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Seg.1: Former Governors Help Laura Kelly Transition. Seg. 2: Why Families Can't Afford America.

Luke X. Martin
/
KCUR 89.3
Laura Kelly will be the third woman to occupy the Kansas governor's office.

Segment 1: New Kansas Gov.-elect Laura Kelly is making the transition with the help of Gov. Jeff Colyer and others.

Republican control of the governorship has come to an end in Kansas, and a Democrat will soon assume command. New state chief executive Laura Kelly is saying goodbye to her home of 30 years as she moves to the governor's mansion, Cedar Crest. Today, we heard her reaction to the win, which she said was a surprise. "Actually becoming the governor, realizing the people of Kansas would vote for me, was a bit surreal," she said.

Segment 2, beginning at 25:27: The cost of living in America is making middle-class lifestyles harder to afford.

The American Dream — that you graduate college, find a good job and live happily ever after — is slowly becoming a fairy tale. College graduates are increasingly finding themselves deep in debt, and are subjected to living conditions that don't align with their expectations. Today, we learned about the rising cost of parenthood in America, and why being middle class no longer guarantees the same comforts it once did. 

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.