Local leaders fear a bigger undercount in 2020 — and its potential impact on services. The risks of an undercount are even higher for people of color, children, rural communities, and other vulnerable groups who rely on social safety programs that distribute funds based on Census data.
Representation — and federal funding — at stake with 2020 Census
Posted inEnvironment
How invasive plants could overrun America’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie
America’s last stand of tallgrass prairie — primarily located in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas and extending to the north and south — is being overgrown by non-native plants.
Posted inCivic Engagement
Faced with a pandemic, nonprofit leaders get creative
Throughout the Kansas City region, nearly 13,000 nonprofits are scrambling to carry out their missions under uniquely adverse circumstances: They’ve altered services. Canceled fundraising events. Changed internal operations. And many can no longer use in-person volunteers because of the pandemic.
Posted inCivic Engagement
Pandemic poses new troubles for elections
The prospect of voting in a pandemic is creating fears and logistical nightmares across the U.S. Democrats and some Republicans are urging Missouri’s political leaders to follow the lead of Kansas and other states and encourage mail-in voting — or at least create early voting opportunities to reduce crowds on Election Day.
Posted inEducation
As Child Care Options Dwindle, Parents are Left Scrambling
For many parents, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted any semblance of a normal workday. With day cares temporarily closing down because of the pandemic, parents like the Everetts are now tasked with juggling full-time childcare with full-time jobs.
Posted inEconomics
Faced With a Global Pandemic, Truck Drivers are in for the Long Haul
More than 1.9 million truck drivers in the U.S. have delivered vital supplies in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which so far has infected more than 700,000 people and caused more than 30,000 deaths. And although millions across the country are ordered to stay home, most truck drivers are still on the roads.
Posted inHealth
As coronavirus lurks, locked down nursing homes scramble for supplies — and connections
In the general population, most cases of COVID-19 are relatively mild. But so far, 8 out of 10 COVID-19 deaths reported in the U.S. have been in adults 65 years old and older.
Posted inEconomics
Small businesses and service workers face economic fallout
With positive cases continuing to increase as more testing is done, more states and localities have ordered restaurants, bars, businesses, and schools to close or restrict services as a way to mitigate the spread of the virus. As a result, workers across the country and in Kansas City have found themselves out of a job — and out of a paycheck — indefinitely.
Posted inEducation
Moving classes online poses challenges for university students, faculty
Some colleges are insisting that all students — with authorized exceptions for international and low-income students — leave campus.
Posted inCivic Engagement
As COVID-19 spreads, here’s how people are stepping up to help
As stores and restaurants shut down and workers head home to socially distance themselves, people in Missouri and Kansas continue to look outward. They are finding ways to help others — even as needs among the elderly, homeless and most vulnerable grow more severe.