Brian Ellison
Host/Senior News AnalystAs a host and senior news analyst 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 socials @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 a frequent substitute host of KCUR's Up to Date and Kansas City Today podcast, an occasional newscaster, and election night anchor. My work includes appearing regularly on Kansas City PBS's Week in Review and KMBC's Heart of the Matter. I continue to preach, teach and organize as executive director of a national non-profit organization.
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Pastor Adam Hamilton, of Leawood, went on a tour of Kansas the last couple of months to explore running for the U.S. Senate. Now, he's officially in — as a Democrat. We'll discuss how Hamilton's entrance has injected energy and controversy into the race to unseat Republican Sen. Roger Marshall. -
Interim Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota spoke with KCUR's Up To Date on Friday about why he jumped into this year's election for a full term, despite repeatedly promising not to. Then, hours later, LeVota announced he would drop out.
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Women make up 39% of restaurant owners and 20% of chefs nationwide, according to the National Restaurant Association. In Kansas City, these women restaurateurs are shaping the culinary landscape. -
Fran Sutton is reshaping Wyandotte County’s housing landscape by turning vacant lots — purchased from the land bank — into affordable homes that cater to a variety of needs. -
This season, Kansas City Royals fans will see a new face on the team's television broadcasts: Bridget Howard. The Kansas City native will be the first woman to be a regular part of Royals broadcasts. She joined KCUR's Up To Date to talk about her new role and what to look for in the 2026 season. -
Kansas City is exploring ways to manage stormwater naturally, using parks, gardens, and special pavement to soak up rains. The effort could reshape neighborhoods, improve water quality, and create more green space across the city. -
More and more Missourians are waiting in jail for services from the state’s mental health department, which has a backlog of more than 500 people with stalled cases. Hear what mental health directors are telling state lawmakers.
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Kansas City, Kansas, is known as the home of Da’ Bomb Hot Sauce, from the web series “Hot Ones," but there are many places throughout the metro to get a good kick of spice in your meal. Here’s where to get the best blazing meals in the Kansas City area. -
Kansas legislators have had an unusually busy year so far — most recently the passage of a law that restricts bathroom usage for transgender people, and prohibits gender changes on IDs. We'll hear about what's been passed at the halfway point, and what's still to come.
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Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has proposed having citizens vote to phase out the state income tax over the next five years. But is that a viable option for the state budget?
