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Central Standard

Seg. 1: Pre-K For All? Seg. 2: Chiefs Nation

Segment 1: The debate over free pre-kindergarten. 

At face value, the idea of universal preschool sounds great. And that's exactly what Kansas City Mayor Sly James is trying to accomplish with his proposal calling for a sales tax to fund it. But he's facing quite a bit of opposition, notably from the local school districts. Mayor James joins us to lay out his plan, and then school superintendent Dan Clemens explains his concerns with the proposal.

  • ​Sly James​, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri 
  • ​Dr. Dan Clemens​, Superintendent of North Kansas City Schools   

Segment 2, beginning at 34:15: What's at stake for the Chiefs this Sunday?

​For the first time in 25 years, the Kansas City Chiefs are headed to the AFC Championship. A long-awaited victory, spanning decades and even generations, is close. So what exactly does this mean, both for the team and the city? Two die-hard Chiefs fans explain.

  • Pete Sweeney​, editor in chief of Arrowhead Pride
  • Justin Kaufmann​, brother to host Gina Kaufmann 
As managing podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I want to feed your curious mind, offer historical context so you understand why things are the way they are, and introduce you to the people working to make a difference behind the scenes. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.
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.