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Political upheaval in Shawnee

Shawnee, Kansas goes to the polls next Tuesday amid culture wars, lawsuits, and a sexting scandal. Plus: A new choral work commissioned by William Jewell College is helping the institution own up to its fraught racial history.

Shawnee, Kansas had stayed a relatively calm suburb of Kansas City, but the last few years have proved otherwise. Lawsuits, staff turnover and a recent sexting scandal have roiled city hall, right before a municipal election. KCUR's Frank Morris asks the question: Who's responsible for all the trouble?

William Jewell College established a Racial Reconciliation Commission in 2021 with the hopes it would investigate and express the truths behind the institution's racial history. One of the products from this effort is the "Canon for Racial Reconciliation."

Classical KC's Brooke Knoll spoke with the piece's composers about their intentions and hopes for the music.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Trevor Grandin and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
Trevor Grandin is a contributing producer for KCUR Studios.
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