Lisa Rodriguez
News DirectorSlow news days are a thing of the past. As KCUR’s news director, I want to cut through the noise, provide context to the headlines, and give you news you can use in your daily life – information that will empower you to make informed decisions about your neighborhood, your city and the region.
Email me at lisa@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @larodrig.
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Three people were killed in December 2021 when Kansas City firefighter Dominic Biscari sped through a red light at Westport Road and Broadway and crashed into an SUV, two pedestrians and a building. Biscari will avoid prison as part of a plea deal, but the Kansas City Fire Department said it will seek his termination. -
Kansas City officials expect at least 500,000 people to attend the victory celebration for the Chiefs' second Super Bowl win in four years. The event, which starts Wednesday at noon, will likely cost millions of dollars.
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Missouri saw flooding, drought, extreme heat and bitter cold in 2022. Meanwhile, in Kansas, drought-fueled wildfires are exhausting resources and adding importance to the fight to conserve water. We'll take a look at the biggest climate stories of the year.
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Accusations that Jeff Church sexually assaulted multiple young men began circulating last week. On Saturday, he resigned from the prominent children’s theater. And on Monday, police confirmed his death.
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Sept. 15 is the International Day of Democracy. Alarms are sounding that democracy in America — once the example to the world — is in danger.
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Officer Daniel Vasquez was a two-year member of the North Kansas City Police Department. He was shot during a traffic stop Tuesday morning.
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Another Starbucks store in the Kansas City area is voting on whether to form a union. But baristas across the metro say the company retaliated against union efforts by threatening their health benefits. Plus, a Kansas patient says the gene therapy research that could help him is going nowhere fast.
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Kansas lawmakers returned to the capitol last week for a whirlwind veto session, notable not only for what passed but also for what failed to make it across the finish line. Also, why former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is stoking concern among Republican political insiders.
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A trial continues for a Kansas City police detective charged in the fatal shooting of a Black man. Plus, the fate of Kevin Strickland, a Kansas City man who has spent 43 years in prison for a crime prosecutors say he didn’t commit, is now in the hands of a judge.
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Eight members of a Kansas City, Kansas-based cult have been indicted on charges of forced labor and alleged abuses of minors. Plus, the A-Flat Youth Orchestra is building a musical community in Kansas City, Missouri, with $7 lessons and scores of second-hand instruments.
