Matthew Long-Middleton

Movie Critics Russ Simmons, Marie Asner and Thom Poe gather round during KCUR's spring pledge drive to discuss the best and worst of the recent film releases. 

After the passing of the Affordable Care Act, confusion about the future of health insurance in our country has become the norm. But as the legislation comes into play in the next year, everyone from private health insurance companies to employers providing health care to their employees need to be well versed on the upcoming changes.

Gamelan music is the orchestral music of Indonesia which is primarily from the islands of Bali and Java. Over a decade ago, Kansas City became home to a hand crafted Gamelan from Indonesia that was fine tuned and given a blessing from a Balinese Hindu high priests. On this Central Standard the director of Kansas City's Gamelan group Gamelan Genta Kasturi, Patrick Alonzo Conway – he plays in the group and even composes pieces for the group, and is an eclectic composer and member of the People’s Liberation Big Band.

Kansas City's role in the integration of baseball is a popular subject these days. The recent release of 42, the movie about Jackie Robinson's integration into Major League Baseball premiered in Kansas City, home of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, this month. UMKC Theatre is also tackling the subject with the debut of its play Kansas City Swing.

Who doesn’t love Monarch Butterflies?  Could you imagine the loss we would feel if they disappeared?  Our guest on Central Standard today will talk to us about the decline of monarch butterfly populations.  It comes down to a loss of habitat.   We discuss the severity of the situation and what we can do to help turn things around?  We also discuss threats to bees and the implications of having another pollinator at risk.  Our guest works for K-U.  Orley “Chip” Taylor is a trained insect ecologist and founded Monarch Watch some 20-years ago.   It’s an opportunity to learn about monarch butterflies….

Low rider cars aren’t the type of vehicles that drive by unnoticed. The low chrome rims, killer paint jobs, normally accompanied with a bumpin' sound system to go with it, sub woofers and hydraulics all grab attention of those it passes. These cars are often stigmatized as being related to gangsters, but on this Central Standard we learn about research that disputes that common misconception.

Socializing and drinking go hand in hand, and across the United States the hobby of making your own beer and wine has grown in the last few decades. But when it comes to liquor, the law makes it much more difficult to home brew whiskey, vodka or rum as a hobby, and as a result there are very few local distilleries across the nation.  We're joined by three special distilleries: Patrick Garcia the master distiller at Dark Horse Distillery in Lenexa, Kansas; Ralph Hayes the marketing director for Pinckney Bend distillery out of New Haven, Missouri; and Seth Fox president of High Plains in Atchison, Kansas
 

The three C’s--Clans, cliques and clubs—everyone has probably enjoyed the sense of belonging and the social support that membership provides. Throughout history, organized groups have waged war and influenced everything from local customs to the division of wealth and property. But when does loyalty to the group begin to interfere with individual freedom, and at worst, the very stability of clan itself?  And how do we live in a democratic society and balance both individuals and group needs and pressures? We talk about how our modern society was shaped by ancient forms of social organization---otherwise known as clans---and debate the balance between individual freedom and group loyalty -- family.

History host Monroe Dodd speaks with Michael Lind about his most recent book, Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States.  They explore the curious history of the United States from its inception to today through the lens of three distinct economic republics.  These three periods of American history are distinct in their incredible transformation brought about by technological and subsequent economical changes that also transformed the very way America understands itself.

It’s estimated that in the United States, people with disabilities constitute the third-largest, and perhaps the most diverse, minority group. A person may be born with a disability or it may occur during a lifetime. The disability can be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or a combination of all of these. On this Central Standard, we’ll talk about disability issues across the life span and some local efforts to empower those who face the challenge of a disability.

When  most of us think of a debate, presidential debates between two individuals come to mind. But the sport of argument and articulation is as radically different from this scenario as you can imagine. The world of college debate includes lightening fast speech arguments developed on the fly. The best team that encompasses these can be found at Emporia State University. Ryan Wash and Elijah Smith, two members of the ESU debate team recently won both the National Debate Tournament and the Cross Examination Debate Association championship tournament. 

Speech and communication is a fundamental and necessary part of our days.  Being able to articulate I thoughts, feelings and desires is perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of being human.  But how hard is it to correct or relearn this intrinsic skill?  Today we explore the practice of Speech Therapy with Carol Koch, Associate Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Rockhurst University and Shatonda Jones, a Visiting Instructor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Rockhurst University.

After a drawn out winter where we in Kansas City found ourselves hibernating through the snow and ice of March, spring has finally sprung. The trees are blooming and the landscape is finally peppered with color as plants and wildlife emerge from dormancy. On this Central Standard, we explore the nature around us as we transition into Spring. 

In her book The Soul of Southern Cooking, Kathy Starr calls soul food "generous and earthy, like the people who created it. I'm not talking about small slivers of skinned chicken breasts surrounded by miniature carrots and radishes cut like roses. I'm talking about something to eat!" In Kansas City you'll never walk out hungry from one of this town's soul food restaurants or buffets. Classic southern cuisine like fried chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese, and peach cobbler are soul-soothing dishes. They may not be so good for your waistline, but they're nirvana for your spirit. Food Critic Charles Ferruzza, Emily Farris, Gloria Gale and Mary Bloch explore the best soul food of the city.