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June 23rd to 27th, 2008 on KCUR's Up to Date

Monday June 23, 2008
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Perhaps best known for his role as B.J. Hunnicutt on the popular TV series M*A*S*H, actor Mike Farrell has done anything but fade into the background as a syndicated rerun.

Today the native Minnesotan joins Steve Kraske to talk about his life as an actor, writer, director, and producer for film and television, and his role as an activist, including his outspoken support for human rights and his opposition to the death penalty. 

Farrell is author of Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist.


Mike Farrell will talk about his work as a social justice advocate at 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 27, at All Souls Unitarian-Universalist Church at 4501 Walnut in Kansas City, Missouri. Single tickets are $25. A private reception for donors will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Simpson House, adjacent to the church. For tickets, visit moabolition.org.




Additional Information:

For more information on Mike Farrell, visit mikefarrell.org.

Michael Joseph Farrell was born on February 6, 1939 in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the age of 2 a move to Hollywood, where his father's work as a studio carpenter provided young Mike's first glimpse of the world behind the studio walls, began his fascination with the "movies, one he has never fully lost.

After graduating from Hollywood High and a hitch in the Marines, he worked a number of jobs - including a stint as private investigator - while pursuing a career as an actor, beginning with small parts in films like "The Graduate" and "The Americanization of Emily".

Stage roles and small parts on TV eventually landed him in the soap "Days of Our Lives", where he starred as Scott Banning for two years. "Days" was followed by leading roles in two series, "The Interns" and "The Man and The City," then a four-year contract with Universal Pictures.

Mike is best known for playing Captain B.J. Hunnicutt in the ever popular series M*A*S*H. His eight years with the memorable show allowed the opportunity to both write and direct several episodes, earning him nominations for Director's Guild and Emmy Awards.

His first production experience outside of ""M*A*S*H was the CBS-TV film "Memorial Day", in which he starred opposite Shelley Fabares.

On the documentary front, among many others, Farrell co-hosted "Saving the Wildlife" for PBS, hosted "The Best of the National Geographic Specials" and had a great adventure scuba diving with his children, Michael and Erin, among hundreds of sharks in French Polynesia for "The World of Audubon".

On December 31, 1984 Mike married actress Shelley Fabares (star of ABC-TVs "Coach")

Together with partner Marvin Minoff he formed 'Farrell/Minoff productions'. Farrell/Minoff's first production was "Dominick and Eugene", a film starring Tom Hulce and Ray Liotta. After making a number of TV movies, one of their more recent productions is "Patch Adams", starring Robin Williams.

Click here for Mike Farrell's complete biography.



Tuesday June 24, 2008
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Join Steve Kraske and Obstetrician/Gynecologist Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, MD of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Truman Medical Center and the UMKC School of Medicine today as we explore two topics during our our monthly women’s health series: gynecological cancers and staying healthy during the summer.

In the first portion of our program we'll turn our attention towards the various types of gynecological cancers. 

Cervical cancer affects almost 10,000 women each year in the United States.  Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women.  But a relatively new vaccine for Human Papillomavirus (or HPV) protects against the virus that causes almost all cervical cancers.

We'll also look at other types of gynecological cancers: uterine, ovarian, cancers of the vagina and vulva, and colon cancer.

In the second part of our program we'll discuss how to stay healthy during the summer.  We'll discuss limiting exposure to sun and using the right sunblock, staying hydrated, and how to recognize your limits.


Wednesday June 25, 2008
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On assignment for the Hartford Courant in 2004, photojournalist Michael Kodas joined an expedition to hike the highest point on Earth: Mount Everest.  Led by a couple that had scaled the mountain more than a dozen times between them, Kodas watched his expedition disintegrate into a mess of thefts, violence, and lies.

Kodas discovered that climbing Mount Everest was no longer a challenge limited to the passionate, fit, few hikers who scaled its peak.  Instead, he writes in his investigative non-fiction account how big-money expeditions into the Himalaya are drawing crime to the region.

Today Steve Kraske welcomes the Kansas City native and former Kansas City Star photographer to discuss his book High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed.

Web Extra:


You can view images of Michael Kodas' trek to Mt. Everest here.


Michael Kodas speaks and presents a slideshow Thursday evening June 26th at 7:30 at Unity Temple on the Plaza.  For more information, call Rainy Day Books at 913 384 3126 or visit their website.




Additional Information:

You can learn more about Michael Kodas on his website and his book's website.

In 25 years as a photojournalist, reporter and author, Michael Kodas has traveled everywhere from Mount Everest to the Oval Office of the White House. Since 1987, he has worked at The Hartford Courant, America's oldest continuously published newspaper, where, in addition to hundreds of daily news, sports and feature assignments, he have also completed an unusual series of projects as both a writer and a photographer.

In 1989 he followed a group of Vietnam veterans when they returned to Southeast Asia to help the government remove the mines and ordnance they had left behind. 

In 1995 Kodas joined a team of journalists from The Courant and four other newspapers for a historic relay hike of the Appalachian Trail. The 36 weekly installments of the series were collected in the illustrated book, An Appalachian Adventure.

In 1997 he circumnavigated Long Island Sound by sea kayak to produce "The Urban Sea," a series of stories and photographs on the condition of the heavily used sound.

In 1998 Kodas wrote and photographed "Troubled Waters," the Courant's 18-month series looking at the devastation of New England's marine environment and fishing industry, for which he spent countless days on trawlers, lobster boats, and research vessels.

In 1999 Kodas climbed Ama Dablam, a 22,494-foot mountain in the Himalaya of Nepal, for a series of stories about the changing role of women in high altitude mountaineering.  And in 2000 he concluded a four-year project documenting the recreation and maiden voyage of the Amistad, the cargo schooner on which 53 kidnapped Africans rebelled in 1839 only to be captured and tried in Connecticut.

In 2003, Michael trained and was certified as a forest fire fighter in order to work with a crew battling blazes in Colorado and Wyoming to produce a story that described in words and photographs the increasing threat of wildfires in the western United States.

And in 2004 and 2006 he joined expeditions to Mount Everest to investigate how the big money and big egos in adventure sports are drawing crime and malfeasance to wildernesses in the developing world.

Kodas' work has also been published in The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Newsweek magazine, Backpacker Magazine and many other newspapers and magazines.

In 1999 Kodas was part of the team of Courant journalists awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the paper's coverage of the massacre of four employees of the Connecticut lottery by a disgruntled employee. His work has also been honored in the Best of Photojournalism contest, the Pictures of the Year competition, the National Press Photographers Association national clip contest, and in competitions held by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society for Newspaper Design, the New England Associated Press News Executives Association, The Newspaper Association of America, the Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Awards and several other professional organizations.

Kodas studied journalism at the University of Missouri, where he completed the newswriting and photojournalism programs.




Thursday June 26, 2008
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High gas prices have increased public transit ridership all across the nation. And as more people move out of their private vehicles as gasoline hits $4 a gallon, some are choosing to put their bodies to the test…and use pedal power.

Commuting by bicycle is no longer limited to the passionate few who don bright-colored spandex and take their seat on a recumbent bike.  It’s increasing in popularity among daily commuters – those who bike to work, on errands, or to catch a show. 

Unfortunately, some drivers are still unaware of the size advantage their multi-ton vehicles have over their two-wheeled human-powered neighbors, and some bicyclists don’t respect the rules of the road as they’re required to.

Today Steve Kraske welcomes guests to discuss commuting by bicycle.

Deb Ridgway, bike/pedestrian coordinator with Kansas City, Missouri discusses what the city is doing to encourage more bicycling.  Dave Jennings, a Leawood Police patrol cyclist discusses bike safety, how bicycles and automobiles can share the road safely, and why he issues citations to bike riders. 

We'll also talk with Noah Dunker, an information technology security worker who commutes from Lenexa to downtown KCMO, and Tom Dillon, who commutes by bicycle from Brookside to Overland Park, about why they choose to bike to work and the store, the routes they take, and how the average speed they attain often equals that of commuters in their cars. 

Additional Information:

You can find more information about commuting by bicycle in the following links:

For more information on the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Communities program, click here.

Scroll through www.kcbike.info for some of the recent steps Kansas City, Missouri is taking to become bike friendly.

You can read Noah's blog, KC Bike Commuting: Using Bicycles, Buses, and Alternative Transportation in and around Kansas City here.

Some other local biking websites:  Choose Your Bike (Not Your Car); LocalCycling



Friday June 27, 2008
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Hollywood banks on the success of summer hits - but along with the occasionally good one come a whole bunch of lugs. 

In a broadcast originally aired July 27, 2007 Video Guru Jason Heck and film professor Mitch Brian join Steve Kraske for a show they’ve titled BDL: Big, Dumb, and Loud: Summer Hollywood Blockbusters.

We’ll talk about the summer blockbuster phenomenon as well as the best and worst blockbuster films of all time.






Additional Information:

Films Jason and Mitch discussed today:

Jaws
Independence Day
Pearl Harbor
Saving Private Ryan
Die Another Day
Casino Royale

June 16th to 20th, 2008 on KCUR's Up to Date

Monday June 16, 2008
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The parallels between the 1968 and 2008 elections are obvious: a morally wounded nation, and candidates promising to heal the wounds. Over and over again Barack Obama has been compared to Bobby Kennedy. 

In a recent New York Times column, Bob Herbert remarked of Obama’s Philadelphia speech that focused on race, "Listening to Senator Obama’s speech, it wasn’t Dr. King who first came to mind but Bobby Kennedy, standing on a flatbed truck in Indianapolis on a cold, windy night in April 1968. Kennedy had to tell a crowd that had gathered to hear him speak that King had been murdered."

"Because Robert Kennedy had managed his late brother’s 1960 presidential campaign and served in his cabinet as attorney general," writes Thurston Clarke, author of The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and the 82 Days That Inspired America, "(Kennedy) understood that following a crude and divisive campaign with a high-minded presidency would be difficult, and healing a morally wounded nation after running an immoral campaign would be impossible. Because he understood this, his campaign became a template for how a candidate should run for the White House in a time of moral crisis."

Today Clarke joins Steve Kraske to talk about the campaign of Bobby Kennedy - 40 years ago - and the parallels with this year’s campaign for the nation’s highest office.


Additional Information:

For more information about The Last Campaign, visit the publisher's website.

Thurston Clarke has written eleven widely acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction, including three New York Times Notable Books. His Pearl Harbor Ghosts was the basis of a CBS documentary, and his bestselling Lost Hero, a biography of Raoul Wallenberg, was made into an award-winning NBC miniseries. His articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Washington Post and many other publications.

Clarke is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and other awards and lives with his wife and three daughters in upstate New York.



Tuesday June 17, 2008
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Just last week Johnson County officials said that they would reexamine their procedure of passing along one-quarter of the county’s sewage to Kansas City, Missouri for treatment after KCMO announced that treatment rates would increase as the city attempts to re-work its aging sewer lines, a multi-billion dollar project many years in the making.

Sewers --- just one of the sexy topics on the agenda of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.  Many other issues occupy the board’s list, though: requests from smaller areas like Stillwell to incorporate, decisions to annex unincorporated land into Johnson County, and more.

Today Annabeth Surbaugh, chairwoman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners joins Steve Kraske to discuss these issues, as well as renewing a ¼ cent sales tax to fund public safety programs, the County’s role in a regional transit system, the possibility of raising sales tax to fund a "research triangle," and how an economic downturn could hurt development in one of the fastest growing parts of the nation.

Additional Information:

On January 13, 2003, Annabeth Surbaugh was inducted as the first popularly elected Chairman of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners, a new office created under the auspices of the Home Rule Charter for Johnson County Government.

As Johnson County's chief elected official, Surbaugh's top priorities include greater fiscal accountability, strategic community planning, and increased public participation in the local governance process.

Born to middle-class parents in St. Louis, Surbaugh's ambition and leadership skills were evident at an early age, eventually leading her to the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her bachelor’s degree in retailing. After college, she joined The Jones Store, Co., where she worked as a management trainee in Ladies Ready-To-Wear.  True to form, Surbaugh quickly advanced through the ranks. She left the Jones Store to join Harzfelds and, later, Macy’s Department Store as a buyer for Ladies Better Ready-To-Wear.

A resident of Overland Park since 1968 and local businesswoman, Surbaugh continues to juggle a full personal and professional life. She formerly owned and operated an interior design firm, Yours, And Then Some, and sits on numerous local and regional governing and advisory boards, particularly those with a focus on human services, in addition to her service as an elected official. At heart, though, she says she’s still a citizen activist, spending any spare time she has collaborating with civic and business leaders on common issues facing the community.

Johnson County Government has been on the forefront of innovative, effective and cost-efficient local governments for more than a decade, and Surbaugh has been a major contributor to those accomplishments. She has been a strong supporter of the local business community and has worked to ensure continued funding for important business investments, such as the County Economic Research Institute (CERI), and the Johnson County Business Enterprise Center, both of which provide support services to help develop business growth within the community in an effort to attract and nurture small and newly established business and bring sustained economic development to the area.

In 1995, serving in her first year as the rotating Chairman prior to the adoption of the Home Rule Charter, Surbaugh led a landmark initiative to establish the Citizens’ Visioning Committee, a 25-member advisory panel that worked over the course of two years to develop a twenty-year projected future vision for the Johnson County community and the role that County Government would play in that vision. Typical of her public activist roots, Surbaugh has insisted that the Committee reconvene each year to "grade" the County’s performance in achieving that vision for the community.

Surbaugh championed an effort to supplement state allocations for local public school districts in Johnson County in 2002. Facing state budgetary shortfalls and unprecedented cuts in public education funding, the initiative ultimately proved successful. In November 2002, the public adopted a quarter-cent sales tax and authorized the County Government to provide economic grants and other funding for Johnson County’s public schools.

Surbaugh has identified the ongoing struggle to balance the competing demands for economic development, public safety, and community infrastructure with residents’ human service needs as the principal challenge facing Johnson County. In the face of a troubling economy, she expects that challenge will be amplified; however, in classic Surbaugh fashion, she feels the Board’s up to the task.



Wednesday June 18, 2008
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With gasoline prices hovering in the neighborhood of $4 per gallon, many individuals and families are opting to vacation closer to home this summer. 

But staying in the Kansas City area doesn’t mean being bored, that’s for sure.  And whether it’s your first time venturing beyond the greater metro area or you’ve done it multiple times, you’re sure to find a multitude of fascinating and unique things to do on less than one tank of gas (round trip!).

Today - join guest host Stephen Steigman, Kansas Travel & Tourism official Kelli Hilliard, Independence, Missouri tourism representative Janeen Aggen, and tell other listeners about your favorite nearby getaways. 

Whether it’s a visit to the Kansas City Zoo, a trip to the Flint Hills of Kansas, or riding a bike on the Katy Trail (pictured above; special thanks to RecumBum), we’ll ask you to call in with your favorites and share with others what other activities you enjoy in the same region.  Remember: one tank of gas - or less. (we’re not going to calculate mileage differences between a Prius and a Suburban...so let’s just say somewhere in the range of 250-325 miles round trip)

Join the conversation today one of two ways: 1) post your suggestions on our discussion board below or 2) call 816 235 2888 during the program to tell us on-air.  Sharing them on our discussion board allows others to go back and view - and also enables other listeners to post their questions and comments about your pick.


Additional Information:

As long as you're driving....you might as well bring some good tunes, too.  So if you're not listening to KCUR or your favorite public radio station on the road, here's NPR's Road Trip: Songs to Drive By

Kansas Tourism
Missouri Tourism


Thursday June 19, 2008
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Since taking over as interim superintendent of the Kansas City, Missouri School District in January, Dr. John Martin has attempted to carry on the successes of previous superintendents and tried to fix some of the problems that plague the urban district.

Today Steve Kraske welcomes Dr. Martin to discuss his vision for the district, the role of the school board and possible shift of boundaries, the handover of a number of schools to Independence, its new Southwest Early College Campus program, and more.



Additional Information:

Dr. John Martin was named interim superintendent of the Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD) in January 2008. As the District’s chief administrator, Dr. Martin leads a staff of 4,000 people that is responsible for the education of nearly 26,000 students enrolled in 71 schools.

Dr. Martin brings considerable experience to the job. Before arriving in the KCMSD, Martin served as deputy superintendent of the St. Louis (Mo.) Public Schools. However, many locally recognize him from his 9-year tenure as superintendent of the Grandview (Mo.) CG-4 Schools in suburban Kansas City, Mo. Dr. Martin has also held assistant superintendent roles in the Montgomery County (Va.) Schools and the School District of University City, Mo.

Dr. Martin has a wealth of classroom experience, serving as principal of Flynn Park School and assistant principal of Brittany Middle School, both in the School District of University City, Mo. He also served as a mathematics, social studies, engineering and core curriculum teacher in both University City and St. Louis.

To achieve the education and training to fill those roles, Dr. Martin earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Harris Teachers’ College in St. Louis, a Master of Arts degree in education from Washington University in St. Louis and his doctorate in education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (commonly known as Virginia Tech). His doctorate dissertation was called "The School Board and Self-Evaluation: Do School Boards in the Commonwealth of Virginia Evaluate Their Own Performance?" Dr. Martin is certified as a teacher and superintendent in Virginia and Missouri.

Dr. Martin was active in the Grandview Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and sat on the board of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Foundation. He’s also served as president of the Greater Kansas City School Administrators Association and as president of the Missouri Center for Safe Schools.  Additionally, he was an Education Commissioner for Missouri.  He was appointed by Missouri Gov. Bob Holden for three years, representing Missouri at the Education Commissioners of the States annual conferences.  Dr. Martin also served on the Business Education Roundtable under Gov. Holden and co-chaired a sub-committee for that group.



Also today...

In the second part of our program Kansas City Symphony executive director Frank Byrne returns to the studios to share some new classical music recordings on CD.

We'll hear music by composers Barber, Bizet, Dvorák, Handel, and Thomas Augstine Arne.


Frank's selections:

COMPOSER
SELECTION
CD TITLE
ENSEMBLE/CONDUCTOR
CD LABEL/NUMBER
George Frideric Handel
Bouree from "Water Music"
Water Music
Les Violins du Roy/Bernard Labadie
Atma ACD2 2569

COMPOSER
SELECTION
CD TITLE
ENSEMBLE/CONDUCTOR
CD LABEL/NUMBER		Thomas Augustine Arne
Overture No. 5
Arne: Eight Overtures
Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood
L'oiseau-Lyre 475 9117

COMPOSER
SELECTION
CD TITLE
ENSEMBLE/CONDUCTOR
CD LABEL/NUMBER		Samuel Barber
Adagio for Strings
Barber Adagio for Strings/Ives
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
 / Neville Marriner
Decca 475 8237
COMPOSER
SELECTION
CD TITLE
ENSEMBLE/CONDUCTOR
CD LABEL/NUMBER		Georges Bizet
Entracte 3 from Carmen
Bizet L'Arlesienne
Les musiciens du louvre/Marc Minkowski
Naïve 5130
COMPOSER
SELECTION
CD TITLE
ENSEMBLE/CONDUCTOR
CD LABEL/NUMBER		Antonin Dvorak
Finale from Symphonic Variations for Orchestra
Dvorak Cello Concerto/Symphonic Variations
Budapest Festival Orchestra/Ivan Fischer
Channel Classics CCS SA 25807




Friday June 20, 2008
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Beer and brats?  Sure.

But how about Beaujolais and brats?  Riesling and ribs?  Champagne and charbroiled burgers?  Merlot and macaroni salad?  Okay...maybe that’s going a little too far... but one doesn’t need to look much further for a good pairing of wine and summer food than today’s program with Doug Frost, one of three people in the world to hold the dual designation Master Sommelier and Master of Wine.

Today Frost joins Steve Kraske for an in-studio tasting and discussion about wine pairings (and beer, too) for your summer gathering.  Whatever your plans entail - from a backyard barbeque or park picnic, to a large gathering under a tent, you’re sure to learn something new about wine and discover a variety you might not have considered before.

Whatever your taste - just follow Doug’s advice: "a good wine... is one you like."

Additional Information:

Doug Frost is a Kansas City author who writes and lectures about wine, beer and spirits. In 1991 he passed the rigorous Master Sommelier examination and two years later became America 's eighth Master of Wine in the American Midwest. He was the second person in history to complete both exams and eight years later he is still one of only three people in the world  to have achieved both these remarkable distinctions.

The two examinations test candidates' knowledge of wine and wine production, storage, and marketing as well as requiring the candidates to demonstrate their ability to describe, analyze and identify many blind, or unidentified, wines. The tests are intensely difficult and many of the brightest minds and palates in the wine industry are unable to complete the programs. And now, according to USA Today , "Frost likely knows as much as anyone in the world about how to make, market, serve and identify wines."

Mr. Frost's love of wine began many years ago as a waiter and wine steward, although he dates his first interest to a glass of Louis Martini 1968 Special Select Pinot Noir when he was fifteen years old. Frost was a fine wine wholesaler in the Kansas City area for fourteen years and, in that capacity, represented most of the best wineries and estates from America and the world.

His most recent book, On Wine, published by Rizzoli International, was released in the fall of 2001. The Washington Post calls it "fabulous, witty, engaging and wise. conveys more accumulated wine wisdom than most books 10 times as thick."

His first book, Uncorking Wine, was released in the summer of 1996, and is still a staple for many restaurant and retail companies and their staff and management.

He has written about wine and spirits for many publications including New York Times Digital, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Underground Wine Journal, Practical Winery & Vineyard and is a columnist and contributing editor for Sante Magazine, as well as the beverage columnist for the Kansas City Star . He has written for many years for local and national journals; specializing in art, food and music as well as writing film reviews for Public Radio.

Frost is a featured speaker at the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine seminars, at many Wines from Spain events, at the annual Cheers Beverage Conference, at the Telluride Wine Festival, for the Marriott Sommelier Program and frequently lectures and consults for retailers, restaurants and wholesalers around the country. He is the program director for the Monterey Wine Festival, America's oldest continuous wine festival.

Frost judges for many wine competitions including the International Spirits Competition, the Sonoma Harvest Fair, the San Francisco Wine Competition, the San Diego Wine Competition, the Riverside International Wine Competition, the Dallas Morning New Wine Competition and is the director of the Jefferson Cup Invitational. He is also the director of America 's Best Wine Lists, a wine list competition sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

He is proud of the past two decades that he has spent educating the public and wine and hospitality professionals in the United States, both in his work and as a personal passion. In 1996, he was honored as a nominee for the James Beard Award as Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional; past recipients include Robert Mondavi, Marvin Shanken, Andre Tchelistcheff and Randall Graham.

His work history reflects a lifetime in restaurants, in hotels, managing in-house and off-site caterings and working in all levels of the wine, retail, restaurant and hospitality industries.

Mr. Frost lives with his wife and two children in Kansas City, where he spends his spare time listening to his massive punk rock and weird music collection.


Programs and guests are subject to change.


Looking for older programs?  Check the Previously on Up to Date section of our website.

June 9th to 13th, 2008 on KCUR's Up to Date

Monday June 9, 2008
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On Saturday Senator Hillary Clinton announced that she was suspending her campaign and putting her full support behind presumptive Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama. 

Clinton supporter and fellow Democrat Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri’s 5th district attended that rally in Washington, and today with Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Boyda of Kansas’s 2nd district (who has remained uncommitted to either candidate) joins Steve Kraske to discuss the future of the Democratic Party as the candidates move towards the November general election.

We’ll also discuss the latest news from Iraq, defense appropriations, the recently-passed farm bill, energy policy and gas prices, and much more.

And as always, join the conversation online (below) or call with your questions and comments during the program: 816 235 2888.

Additional Information:

Democrat Nancy Boyda represents the Kansas Second Congressional District, which includes Topeka, Leavenworth Manhattan, and most of northeast and southeast Kansas.

Nancy graduated with honors from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, where she received dual degrees in chemistry and education.  She began her career in 1978 working as an analytical chemist and field inspector for the Environmental Protection Agency.  Over the next two decades, she held management positions in several pharmaceutical companies, including Marion Laboratories.

Nancy lives in Topeka with her husband, Steve Boyda.  Steve grew up on a farm in Marshall County, is a Marine Corps veteran and a former Marshall County Attorney.  She is the mother of two children and five stepchildren and attends Countryside United Methodist Church in Topeka.  Click here for Congresswoman Boyda's complete biography.

Democrat Emanuel Cleaver II represents Missouri's 5th Congressional district.  He was first elected to public office in 1979 as a City Councilman in Kansas City. During his 12 year tenure, he served as Mayor Pro Tem and was an active Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee. Cleaver’s served two terms as President of the National Conference of Black Mayors.  He was first elected to Congress in 2004.  Click here for Congressman Cleaver's complete biography.


Tuesday June 10, 2008
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Before your kids find their way to the television, the Wii, or begin to forget what they’ve learned during the entire school year, tune in today for a good list of books appropriate for children and youth of all ages.

Johnson County youth librarians Tricia Suellentrop and Dennis Ross join Steve Kraske to discuss some of the best new children’s books for the summer. We’ll read from some of the selections, and ask for your favorites, too.  Among them is sure to be one that will capture the imagination of your youngster.  

Don’t worry about missing a particular title: a complete list of books discussed can be found here.  You can also find a bigger list of picks on the Johnson County Library website here.



Wednesday June 11, 2008
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Even though we can finally move on to the general election with presumptive nominees Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama ready to battle it out, political pundits still have plenty of pondering do to...including guessing who the candidates will pick to be their running mates and what strategies they’ll use to draw voters to their side.

Today Up to Date’s political pundits: Dave Helling of The Kansas City Star  and KU political science professor Burdett Loomis join the “Great Kraskini” to discuss the presidential race, as well as a number of other high-profile races in Missouri and Kansas including the Show-Me-State’s battle for governor and attorney general, the Sunflower State’s open U.S. Senate seat, and much more.



Thursday June 12, 2008
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If you’re familiar with writer David Sedaris’ monologues on This American Life, you’re probably well versed in the humor of one of public radio’s funniest essayists who has the uncanny ability to transform everyday ordinary life into hilarious situations.

David Sedaris is back again, this time with a new collection of essays titled When You Are Engulfed in Flames.  Today the author of Barrel Fever, Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and Me Talk Pretty One Day joins Steve Kraske to discuss the absurdity of death, his career as a playwright, and his newest tome of laugh-out-loud stories.


David Sedaris will speak and sign copies of his book When You Are Engulfed in Flames next Monday June 16th at 7 p.m. at Rainy Day Books in Fairway.  For more information call 913 384 3126 or visit Rainy Day Books online.



Additional Information:

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America ’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

David Sedaris is the author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, each of which became immediate bestsellers. He is the editor of an anthology of stories, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His essays appear regularly in Esquire and The New Yorker. Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written several plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City . These plays include Stump the Host, Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler’s Knob, and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatist’s Play Service.

David Sedaris’s original radio pieces can often be heard on This American Life, distributed nationally by Public Radio International and produced by WBEZ. In 2001, David Sedaris became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He was named by Time magazine as “Humorist of the Year” in 2001. David Sedaris was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album ("Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim") and Best Comedy Album ("David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall").



Friday June 13, 2008
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Looking for some new tunes to accompany you on your summer break?  Look no further.... Up to Date to the rescue!

Today Kansas City Star music critic Tim Finn and Kief's Downtown Music staffer Steve Wilson join Steve Kraske with their favorite new pop albums of 2008 - so far. 

We'll also talk about some of their favorite concerts from the first six months of this year, and discuss a few upcoming shows that they're really looking forward to in the next half year.

A complete list of their selections (with album art) is posted below.  You can visit Tim Finn's Back to Rockville blog here.

Above: That Girl by It's Over, one of Tim Finn's selections




Program topics and guests subject to change.

Previously on Up to Date

June 2nd to 6th, 2008 on KCUR's Up to Date

Monday June 2, 2008
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When she appeared on The Colbert Report last week, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (in addition to bestowing Stephen Colbert with a Missouri flag bearing...bears) said that it was her children who finally convinced her to go with her support of fellow Democrat Barack Obama.  And since then she's been outspoken about why she believes Obama is the best candidate to become President.

This past weekend Democratic Party officials decided to seat Michigan and Florida delegates at this summer's convention in Denver, albeit half the number of votes...but still leaving Obama with a majority of delegates going into primaries tomorrow in Montana and South Dakota.  Will the Democratic presidential primary continue all the way to the convention floor? 

Today Senator McCaskill joins Steve Kraske to discuss Clinton and Obama, possible vice-presidential candidates, military contractor accountability, gas prices, and much more.


Additional Information:

You can visit Senator McCaskill's website here.

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) was born in Rolla and raised in Houston, Missouri.  She attended Hickman High School in Columbia, where her mother became Columbia's first woman city council member. McCaskill remained in Columbia after high school and graduated from University of Missouri undergraduate and law school and later clerked for the Missouri Court of Appeals in Kansas City.

Claire McCaskill served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1983 to 1988 where she was a leader on criminal justice and education. McCaskill was the first woman ever to be elected Jackson County Prosecutor.

She's married to Joseph Shepard, a St. Louis businessman. Together they have a blended family of seven children and one grandchild.

Click here for McCaskill's complete bio.



Tuesday June 3, 2008
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For those of you who are keeping track (no pun intended), it appears as if Kansas City has added its eight - (or is it ninth?) - light rail plan to the design collection. 

Last Friday Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser held a meeting with almost 30 regional leaders to discuss his vision for an integrated public transit system - on the Missouri side of the state line.  It incorporates bus rapid transit, regional rail, express buses, light rail, and modern street cars.  But the light rail portion of the plan - a technology for which Kansas Citians have been clamoring for many years - makes up only eleven miles of the entire plan. 

But can Funkhouser convince voters in the region - not just Kansas City, Missouri - to fund a regional plan?  And can he get it on the ballot in November?  With other large expenses (like $2.3 billion in sewer repairs, over $1 billion in storm water pollution fixes) facing Kansas City, is a multi-billion dollar light rail plan the right way to go?

Today Steve Kraske welcomes Mayor Funkhouser to discuss his vision for a regional transit system, and discuss other issues of the day, including another parks board appointment, controversy over a staffer's departure from his office, and much more.


Additional Information:

You can read Mayor Funkhouser's regional transit plan here (pdf).

Mark Funkhouser began his term as Kansas City's mayor on May 1st, 2007.  Funkhouser grew up in West Virginia and has a B.A. degree in Political Science from Thiel College, a Master's in Social Work from West Virginia University, a Master's in Business Administration from Tennessee State University and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in public administration and sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Although he is a Certified Internal Auditor, he began his career as a social worker. Funkhouser was the City Auditor of Kansas City, Missouri from May 1988 until he took an early retirement in November 2006.  Mark and his wife of 25 years have two children and live in Brookside.



Wednesday June 4, 2008
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Any type of cancer is terrible when it strikes adults.  But when cancer hits children, one almost wants to ask the question "how can such a horrible disease affect such a young life?"  Parents are shocked when they discover their child has cancer, and many become angry.

Today - a look at how parents deal with children who have cancer, the latest research into cancer that affects children, and how children themselves react to a diagnosis and treatment.

Steve Kraske talks with Dr. Mark Mozer, a pediatrician and father of Jacob Mozer, who was diagnosed with cancer just a few months after his first birthday. Jacob is now eleven years old, and his parents, forever changed by their ordeal and deeply grateful for Jacob's life, not only run the fundraising program Alex's Lemonade Stand in the Kansas City area, but regularly travel to Washington to lobby congress for research funding.

We'll also talk with author Candice Millard, whose daughter Petra was born with neuroblastoma at the same time that her final proofs were due for her book The River of Doubt.  Now approaching her 3rd birthday, Petra is doing well, but she is one of the lucky few. Every year more than two thousand children die from cancer. Despite the fact that cancer kills more children than any other disease, funding for children's cancer research is below what's needed.

Pediatric oncologist Dr. Jakica Tancabelic, M.D.  of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology division of the KU Medical Center talks about the various types of cancer that affect children, some of the newest studies and treatments for cancer, and finally, we'll talk with Bailee Woods, a 15 year old undergoing treatment for Leukemia.  Bailee will discuss how she handles cancer treatment as a teenager, her outlook on life, and the support she receives from her family.

Pictured above: Alexandra Scott (photo: AP)

Additional Information:

This year's Alex's Lemonade Stands and National Lemonade Days will be held on Friday, June 6th and Saturday, June 7th from 10 am to 6 pm at all 25 metro area HyVee Grocery Stores.  Click here for more information.

More information about pediatric cancer can be found on the following websites:

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital

The Pediatric Cancer Foundation

National Cancer Institute (U.S. National Institutes of Health) Childhood Cancers page

Thursday June 5, 2008
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Consider the facts:

•    A pregnant woman in NYC spends an hour a day pumping WombSong serenades into her baby bump in the hopes of stimulating her unborn infant's brain.
•    A mom in California buys her ten-year old son a Palm Pilot to keep track of his extracurricular activities.
•    Ambitious parents in Shanghai are enrolling their children - some barely out of diapers - in an "Early MBA" program.
•    Inspired by research showing that taller people tend to be more successful, some parents pay to inject growth hormone into their healthy kids.

And the startling statistics:

•    To keep pace, more children than ever before - over six million in the U.S. alone - are taking medication to alter their behavior and mood.
•    In France, anxiety and suicide rates have risen in tandem with rising marks on baccalaureate exams.

All as a result of what author Carl Honoré refers to as "hyper-parenting."

In his new book, Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting Honoré points out the danger of the world-wide parental obsession to give children the best of everything, while at the same time producing a generation of over-scheduled, over-stimulated and over-stressed kids. 

Today Honoré joins Steve Kraske to talk about traveling from Finland and California, to Italy and Hong Kong to find a new and powerful movement of parents and teachers trying to put the child back into childhood.


Additional Information:

Carl Honoré was born in Scotland, but grew up in Canada. His hometown is Edmonton, Alberta, whose chief claim to fame is, er, having the largest shopping mall in the world.

After graduating from Edinburgh University with a degree in history and Italian, he spent time working with street children in Brazil. Since 1991, he has written journalism from all over Europe and South America, spending three years as a correspondent in Buenos Aires along the way. His articles have appeared in publications on both sides of the Atlantic: the Economist, Observer, National Post, Globe and Mail, Houston Chronicle and Miami Herald.

His first book, In Praise of Slow: How A Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed, examines the modern compulsion to hurry and chronicles a global trend toward putting on the brakes. It has been translated into 30 languages and landed on bestseller lists in many countries. His second book, Under Pressure: Rescuing Childhood From the Culture Of Hyper-parenting, explores the good and bad of growing up in the 21st century. 

On top of a (relatively!) busy schedule of broadcasting and public speaking around the world, he lectures in universities and takes part in debates and panels. He has been described by ABC News as "the unofficial godfather of a growing cultural shift toward slowing down." Newsweek called him "an international spokesman for the concept of leisure."

He lives in London with his wife, who is also a writer, and their two children. His neighbourhood is such a magnet for young families that it has earned the nickname "Nappy Valley." On Saturday morning, it's pram gridlock in the market.



Friday June 6, 2008
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Will studios continue to pump out great independent films like they've been doing (successfully) for a year or two now?  Or are costs of distribution and promotion just too much to maintain the same steady stream of high-quality flicks?

Today film critics Cynthia Haines and Steve Walker return to review the latest art, independent, and foreign films to hit area screens like the Tivoli, Screenland, Glenwood Arts, and others. 

A complete list of films will be posted on our website later this week.


"I'm interested in forwarding the conversation between the arts, social responsibility and the environment — to develop a better understanding of the interconnectedness of these systems," says musician Barclay Martin.

A traveler by nature, Barclay Martin's music reflects experiences wrought from taking the road less traveled.  Having spent over three years of his life living abroad, Martin's songs speak of the ties that bind people - their hope and joy, sorrow, and struggle.  Martin weaves stories throughout his shows, looking intimately into the places and the events that brought them about.

Martin, who just wrapped a documentary film project in the Philippines, was influenced profoundly during his time following Filipino musicians and listening to the country's native music.

Tomorrow night in a benefit for the global non-profit HALO the Barclay Martin Ensemble will release their first studio-recorded album titled Dawn. 

Today in our program's second half Barclay Martin and his band join Steve Kraske for an in-studio performance and discussion about inspiration, travel, and how music helps connect Kansas City concert goers with needs across the globe.

The Barclay Martin Ensemble performs selections from their new CD Dawn Saturday evening June 7th at 7 p.m. at the Helen F. Spencer Theater in UMKC's Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street, Kansas City, MO.  For tickets, call the box office: 816 235 6222 or purchase online here.

Additional Information:

Barclay Martin came into songwriting at the age of 20, in the creative ghosts of the port town of Liverpool, England. He was abroad studying sociology for six months and became consumed with the craft through his meeting with Ben Stancil, the co-founder of his first band, Potato Moon. The pair released their first and only record in 2001. Martin left the band shortly thereafter, to pursue his own songwriting.

Upon returning to the States, Martin set his sights on further international travel, ultimately spending time in Europe and Latin America before returning to his hometown of Kansas City. The lessons and experiences rendered from the journey seasoned his songwriting, making it broader than the folk tradition from which he began. Reuniting with engineer/producer John Story, he returned to the studio.

In 2004, Martin released his first solo record "Promise on a String", a folk-pop record colored with stories and images from his travels. A more personal record, "Promise on a String" drew a different audience from the more roots-oriented "Potato Moon". By the beginning of 2005, he was ready to tour in support of the new project.

Martin spent the entirety of 2005 on the road, eventually resting in New York City, absorbing the electricity of the city, and educating himself on the robust music scene that it offers. The tour was successful, and upon its conclusion, returned to Kansas City to begin work with his present band The Barclay Martin Ensemble.

2006 has brought an increasingly diverse sound, along with a reputation for high-energy performances and fine musicianship.


Programs and guests are subject to change.


Looking for older programs?  Check the Previously on Up to Date section of our website.

May 26th to 30th, 2008 on KCUR's Up to Date
Monday May 26, 2008

Up to Date takes the day off in honor of Memorial Day.

Join KCUR today for a special broadcast featuring the Dalai Lama's speech to this year's Seeds of Compassion conference.

For more information, visit the Seeds of Compassion conference website.






Tuesday May 27, 2008
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Ask someone when the history of the Americas began and some may say it was with Columbus' discovery of the New World.  Others would point to the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.  History textbooks support both but overlook or minimize the time before Columbus and the period between his landing in the Caribbean and that of the English in present-day Massachusetts.

Those missing details intrigued Tony Horwitz and set him on his own voyage to uncover the people and events ignored in our history lessons.  Among those: the three trips made by Vikings other than Erik the Red; the amazing 8-year trek of Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca; the self-promoted myth of John Smith and; the real first Thanksgiving held in Florida in 1565.

Horwitz's undertaking is recounted with humor and candor in his book A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World, and he talks with Steve Kraske about his travels and discoveries on the trail of the forgotten and misrepresented in our history.  Listen as this former history major fills the historical gaps and separates the fact from the myth of America's past.


Tony Horwitz discusses the travel bug and his latest adventures to unearth the neglected history of America's early European settlers, as chronicled in his new book A Voyage Long and Strange, on Wednesday, May 28, at 7 p.m. at the Kansas City Library Central branch, 14 W. 10th St.  Admission is free. A 6:30 p.m. reception precedes the event. Call Rainy Day Books at 913 384 3126 for questions, or click here or call 816 701 3407 to indicate your interest in attending.

Additional Information:

You can follow Tony Horwitz on his book tour across the U.S. on his blog.

Tony Horwitz is a native of Washington, D.C., and a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. He worked for many years as a reporter, first in Indiana and then during a decade overseas in Australia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, mostly covering wars and conflicts as a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. After returning to the States, he won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting and worked as a staff writer for The New Yorker before becoming a full-time author.  His books include Baghdad Without a Map, a national bestseller about the Middle East; Confederates in the Attic, a national and New York Times bestseller about the Civil War; and Blue Latitudes, a national and New York Times bestseller about the Pacific voyages of Captain James Cook. Horwitz has been a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and a visiting scholar at the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. He lives with his wife, Geraldine Brooks, and their son, Nathaniel, on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.



Wednesday May 28, 2008
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If you want to know what to expect down the road regarding transportation of people and goods in the Midwest (sorry for the pun) who better to ask than the top people in Kansas and Missouri?

That's just what we'll do on today's show.

Kansas Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller and Missouri Department of Transportation Director Pete Rahn join Steve Kraske for a look a the future of transportation -- commercial and passenger -- who use the highways, byways, railways, and river ways in the Heartland.

We'll talk about the status of roads and bridges, funding to maintain the transportation infrastructure, congestion on the roads and, of course, rising fuel prices.  We'll also take your questions and comments on transportation for the 21st Century.


Additional Information:

Deb Miller is a 1976 magna cum laude graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. Governor Kathleen Sebelius appointed Ms. Miller to Secretary of Transportation effective January 13, 2003. She is the first woman to lead the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and its more than 3,200 employees.  More information about Secretary Miller can be found here.





As director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, Pete Rahn oversees the work of more than 6,000 employees who plan, build and maintain the state's transportation system. This includes 32,000 miles of highways and the state support of aviation, rail, transit, and port systems. Rahn assumed his position in September 2004.  At the national level, he is president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, as well as a member of its board of directors and chairman of its Standing Committee on Highway Traffic Safety. He also serves on the executive committee of the Transportation Research Board, as well as its Task Force on Accelerating Innovation in the Highway Industry. From 1995-2002 he held the post of Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department.  Rahn graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor of arts in government and a bachelor of science in planning.  He and his wife, Sue, have two children.  His free time is spent enjoying family and outdoor activities.