Up To Date

What Kansas City cares about. Up To Date brings people together for daily conversations about what’s happening in our region and how it affects our lives. Featuring interviews with artists, lawmakers, experts and everyday residents, plus original reporting from the KCUR newsroom, Up To Date keeps our city connected.

A Kansas professor is getting students to lead the climate change conversation

Dr. Imogen Herrick, assistant professor of STEM Education at the University of Kansas, is changing the way climate change is discussed in K-12 classrooms. Her Community Science Data Talks shift the focus from global issues and intangible statistics to local impacts and student emotions.

10-09
14:58

Do faith communities have a responsibility to address gun violence? 'All people are valuable'

Popular author and faith leader John Pavlovitz will be in Kansas City next Monday to be the keynote speaker for a Grandparents for Gun Safety forum.

10-08
15:37

Kansas City Police is seeing more officer recruitment after years of slow hiring

The Kansas City Police Department has struggled to recruit new officers for years, especially after protests against misconduct and racism. But Chief Stacey Graves says a record number of new recruits graduated into the department in August, and next year’s class is similarly robust.

10-07
31:37

Can lawmakers still build bipartisan consensus? These Kansas legislators think so

Two Kansas state representatives — Democrat Brandon Woodard and Republican Laura Williams — will be speaking at a panel on bipartisan public policy work at the Dole Institute of Politics on Wednesday.

10-07
20:15

Ukrainian physician works with Kansas City nonprofit to fill his country's health care needs

Ukrainian physician Dr. Lev Prystupiuk and Kansas resident Roxanne Jones are central to efforts by Lenexa-based Global Care Force to fill the health care gaps caused by Russia's war. The nonprofit's volunteers are sometimes the only providers reaching Ukraine's communities.

10-06
17:52

Food recs: Kansas City’s best pizza

Every city has tons of good pizza places, and Kansas City is no exception. New spots like Northeast Pizza, in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood, and stalwarts like Minsky’s make certain that, wherever you’re based in the metro, you’re never far from a perfectly greasy, cheesy pizza pie.

10-04
44:58

Looking for new movies and TV to watch this fall? Kansas City film critics offer their picks

Whether you're searching for a Halloween haunt, an Oscar contender or a new series to binge, Kansas City film critics Austin Vashaw, Abby Olcese and Patrick Moore have you covered. They joined KCUR’s Up To Date to bring you their latest movie and streaming recommendations.

10-03
37:30

A Missouri woman was pardoned after decades in prison. Her new book reveals an unjust system

Judy Henderson spent 35 years in prison for a murder conviction, despite maintaining that she was innocent. Freed by the Missouri governor, Henderson's new autobiography “When the Light Finds Us,” documents the cruelty of the state's prisons and what it took her to keep going.

10-02
16:47

Kansas City ‘jazz whistler’ Kelley Gant is competing in an international whistling contest

Musician Kelley Gant is heading to Los Angeles to perform at the Masters of Musical Whistling competition. She stopped by KCUR’s Up To Date to whistle a Charlie Parker tune and tell us how she got into the art form.

10-02
15:56

Who will replace Frank White Jr. as Jackson County Executive? The public may get little input

Frank White Jr. has been recalled. On Thursday, DaRon McGee, chair of the Jackson County Legislature, will appoint a temporary replacement for county executive, who can serve up to 30 days. Then, the full Legislature will select a replacement for the rest of White’s term — with little chance for public feedback.

10-01
13:58

Kansas City health experts want Trump’s revived Presidential Fitness Test to be more inclusive

Not everyone has fond memories of the Presidential Fitness Test. It could be a fun gym class challenge for students who were athletic and competitive, but for everyone else it offered a source of anxiety and occasionally embarrassment. The twice-yearly assessment was retired by former President Obama, but in July, President Trump signed an executive order to revive it.

10-01
17:00

Chappell Roan's Kansas City concerts are claiming space for 'queer joy' in the Midwest

Kansas City is one of just three U.S. cities on Chappell Roan’s current tour, and local fans say it’s a reminder to everyone that the Midwest has its own vibrant queer communities. Much of the city’s LGBTQ+ arts scene has been on display this week ahead of the concerts.

09-30
14:27

Caleb Hearon and Waxahatchee are having banner years. Now they're headlining for KC Tenants

The musician Waxahatchee and comedian Caleb Hearon, who are friends and Kansas City residents, call affordable housing the issue of our time. This week, they’re headlining a benefit show for KC Tenants at the Uptown Theater, and they joined KCUR’s Up To Date to discuss their careers on stage and their activism in the community.

09-30
27:46

Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital debuts a new way of sequencing genes

Dr. Tomi Pastinen, director of Genomic Answers for Kids, led the first clinical study of five-base long read sequencing, recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. This new method shows doctors more of the genome and can diagnose rare diseases with a single test.

09-29
18:51

Why is Missouri one of the most dangerous states to have a baby?

Missouri's health department found that the vast majority of maternal deaths were preventable, and resulted from a lack of care in the months after birth. Cardiologist Dr. Anna Grodzinsky navigated her own high-risk pregnancies, and she explains what our medical system is missing.

09-26
12:29

Rep. Sharice Davids says Kansas gerrymandering would 'silence the voices' of voters

Republican leaders in the Kansas Legislature want to follow the lead of states like Texas and Missouri by gerrymandering the state's congressional maps to favor Republicans. U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat who represents the state's 3rd district, says the idea of splitting up Johnson County is "ludicrous."

09-25
21:26

Mexican Consulate of Kansas City tries to keep people informed amid deportation threats

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. Consul Soileh Padilla Mayer, who leads the Mexican Consulate in Kansas City, is spending this month making sure that Latino residents are being treated fairly around the metro, especially as the Trump administration ramps up deportation efforts.

09-25
15:36

Will Jackson County recall Frank White Jr.? What to know about the special election

Jackson County residents will decide Tuesday, Sept. 30, on whether to recall County Executive Frank White Jr. Proponents and opponents shared their perspectives ahead of the vote, and explain what will happen if White gets recalled.

09-24
23:10

How do you get rid of forever chemicals? A UMKC professor is researching solutions

Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are found in substances from cosmetics to nonstick pans — and end up in our bloodstreams, unable to break down. UMKC engineering professor Dr. Megan Hart studies how to get rid of these substances, and shares the everyday changes she has made for her health.

09-23
16:29

Kansas City’s Warwick Theater reopens to audiences more than a year after devastating fire

The Warwick on Main Street suffered a multi-alarm fire in February 2024 that burned across three floors and forced the cast and crew to relocate their show last-minute. Now, the building has been restored, and the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre is back with its first performances since.

09-22
12:46

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