Steve Kraske
Executive Producer and Host, Up to DateWhen I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
I got a call out of the blue one day from then-news director Frank Morris who asked if he would be interested in hosting a show. I didn't think I had the time, but thought it over and decided to give it a shot. Now, more than 20 years later, I'm glad I did.
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Watkins was a founder of the political organization Freedom, Inc. and one of the Kansas City Council’s first two Black members. He was a vocal opponent of Highway 71 — although parts of the parkway were eventually named after him. An event at the Kansas City Public Library on Sunday, Feb. 15, will remember his full life and legacy. -
Three Kansas Citians who voted for Donald Trump in 2024 spoke with KCUR's Up To Date about the first year of his second term. Although Trump's approval numbers have declined overall, in part due to multiple controversies around ICE, supporters say his handling of the southern border and deportations has been “great.” -
In "Footeprint," out today, Lindsay Metcalf resurrects the history of Eunice Newton Foote, a 19th-century scientist who discovered carbon dioxide’s heat-trapping properties while fighting for women’s place in science. -
Since Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law a new congressional map that splits Kansas City into three districts, with the goal of ousting Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II from office, a handful of lawsuits and hundreds of thousands of petition signatures have been submitted in opposition. Two of those cases will be heard in court this week. -
Grammy award-winning opera singer Joyce DiDonato brings her latest album tour home to Kansas City. “Emily – No Prisoner Be,” explores the work of one of America’s greatest poets, Emily Dickinson. -
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joined KCUR’s Up To Date to talk about his concerns regarding a possible ICE facility in Kansas City, his new role as the president of the Democratic Mayors Association, and Argentina choosing Kansas City as its home base for the 2026 World Cup. -
As the World Cup nears, some Kansas City-area residents are preparing their homes to be a short-term rental. With more than half a million people expected to travel in and out of the Kansas City region, cities are relying on property owners to help house the influx of tourists. -
Joe Mount and Tina McDonald are two leaders in the Bowen Tower Tenant Union, a union of renters in Raytown. After a months-long rent strike, they reached an agreement with their California-based landlord that includes lower rent and utility rates, plus commitments to fix longstanding maintenance issues. -
Taxpayers will see several changes this filing season, including new exemptions, expanded deductions, and incentives that could influence where people choose to invest. -
NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss the state of American journalism ahead of his visit to Kansas City.
