Laura Ziegler

By Laura Ziegler

Kansas City, Missouri – While airline industry officials nationally expect a drop in the number of people flying this holiday season, that's not supposed to be the case at KCI. The Kansas Aviation Department say almost 400 thousand will be travelling through the Kansas City airport this holiday season.

As the Thanksgiving holiday weekend began,most said their experiences were good, that lines were not long, and that the delays were much shorter than they'd expected.

By Laura Ziegler

Topeka, Kansas – For Veteran's Day, a story about a little known collection of photographs, diaries, recorded interviews, maps, and letters on the website of the Kansas Historical Society.

All of the artifacts on the ever-expanding Kansas Memory Site are primary sources provided by families and friends for archival purposes.

The Catholic church is still reeling from news that Bishop Robert Finn and the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph have been indicted on criminal charges related to the sex abuse scandal.

By Laura Ziegler

Kansas City, Missouri – The honking horns and chanting of several hundred marchers indicated that Kansas City has become part of a national movement, according to spokesmen at Sunday's Occupy KC demonstration.

CBS news reported that more than 25 cities have held demonstrations mirroring those held in New York as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The protests focus on corporate control of politics and frustration over income disparities, joblessness and federal debt.

By Laura Ziegler

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Frustrated by the lack of federal immigration legislation, state lawmakers around the country are taking the problem into their own hands by writing their own laws. At the heart of many of those laws is Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

He worked closely with Arizona to craft controversial illegal immigration legislation there and has been hired by at least half a dozen other states to either write or defend similar laws there.

By Laura Ziegler

Kansas City, Missouri – Members of the local gay and lesbian community see the repeal of the so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy as a major civil rights victory.

Under "Don't Ask,Don't Tell," gays and lesbians were forced to hide their sexual orientation or face discharge. According to the policy, being gay created a dangerous distraction to a well-functioning military.

Before 9/11,"agroterrorism" was not a familiar term to many.

But in the post-9/11 era, the possibility of a deliberate attack on our food supply is something government, law enforcement and private industry have been studying carefully.

Dr. Peter Chalk of the Rand Corporation, a political scientist and expert on international terrorism, has written extensively on the issue of agroterrorism.

He says there's never been an intentional attack on our plant or livestock production, but we ignore the possibilities at our own risk.

By Laura Ziegler

Johnson County, Kansas – Experts from The Justice Center of The Council of State Governments in New York, and The Criminal Justice Institute in Boston, were in Johnson County this week talking with administrators of an innovative inmate- reentry program.

The consultants say the Johnson County program is becoming a national model.

By Laura Ziegler and Brenna Daldorph

KANSAS CITY, MO – The hot weather has many of us wearing as little as possible: tank tops and shorts are pretty standard for women who are going to be outside for any length of time. But this isn't the case in every culture or time period.

By Laura Ziegler

Kansas City, Missouri – A spokesman for Kansas Bioscience Authority says the state- funded agency will be meeting at the Venture Accelerator - one of the new buildings at the Kansas Bioscience Park, in Olathe. Sherlyn Manson says the board plans to make an announcement Monday or Tuesday morning about new investments in human and animal health start-ups.

By Laura Ziegler

Prairie Village, Kansas – It's a small glass front office on Roe Avenue with a simple sign above the entrance - The Cremation Society.

The name always called to mind other groups I knew little about but invested with some mystery - The Royal Order of Hibernians or The Society of Creative Anachronism.

By Laura Ziegler

Kansas City, Missouri – When the U.S. food aid program began in 1954, known as The Agricultural Trade Development Assistance Act, the country had a vast surplus of farm commodities.

The aim of the program was to expand export markets, but also to help American farmers by diminishing surpluses.

Today, the United States doesn't have those surpluses. Food-aid has become a much more complicated system, with more variety and participants.

By Laura Ziegler

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Movie houses have figured out that many of us don't buy snacks when we go to the movies. And that they're losing a bunch of money because of that. So across the country theaters are starting to offer options.

Some healthier, some not. But many are more substantial, like dinner. KCUR's Laura Ziegler reports about Kansas City-based AMC's "dine-in" movie going experience.

Kansas City, Missouri – John Davies is an experienced storm chaser. He analyzes data for weather outlets, including the National Weather Service. He and his wife were struck when driving toward the Joplin tornado how many people were out on the streets, going about their daily business.

Kansas City, Missouri – People need to pay attention to severe storm warnings, even though it may seem unnecessary.

Severe weather yesterday caused at least one tornado to touch down around 151st and Metcal in South Johnson County, and another around Harrisonville, according to law enforcement officers. Area police departments dispatched officers and trained storm spotters to the periphery of the county to file weather reports and check on residents and businesses.