detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year, has been deported to the Netherlands. Ramsingh is now adjusting to his new home.

Kansas City officials announced a $600 million funding plan to help pay for a downtown ballpark for the Royals. Mayor Quinton Lucas spoke about the proposal, and answers criticisms about a lack of public vote, with KCUR's Up To Date.

Johnson County's Negro Creek runs through southern Overland Park and Leawood, and went mostly unknown and unmapped. But when social justice protests emerged in 2020, people took notice and petitioned to change the name. After years of research and public discussions, the creek will keep its name, but get new signage explaining its history.

Kansas lawmakers wrapped up most of their annual work at the end of March, including passing a number of bills related to schools. Legislators return to the capital this week to vote on an override of the governor's vetoes.

Voters around Kansas City went to the polls yesterday, and we'll break down the elections. Plus: A community health center in southeast Kansas is working on solving rural health workforce shortages by introducing elementary schoolers to... frog dissections.

Voters around Kansas City are headed to the polls to decide the fate of a critical earnings tax, local school board races and more. Plus: The Missouri House is considering bills regulating AI-generated intimate depictions of minors, and requiring adult content websites to verify the age of users. But critics have raised free speech concerns.

A judge ruled that the Republican-leaning “Missouri First” congressional map will be in effect for the November election. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit to stop a referendum effort, claiming that voters don't have the power to overturn the map.

Missouri’s 2026 election cycle got a jolt last week when longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves announced his retirement. His departure could tell us a lot about where the GOP stands going into the midterm elections — and could make the 6th Congressional District race a lot more competitive.

Kansas City recently passed a $2.6 billion spending plan that keeps expenses relatively flat. But, some departments like police are still seeing growth, despite some opposition. We'll break down the city's spending and why you should care about it.

The World Cup comes to Kansas City this summer, and many fans will want to stay up late watching and partying. Kansas is close to approving longer hours for serving alcohol during the event, after Missouri passed its own law, so bars and restaurants don't lose business across the state line.

The Hickman Mills School District is trying to help fill its budget shortfall by asking voters to approve a $20 million bond and free up more money for operating expenses like teacher pay, staff benefits and more.

Voters in Kansas City, Missouri, will soon decide whether to renew the city's earnings tax on wages, salaries and profits. If the measure fails, Missouri law forbids the tax from being revived, so Kansas City will need to find another source for hundreds of millions of dollars.