A daily digest of headlines from KCUR:
- President In Kansas Calls For Unified Economic Fix
- Helping The Homeless One Ride At A Time
- Judge Won’t Dismiss Missouri Auditor’s Lawsuit Against Nixon
- KCPD Doubles Response to Gangs
President In Kansas Calls For Unified Economic Fix
For the second time in slightly more than a hundred years, Osawatomie, Ks. played host to a president and policy speech. President Barack Obama picked the small town because of a speech delivered there by Theodore Roosevelt just over a century ago. The President encouraged supporters, cajoled Congress and his critics, and invoked the memory of Roosevelt. Read Dan Verbeck’s full report here.
Helping The Homeless One Ride At A Time
More than 10,000 people are now homeless in the Kansas City area. Finding a way to get around to appointments or to shelters can mean the difference between breaking the cycle of homelessness and winding back up on the streets, in crisis. The challenge has added strain to area emergency rooms and the community at large. Kar Woo drives it between hospitals, domestic violence shelters, schools, bridges, treatment centers, and even jails, helping people who are homeless. Find more here.
Judge Won’t Dismiss Missouri Auditor’s Lawsuit Against Nixon
A Cole County judge has denied a motion by Democratic Governor Jay Nixonto dismiss a lawsuit filed against him by Missouri’s Republican State Auditor, Tom Schweich. Schweich is suing the Governor over his decision to withhold $170 million from the current year’s state budget. Schweich says Nixon can only withhold funds if state revenues are coming in below estimates, and that there was no evidence at the time that that was the case. Find more of the storyhere.
KCPD Doubles Response to Gangs
The Kansas City Missouri police department is ramping up its response to gangs—doubling the number of officers in its gang unit. The Kansas City Star reports the city has some 3 dozen gangs and 3-thousand gang members. The gang unit will now have two sergeants and a dozen detectives.