Steve Kraske
Executive Producer and Host, Up to DateWhen I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
I got a call out of the blue one day from then-news director Frank Morris who asked if he would be interested in hosting a show. I didn't think I had the time, but thought it over and decided to give it a shot. Now, more than 20 years later, I'm glad I did.
-
The Kansas City Current is off to a great start during its first season at CPKC Stadium. The team leads the league in goals and hasn't lost a game over a month into the year.
-
WeCode KC is partnering with Kipp Legacy High School in Kansas City for the new program WeCodeThaBloKC, which aims to help youth from underserved communities break into the high-paying, in-demand tech industry.
-
Kids Feeding Kids, a program run by Pete's Garden, teaches high schooler students how to mass produce meals to serve families in their communities.
-
On May 1, delegates at the United Methodist Church’s General Conference voted to repeal a ban on LGBTQ clergy that stood for four decades.
-
Organizers submitted more than 210,000 signatures for a ballot question to approve a minimum wage hike and mandatory sick leave in Missouri. If enough signatures are verified, voters will weigh in during the August or November elections.
-
Kasey Rausch is a fifth generation musician who began performing at age 15. Two days after graduating from high school, she moved from Texas back to her hometown of Kansas City to live alongside her extended family while pursuing music.
-
The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled that a 2022 ballot measure ordering Kansas City to increase its minimum threshold for police funding "misled voters" to the point of making the election unfair. Acting on a lawsuit filed by Mayor Quinton Lucas, the court has ordered a new election.
-
Local queer couple Joan and Harper Rose opened Goofball Sk8boards last year in the Waldo neighborhood after feeling tired of the judgment that often comes with the skate scene. The shop and indoor park, where the Roses teach lessons, is a place to learn — and be goofy — in a safe and sober environment.
-
Students on University of Missouri campuses are protesting in solidarity with Palestinians under bombardment from Israel in the Gaza strip.
-
Legendary Kansas City jazz singer Queen Bey died last Monday. Her performances left an indelible mark on the city's jazz scene with her larger-than-life stage presence and stunning voice.