A new plan for climate change, from the USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new plan that offers incentives to farmers who volunteer to take steps that would help cut agriculture’s contribution to climate change. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, speaking to an audience at Michigan State University, said the proposal will give farmers, ranchers, and foresters the technical support and financial incentive to implement more conservation measures on their land and in their operations.
Lamb producers are pinning hopes on growing Muslim and Latino markets
Once a regular dining option, a mix of cultural and economic factors pushed lamb off the American dinner table. To put the meat back on the menu, ranchers and retailers are being encouraged to reach out to a more diverse set of consumers, specifically American Muslims and Latinos.
Why Kansas rural hospitals struggle to survive
There are a lot of small, rural hospitals in Kansas. Without them, many Kansans would have to travel long distances for care. What’s more, in many small towns, the hospital is one of the largest employers — making it vital to the local economy.
Can fast food workers unionize?
Across the country and the KC area, fast food workers and other low-wage employees have been protesting for “15 and a union,” or at least $15 an hour and the right to unionize. Mike Shanin of KCPT’s “Ruckus” interviewed LaToya Caldwell of Stand Up KC for last week’s show. She has worked at Wendy’s for…
Little has changed at Elohim City, including the beliefs of the residents
Since it became notorious 20 years ago with suspicions about links to the Oklahoma City bombing, this village seems frozen in time. True, some signs of modernization have crept in. The old, dimly lit chapel has been replaced with a 7,200-square-foot worship area, residents are now equipped with cellphones and Wi-Fi — although the service…
Middle of the Map 2015, local bands cover the headliners
Fans from around the region are flocking to Kansas City’s Westport neighborhood for Ink’s fifth annual Middle of the Map Music Fest, with 120-plus bands playing on several stages. The Bridge, 90.9 FM in Kansas City, has created a Storify featuring highlights from the festival, also featuring four exclusive covers done by local bands of this year’s festival…
Protest, disparity focus of annual KC civil rights summit
Since the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last August, race relations in America have been a constant topic of conversation — on front porches, at bus stops, in bars and on cable news. And it was a big part of the agenda today at the 7th Annual Civil Rights and Fair Housing Summit,…
A compass for cancer: how one patient navigator makes a difference
When Consuelo Ross was diagnosed with breast cancer, she hid in a dark room for three days. She had lost her husband to a motorcycle accident two years before, and she was the mother of two young children. A breast cancer diagnosis — the same disease that had killed her mother years before — felt…
Week in Review: Marking the first anniversary of the JCC shootings
This week marks the one year anniversary of the shooting deaths at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom. And, low wage protests expand in Kansas City, but are they having an impact?
How do you get by in KC?
How does your job, level of education, access to health care — just for some examples — affect your ability to live successfully?