News & Issues

Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.

Flags in various positions

Half-Staff Confusion

Tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy seems to have overwhelmed the men and women who raise and lower Old Glory in all the places she flies across Kansas City. Indeed, the killings have been coming so fast and furious, coordination has become a problem. Yesterday, for example, the U.S. flag was at half-staff at the Federal…

Read More >

Police And Black Lives Matter Hold A Cookout, And Praise Rolls In

Members of the Wichita, Kan., police department spent Sunday afternoon eating and talking with people from the community, at a cookout that was planned with the local Black Lives Matter group. The event was called the First Steps Community Cookout — a reference to its goal of bridging the gap between police and the community…

Read More >
vegtable aisle

Take 5 For Your Health

Price Chopper Closing In KCK Surprises City Officials, Sets Back Healthy Food Efforts A decades-old grocery store in northeast Kansas City, Kansas, is closing, delivering a blow to a part of town that’s already short on healthy food options. The Price Chopper at 43rd and State Avenue, which has operated under different names for more…

Read More >
A child reading.

Early Bedtime For Preschoolers Might Help Reduce Obesity Risk Later

Little kids who hit the sack early may be less likely to get overtired and fussy in a way that messes with their sleep cycle, researchers say.

Read More >

Common Grounds | Elections in a 24-Hour News Cycle

This week the “Common Grounds” team heads southeast to the Cass County town of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, to sit down with four locals at the New Town Bicycle and Coffee Shop. Dwight and Anita Widaman, Dave Moore, and Bob White met in the narrow, brick building at 115 Wyoming St. in the historic downtown. The bike…

Read More >
A truck with bullet holes.

What We Know About The Suspect In The Nice, France, Attack

Law enforcement and judicial officials have identified 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel as the suspect who they believe plowed into a crowd, killing at least 84 people.

Read More >
Clouds in the sky.

Climate Change May Already Be Shifting Clouds Toward The Poles

Scientists who have been tracking cloud patterns over the past two decades say the shifts they’re seeing seem to correlate closely with what’s predicted by computer models of Earth’s changing climate.

Read More >
Group singing on stage

Peace Outside and Inside

For the Rev. Ken McKoy, following the teachings of Jesus does not mean simply preaching from the pulpit. “There’s very little record of Christ spending his time in the synagogue,” said McKoy, a St. Louis pastor who walks the dangerous streets of his city three nights a week armed only with his faith and the…

Read More >
Cut up vegetables

Slice, Dice, Chop Or Julienne: Does The Cut Change The Flavor?

When it comes to produce, the answer is yes, experts tell us. But the reasons are complicated — and sometimes mysterious even to restaurant critics, chefs and food scientists.

Read More >
the four candidates

Take 5 For Your Health

Fact-Checking Missouri GOP Gubernatorial Candidates On Medicaid Expansion The four Republican candidates for Missouri governor kicked off their debate Wednesday night with a variety of statements about the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion. KCUR fact-checked some of those statements. Here’s a sample of what they found: Catherine Hanaway: “Obamacare has failed in every regard….

Read More >

Local Storytelling. Fact-Based Reporting. Trustworthy Sources.

Help support the nonprofit media landscape in Kansas City and provide a platform for underrepresented voices across the region.