Seg. 1: Lead Abatement | Seg. 2: Coronavirus In KC

By Gina Kaufmann,

Published March 9, 2020 at 2:46 PM CDT

Segment 1: Inequality in the story of lead contamination and lead removal.

Homes in Kansas City's oldest and one-time affluent neighborhoods are now lived in by people without the resources to remove the lead paint commonly used before its dangers were known. Plus, how the rise and fall of lead mining has affected a part of Missouri known as the Lead Belt.

Benjamin Hoste, artist/photographer, Life in Missouri's Fading Old Lead Belt
Amy Roberts, program manager, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention/Healthy Homes Program

Segment 2: Coronavirus cases have been announced in the Kansas City metro; here's what they mean.

Kansas health officials recently announced a "presumptive positive" case of coronavirus in Johnson County and Missouri confirmed its first case in St. Louis County. We knew it was inevitable, but now that it's here: what should we do now?

Alex Smith, health reporter, KCUR
Mary Beverly, interim director, Johnson County Health Department
Anthony Fehr, assistant professor and corona virologist, University of Kansas

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Gina Kaufmann

People don't make cameos in news stories; the human story is the story, with characters affected by news events, not defined by them. As a columnist and podcaster, I want to acknowledge what it feels like to live through this time in Kansas City, one vantage point at a time. Together, these weekly vignettes form a collage of daily life in Kansas City as it changes in some ways, and stubbornly resists change in others. You can follow me on Twitter @GinaKCUR or email me at gina@kcur.org.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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Noah Taborda

As KCUR's health reporter, I cover the Kansas City metro in a way that reflects our expanding understanding of what health means and the ways it touches different communities and different areas in distinct ways. I will provide a platform to amplify ideas and issues often underrepresented in the media and marginalized people and communities in an authentic and honest way that goes beyond the surface of the issues. I will endeavor to find and include in my work local experts and organizations that have their ears to the ground and a beat on the health needs of the community. Reach me at noahtaborda@kcur.org.

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