Brandon Azim
Solutions ReporterI was raised on the East Side of Kansas City and feel a strong affinity to communities there. As KCUR's Solutions reporter, I'll be spending time in underserved communities across the metro, exploring how they are responding to their challenges. I will look for evidence to explain why certain responses succeed while others fail, and what we can learn from those outcomes. This might mean sharing successes here or looking into how problems like those in our communities have been successfully addressed elsewhere. Having spent a majority of my life in Kansas City, I want to provide the people I've called friends and family with possible answers to their questions and speak up for those who are not in a position to speak for themselves.
Contact me at brandonazim@kcur.org.
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The Valor House is located at the St. Michael's Veterans Center, which offers permanent housing to homeless veterans in Kansas City. Its campus now has three housing complexes with 179 units for veterans. -
Only 2% of pilots and aviation engineers are Black, data shows. Red Tail Academy is enrolling Black young adults in an effort to grow that number and to take advantage of the benefits of careers in the aviation industry. -
Kansas City G.I.F.T, a nonprofit focused on growing Black entrepreneurship, will distribute a guide in June that features 30 Black-owned businesses. The hope is that the World Cup, predicted to bring in more prospective shoppers than Kansas City has ever seen at once, jumpstarts long-term growth. -
A labor group submitted more than 4,500 signatures for a ballot measure that would give Kansas City voters final say over the city's $600 million financing package for a Crown Center ballpark. Organizers say that money is better spent on improving living conditions for residents. -
June 1 marked the end of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s free bus fare policy, the first in the country when it was implemented in 2020. Some riders are worried about how bus fare will affect their budget. -
Heartland Mini Con will welcome all fans of comics, video games, and cosplay, to a space where Black nerds can connect and support one another. The organizer says it’s aimed at counteracting the racial discrimination some experience at bigger, more popular conventions. -
There are plenty of outdoor pools opening around the Kansas City this weekend. Here's a guide to swimming pools, splash pads and aquatic centers across the metro. -
The roller rink at Blues Park is planned to open in August as part of the “Revive the Vine” plan to beef up amenities in the Historic 18th and Vine District. -
The Missouri Supreme Court has confirmed a redrawn congressional map that takes aim at the state’s 5th District, a longtime Democratic stronghold. Incumbent Congressman Emanuel Cleaver now prepares for a slate of new challengers to his seat. -
One of Kansas City’s pickup soccer hot-spots is right around the corner from the upcoming FIFA Fan Festival. Players and employees at The Soccer Lot hope fans from around the world might pop in for a competitive but laid-back match.
