KCPT

Stories by KCPT

The atomic bomb explodes at Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. (Library of Congress)

Winning the War: Recalling the ‘Instrument of Deliverance,’ Pondering the Future of Democracy

Second of two installments About 16.4 million Americans served during World War II, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Just 66,000 — fewer than one out of every 250 who served – were still alive in 2024. Among those, 1,321 lived in Missouri in 2024, while 352 lived in Kansas….

General Dwight Eisenhower with President Harry Truman at an airfield in Brussels, Belgium, en route to Potsdam on July 15, 1945. (Harry S. Truman Library & Museum)

Winning the War: Truman, Eisenhower and the Fight for Democracy

First of two installments Consider it an example of just how small two towering global figures could be. The year: 1961.  The event: a high-stakes summit that called for discretion and diplomacy, given that two titans on the world stage — Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower — for years had maintained an often-frosty distance from…

Amazon drone deliveries appear to be on the horizon in Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. (Amazon)

Nick’s Picks | Lawmaking, Homicide, Drones and More …

Now that there’s a new pope and Kansas City has picked a new city manager, what’s left to report on this week? Here are some newsworthy stories to watch… Missouri Legislative Session Ends Missouri lawmakers are on a sprint to the finish line this week. The legislative session officially ends on Friday. And lawmakers still…

Native American pottery and artifacts fill a table at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum on March 26, 2025 in Bonner Springs, Kansas. (Chase Castor | Flatland)

KC Area Museums Reviewing Extensive Indigenous Holdings

Arrowheads, skinning knives, spearheads pulled from Kansas City fields, and prehistoric woven fibers teased from centuries-cold fire pits sit on the floor of a closed wing of the Wyandotte County Historical Museum. They are now under a year-long review to comply with strict federal guidelines designed to give Native American tribes greater control of the…

House decorated with a VE Day banner during the commemoration. The VE Day 75th anniversary, when Victory in Europe over the Germans was announced during World War Two, being commemorated during lockdown restrictions of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Keith Mayhew | SOPA Images| Sipa US)| (Sipa via AP Images)

Nick’s Picks | Holidays, Decisions, Deadlines and More Big Trifectas …

3 Big Holidays We’re marking three big holidays this week, none of which qualify you for a day off. Today is Cinco de Mayo. Sunday is Mother’s Day. And Friday is Victory Day, a new holiday declared by President Donald Trump to mark the end of World War II, though the power to create public…

Carthesa and Christopher Hutson donated their oldest son's organs after he was killed in a road-rage shooting in 2017. Gary Dixon (center) received the teen's heart. (Photo courtesy of Dixon and the Hutson family)

Long waiting lists and kidneys wasted: The state of organ transplants and how it affects Missouri and Kansas

When Carthesa Hutson’s son, Chris, finally got around to getting his driver’s license he was almost 19. She remembers being at the DMV with him when he paused on the application question about becoming an organ donor and looked to her. She told him to follow his heart. “He said, ‘Well, if I’m not here,…

Be aware: The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center on April 28, 2025, said threatening weather was possible in the Kansas City area. (Amanda Hill | NOAA Weather in Focus Photo Contest 2015)

Nick’s Picks | Storm Threat, City Manager, WWE Rumble, and More …

Brace for Severe Weather Be prepared for some bumpy weather today. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center says damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes are possible. The most severe storm activity is expected north of metro KC, but our local TV meteorologists say the volatile storm path could change quickly. Picking a New Pope…

The special-needs ministry at Johnson County’s Grace Church has been a godsend for parents Holly and Lou Palacio and their son, Michael (far right), who has a rare genetic disorder that causes autism and epilepsy. Also pictured are the Palacio’s son, Daniel, and daughter, Anna. (Photo courtesy of the Palacio family).

Ministering to Children With Disabilities

When Michael Palacio was born 18 years ago this month, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, tuberous sclerosis, which causes epilepsy and autism. And Michael now has both. As his parents began to respond to Michael’s needs — and continue to parent Michael’s two older siblings — one issue that arose quickly was…

Nick’s Picks | The Pope, Fountains, Trees, and More …

Remembering Pope Francis It’s going to be a week of mourning as Catholics around the world mark today’s passing of Pope Francis. The Argentinian-born pontiff was 88 years old. Francis’s death triggers a series of rituals and procedures. His papal ring will be destroyed, and his rooms will be sealed. He will lie in state…

One goal of right-to-repair legislation, including measures considered in Missouri and Kansas, is to make it easier for farmers to fix their own equipment.

Manufacturers Out of Step with Customers on Repairs

Would you want your livelihood to depend on your daughter’s choice of dance escorts? Don’t laugh. Nathan Proctor has heard anecdotes to that effect in his role with PIRG, a Denver-based federation of state-based public interest research groups. Proctor is the senior director of PIRG’s right-to-repair campaign, which aims to break down the barriers that…