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How federal health funding cuts will hurt Kansas City

An illustration showing the Kansas City skyline with the words "Kansas City Today"

The Trump administration canceled more than $12 billion in public health grants last month. Local public health departments are worried about what that will mean for Kansas Citians.

The cuts included millions of dollars for Kansas and Missouri, with effects that trickle down to virtually every local community. Here in the Kansas City area, impacts include loss of staff and research projects cut short. So what might it mean for you and your neighbors?

Marvia Jones, director of the Kansas City Health Department, and Charlie Hunt, director of the Johnson County Health Department, join KCUR's Brian Ellison to discuss the impact of the grant cuts.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Olivia Hewitt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

As a host and senior news analyst at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on socials @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
Olivia is the 2024-2025 KCUR Studios intern. Email her at ohewitt@kcur.org
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