
Jacob Smollen
KCUR Studios intern, 2025-2026Jacob Smollen is the 2025-2026 intern for KCUR Studios.
He graduated in May 2025 from Brown University, where he was the podcast editor, and a city and state politics editor for the school’s newspaper, The Brown Daily Herald. Last summer, Jacob wrote for a small newspaper on Cape Cod called the Provincetown Independent.
Jacob is originally from Philadelphia, but his mother was born in Kansas City and his grandmother grew up here, so he’s excited to explore and get to know the metro.
In Jacob’s free time, he watches (and plays) a bunch of sports so he’s especially looking forward to seeing the city’s sports culture.
Email him at jsmollen@kcur.org.
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Western Kansas has inserted itself into the corn belt, and even though there's better crop options for the climate, huge industries and government subsidies make it hard for farmers to switch. Plus: The average American eats more than 40 quarts of popcorn a year, but the snack isn't grown on that many farms.
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Many Kansas students are getting excited about girls’ flag football, which was launched in the state with help and funding from the Kansas City Chiefs. Learn about the sport and its rising popularity.