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KCUR (Kansas City's best news source)
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Congress has eliminated all federal funding for public media. And now Kansas City’s public broadcasters need YOU. https://loom.ly/pvwG3Dc
KCUR and Classical KC just lost federal funding. Here's what to know and how to help.
Ending federal funding for public media will have an immediate and drastic effect on KCUR and Classical KC. Here are the latest updates, plus what you can do to help.
www.kcur.org
Did you know Kansas City is home to a forgotten piece of art history? The acclaimed Spanish artist Luis Quintanilla fled civil war to escape persecution from a fascist government, but most of his work was destroyed. Today, one of his two remaining murals sits in a hidden corner of UMKC.
A hidden Kansas City mural is 'a warning' against fascism, from a Spanish artist who survived it
Artist Luis Quintanilla fled the Spanish Civil War to escape persecution, but most of his work was destroyed. Today, one of his two remaining murals sits in an otherwise ordinary corner of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Newly restored, Quintanilla’s bizarre and enthralling masterpiece stands as a testament to immigrants and the danger of authoritarianism.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The unprecedented move, regulators say, targets sales to fans — especially out-of-town visitors — who might venture into local businesses hoping to watch live broadcasts from other host cities in wildly different time zones. By Startland News
Kansas City will let bars and restaurants serve alcohol 23 hours a day during World Cup
Kansas City will test out a new expansion of the legal drink-serving window during the FIFA 2026 World Cup. The temporary rule aims to boost tourism and business, while regulators stress safety and prepare for an unprecedented surge in nightlife activity.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Whether you call it mahjong, mah jong, mah jongg, or just mahj, it’s a game that brings together families, forges new friendships, and helps keep your brain active. Around the Kansas City area, you can now find places to play casually or competitively, or learn the game for the first time.
Kansas City is in a mahjong renaissance. Here's where to play and learn around the city
One of the most popular games in the world, mahjong has recently gotten big around Kansas City — with the metro's first dedicated parlor opening this year. You can now find places to play casually and competitively, or learn the game for the first time.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 8:01 PM
India alone has more than two dozen states, each with its own culinary traditions. And that’s not including food special to other South Asian nations, like Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Food recs: Kansas City’s best Indian and South Asian restaurants
South Asian cuisine can vary drastically by region — from Bengali curry to Pakistani biryani and everything in between — but you can find options from all over the subcontinent right here in Kansas City. Here’s where to find the metro’s best butter chicken, tikka masala, samosas and more.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Because we’re Midwest nice, KCUR made a guide to make it easier for you to jump on the World Cup bandwagon and bring your superfan A-game. And don’t worry, we’ll update information regularly on this page so you can keep up as the World Cup approaches and more details develop.
World Cup in Kansas City: A complete guide for casual fans, locals and visitors
Kansas City will host six FIFA World Cup matches in the summer of 2026. Whether you’re a local or among the hundreds of thousands of people expected to travel in, KCUR put together some pointers for what to expect from the tournament — and how to become a soccer fan.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
"That type of investment is transformative."

Will a town in Jefferson County be more welcoming to the data center developer?
Data center developer looks to another Missouri town after debacle in St. Charles
After residents in St. Charles protested a secretive data center proposal, developer CRG is eyeing Festus, Missouri, as a site for future sites. It's not clear what tax incentives or exemptions the data centers could receive, would would lessen their economic benefit.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The microbusiness program — sometimes called the social-equity cannabis program — was designed to boost opportunities in the industry for people in disadvantaged communities that have been most impacted by the war on drugs. By Missouri Independent
Missouri cannabis microbusiness owners say their 'blood, sweat and tears' may finally be paying off
Many are grappling with the financial uncertainty of investing their life savings as they work to make their marijuana businesses a success.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Lunch handled!

There's are many theories about the origin of the Reuben. Kansas City has placed its own mark on the famous sandwich.
Kansas City has a strong sandwich scene. Here's where to get the best Reuben in town
The Kelces aren't the only ones with strong opinions about great Kansas City delis. If you're looking for a killer sandwich, try the Rueben at these restaurants and markets around the region.
www.kcur.org
November 15, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Missouri utility regulators on Thursday approved a tariff to ensure large power users on its system are responsible for paying their fair share of the effect their usage has on the power grid and other customers. (@kansasreflector.com)
Missouri will require data centers that use a lot of energy to pay their 'fair share'
Regulators are trying to protect residential customers from high rates while still attracting large energy users, like data centers, to the state.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 10:01 PM
While it feels like common practice to rake leaves and remove them from lawns, there’s a growing movement of people who are treating leaves more like essential habitat for local species rather than a waste product.
Put your rake down! Fallen leaves are healthy for soil and wildlife
Scientists say leaving autumn leaves on the ground can add important nutrients to the soil and create needed habitat for insects.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
An Independence museum for artwork made out of human hair recently closed its doors for good. Hear the story of the final days of Leila’s Hair Museum.
Independence hair museum finds a second life for its unusual art
An Independence museum for artwork made out of human hair recently closed its doors for good. Hear the story of the final days of Leila’s Hair Museum. Plus: Missouri families have to navigate tough food decisions after getting alpha-gal syndrome from ticks.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 5:30 PM
A group trying to overturn Missouri's new congressional maps went to court Thursday, suing the state for rejecting its initial efforts and for saying it won't count thousands of signatures already collected. (@kbianews.bsky.social)
Missouri case over anti-redistricting ballot signatures hits more delays. Here's why
Advocacy group People Not Politicians has until mid-December to collect more than 100,000 signatures across six of Missouri's eight congressional districts. But Missouri's Republican secretary of state rejected more than 90,000 signatures the group already collected.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 5:04 PM
More than 3,000 immigrants who are in Missouri legally but are not citizens are expected to lose eligibility for the nation's largest federal food assistance program this month. (@missouriindependent.com)
Thousands of Missouri refugees and legal immigrants are set to lose food assistance
Refugees and asylum grantees are among those who can no longer qualify for federal nutrition support until five years after obtaining green cards, because of new restrictions in President Trump's budget bill.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Companies like Broadway Roasting in Kansas City, Missouri are paying a lot more to get their coffee in the door — placing them in the painful position of deciding how much of that extra cost to pass onto customers and how much to absorb.
Tariffs are driving up costs for American coffee roasters: 'We’ve never seen anything like this'
Coffee has gotten a lot more expensive in the U.S. as tariffs seep into the price tag. That's putting a strain on roasters, who have no choice but to pass on some of the extra cost to coffee drinkers.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) chose Kansas City to host this year’s conference, covering topics from everyday life with ADHD to how the Trump administration is threatening school accommodations and research funding.
Kansas City is hosting nation’s largest ADHD conference as support comes under threat
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) chose Kansas City to host this year’s conference, covering topics from everyday life with ADHD to how the Trump administration is threatening school accommodations and research funding.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Sunrise Movement KC, a climate activist group, has been placing DIY benches at bus stops around the metro. Jacob Antolini, an organizer with Sunrise, said the group has installed more than 20 benches since it started the effort last fall.
Kansas City activists build DIY bus stop benches to help riders — in defiance of transit agency
About 75% of Kansas City bus stops don't have anywhere to sit while you wait, and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority keeps removing benches despite complaints from riders. Sunrise Movement KC is taking things into their own hands, but their makeshift seats may be removed as quickly as they're assembled.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Even after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to end the longest-ever government shutdown, Kansas City’s roughly 30,000 federal workers are still facing an uncertain future – professionally and personally.
Kansas City federal workers say shutdown has taken a mental health toll: ‘I had nightmares’
Brittany Melugin, an IRS customer service agent in Kansas City, has been working even during the shutdown began Oct. 1. Melugin says she and her colleagues are experiencing anxiety dreams, and are afraid of taking time off even for serious medical needs.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Marion County approved agreements with Eric Meyer, the owner and editor of the Marion County Record, and Ruth Herbel, the Marion city councilor whose home was raided in tandem with the newspaper office. (@kansasreflector.com)
Marion County agrees to pay out $3 million for newspaper raid, expresses 'sincere regrets'
Marion County also approved agreements with Eric Meyer, the owner and editor of the Marion County Record, and Ruth Herbel, the Marion city councilor whose home was raided in tandem with the newspaper office.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:05 PM
The University of Missouri is investigating the use of the phrase "From the river to the sea" by Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine as a potential Title VI violation. (@kbianews.bsky.social)
Mizzou's removal of chalking by pro-Palestine student group causes free speech complaints
The University of Missouri is investigating the use of the phrase From the river to the sea by Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine as a potential Title VI violation. The student group is currently suing the university over alleged free speech violations by President Mun Choi.
www.kcur.org
November 14, 2025 at 1:30 PM
During the record-setting 43-day government shutdown, Missouri Republican Rep. Sam Graves said he got a lot of calls from air traffic controllers — who had to work without pay, despite already being overworked and understaffed.
Missouri Rep. Graves welcomes government reopening: 'There are no winners in a shutdown'
During the record-setting 43-day government shutdown, Missouri Republican Rep. Sam Graves said he got a lot of calls from air traffic controllers — who had to work without pay, despite already being overworked and understaffed. But another shutdown could just be a few months away.
www.kcur.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:30 PM
UPDATE: A second Missouri Sunshine Request by KCUR resulted in the city disclosing the agreement, which revealed the additional $308,000.

"This amount is equal to Employee's annual salary as of the Termination Date," according to the document.
It cost Kansas City $500,000 total to fire Brian Platt, city's hidden documents reveal
One agreement pays Platt $192,000, and the second, $308,000. The Kansas City Council fired Platt in March after losing a whistleblower lawsuit that cost the city almost a million dollars.
www.kcur.org
November 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 450,000 people in the U.S. have alpha-gal syndrome, a tickborne allergy to red meat. Many others have never heard of the condition, which is believed to be prevalent in Missouri.
Ticks in Missouri are causing a red meat allergy
The tickborne illness alpha-gal syndrome affects what you can eat. For those who contract it, mealtime becomes a minefield. Plus: American agriculture depends on foreign workers, but President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown is shrinking a farm workforce that many say was already too small.
www.kcur.org
November 13, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The U.S. Senate voted to approve a spending package to end a record-breaking federal government shutdown. It also included a provision that would prohibit hemp products from having more than .4 milligrams of total THC per container. @missouriindependent.com)
Missouri hemp businesses fear new federal THC limits will destroy the industry
More than 40,000 Missouri food establishments and stores are estimated to be impacted by federal regulations on hemp products, which were included in the new spending package that reopened the federal government.
www.kcur.org
November 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Attorneys made their case Wednesday over the constitutionality of the new congressional map passed by lawmakers in September. (@stlpublicradio.bsky.social)
Missouri defends redistricting in court, but it's only the start of legal fight over new map
Opponents argue the Missouri Constitution is clear that lawmakers can only redraw congressional maps after a certified census, while the state said nothing prohibits mid-decade redistricting.
www.kcur.org
November 13, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Months after the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was expanded to include 21 Missouri ZIP codes, the Department of Justice reports that $8.57 million in claims have been approved for those impacted by nuclear waste contamination. (@stlpublicradio.bsky.social)
Missouri residents begin to receive compensation for nuclear radiation exposure
Several months after the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was expanded to include 21 Missouri ZIP codes, the Justice Department reports that $8.57 million worth of claims have been approved for those impacted by Manhattan Project waste contamination.
www.kcur.org
November 13, 2025 at 5:04 PM