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Why top Kansas Republicans stand in the way of Medicaid expansion

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is again pushing lawmakers to expand the health care program Medicaid, which is widely supported by Kansans. But Republican leaders remain staunchly opposed. Plus: Female veterinarians still face skepticism and discrimination in rural areas, where there’s a shortage of animal specialists.

Polls show around 70% of Kansans support Medicaid expansion, which would result in an estimated 150,000 more low-income Kansans enrolling in the health care program. So why is the state one of only 10 remaining holdouts in the country? Rose Conlon of the Kansas News Service reports.

Veterinary medicine was once a profession dominated by men. In the past 15 years, though, women have become the majority of practicing veterinarians and students. Despite these changes, some areas of the field still lag behind. Harvest Public Media’s Lilley Halloran looks into why rural animal practices are still largely male-dominated.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by David McKeel and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Madeline Fox.

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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.
David McKeel is a producer for KCUR Studios. Email him at David.McKeel@kcur.org
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