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.
-
Voters in Independence, Missouri, will consider whether to approve a $197 million general obligation bond on April's ballot. The majority of the money would fund building a new police campus, but money for infrastructure and the city's youth sports complex are also under consideration. -
A Pulitzer-prize winning play, trendy fantasy series, a whistleblower memoir and more were picked by Up To Date's panel of book lovers as their current favorites. Find recommendations from local booksellers and librarians, as well as suggestions from our listeners. -
Five years ago today, instead of gathering for a festive St. Patrick’s Day parade, Kansas Citians were ordered not to gather in groups, and hospitals began to gear up for the biggest public health crisis of our lives. We look back at the first days of the pandemic through the eyes of a front-line nurse. -
Home to cult favorites, hidden gems and family-run eateries, the Northland’s culinary scene is brimming with cultural diversity. Here’s where to eat and drink like a local, north of the river. -
Jason Kander is a former Missouri Secretary of State and host of the podcast Majority 54. He shared his thoughts on the state of local and national politics, and played along for Up To Date's series "5 Questions." -
Tetiana Fliak, who attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School as an exchange student in 2019, has seen her hometown of Lviv, Ukraine, damaged and deprived by the Russian war. On the three-year anniversary of the invasion, Fliak says Ukrainians feel betrayed by President Trump. -
Orange By: Devoured, the brainchild of local chef Jhy Coulter, opened last fall in midtown's Martini Corner neighborhood. The restaurant began life as a pop-up and specializes in "neo-Neapolitan" pizza and tapas-inspired plates. -
New Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is facing a $300 million showdown over education spending in Jefferson City. His budget proposal didn't include enough money to fund schools at the level that state law demands, and some legislators are pushing back.
-
Spanning venerable favorites and creative newcomers, wings and vegan fare, Caribbean and crab, you'll want to explore these Black-owned restaurants, cafes and more around Kansas City, as picked by local diners. -
The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59 last night in New Orleans, getting their revenge against Kansas City and preventing the Chiefs from making history. Hear what happened in the game, and how both Chiefs and Eagles fans across the metro felt about the loss.
