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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A Missouri trial that wraps up this week could determine the fate of the state’s controversial voter ID law and shape the results of the 2024 election. At stake are requirements that some say are intentionally designed to suppress votes in Democratic-leaning metro areas. -
This month, Alan Kneeland becomes the first Black president of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association. He's the co-owner of The Combine, a pizza restaurant at the corner of 30th and Troost.
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Who said you can only try one item off the menu? These Kansas City restaurants — spanning Korean, tapas and other cuisines — encourage ordering big dishes for the table, family-style, or picking a handful of small plates and passing them around.
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We’re less than one year away from the 2024 elections. As the political landscapes take shape that will determine the future of abortion, taxes, education and more in both Kansas and Missouri, what will we be watching in the next 12 months?
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Tomorrow is Election Day, and Kansas cities and counties have some big decisions to make. We’ll find out what and who’s on the ballot and how voters will be shaping the futures of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties.
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The halal eatery, opened in 2018, features African and Mediterranean fare, and is a favorite to locals in search of a warm, filing meal. Hatimi says he uses traditional cooking methods.
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On Independence Avenue in the Historic Northeast, adventurous diners don’t have to leave Kansas City to get a taste of the world. Sip chai at Soma Cafe, taste dumplings at Afghan Market, and don’t forget to grab a Mexican pastry or tamale at Elvira’s Pasteleria y Panaderia.
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The Speaker of the Missouri House is taking heat — especially from some in his own Republican party — for double-dipping on travel expense reimbursements. What does the flare-up tell us about the state of the Missouri GOP and next year’s fast approaching elections?
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In Missouri, Lincoln University — a land-grant historically Black university — has been underfunded by roughly $360 million over the past 30 years compared to the University of Missouri, according to a new federal report. Now a bipartisan group of lawmakers are asking the state to look into the inequality.
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Students in Park University's social work, nursing and education departments took part in the exercise, which simulated a month of living at or below the poverty line. The simulation aimed to give students more empathy to clients, patients and students in difficult situations.
