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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Increased immigration enforcement in Olathe is worrying some. Students across Johnson County have staged protests against ICE, and a recent school walkout led to an altercation with pro-Trump students and several arrests. -
Urban rivers are struggling with water pollution, as the Blue River in Kansas City shows. Restoring riverside woodlands and other natural areas could lead to a healthier river.
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To prepare for increased immigration enforcement activity, Boots on the Ground Midwest has organized neighborhood groups, facilitated mutual aid and trained thousands to legally observe and record officers. Interest in their trainings spiked after the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
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Newspapers in large cities, with lots of possible subscribers, are struggling to keep operating without major cuts. In small towns, it’s even harder. But one Kansas town is making it work.
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Friday afternoons at the Kansas City Bridge Studio in Overland Park, Kansas, bring out all the local stars. For decades, the competition has also turned teammates into longtime friends, and even sparked a marriage or two. -
The Port Authority of Kansas City voted unanimously this week to cut ties with Platform Ventures, after learning of the developer's plans to sell a massive warehouse in south Kansas City to the federal government for use as a mass immigrant detention facility.
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Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City is building entire neighborhoods of affordable housing in Kansas. The nonprofit is using a real estate tool known as a community land trust to ensure the homes remain affordable forever. Plus: The USDA's "Climate Hubs" have helped farmers adapt to a changing climate, but their funding may be in jeopardy.
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More than a year after Missouri voters narrowly approved the legalization of sports betting, the books are now open across the state. Missourians wagered more than $543 million in December, although the state made little tax revenue from that. Now a bill could legalize video lottery terminals.
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Kansas has one of the highest rates of Parkinson’s disease diagnoses. Groups there are helping people slow the progression of the disease through activities including exercise and art classes. Plus: Nipple tattoos are an option for the many American women who survive breast cancer and end their treatment looking for a way to reconnect with themselves and their bodies.
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A trial that could determine the future of abortion access in Missouri has wrapped up, and the decision is now in the hands of a judge. Planned Parenthood is suing to get several laws targeting abortion providers off the books, but the state got its chance this past week to defend the regulations.
