When Water Is More Valuable Than Crops, Farms Struggle To Compete With Thirsty Cities
Few things are more valuable to a farmer in the arid West than irrigation water. Without it, the land turns back into its natural state: dry, dusty plains. If a fast-growing city is your neighbor, then your water holds even more value. Farm families in Western states like California and Colorado are increasingly under pressure…
Shrimp Grown In Tanks Make A Splash, Coming To A Market Near You
Americans love shrimp. We import about $5 billion worth of it from all over the globe, including from India, Thailand and Indonesia. But over the past year, we’ve learned more about the downsides of global shrimp production. The AP uncovered slave labor in Southeast Asia, and there’s also documentation of environmental degradation from destruction of…
Ethnic Enrichment Festival & Other Weekend Possibilities
See the world. Eat the world. All in one weekend. The Ethnic Enrichment Festival returns to Swope Park tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. and hangs around for Saturday (12 to 10 p.m.) and Sunday (12 to 6 p.m.). The festival, now in its 37th year, is an amazing collection of traditional dancing, music, and foods…
Justice Department Will Phase Out Its Use Of Private Prisons
Federal officials said the contract facilities don’t offer substantial cost-savings or provide the same level of security as those run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Mixtapes and Mixology | Zac Snyder’s Pegasus
Mixtapes & Mixology is a new podcast from The Bridge, Flatland, and Recommended Daily that mashes up the Kansas City music and cocktail scene. Each week, we tell the story of one band, one song, and one bartender. Then we ask the bartender to listen to that song and make us a drink based on…
The Weekend Starts Today
Bad news for Olympics lovers. The games close Sunday night with what will surely be a lavish live ceremony. In other words, you’d better watch all the Olympics you can this weekend. Or, better yet, DVR the games. Then get out of the house and enjoy some of what our city has to offer. After…
Life Behind the Scenes at TEDxKC
It was more than three decades ago that Richard Saul Wurman, an American architect and graphic designer, envisioned a conference that explored the convergence of technology, entertainment and design. Debuting in 1984, the first TED Conference was a financial flop. Yet the concept eventually took off and has exploded into a global nonprofit organization with…
Take 5 For Your Health
Prairie Village Dental Surgeon Treats All, No Matter Their Ability To Pay John Fasbinder’s dental office was busy on a recent Tuesday. Three employees helped in the reception area, answering phones and clicking away at computers. Hygienists tended to patients in three dental chairs in the main clinic. Fasbinder and his associate, Seth Cohen, flitted…
You Can Eat It Here And There: Green Eggs And Ham Are Everywhere (On Menus)
The Dr. Seuss book that made the dish famous turns 56 this month. But what does this meal taste like in real life? Chefs across the U.S. are tackling the question.
Old Midwest Barns Are Turning Into Hot Decorating Product
Larry Gerdes is having his barn taken down and disassembled in Malta Bend, Mo. It’s about the size of a three-car garage but stands much taller in a clearing surrounded by six-foot stalks of corn. The barn’s exterior is graying, part of its roof is missing and there’s a gaping hole looking out from the…
Robot-Like Machines Helped People With Spinal Injuries Regain Function
Eight people with serious spinal injuries who practiced hours of interaction with wearable machines for months regained lost feeling and some ability to move.
The Heart of America Hot Dog Festival & Other Weekend Possibilities
The hot dog takes center stage this Saturday from 12 to 10 p.m. when the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (1616 East 18th Street) hosts the Heart of America Hot Dog Festival. The outdoor fest will have live music, games, and a host of signature dogs: the Royal Frank is topped with Gates BBQ sauce, bacon,…
Justice Department Issues Scathing Report On Baltimore Police Department
The Baltimore Police Department has disproportionately targeted African-Americans for stops and arrests, a Justice Department investigation has found. After the police department took a “zero tolerance” approach to policing in the early 2000s, the report finds, it began engaging in a pattern and practice of discriminatory policing. Statistics analyzed in the scathing 163-page report show…
This Year’s Perseid Meteor Shower Is Going To Be Quite A Show — Here’s How To Watch
Stargazers, get ready for something spectacular on Thursday. The annual Perseid meteor shower, already one of the most reliably impressive celestial events, promises to be especially good this year.
Commentary | Standing in the Universe of our Police Chief
There is a new show on Netflix that I rapidly consumed called “Stranger Things.” I found it a compelling mishmash — “Poltergeist” meets “Stand By Me” with a little “Twin Peaks” thrown in for good measure. In it, for lack of a better way of putting it, there is a parallel universe called the “Upside…