Rebecca Smith
Rebecca Smith is an award-winning reporter and producer for the KBIA Health & Wealth Desk. Born and raised outside of Rolla, Missouri, she has a passion for diving into often overlooked issues that affect the rural populations of her state – especially stories that broaden people’s perception of “rural” life. She created a conversations-based journalism project, Missouri Health Talks, in 2016 that empowers people throughout the state to share their stories of access to healthcare – in their own words.
She has degrees in both Journalism and Chemistry from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, and often says health reporting is the perfect marriage of individual’s stories and reporting on science.
You can reach her at smithbecky@missouri.edu or 573-882-4824.
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Cases of alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy caused by tick bites, in Missouri means more people are looking for a mammal-free way to eat out. Some restaurants in the southern part of the state are adapting their menus for patrons. -
Often when Missourians receive an alpha-gal syndrome diagnosis, they don't know where to start — beyond simply not eating red meat. Some people in southern Missouri are trying to help people adapt to their new diets. -
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 450,000 people in the US have alpha-gal syndrome — a tickborne allergy to red meat — while many others have never heard of the condition at all. -
Despite the federal government shutdown, Missourians on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children will be able to redeem their benefits during the month of November. But state officials are unsure how long these benefits will remain available. -
Missouri-born artist Chappell Roan is launching a project supporting LGBTQ+ communities throughout the country — including two community centers in Missouri. -
The Mizzou Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks are set to take the field on Saturday for the first time since 2011. -
Don Cherry, a canine behavior consultant pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Missouri, wants to identify what makes a service dog successful — both behaviorally and biologically. -
Missouri has banned medical gender-affirming care for youth and some adults since 2023. But other forms of gender-affirming care is happening in the state — including haircuts, facial waxing and photography — and advocates say it's saving lives. -
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law a bill that eliminates the so-called "tampon tax" on menstrual products and diapers. But the law doesn't prevent local municipalities from imposing their own additional taxes. -
Even after Missouri Republicans pushed through a measure that would ban most abortions again, which voters will likely see on the 2026 ballot, Planned Parenthood will continue offering abortion services throughout the state.
