Singers Extend Range Beyond Their Own Faith Tradition

Elizabeth Birger is Jewish, but she is also a professional musician with a love for all kinds of religious works, which is how she ended up singing with a Christian church choir in Wichita some years back. At one point there she was asked to prepare kids to sing in an upcoming worship service. The…

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My Week With the 16th Circuit Court

The 16th Circuit Court is located in downtown Kansas City.

I remember a joke told by famous black comedian Richard Pryor. It went something like this: “If you are going downtown [to court], looking for justice, that’s what you will find, just us. The emphasis was on how unfair the justice system is for blacks. Indeed, growing up as young black male, without knowing my…

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For Openly Gay Clergy, the Goal Is To Keep the Momentum

The Rev. Donna Simon says being a female member of the clergy sometimes is tougher than being a gay member. And Rabbi Javier Cattapan says his professional difficulties have more to do with being an immigrant from Argentina with an accent than with being gay. Those are signs of the welcome reality that many religious…

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Privatizing Westport Sidewalks Is About Protecting Lives

People out at night in Westport

As a frequent patron of Westport, I understand when business owners want to take action to make it a safer place. Westport is a center of what is Kansas City’s vibrant nightlife. Its reputation has taken a hit this year due to violent people committing criminal acts using firearms. Primarily, these acts have taken place…

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Mickey’s Empty Seat

Mike McGraw Desk

On Saturday, Jan. 6, our special projects reporter, Mike McGraw, passed away after a brief battle with cancer. “Mickey,” as he was known to us, was 69. He came here to Kansas City PBS after “retirement” from a stellar journalism career. He won a Pulitzer Prize, our profession’s highest honor, during his 30 years at The Kansas…

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