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Corruption in Jackson County

After two Jackson County officials were sentenced for wire fraud in 2018, the FBI and Justice Department said they were running an “active investigation” in at least two jurisdictions. What's happened since then? Plus: Homicide is a leading cause of maternal mortality, and experts say the problem is getting worse.

Five years ago, two of Jackson County’s top officials were sentenced to prison for misusing campaign funds. County executive Mike Sanders got more than two years of prison time. His aide, Calvin Williford, only got six months for the same crime, apparently because he was helping with a federal investigation into other Jackson County politicians.So, what ever happened to that investigation? KCUR's Carlos Moreno sat down with KCUR's Sam Zeff to learn more.

Late last month, Zaiylah Bronson was found dead in the trunk of her boyfriend’s car in Wichita. Prosecutors say he strangled her. She was 16 weeks pregnant. Bronson’s death is focusing attention on persistent domestic violence issues that experts say have worsened during the pandemic, including for pregnant women. Rose Conlon reports for the Kansas News Service.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
Paris Norvell is a freelance podcast producer for KCUR Studios,
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
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