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.
-
This week, a judge ruled the Missouri State Tax Commission was correct in ordering Jackson County to reverse its property assessment values from 2023. Now, the Jackson County Legislature has to figure out how that will impact taxpayers moving forward. -
Sporting Kansas City and its championship-winning manager Peter Vermes have parted ways. Vermes was the longest tenured coach in the history of MLS and led the team through a long stretch of postseason appearances, before the club's success dwindled in recent years. -
On April 8, Kansas City voters will be asked whether to renew a sales tax that would fund the construction of a new city jail. Proponents call it a necessary public safety measure, while opponents argue it would fail to address the root causes of crime. -
Kansas City Public Schools will ask voters on April 8 to approve $474 million in higher property taxes to help the district update classrooms, build new schools and address long-standing maintenance needs. In order to pass the bond measure, the district will have to convince 57% of voters to sign off. -
Kansas City is expecting 650,000 visitors next summer during the 2026 FIFA World Cup — more than the amount of people who live in the city. A leader of the KC2026 coalition says that preparations are already well underway for transportation and hosting both fans and teams. -
Kansas lawmakers last week passed a budget that would put the state roughly $460 million in debt by 2028. Up To Date spoke to Gov. Laura Kelly about the new spending plan, the GOP supermajority in the Legislature and more. -
Kim Riley, founder of The Transition Academy, said that Kansas City needs to do more to close the employment gap between people with a disability and people without. She's set her sights on founding a new school to support students in the region. -
Platt's firing came three weeks after the city lost a whistleblower lawsuit accusing Platt of retaliation, which cost the city nearly $1 million. Kansas City Council member Melissa Robinson said it was necessary to "restore public trust." -
Kansas artists and cultural organizations would be stripped of state grants if the Kansas Legislature adopts a Senate-approved budget, which entirely eliminates funding the Kansas Arts Commission. The impact would be felt even harder in smaller and rural communities. -
A creative collaboration between a Lawrence high schooler named Flora and her dad, Flora From Kansas dropped its debut EP, "Homesick," on March 14. Flora says the musical project has made her feel less alone.
