For our ongoing series The Next Normal, we go back to talk to some of the people who shared their stories of how the coronavirus changed their lives.

Kansas and Missouri reopened salons with strict pandemic precautions. It's a non-essential service that can't be done from a safe social distance. For our series the Next Normal, we hear a lot of understanding for pandemic precautions.

For KCUR's ongoing series "The Next Normal," hear stories of people who have been unexpectedly laid off and worrying about mortgages, food and medical bills as Congress plays politics over federal pandemic unemployment assistance.

Four months into the pandemic, thousands of Kansas Citians are unemployed, and those who lost low-wage jobs were already in a precarious financial state.

The coronavirus caused graduations to be canceled from middle school to medical school. In this story from our series The Next Normal, four students share how they feel about being robbed of the relief and joy that should accompany this time in their lives.

The food vendors in North Kansas City's Iron District are inside retrofitted shipping containers, and diners eat outside. Outdoor dining combined with a business model that emphasizes low startup costs might help the food hall thrive in the pandemic economy.