Zach Wilson
Senior Producer, Up To DateAs Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians.
I have been a producer with KCUR's Up To Date since February of 2021 and have served as the show's senior producer since January of 2023. Previously, I spent one year at WBEZ, Chicago's NPR station, interning for their daily talk show Reset. Prior to that, I worked as a reporter and All Things Considered host for WVIK, Quad Cities NPR on the Illinois-Iowa border.
In 2019, I graduated from Illinois State University, where I worked as a Morning Edition Producer for the local NPR station, WGLT, and served as the News Director at my college radio station, WZND. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing guitar and watching Chicago Cubs baseball. You can email me at zach@kcur.org.
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Kansas City Manager Mario Vasquez will celebrate one year in office this week as city hall makes its final preparations for the 2026 World Cup. He joined KCUR’s Up To Date to discuss next month’s tournament and tourism concerns, along with his perspective on the Royals’ plans to build a Crown Center ballpark.
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The Mission Gateway site at the intersection of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Johnson Drive has sat largely vacant for two decades. While it's unclear how long it might take for the private property get redeveloped, Mission Mayor Sollie Flora says the city's government is "making it a focus."
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The deadline for the Missouri General Assembly to approve its budget is quickly approaching. KCUR's Brian Ellison joined Up To Date to break down the latest on the budget and other last-minute agenda items for the 2026 legislative session.
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Parkinson’s disease presents physical and mental challenges for people who are diagnosed, but it ends up being a family affair, with one doctor describing the condition as a public health epidemic. A Kansas City woman told KCUR's Up To Date about her experiences taking care of her father.
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Interim Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss why he changed his mind about filing to run for a full term in office. He also discusses the task force he assembled to assess the future of the Truman Sports Complex site, and his approach to addressing property tax concerns.
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Kansas City Council still has a lot of questions and financial details to work out before the new Royals stadium is a done deal. A ballpark at Crown Center brings the team back into the heart of the city — but some community advocates are criticizing the team's continued lack of transparency.
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Historian Douglas Brinkley will be in Kansas City on the 23rd for the Truman Library Institute's annual "Wild About Harry" event. "We owe a lot to Truman," Brinkley told KCUR's Up To Date.
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Sarah Saldaña, who served as the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the final two years of Barack Obama’s presidency, is in Kansas City for an American Public Square event on Wednesday. She joined KCUR’s Up To Date to discuss the agency's tactics under the Trump administration.
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The UMKC Conservatory and KCUR's sister station Classical KC have deepened their partnership by adding "The UMKC Conservatory Hour" to the station's local content offerings.
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Rick Atkinson, a renowned historian and former Kansas City Times reporter, is coming to Kansas City this month for an event at Unity Temple on the Plaza. His new book, "The Fate of the Day," is his latest on the American Revolutionary War.