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 Prairie Village, Kansas, will be faced with an unusual question on their ballots in about three months: Shall the city abandon the mayor-council form of government? We'll hear about how a fight over zoning and housing wound up in a legal battle over the city government's structure itself. -
Missouri Republican lawmakers say it's likely they'll have a special session to redraw the state’s congressional lines and eliminate Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's seat. But could the effort backfire? Plus, we'll hear from Missouri state Rep. Michael Johnson of the Legislative Black Caucus about their plans to fight redistricting.
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Edward McCabe helped establish an all-Black Kansas town on his mission to create a state inhabited and run by freed slaves. In a new book, author Caleb Gayle writes about how McCabe earned the nickname of "Black Moses" and what his quest for liberation meant. -
Sandwiches are versatile, portable, and filling, which makes them perfect for a hearty breakfast, a picnic lunch or a low-key dinner. Kansas City’s food scene is full of delicious hoagies, tortas and bahn mi. Here’s where to find the cream of the crop. -
The Kansas City Royals have spent much of the year hovering just below the .500 mark. With only seven weeks left in the season, do they have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs? -
Former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg is visiting Kansas City to speak at an American Public Square event. He spoke with KCUR’s Up To Date about the issues he sees in the modern Democratic party — and why he believes younger leadership and a focus on grassroots organizing can help the party in future elections. -
UnidosUS CEO and Kansas City, Kansas, native Janet Murguía joins KCUR's Up To Date to discuss a turbulent moment in history for Latino families across the country. -
Dr. Sarah Boyd, an infectious disease specialist with Saint Luke's Health System, told KCUR that federal cuts to mRNA research and development could cause a setback in pandemic preparedness. -
The Missouri legislature spent a lot of time in the spring working to un-do laws that voters passed on November’s ballot — including paid sick leave and abortion. Now, a group called Respect Missouri Voters wants to stop lawmakers in Jefferson City from doing that.
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Two members of the St. Joseph, Missouri, school board say they’ve been harassed because of their progressive political beliefs. They say they're being targeted by a multimillion-dollar national organization dedicated to promoting Christianity in public schools.
