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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Sen. Josh Hawley spent his first time in office building up his reputation as an arch-conservative — and in the Jan. 6 insurrection linked himself to President Trump and the MAGA movement. But in several ways, the Missouri senator is also positioning himself as a champion of the working class. -
Maybe you’re working late, or maybe you caught a concert or show downtown — sometimes, you just need a good meal after the dinner hour. Here’s where to eat out in Kansas City after 10 p.m. -
Missouri lawmakers are still wrestling with abortion rights, paid sick leave, tax cuts and the state budget. What's ahead for the General Assembly in the last two weeks of this legislative session?
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Five international college students in Missouri filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security's termination of their visas. And although the Trump Administration backed off the terminations on Friday, the students’ battle — and their uncertainty about their future legal status in the U.S. — continues.
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The Trump administration canceled more than $12 billion in public health grants last month. Local public health departments are worried about what that will mean for Kansas Citians.
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The percussion quartet serves as faculty and ensemble-in-residence at the UMKC Conservatory. Playing on wine glasses and an empty bourbon bottle (in addition to a vibraphones and drums), Sandbox Percussion recently performed a dynamic Tiny Desk Concert at NPR. -
Kansas City-area public health departments are scrambling to make up for lost funds since the Trump administration canceled over $12 billion in federal health grants last month. Local agencies have been forced to lay off staff and halt research projects. -
Missouri and Kansas lawmakers are trying to eliminate junk food purchases from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. But food accessadvocates worry that restricting SNAP will make it harder for recipients.
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Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply want to treat yourself to the best money can buy, the metro is brimming with top-tier restaurants that specialize in gourmet fare with impeccable service. Here’s your guide to the city’s most inviting and influential fine dining establishments. -
Decades of disinvestment have left Kansas City Public Schools buildings in rough condition, but on April 8, Kansas City voters will decide the fate of a bond that could bring some much-needed fixes. It's been six decades since the city last passed a school bond measure. How did we end up in this critical moment?
