Listen Now

TOPEKA, Kansas — A few weeks ago, University of Kansas senior Fatimah Alsinan was in a workshop finishing the last design and construction projects for her architecture degree. Now, she’s meeting with classmates online, reviewing premade blueprints and building projects with K’Nex and Legos at her apartment.

Segment 1: How the coronavirus is changing the real estate market As the spread of COVID-19 shuts down cities and rattles the stock market, home buyers and sellers are feeling the strain. A Kansas City real estate agent shared how he and his colleagues are changing their practices for helping people to find a home. Nestor Zuluaga , owner, The Zuluaga Real Estate Group Segment 2, beginning at 25:40: Following the latest CDC advice to wear masks in public has some black men worried In parts of the country, black men wearing masks to protect themselves against the coronavirus have been asked to remove the face coverings or leave the stores. A local father related what goes through his mind before deciding whether or not to don a mask. Cecil Wattree , Founder of the Kansas City Black Mental Health Initiative Segment 3, beginning at 38:09: How eastern Kansas county came to have the highest death rate in the state Of Kansas's 105 counties, Wyandotte County ranks the worst for deaths related

Black Kansas City residents have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, according to data released by the city health department Monday. About 44% of confirmed COVID-19 cases came from black patients, even though black people make up about 30% of the city’s population. Health experts and community leaders say the disparities are the result of longstanding inequalities. “We have to come to grips with how again oppression and racism has divided communities and has again disproportionately exposed communities to this illness,” says third district Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, who's also president of the Black Health Care Coalition.

Segment 1: Two states, two governors, one pandemic The virus that has descended on the world and a lack of clear guidance from Washington has given residents of Missouri and Kansas an opportunity to see two governors — one Democratic, one Republican — respond differently to the crisis. Dave Helling , editorial writer and columnist at the Kansas City Star Burdett Loomis , political science professor emeritus at the University of Kansas Segment 2, beginning at 31:34: Child care for essential workers Essential workers are still reporting to work, and those with children still need to arrange safe child care. It means child care providers are still in demand, just maybe not to the same degree. So how are area organizations responding? Jordan Elo , senior district program director for the YMCA of Greater Kansas City Mary Esselman , president and CEO of Operation Breakthrough KCUR wants to hear stories of what’s helping you get through these tough times. Whether it’s a random act of kindness

As a chaplain in a city hospital, Kelly Hansen is no stranger to communicating with the families of the dying. She has pastored families who don't make it to Truman Medical Centers, where she works, before an accident or gunshot victim passes away. But the quarantine and social distancing requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic mean she might be an intermediary between a dying patient and a family that is isolated at home just a short distance away. Or even in another part of the hospital, restricted from being on the hospital floor.

On a typical Easter Sunday, Niecie’s Restaurant on 64th and Troost would be slammed. The flat-top grill in the kitchen would be sizzling with smashed potatoes and onions and the kitchen would be churning out orders of chicken and waffles and fried pork chops. Longtime employee Melody Clemens says the first rush of the day would come in around 8 a.m. “And then about 10, 11 o’clock, the second service comes in and they be packed — standing outside the door. We have to get names and numbers of how many are in a group. Packed,” Clemens says.

On a chunk of unincorporated land outside of Leavenworth, Kansas, Adam Gnade has more or less been self-isolating for 10 years. He's quick to say that he has a lot of friends, it's just that as someone who spends his days writing, that lifestyle makes sense to him. Like the protagonist of his third novel, " This is the End of Something but it's Not the End of You ," Gnade's migration to Midwest farmland was slow and intentional. Part of a process, even. "It's always been a dream of mine to live rurally and have a lot of space to roam and kind of call the shots a little bit more in my life," Gnade (pronounced guh- naw -dee) says by phone. "And you can't really do that in places like San Diego or Portland. Out here you can." His creative endeavors are widespread enough that the desire for extra physical space makes some sense. In addition to his novels, he's also recorded what he refers to as "talking songs," mostly spoken stories with musical or ambient accompaniment, available on

For gay men in Kansas City who lived through the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, the threat of COVID-19 is eerily familiar. That comes with anxiety and grief, as well as powerful lessons and perspective. "It was like losing your entire family in one fell swoop," says Jon Barnett, whose AIDS activism here made him the public face of a largely invisible struggle for the resources needed to stop the disease from spreading, and to help those who already had it. "I have an idea of what others are going to experience," says Barnett, referring to the probability that community spread of the novel coronavirus has yet to peak in Kansas or Missouri. "I've worked through that, I'll be able to do it again," he says. "But I'm not looking forward to it." For Barnett, checking the number of new coronavirus cases every day is a visceral reminder of the year when AIDS became a reality in the United States. "In '81," he recalls, "it was a weekly thing and it came out in the newspaper, the CDC morbidity and

Segment 1: Hospitals in the capital city are within their capacity, but some residents bristle at stay-at-home orders. A large number of residents in Topeka are obeying requests to stay at home. Others, the city's mayor said, take offense at the government ordering them to do something they don't want to. She explains some of the hurdles her community is navigating. Michelle De La Isla , Mayor of Topeka, Kansas Segment 2, beginning at 16:50: Social isolation can inflame anxiety and depression. Anxiety is often rooted in a lack of control, and there's a lot people can't control during a global pandemic. Good mental health care can make a big difference, but finding it while you can't leave the house isn't always easy. Susan Lewis , president/CEO of Mental Health America of the Heartland Segment 3, beginning at 33:05: During these times, religious leaders agree worship done at home is no less meaningful. With Passover taking place on Wednesday and Easter on Sunday, Christians and Jews in

Segment 1: Hospitals in the capital city are within their capacity, but some residents bristle at stay-at-home orders. A large number of residents in Topeka are obeying requests to stay at home. Others, the city's mayor said, take offense at the government ordering them to do something they don't want to. She explains some of the hurdles her community is navigating. Michelle De La Isla , Mayor of Topeka, Kansas Segment 2, beginning at 16:50: Social isolation can inflame anxiety and depression. Anxiety is often rooted in a lack of control, and there's a lot people can't control during a global pandemic. Good mental health care can make a big difference, but finding it while you can't leave the house isn't always easy. Susan Lewis , president/CEO of Mental Health America of the Heartland Segment 3, beginning at 33:05: During these times, religious leaders agree worship done at home is no less meaningful. With Passover taking place on Wednesday and Easter on Sunday, Christians and Jews in

Segment 1: With Sanders out of the race, the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination is all but secured. Loyalty, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said, is very important and it goes a long way in explaining why Missouri's 5th District congressman was an early endorser of former Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential bid. Now that Biden's main challenger has dropped out, does he have a chance of winning majorities in Missouri? U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver , D-Missouri Segment 2, beginning at 15:45: How Missouri is caring for its incarcerated population during pandemic Missouri's Department of Corrections lost its first inmate to COVID-19 this week. Officials said the deceased is the only known case in the prison system, but many adjustments are being made to ensure state facilities aren't a source of community spread of the novel coronavirus. Anne Precythe , director of the Missouri Department of Corrections Segment 3, beginning at 25:55: Loneliness, social interaction and staying in

Segment 1: With Sanders out of the race, the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination is all but secured. Loyalty, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said, is very important and it goes a long way in explaining why Missouri's 5th District congressman was an early endorser of former Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential bid. Now that Biden's main challenger has dropped out, does he have a chance of winning majorities in Missouri? U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver , D-Missouri Segment 2, beginning at 15:45: How Missouri is caring for its incarcerated population during pandemic Missouri's Department of Corrections lost its first inmate to COVID-19 this week. Officials said the deceased is the only known case in the prison system, but many adjustments are being made to ensure state facilities aren't a source of community spread of the novel coronavirus. Anne Precythe , director of the Missouri Department of Corrections Segment 3, beginning at 25:55: Loneliness, social interaction and staying in

The coronavirus outbreak finally spread to the Kansas City region last month, but local Asian American residents say they were feeling the global pandemic’s effects long before that. Adeta Chareunsab, a sophomore at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said she began facing harassment online weeks before there had been any confirmed cases in the U.S. “I made a comment about how the coronavirus shouldn't be an excuse to be racist to Asians. Then some guy commented, ‘Maybe if you stop eating bat soup then it wouldn't have happened,’” she said.

Segment 1: How Missouri's 4th Congressional District is weathering the COVID-19 outbreak. Various congressional actions will result in massive amounts of money being divided among individuals, businesses and banks within a couple of weeks. One Missouri congresswoman discussed if another stimulus will be needed, and if health care professionals in her district have the personal protective equipment they need. U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler , R-Missouri Segment 2, beginning at 12:20: Can you enforce stay-at-home orders while maintaining social distance? No one in Kansas City, Missouri, or Overland Park, Kansas, has been jailed due to the current stay-at-home orders — police said they are using gentler methods to encourage safety. That and other concerns about policing in the coronavirus era were addressed. Chief Frank Donchez , Overland Park Police Department Sgt. Jake Becchina , public information officer, Kansas City Police Department Segment 3, beginning at 30:35: Kansas City political

Segment 1: How Missouri's 4th Congressional District is weathering the COVID-19 outbreak. Various congressional actions will result in massive amounts of money being divided among individuals, businesses and banks within a couple of weeks. One Missouri congresswoman discussed if another stimulus will be needed, and if health care professionals in her district have the personal protective equipment they need. U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler , R-Missouri Segment 2, beginning at 12:20: Can you enforce stay-at-home orders while maintaining social distance? No one in Kansas City, Missouri, or Overland Park, Kansas, has been jailed due to the current stay-at-home orders — police said they are using gentler methods to encourage safety. That and other concerns about policing in the coronavirus era were addressed. Chief Frank Donchez , Overland Park Police Department Sgt. Jake Becchina , public information officer, Kansas City Police Department Segment 3, beginning at 30:35: Kansas City political

Child care providers in the metro have been allowed to stay open in order to watch the kids of essential workers who still need to do their jobs. But advocates worry the child care workers themselves, many of whom are low paid and don’t have health insurance, are working through the COVID-19 crisis without a safety net. “It’s not a question of if somebody gets sick taking care of other people’s children, it’s a question of when,” said Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet. “This was a problem for the profession before COVID-19 happened, and then you add on top what we're dealing with now, such an unprecedented crisis? The strain on the system is very worrisome to me.” Fewer families Tomlin Academy is still open, but it’s anything but business as usual for the preschool at 97th and Holmes in Kansas City, Missouri. Attendance is down from 80 students to about 25. “(Parents) are all very concerned about the welfare of their kids,” Shantelle Tomlin said. “Many

Segment 1: What we know about COVID-19, and what we don't A lot is unknown about the novel coronavirus currently circulating the globe, giving rise to myths about how it spreads, how to keep it from spreading and how to reduce one's chances of getting infected. We asked an infectious disease specialist to clear up some common misconceptions. Dr. Mary Anne Jackson , professor and interim dean of the UMKC School of Medicine Segment 2, beginning at 16:05: Former President Harry Truman seems to be having a modern-day "moment." The first four months of Truman’s administration saw the Nazi surrender, the liberation of concentration camps, the controversial decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the end of World War II. Can his leadership skills through that turmoil teach us something about navigating times of crisis? A. J. Baime , journalist and author of " The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World " Segment 3, beginning at 32:00: Cooped-up

Segment 1: What we know about COVID-19, and what we don't A lot is unknown about the novel coronavirus currently circulating the globe, giving rise to myths about how it spreads, how to keep it from spreading and how to reduce one's chances of getting infected. We asked an infectious disease specialist to clear up some common misconceptions. Dr. Mary Anne Jackson , professor and interim dean of the UMKC School of Medicine Segment 2, beginning at 16:05: Former President Harry Truman seems to be having a modern-day "moment." The first four months of Truman’s administration saw the Nazi surrender, the liberation of concentration camps, the controversial decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the end of World War II. Can his leadership skills through that turmoil teach us something about navigating times of crisis? A. J. Baime , journalist and author of " The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World " Segment 3, beginning at 32:00: Cooped-up

Segment 1: Tips for talking to children about the ongoing crisis. Parents are under a lot of pressure these days as their kids ask questions about this new world they're living in. It's a lot of change all at once. But respect, honesty and understanding can go a long way when broaching the subject with young minds. Wes Crenshaw , family psychologist and author of " I Always Want to Be Where I'm Not: Succesful Living with ADD and ADHD " Segment 2, beginning at 23:25: Answers to common questions on coronavirus testing and test results We’ve been asking listeners for their questions about COVID-19, and quite a few have come back about the availability of testing, the nature of the novel virus, and just how long we’ll all be social distancing. Gene Olinger , principal science advisor for MRI Global Segment 3, beginning at 27:25: Crimes against Asian Americans are already rising. The United States has a long tradition of racism in times of great crisis, and the current one is proving to be