Kavahn Mansouri
Investigative Reporter, Midwest NewsroomContact: kmansouri@kcur.org
Topic Expertise: Housing, education, Freedom of Information Act, government, gun laws
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Education: Webster University, Bachelor's Degree in Journalism
Language: English
Local & Demographic Expertise: Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska
Honors & Awards: Knight Chair Award for Best Investigative Reporting (2nd Place, Illinois Press Association), Community Service Reporting (1st place, Illinois Press Association), Freedom of Information Award (1st place, Illinois Press Association)
Memberships: Investigative Reporters and Editors
About Kavahn
Kavahn Mansouri joined KCUR 89.3 and the Midwest Newsroom from the Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat in 2021.
There, his beat focused on covering local government, with a mission to hold elected officials and public agencies accountable. He also contributed to the breaking news beat daily and maintained the paper’s Public Pay Database, which tracks salaries and wages at taxpayer-funded institutions throughout the state.
A native of St. Louis, Kavahn is a graduate of Webster University. He started reporting when he was 15 years old, working on his high school newspaper.
Since Kavahn has honed my craft into investigative reporting, where he seeks to tell stories about how every day people are affected by complex issues. Through interviewing people and documents alike, he aims to uncover stories in which people in power do wrong.
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St. Louis Public Radio and The Midwest Newsroom obtained credit card statements from former St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Keisha Scarlett that are at the center of a new district investigation. -
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is taking aim at a recently passed Jackson County ordinance that banned people under the age of 21 from possessing certain firearms. The measure was proposed after Chiefs parade mass shooting in Kansas City. -
States had until the end of September to distribute federal rescue funds to school districts to help students struggling with housing get equal access to education. Barring extensions, most states will leave money on the table — including several in the Midwest. -
The owners of one of Kansas City's and St. Louis’ highest-profile development firms face federal fraud charges in an alleged scheme that officials say defrauded a St. Louis city minority and women’s owned business program. -
In 2022, residents of this district told reporters they felt forgotten by elected officials. On a return visit, we heard from voters that long-serving U.S. Rep. Sam Graves doesn’t spend much time connecting with constituents here. Still, with wide support, he’s destined for a 12th term. -
Three years after federal aid was earmarked to ensure homeless students get an education, millions of dollars remain unspent in the Midwest and around the country. In September, what’s left of the one-time funding will be returned to the U.S. Treasury. -
Nationwide, rents and the cost of living are increasing. Eviction filings are "a great indicator of housing insecurity," says a researcher from Princeton University's Eviction Lab. -
As state and federal lawmakers propose measures to curb how firms like VineBrook operate, tenants continue to grapple with poor maintenance and customer service. -
As part of a policy of aggressive residency investigations, dozens of middle school students were handed disenrollment letters and shown the door in the Hazelwood School District in late February and early March. -
In the wake of Wednesday’s mass shooting at the Chiefs parade, Kansas City lawmakers say they feel "helpless" to do anything about firearms or the high homicide rate. That's in large part because Missouri preempts local governments from passing gun control measures.
