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Kansas City's Emergency Relief Fund | Chiefs & NFL Draft | Ramadan During Pandemic | Distance Learning Challenges | On Call Halal

Picture of Andy Reid wearing headphones and a Hawaiian shirt as he participates in the NFL draft from home
Kansas City Chiefs Twitter
Kansas City Head Coach Andy Reid at home as the 2020 NFL draft got underway.

Segment 1: Fund to help smaller businesses in Kansas City, Missouri was announced on April 1, 2020, but not one loan has been issued.

A delay in leveraging $500,000 to help keep the smallest of businesses afloat took council members and Mayor Quinton Lucas by surprise. The city's policy director explained why the city can't make loans directly to business owners and how that has affected getting the money to those waiting to apply for it.

Segment 2: How Kansas City Chiefs fans can witness their team's picks in the 2020 NFL draft.

The COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the annual football extravaganza planned for Las Vegas. One producer explained what's being done behind the scenes to bring the drama of every player selection to the Chiefs Kingdom.

Segment 3: The Islamic month for fasting and introspection misses a major component during the coronavirus pandemic.

Normally the Islamic Center of Johnson County would see as many as 3,000 members of the community gather for nightly worship that can extend to almost midnight. This year "you have to sort of re-imagine" how to carry out the charitable acts which also mark Ramadan.

  • Moben Mirza, secretary for the Islamic Center of Johnson County

Segment 4: How well are educators and pupils adjusting to distance learning?

A few weeks of online learning has revealed the challenges of teachers and students not being able to work side by side in a real world classroom. A college professor and a school district social worker provided perspectives from different ends of the education spectrum.

Segment 5: Kansas City group caters meals to Muslim medical workers during Ramadan.

Charitable giving is one of the pillars of Islam, and On Call Halal is delivering meals to hospital staff to break the daily fasts required during this Islamic holy month. Meals are donated through the On Call Halal website and prepared by area restaurants.

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.
Melody Rowell is the lead producer for KCUR’s Central Standard. You can find her on Twitter at @MelodyRowell, or by email at melody@kcur.org.
Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.