How redefining ‘farmers’ could change a farm-subsidy loophole
Big farms are collecting taxpayer dollars that they haven’t necessarily earned by taking advantage of a loophole in government subsidy rules, according to regulators, members of Congress and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking aim at what is known as the “actively engaged” loophole, which has been gaping for nearly three decades, by changing the qualifications for some subsidy payments. But many watchdog groups say a proposed fix fails to address the problem.
Child Custody Case In Garden City Stirs Medical Marijuana Debate
The case of a medical marijuana activist in Garden City who lost custody of her son after the boy spoke up at a school anti-drug event has stirred legalization advocates.
The changing dynamics of Kansans and coverage
Prior to the Affordable Care Act, it would have been virtually impossible for Calderwood to purchase affordable coverage because of her pre-existing health problems. Denying coverage to sick people was one of the ways that insurance companies managed their risk. Not surprisingly, a significant number of Kansans who purchased Obamacare coverage in the initial enrollment period were older and less healthy than the general population, said Matt All, a senior vice president for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state’s largest health insurer.
‘Jam’ on 18th & Vine
LaShonda Katrice Barnett’s debut novel, “Jam on the Vine,” was published in February to praise from the Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly and more. The novel follows Ivoe Williams as she establishes the first female-published black newspaper in the U.S. Ivoe’s fictional newspaper, Jam on the Vine, is inspired by Kansas City’s own…
Health Care Expert Says Changes Are Afoot For Medicare And Medicaid
The public should expect to see significant evolutions in Medicare and Medicaid in coming years, a national health care expert told a Kansas City audience Friday.
‘Housing first’ model creates a place to stay
In the post-institutionalization era of mental health treatment in America, the usual model of support for people with mental illness is temporary hospitalization and treatment following a psychotic episode, then a temporary stay in “transitional housing” before patients are expected to obtain and secure housing on their own in the private market. But some advocates think that creates dangerous instability for some people with severe and persistent mental illness. The antidote, they say, is an open-ended place to stay that allows people with a mental illness to get comfortable with their surroundings and fall into a routine that makes them better able to manage their conditions.
He saw his son lying dead, shot by sovereign citizens
SPRINGFIELD, MO. Although nearly five years have passed, telling the story hasn’t gotten any easier for Bob Paudert. But here was the former police chief of West Memphis, Ark., standing before dozens of law enforcement officers to describe the day that turned his life upside-down and to hopefully prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring…
Kansas Representative Melissa Rooker talks school finance
The most recent controversy in Kansas education involves the dumping of the school finance formula and the implementation of a block grant system. Representative Melissa Rooker (R) of Fairway, Kansas, sat down with Mike Shanin to talk about her views on the issue on a recent edition of KCPT’s “Ruckus.” What follows is an edited…
Rob Riggle brings homegrown Big Slick strategy to Middle of the Map
America may know comedian and actor Rob Riggle from his work on “Saturday Night Live” and “The Daily Show” or from roles in movies like “The Hangover” and “21 Jump Street.” But Kansas City knows Riggle from Big Slick, his celebrity-packed weekend fundraiser for Children’s Mercy Hospital. Riggle spoke yesterday at Middle of the Map…
KC rallies for low-wage workers
Chants of “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! These poverty wages have got to go!” could be heard across several blocks as hundreds of people marched from Theis Park near the Plaza to the UMKC campus Wednesday afternoon.