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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The Leavenworth City Commission voted to grant CoreCivic a special use permit to operate an ICE detention center, which will be central to President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts. The vote came despite intense community opposition and a yearlong legal battle. -
Apple NewsA Kansas law forced a foster family to decide between asking their adopted son to move out when he turned 18, or send four younger boys out of their foster home. State lawmakers are considering a bill to make sure other foster families are not forced to make the same impossible choice.
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The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority promised free bus rides for those who need it, as it brings back fares this June. But riders and nonprofits are still waiting to see how that will work. Plus: Missouri cattle farmers who contract red meat allergies from alpha-gal syndrome are suddenly put at risk by their livelihood.
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On Tuesday, the U.S. and Israel continued attacks on Iran that started over the weekend. Now, President Donald Trump is saying the war may continue for weeks to come. Many Iranians and Iranian Americans are celebrating the potential for democracy in the country, but are anxious about the expanding violence.
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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.
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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.
