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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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. -
The New York Times published a list of the "100 best movies of the 21st century" so far. So KCUR's Up To Date assembled a panel of Kansas City movie critics to weigh in on the list — which they criticized as not diverse enough — and to find out what movies they'd rank at the top of the chart. -
Americans have less national pride than ever, according to new Gallup polling, with a big split along party lines. For many Kansas City residents, patriotism means more than a reflection of support for national political figures. -
In bestselling author Michael Grunwald's new book "We Are Eating The Earth," he highlights how agriculture is dramatically contributing to climate change. He's speaking next week at the Kansas City Public Library. -
Youth violence has fallen in Wyandotte County, in part due to the ThrYve program. Barry Anderson took part when he was a student at Wyandotte High School, and credits the program with teaching him basic life skills necessary to attend the University of Kansas. -
Housed at both KU and UMKC, the university centers protect and support individuals with developmental disabilities. Now, they're at risk of closing under President Trump's proposed budget.
