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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At the All-Star break, the Kansas City Royals find themselves with a record of 47-50, behind several other teams in the American League vying for a spot in the playoffs. How will general manager J.J. Picollo address the team's needs in the coming weeks? -
Gwen Grant spends a lot of time uplifting and advocating for Kansas City's Black community, but what does she do with her down time? She joined KCUR's Up To Date for an installment of our series "5 Questions." -
Charlie Shields, the CEO of University Health in Kansas City, says federal Medicaid cuts passed in President Trump's recent budget bill are likely to pose challenges for the hospital system. University Health relies on Medicaid reimbursements more than other providers in the metro. -
Andre Harris, founder of the nonprofit Dads Against Crime, says that Kansas City's violent crime problem can't be fixed if people can't feel comfortable talking to law enforcement and discussing mental health. -
President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” cuts about $1 trillion in federal Medicaid funding. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley helped push for the inclusion of money for rural hospitals, but experts say it's just "a drop in the bucket" — and could force even more providers to close. -
Jackson County's legislature has certified a recall election against County Executive Frank White Jr., although the date has yet to be determined. Legislative Chair DaRon McGee says the recall vote is about White's mishandling of property taxes, but White says the campaign against him is politically motivated. -
Kansas City awarded $800,000 in grants to three nonprofits that serve homeless youth— an effort to protect the metro's at-risk residents and prevent adult homelessness. -
On Monday, lawmakers in Kansas opted to extend the deadline for state incentives, so that the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have more time to negotiate building new stadiums across state lines. Kansas House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard joined KCUR's Up To Date to explain where things stand. -
Melesa Johnson is six months into her role as Jackson County Prosecutor after winning election last year. Faced with concerns about burglaries and property crimes, Johnson has drastically increased the rate at which her office has pursued charges, and points to the success of a deterrence initiative. -
"Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder' by Rachel McCarthy James traces the foundational and violent role of the axe from prehistoric times to the present. And — yes — the infamous Lizzie Borden case does get a chapter, as do a pair of relatively recent Kansas City murders.
