News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Low Wheat Prices Could Hit Kansas Rural Economy Hard
This year was a very good year for growing wheat, but that means it could be a very bad year for wheat farmers. There’s a glut on the global wheat market and prices for winter wheat – which is grown all up and down the Great Plains, from Texas to North Dakota– wheat prices this…
Do You Need Extra Screening For Breast Cancer? The Picture Is Blurry
Many women have dense breasts, and they may benefit from other forms of cancer screening beyond mammograms. But none of the options is ideal, and the available data don’t make the decision easier.
Has The Human Life Span Hit The Ceiling?
An analysis of global demographics indicates the maximum human life span may have peaked at around 115 years. That’s despite medical advances and the occasional person who lives a few years longer.
Take 5 For Your Health
Kansas Infant Mortality Rate Drops Kansas recorded its lowest-ever infant mortality rate in 2015, when 230 infants died before their first birthday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. That put the state’s infant mortality rate at 5.9 for every 1,000 live births — a 28 percent improvement since 1996. Nationwide, the infant…
My, How the Garden Grows
Located among strip malls, office buildings and rows of uniform houses, The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah in Overland Park is in the heart of suburbia. But park your car behind the temple, which sits on Nall Avenue a little south of 119th Street, wander up a winding dirt path, and you will find that you’ve…
Beekeepers Benefit From The Hive Mind In Community Apiaries
Even though Marca Engman read countless books, watched YouTube videos and took a beekeeping class before installing her first hive in 2012, she knew she’d need help in the field. “The whole idea of beekeeping was overwhelming,” she recalls. “Every year is different and every hive is different.” Rather than working a backyard beehive solo,…
It May Not Cost You More To Drive Home In A Climate-Friendly Car
It has been a common belief that low-emissions vehicles, like hybrids and electric cars, are more expensive than other choices. But a new study finds that when operating and maintenance costs are included in a vehicle’s price, cleaner cars may actually be a better bet. The cars and trucks we drive are responsible for about…
Take 5 For Your Health
Mental Health Centers In Wyandotte, Shawnee Counties Try New Approaches To Schizophrenia Two community mental health centers in Kansas hope a new program will help young people recently diagnosed with schizophrenia avoid its possible complications — a higher risk of unemployment, homelessness and incarceration and lower life expectancy — and achieve goals for school, work and…
KU Cancer Center Makes Bid To Join Elite Club
Four years ago, former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius returned home as U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services with a prize the University of Kansas Cancer Center had been seeking for years: certification as a nationally recognized center through the National Cancer Institute (NCI). But amid the hoopla, KU Cancer Center Director Dr. Roy Jensen…
Commentary | Why are We Surprised? The State of Our Media is What We Made It
I watched the debate Monday night along with more than 80 million of my fellow Americans, according to Nielsen. We all knew what we would get from the candidates. Few were disappointed. As also expected, moderator Lester Holt received his share of criticism over how he performed his duties. However, Holt gave us exactly what…