community

University of Kansas professor Chris Koliba argues that the American social contract is fraying. He joined KCUR’s Up To Date to discuss how we got to this point and what the country can do about it.

The Kansas City Renaissance Festival began as a fundraiser for the Kansas City Art Institute in 1977, making this year its 50th season. The festival opened September 5 and will run every weekend through October 12, rain or shine.

With Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves retiring after four years, leaders around the metro say the next top cop will need to build on progress in addressing violent crime and repairing police-community relationships. They also want the Board of Police Commissioners to open the hiring process more to the public.

“Think And Drink” talks are hosted by experts who have covered everything from the Red Scare to the history of Santa Claus. The series is a collaboration between the popular Crossroads brewery and several other local partners, including Linda Hall Library and UMKC.

The Valor House is located at the St. Michael's Veterans Center, which offers permanent housing to homeless veterans in Kansas City. Its campus now has three housing complexes with 179 units for veterans.

A year ago, a group of concerned people in Missouri got together to help immigrants detained by ICE, and they've since expanded to seven affiliates in three states. Plus: Even though ICE raids are less visible than this winter, fear among immigrants remains high.

Kansas City recently lost a beloved face in local news. Cynthia Newsome, a long-serving anchor and reporter for KSHB 41, passed away on Tuesday following a yearslong battle with cancer. One journalist she mentored, KSHB reporter Rae Daniel, spoke with KCUR’s Up To Date about Newsome’s impact on our city.

The 2026 Kansas City Farmer’s Market Passport is your guide to 23 different markets across the metro, including what languages the farmers speak and how to care for fresh produce. Plus, residents can win prizes the more they visit.

Kansas City previously honored farmworker advocate and union leader César Chávez with murals and a street in his name on the Westside. But some community leaders are reconsidering after a bombshell investigation accused him of sexually abusing multiple girls and women.

Johnson County-based Boots on the Ground Midwest has organized neighborhood groups, facilitated mutual aid and trained thousands of Kansas City-area residents how to legally observe and record federal immigration enforcement. Interest in their trainings spiked after the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

The bags contain a variety of essential, everyday items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, first-aid kits and water, as well as cold-weather items such as gloves and socks during the winter.

The Sun Fresh at 31st and Prospect closed this month, after years of safety concerns and millions of dollars in investment from Kansas City. The CEO of the nonprofit that operated the grocery says that security measures became costly — and still not enough to keep customers coming.