Steve Kraske

Does work have you feeling stressed out, or maybe it's politics or something in your personal life? Today, we explore two approaches to understanding and moving past those frustrations. First, we learn a little about how mindfulness meditation can help quiet your mind and bring about a new consciousness. Then, we find out how "traditional" family roles for mothers and fathers might be introducing tension into romantic relationships and parenthood.

Tensions over the Jackson County jail continue to mount. Attorneys for former inmates filed a class-action lawsuit last week that would force authorities to address the detention center's dangerous, dirty conditions. Today, we speak with two Jackson County legislators about what they'd do to improve the facility. Then, we kick off a week full of conversation with presenters from this year's TEDxKC.

From a targeted shooting in Olathe to the president's so-called "travel ban," tensions over race, culture and religion are high. Today, we delve into two experiences in the Muslim community and learn what living in Trump's America has been like for Islamic people.

As summer wanes, students and teachers across all metro districts are getting ready for a new school year, but the challenges faced by teachers in urban settings can differ greatly from their suburban colleagues. Today, we speak with educators from both sides of the state line to learn about the rigors and rewards of teaching in the inner-city.

Everyone shares the same biology, but that doesn't mean we all enjoy the same access to unprejudiced medical training, health care or advice. Today, we speak with Dr. Damon Tweedy about being a Black Man in a White Coat in a country where being African-American can be bad for your health. Then, we get a quick recap of results from Tuesday's election in Kansas City, Missouri.

Earlier this year, Karen Fuller, a former news anchor at KCTV-5, sued the station's owner, alleging the company created an age-ceiling for female anchors. Today, our Media Critics ask: Why is it common to have older newsmen on television but rare to see women anchors of a similar age?

Just because court filings suggest illegal opioid use is down in Kansas' wealthiest county doesn't mean its residents are unaffected by rising usage nationwide. Today, we'll find out what opiate use looks like in Johnson County. Then, we learn what exactly makes sports fandom such a big deal in Kansas City, whether it's for the Chiefs, the Royals or Sporting KC.

From E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to Poltergeist, the summer of '82 was a seminal one for smash-hits that stood the test of time. Today, Up To Date's Video Gurus reunite to reminisce on the raft of red-hot motion pictures from the Reagan era, which helped establish a cinema season most Americans now take for granted.

People generally get their history lessons from a book or movie, not from a vending machine. Today, we learn about a novel way to put historical photos of Kansas City into the hands of City Market Park visitors.

From homelessness to suicide, we hear a lot about the serious issues facing American veterans. Today, we explore how business-ownership can play a part in reintegrating some former service members to a happy, healthy civilian life. Then, Kansas City, Missouri, officials Sherri McIntyre and Joe Blankenship help parse what's behind recent delays in projects to paint bike lanes in the downtown loop.

Next week's primary elections will be the first under a new set of voter ID rules in the state of Missouri. While Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says the regulations will help thwart fraud, some civil rights groups worry about voter suppression and have sued the state in response.

Kansas City, Kansas has some questions to consider. How will the city address its food desert? What needs to be done to improve the public school system? Should the city continue to subsidize a minor league baseball team that can't pay its bills? On Tuesday, August 1, the city aims to answer these questions, and others, with one more: Who will be the next mayor? In advance of the election, KCUR's Up to Date and Donnelly College hosted a mayoral debate on July 26.

Your local theater has a slew of cinema to choose from right now — from a romantic camping trip gone horribly wrong to a gritty documentary focused on the rising costs of prescription drugs.

After months of speculation, news broke Wednesday evening that Pres. Donald Trump nominated Kansas' governor as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. The appointment requires Senate approval. Today, we hear from journalists, political thinkers, and Kansas state lawmakers to find out what this long-rumored move means for the Sunflower State, and to discuss the legacy Gov. Sam Brownback will leave behind.

It's not easy to navigate the Kansas City area without a car, which makes the health of our highways very important. Today, the chiefs of the Missouri and Kansas departments of Transportation discuss future of I-70 and other roads on both sides of the state line. Then, the search for the next chief of police in Kansas City, Missouri, is down to two candidates. With this pivotal decision looming, we ask: What are residents looking for in their next top cop?

Recent claims from elected officials and investigations into Russian election meddling have some wondering about the security of their vote. Today, we find out what the Kansas City, Missouri, and Johnson County Kansas election boards are doing to protect electronic, paper and absentee ballots.

While controversy surrounding the president's opposition research has been hogging headlines recently, the practice of digging up dirt on an opponent is as old as politics. In fact, today's first guests, consultants John Hancock and Michael Kelley, say it's essential to a successful campaign.

Jordan Reeves can get a little annoyed when people stare at her left arm, but "I ask them if they have any questions for me," the 11-year-old says. Today, we speak with Reeves about her multifaceted work spreading acceptance of limb difference. Then, we meet a couple of sportsmen who take to Midwest streams and lakes to pull stubborn catfish out of the water by hand. It's a practice with many names, but the most fun one to say is "noodling."

What if your home could help you stay healthier? Today, we learn how smart toilets and sensor-packed floors could help more folks age in place and turn future houses into medical monitors. Then, we discuss a new, locally-produced film that examines how addiction to the internet affects the human psyche.

Whether you spent hours in the summer sun at a lifeguard post or delivered hot, greasy pizzas across town, it's hard to forget your very first job. Today, callers and KCUR staffers share their memories and the lasting impacts of that first job or paycheck. Then, we meet the Kansas City high schooler whose year-long research project into the "suffrajitsu" movement earned her top marks at the National History Day competition.

Today, Up To Date previews the Kansas City Fringe Festival with a look at two of this year's acts.

First, we find out what a group of Kansas City musicians are doing to bring the music of Ella Fitzgerald back to life. Then, we meet the playwright, actress, and University of Kansas professor who turned her cancer diagnosis into a one-woman comedic play.

Can a sweet treat help narrow a gender gap in the technology field? Today, the founder of Kansas City Women in Technology walks us through how a mother/daughter coding class could get more girls interested in pursuing it as a career. Then, we discuss the upcoming special session that will focus on considering abortion regulations in Missouri. Joining us is Democratic Rep.

For many veterans battles don't end overseas; sometimes they follow you home. A Kansas City group is helping veterans and first responders recover from post-traumatic stress with holistic methods including meditation, yoga and a paleo diet. Then, members from the Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion describe the work being done to connect Kansas City, Missouri, residents to the internet, and close the digital divide.

Kansas City's ongoing violent crime problem is no secret. Today, we hear from two former presidents of the Board of Police Commissioners, Jeff Simon and Pat McInerney, who offer their thoughts on solving the city's preeminent hurdle. Then, we examine how a wall between the U.S. and Mexico would (or would not) affect existing tensions over immigration, crime, trade and more.

From the mainstreaming of social media to "fake news" indictments from the chief executive, the journalism industry is in the midst of sweeping transformation. Today, the dean of the Missouri School of Journalism explains how his school teaches new reporters to adapt to the current and future media environments.

While the challenges of peer pressure, all night study sessions, and "fitting in" aren't new, today's teens also have to deal with social media bringing the worries of the world right to their fingertips. So how is a parent supposed to know the difference between normal teen stress and a possible anxiety disorder? Today, psychologist Wes Crenshaw provides his insight.

Urban parts of Kansas City have seen a rapid increase in apartment building, and the trend isn't expected to change anytime soon. Today, we find out what's behind the boom and see how it might change the metro. Then, Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Webber discusses the future of his party, and his plans to reverse recent troubles at the ballot box.

The J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain is named after a man who did great things for Kansas City. However, his achievements were accompanied by racist beliefs and policies that still divide us. Today, the Ethics Professors discuss whether we should rename monuments that honor historic figures whose standards don't pass contemporary moral muster. Then, we explore the gray area of political free speech for public educators.

For kids, summer means running through the scorching heat to cannonball into a cool pool. For parents, it means maintaining a watchful eye to keep children safe. Today, we talk with pediatric experts about basic warm weather first-aid and handling scenarios like drowning, bug bites, scrapes and more.

Songs like Proud Mary and Midnight Train to Georgia are well-known and much-loved, but the versions that got radio play went through multiple iterations on the part of numerous song writers, musicians, and producers, whose names you may not find in the liner notes. Today, we hear the evolution stories of iconic American pop, rock, and R&B anthems with music writer and critic Marc Myers.  Then sports reporter Greg Echlin updates us on Missouri and Kansas Olympians.