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Up To Date

Federal workers and farmers around Kansas City struggle as government shutdown drags on

By Steve Kraske,
Zach Wilson
Published October 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM CDT
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The U.S. Capitol is silhouetted by the stark glare of the morning sun as a government shutdown begins its tenth day, in Washington, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite
/
AP
The U.S. Capitol is silhouetted by the stark glare of the morning sun as a government shutdown begins its tenth day, in Washington, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.

As the government shutdown continues, the lack of any federal funding is having a profound impact on people around the country and here in Kansas City. KCUR's Up To Date examined the government shutdown from three different perspectives.

The federal government has been shutdown for over a week as Republicans and Democrats have not been able to reach 60 votes in the Senate to pass a bipartisan funding bill.

On Friday, KCUR's Up To Date spoke with a congressman, agriculture economist and a Treasury employee union vice president about how this is impacting our region.

The vice president of NTEU Chapter 66 explained how the shutdown is affecting the livelihoods of thousands of federal workers in our metro. Just hours after this segment aired, the White House announced that it was beginning "substantial" layoffs of federal workers, with few details about how widespread the reductions-in-force would be.

We also heard from an agriculture economist who laid out how the shutdown is putting farmers around the country in a difficult financial situation. Kansas City-area U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II also discussed where things stand in Washington as lawmakers work to figure out the path forward.

Tags
Up To Date Podcastgovernment shutdownU.S. SenateGovernmentfederal jobsfarming
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
See stories by Steve Kraske
Zach Wilson
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
See stories by Zach Wilson
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