The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority promised free bus rides for those who need it, as it brings back fares this June. But riders and nonprofits are still waiting to see how that will work. Plus: Missouri cattle farmers who contract red meat allergies from alpha-gal syndrome are suddenly put at risk by their livelihood.
After six years of free fares, it will cost people $2 to ride the bus in Kansas City starting in June. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority promised free fares would continue for some people, but it hasn’t yet released a complete plan for who will ride for free and how. KCUR’s local government reporter Savannah Hawley-Bates spoke to news editor Emily Younker about nonprofit providers and riders' worries that some will fall through the cracks in the meantime.
Managing the tick-borne illness alpha-gal syndrome is hard for anyone. People with the disease can have severe allergic reactions to products like red meat and dairy. For farmers who are in close contact with mammals, the allergy can be ruinous and, sometimes, life-threatening. KBIA’s Rebecca Smith, who has been covering alpha-gal over the past year, reports on how the condition is disrupting the lives, and livelihoods, of Missouri’s cattle men and women.
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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.
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