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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Cases of domestic violence are rising in Missouri. Legal Aid of Western Missouri worked on more than 3,000 cases of domestic violence last year. One woman tells KCUR how she found a way out of a 17-year relationship that grew abusive. -
If passed, Amendment 3 would repeal the abortion rights amendment enshrined in the Missouri Constitution in 2024. It would also add a constitutional ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth in the state. -
The Moth first brought its monthly storytelling open-mic nights known as StorySLAMs to Kansas City in 2024. Two years later, the crowds don't seem to be slowing down. -
Jeremy Hobson, the host of the public radio program "The Middle" is in Kansas City this week to moderate an American Public Square panel called "Turning Down the Heat: Rebuilding Trust in an Age of Outrage." -
Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd died last week. In April, Zahnd said the job, which he held for nearly 24 years, brought him joy and also “considerable pain.” Up To Date spoke with two former prosecutors about the toll the job had on their mental health. -
A recent KCUR analysis reveals that data gathered by Kansas City-area Flock cameras has been searched hundreds of thousands of times by out-of-state police departments. Across the city, residents are concerned by how that data is being used. -
A proposed amendment would change the Kansas Constitution to say only U.S. citizens can vote, rather than “every” U.S. citizen. Proponents say the rephrase is necessary to clarify the rules, while opponents say the change could make voting more confusing. -
KCUR general manager Sarah Morris and director of content and journalism Lisa Rodriguez joined Up To Date to discuss the station's move to a new building after being forced out of its long-time studios, and how KCUR is adjusting to life without federal funding. -
At East High School in Kansas City, students help care for row farms, flowering plants and herds of goats, chickens, turkeys and more. It’s the only program of its kind in a Missouri public school, with one in five students participating. -
Events like Lawrence Art in the Park, which will take place this weekend, and the Plaza Art Fair are central to the business of many Kansas and Missouri artists. They're not just a huge sales opportunity, they're also a chance for artist to talk with the public about their work.
