Brian Ellison
Host/ContributorAs a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
Having studied for careers in both journalism and the ministry, I've served as a Presbyterian minister in Kansas City since 1999 and part-time in KCUR's newsroom and talk show studios since 2008. I'm the substitute host of KCUR's Up to Date, an occasional newscaster, and anchor election night coverage. From 2015 to 2019, I hosted the award-winning KCUR political podcast Statehouse Blend Missouri. I've been part of teams recognized awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Religion News Association. My reporting has included appearances on NPR's Here and Now and national election coverage and KCPT's Kansas City Week in Review. I continue to preach, teach and organize as executive director of a national non-profit organization. My partner Troy and I live in Kansas City with our dog daughter Willoughby, who is lovable, if a bit much.
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Voters in both Kansas and Missouri have chosen to protect reproductive rights in their state constitutions. So why are abortion rights advocates challenging both states in court? We’ll have the latest on pending legal battles and the state of the abortion debate in the region. -
Every city has tons of good pizza places, and Kansas City is no exception. New spots like Northeast Pizza, in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood, and stalwarts like Minsky’s make certain that, wherever you’re based in the metro, you’re never far from a perfectly greasy, cheesy pizza pie. -
Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are found in substances from cosmetics to nonstick pans — and end up in our bloodstreams, unable to break down. UMKC engineering professor Dr. Megan Hart studies how to get rid of these substances, and shares the everyday changes she has made for her health. -
The Warwick on Main Street suffered a multi-alarm fire in February 2024 that burned across three floors and forced the cast and crew to relocate their show last-minute. Now, the building has been restored, and the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre is back with its first performances since. -
Election Day is just over a week away, and absentee voting is already underway, in the recall of Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. We'll explain the backstory of this unusual special election, and what it means if you vote yes or no.
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Missouri's legislature passed not one but two measures on Friday taking aim at voting rights. In addition to the gerrymandered congressional map, a proposal you might not have have heard much about would heavily restrict citizen-led constitutional amendments.
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Lawrence, Kansas, is known for Jayhawk basketball and its Bleeding Kansas history, but its food scene is worth digging into, too. Here’s where to find the best restaurants and bars on Mass Street and beyond. -
Missouri lawmakers are considering a new map of congressional districts and initiative petition reform during a special legislative session. A reporter from St. Louis Public Radio provides an inside look at last week's committee meetings, debate and testimonies.
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Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who has represented much of Kansas City in Congress since 2005, may be the target of the country's next redistricting effort. If Missouri joins Texas in redrawing congressional lines to benefit Republicans, Cleaver warns that lawmakers will "need to dig three graves."
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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey surprised many when he announced he would be stepping down from the role to become the co-deputy director of the FBI. It satisfied Bailey's ambition to join the Trump administration, but the role he'll play isn't clear yet.
