Sam Zeff
Metro ReporterJob Title: Metro Reporter
Contact: sam@kcur.org
Topic Expertise: Organized crime, police misconduct, politics, heat stroke
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Geographic Expertise: Kansas and Missouri
Language: English
Honors & Awards: National News and Information Emmy for investigative reporting. Four National Headliner Awards. Four Edward R. Murrow awards. Numerous local Emmys from Philadelphia, Kansas City and Minneapolis.
Memberships: National Association of Black Journalists; Journalism and Women Symposium
About Sam
As KCUR’s metro reporter, Sam holds public officials accountable. He track downs malfeasance by seeking open records and court documents, and by building relationships across the city.
A Kansas native, Sam spent 17 years in Philadelphia covering the mob, political corruption, politics and police.
He ran the special projects and investigative unit at WCCO, the CBS owned station in Minneapolis. He also served as the assistant news director and investigative executive produce at KCTV, the CBS station in Kansas City. He worked as assistant news director responsible for investigations at KSTP, the ABC station in Minneapolis.
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Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, of Missouri, introduced the Stop Flock Abuse Act, calling the automated license plate reader system “a nightmare for individual liberties.” -
Home births have been increasing in Missouri and Kansas. And "free birth," when a person gives birth without the help of a medical professional, has been popularized in recent years by influencers. Hear why experts are concerned, but women who have done it say the practice is misunderstood. -
A KCUR analysis of data collected from hundreds of automated license plate readers in the Kansas City area shows out-of-state police departments account for thousands of searches. Across the metro, people are demanding a stop to the unfettered collection of their information. -
Lee’s Summit police now require every police agency in the country to agree to a set of rules before allowing access to Flock data. The department says they may be ‘pioneers’ in this kind of data protection.
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The University of Kansas is rebuilding its football stadium and creating an almost billion-dollar Gateway District. The project is straining revenues for the university. -
Running back MicahJo Barnett had trouble breathing after scoring a touchdown during Saturday's game, when it was 97 degrees in Liberty, Missouri. He died a short time later at the hospital. -
The Liberty High School alumnus died during a game between William Jewell College and Fort Lewis College Saturday afternoon. -
Rylan Reece, 16, died on the first day of practice at tiny Pawnee Heights High School. He was the fifth Kansas football player to die during conditioning since 2018. -
Kassebaum’s legacy is one of moderation, bipartisanship and paving the way for Kansas women to ascend to high office in Kansas. Kassebaum died Aug. 21, 2026, at the age of 94. -
The 17-year-old student died on the first day of practice at Pawnee Heights High School in western Kansas. He is the fifth football player to die in Kansas since 2018.
