News

A recent poll said nearly a third of voters didn't support either former President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden. But third-party or independent candidates still don't have a serious path forward, and in Kansas, lawmakers want to make it more difficult for them to make the ballot for statewide office.

At 88, Calvin Trillin is still writing and touring across the United States to promote his work. Trillin will appear in his hometown of Kansas City for a Rainy Day Books event on Feb. 28.

In Missouri, a child must be born before a divorce can be finalized, and advocates fear this can keep people in domestic violence situations from being able to leave their abusers. Representative Ashley Aune of Kansas City introduced a bill earlier this February that would undo the statute.

Christina Sanabria didn't think she'd have a career in performing arts. The Johnson County native recently won her second Grammy for children's music as part of the duo 123 Andrés, whose album "We Grow Together Preschool Songs" won Best Children’s Album of the Year.

With a budget surplus and a looming election, Republicans and Democrats in the Kansas Legislature have said it's necessary to pass tax relief this session. Journalists who cover the Kansas Statehouse have insights into how that might happen.

The Kansas legislature has taken up several bills this session that the ACLU says would make casting ballots harder. The House Committee on Elections' chair says the goal is to improve Kansans' confidence in elections, and that many of the measures won't make it to a vote on the floor.

Reyes served in many Kansas City community organizations and was dedicated to bridging the gap between its Spanish- and English-speaking residents. Her children are dedicated to continuing her legacy.

Two local U.S. representatives — Republican Mark Alford and Democrat Emanuel Cleaver — hope to address the fentanyl crisis in Missouri and around the country.

Business owners in the Crossroads area, where the Royals want to build a $2 billion stadium and entertainment complex, fear the district known as a haven for artists will lose its character. "You can imagine people who are counting on this neighborhood for their livelihood, are very worried and concerned about how this plan is going to affect them," said one owner.

The 2023 National Geographic documentary “The Space Race” explores the history of Black astronauts, including Kansas City’s own Ed Dwight. Local nonprofit aSTEAM Village is screening the movie to fund their trip to the 50th National Society of Black Engineers convention in Atlanta.

Clay Bauske has served as the curator of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum for over 40 years and is set to retire at the end of the month. During his time in the role, museum curation has changed dramatically — but he argues that how we view President Truman has also shifted over these last four decades.

Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander doesn't know what law might have stopped the mass shooting at Kansas City's Union Station. And rather than propose new laws, Kander told Up To Date the first step should be to remove a law that protects gun companies and manufacturers from civil litigation.

Khalia Davis started as The Coterie's new producing artistic director on Feb. 1. Before landing in Kansas City, Davis helped lead the Bay Area Children’s Theatre in Oakland, California. Her appointment comes a year after her predecessor died by suicide amidst accusations of sexual abuse.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said her office will work closely with the juvenile court, which has charged two minors in connection with the mass shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl rally last week. The prosecutor discussed legal challenges she anticipates with the case and ways she'd like to see gun policy change in the state.

This weekend at the Westin Crown Center Hotel, conference centers and hotel rooms will turn into concert venues as a part of Folk Alliance International’s annual conference. It bills itself as the largest gathering of the folk music industry and community in the world.

The Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Powell Gardens aims to be an educational hub for conservation-focused farming practices in the Midwest.

Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a beloved DJ and leader in Kansas City’s Latino community, was shot and killed at the Chief’s Super Bowl victory parade at Union Station on Feb. 14. “She was a big-hearted person,” Galvan’s brother, Beto Lopez, told KCUR's Up To Date.

One person was killed and 22 others were injured on Wednesday during a mass shooting that occurred at the end of the Chiefs championship parade and rally. KCUR's Up To Date spoke with government officials at the local, state and federal levels to get their reactions to what happened.

As monetary donations roll in from across the country, one local organization has a different ask. The Kansas City Pioneers, an esports team, are collecting gaming systems for kids who were hospitalized at Children’s Mercy.

Tens of thousands of people were caught up in the melee after the Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday. KCUR’s Up To Date spoke with just a handful of them to learn about the terrifying experience, and find out what they took away from it.