Sam Zeff
Metro ReporterJob Title: Metro Reporter
Contact: sam@kcur.org
Topic Expertise: Organized crime, police misconduct, politics, heat stroke
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Geographic Expertise: Kansas and Missouri
Language: English
Honors & Awards: National News and Information Emmy for investigative reporting. Four National Headliner Awards. Four Edward R. Murrow awards. Numerous local Emmys from Philadelphia, Kansas City and Minneapolis.
Memberships: National Association of Black Journalists; Journalism and Women Symposium
About Sam
As KCUR’s metro reporter, Sam holds public officials accountable. He track downs malfeasance by seeking open records and court documents, and by building relationships across the city.
A Kansas native, Sam spent 17 years in Philadelphia covering the mob, political corruption, politics and police.
He ran the special projects and investigative unit at WCCO, the CBS owned station in Minneapolis. He also served as the assistant news director and investigative executive produce at KCTV, the CBS station in Kansas City. He worked as assistant news director responsible for investigations at KSTP, the ABC station in Minneapolis.
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Running back MicahJo Barnett had trouble breathing after scoring a touchdown during Saturday's game, when it was 97 degrees in Liberty, Missouri. He died a short time later at the hospital. -
The Liberty High School alumnus died during a game between William Jewell College and Fort Lewis College Saturday afternoon. -
Rylan Reece, 16, died on the first day of practice at tiny Pawnee Heights High School. He was the fifth Kansas football player to die during conditioning since 2018. -
Kassebaum’s legacy is one of moderation, bipartisanship and paving the way for Kansas women to ascend to high office in Kansas. Kassebaum died Aug. 21, 2026, at the age of 94. -
The 17-year-old student died on the first day of practice at Pawnee Heights High School in western Kansas. He is the fifth football player to die in Kansas since 2018. -
Since 2018, four college and one high school linemen have died in Kansas from heat-related illnesses. So far this summer, high school linemen in Arkansas and Louisiana have been severely sickened by exertional heat stroke. -
Two legislators and two staff members spent a week in Hawaii attending a conference aimed at county governments in western states. They also took a side trip to Pearl Harbor. -
Manny Abarca has been removed as chair of the Jackson County Legislature. Legislator Donna Peyton will replace him. -
Work crews were up early Sunday morning clearing away Fan Fest from the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City. The city hosted its final World Cup match on Saturday, when Argentina defeated Switzerland. -
The National Weather Service has posted an extreme heat warning for the metro for most of the week. Expect the heat index to hit at least 105 degrees every day.
