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Up To Date

Ferguson, Missouri, Mayor | KC Streetcar Extension Funding | Ordinary, Resilient & Disabled

Kevin Collison
Kansas City's current streetcar route stretches from River Market to Union Station, with 16 stops along the line.

The new mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, says she'll take an active role in community dialogue and reform, Kansas City receives a $50.8 million federal grant to help expand streetcar service south, and Rebekah Taussig's memoir examines disabilities in pop culture and her experience living in a wheelchair.

Segment 1, beginning at 3:07: In June, Ferguson elected the first Black mayor in its 126-year history.

Following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown and the unrest that followed, Ferguson became ground zero for protests over police violence. Six year later, the city has its first Black and female mayor, who says she'll work to make her office accessible and active in community dialogue.

Segment 2, beginning at 24:17: Kansas City's streetcar project has been awarded federal funding for an extension officials say could be complete by 2025.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday a grant of $50.8 million, which will allow the streetcar project team to advance final design and begin construction. The Streetcar Authority says it expects the gift is only the first chunk of federal funding heading Kansas City’s way.

Segment 3, beginning at 40:00: In her new memoir, a Kansas City writer recounts growing up with a disability.

Rebekah Taussig's new memoir delivers poignant and entertaining anecdotes, highlighting her experience living in a wheelchair. She has made a habit of challenging pop culture depictions of disabilities, and often uses an able-bodied perspective to draw readers in.

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 culture editor, I help you embrace what makes Kansas City fun and vibrant, whether it’s a championship sports franchise or a little-known wonder. I work with reporters to ensure KCUR stories on art, culture, and race fully reflect our diverse home so readers and listeners can take full advantage of what the metro has to offer. Email me at luke@kcur.org.
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.
As senior podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I interview everyday people and dig through old newspaper articles to unearth stories of the visionaries and renegades who created this region. I focus on bringing the past to life, so we can all better understand the city we live in today. Email me at mackenzie@kcur.org.
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.