Niara Savage

Niara Savage is a reporting fellow with NPR Midwest Newsroom and The Missouri Independent.

Stories by Niara Savage

Lisa Pascoe with her 2-year-old daughter on March 23, 2022, at their home Clarkson Valley, Mo.

Known to be Toxic for a Century, Lead Still Poisons Thousands of Midwestern Kids

By Allison Kite, Niara Savage | April 11, 2022

Researchers say even a small amount of lead can harm kids’ development. One 2021 study found Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri had some of the highest rates of elevated blood lead levels in children.