Podcast

Kansas City jazz legend Bobby Watson wants to ensure the city’s jazz history and traditions don’t fade with age. The saxophonists and composer’s latest album, “Continuum” is a testimonial about passing knowledge to younger artists.

Election Day in Kansas and Missouri is on Nov. 3, and early voting has already begun. If you’re trying to figure out how to start the process of understanding your ballot, one Kansas political scientist says “Google’s your friend." (And so is KCUR!)

Christal Watson, mayor and CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is asking voters to pass two key sales tax items on the November ballot. One is a quarter-cent tax for healthcare services and addressing homelessness, and the other is a 3/8th-cent tax to fund parks, community centers and trails.

With Kansas and Missouri elections just three weeks away, KCUR’s series “What’s the deal, KC?” is answering common questions from voters about the candidates and issues on their ballot. We’ll explain how to find your Congressional district, where to learn about judges up for retention, and what an abortion ban amendment has to do with transgender healthcare. Text your questions to 816-601-4777.

Some kids with mobility challenges are missing out on playing with peers and siblings. Thanks to a partnership between Variety KC and The Barstow School’s robotics team, seven Kansas City toddlers received modified ride-on cars to give them more independence and a new chance to play with others.

As fall arrives and the days get cooler, nothing satisfies quite like a cheesy dish that warms the belly and comforts the soul. From gooey grilled cheese sandwiches to tangy, whipped goat cheese dips — even famous barbecue sides — there’s a cheesy dish for every taste in Kansas City.

Sheila Bair, a Kansas native who served as the chair of the FDIC from 2006-2011, is in Kansas City this week to accept the Truman Medal for Economic Policy from the Truman Library Institute. Bair said she is worried about the weakening of banking reforms, and sees a lot of risky lending happening right now.

The Kansas City Business Journal’s Thomas Friestad joined KCUR's Up To Date for a roundup on all things development around the metro.

The play, which starred Sadie Sink of “Stranger Things” during its Broadway run, centers on a group of high schoolers as they navigate notions of gender and power during the #MeToo movement. As they study Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” in English class, the students consider how the play resonates in their own lives. The KC Rep’s production runs through Oct. 25.

Now out on streaming, “Your Attention Please” shows footage of Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley confronting Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about how social media is hurting teenagers. The film explores how tech companies keep users addicted, and how young people are seeking to redefine human connection.

Pressure to perform and social media are contributing factors to a rise in suicide rates among children between the ages of 8-12 years old. A Kansas City psychologist said that some young kids lack the understanding of the finality of their decision and can be more impulsive, heightening the risk.

If passed on Nov. 3, the amendment would enshrine the “Respect Missouri Voters” initiative into the state constitution. That would require an 80% threshold for lawmakers to overturn citizen-led measures, such as the paid sick leave law approved in 2024. Then voters would be given another say at the ballot box.