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Up To Date

Seg. 1: The ACLU's Latest In Kansas and Missouri. Seg. 2: Maternal Mortality Rates Rising.

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Missouri ranks 42nd in the nation in maternal mortality. On average, there are 32.6 maternal deaths in the state per 100,000 live births.

Segment 1: Leaders of the Kansas and Missouri chapters of the ACLU discuss their organizations' goings-on.

With a federal court ruling Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's voter I.D. laws unconstitutional, the ACLU has something to celebrate. In the meantime, they're still fighting restrictive abortion laws in Missouri and for more funding of the state's public defender's office. Today, they updated us on these lawsuits and more.

Segment 2, starting at 24:40: Why maternal mortality is on the rise and what can be done to stop it. 

The U.S. sees the highest number of deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth of all the developed nations, and Missouri's maternal mortality rate is worse than poorer countries like Moldova and Costa Rica. In the second part of the program, we talked about why Missouri has one of the nation's highest pregnancy-related death rates and what mothers-to-be can do to make sure they receive the care they need.

  • Sue Kendig, attorney and nurse practitioner representative on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Council on Patient Safety
  • Dr. Ravi Johar, OB-GYN, Missouri State Medical Association president and vice president of the Missouri Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gyneocolgists
  • Hakima Tafunzi Payne, Uzazi Village executive director 

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.