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Central Standard

Seg. 1: Youth Climate Activism | Seg. 2: Super-Commuters

Segment 1: Generational differences in responding to climate change are complex.

Last week's climate strikes in Kansas City were organized by a young Kansas Citian who left the film industry and moved halfway across the country to take on this fight. His story represents a differing sense of urgency around climate change, but more than that, too. 

  • Michael Wolfe, Press Coordinator and Kansas Policy Advisor, Sunrise Movement Kansas City
  • Matthew Ballew, postdoctoral associate, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
  • Stu Shafer, Johnson County Community College

Segment 2: A look at the uptick in commutes of 90 minutes or more for work.

Data collected by apartmentlist.com has shown a sharp increase in the number of super-commuters in the United States. That is, people commuting 90 minutes or more for work, one way. That information's been organized into a county-by-county map. What's the snapshot it captures of life in our region?

  • Karen Clawson, manager, Air Quality and Rideshare Program at the Mid-America Regional Council
  • Theresa Heckenlively, economic developer, St Clair County Missouri
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.
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.