In rural Medicine Lodge, Kansas, Sarrah and Kyle Miller were sued last month by their local medical clinic for $230 in unpaid medical expenses. Their story is part of a new pattern. Kansas hospitals have filed thousands of lawsuits against their rural patients in recent years, including many for less than $500.

Rural residents in Kansas not only struggle to find health care, but afterwards struggle to afford it, especially if they don’t have insurance. That has led to hospitals suing more patients over unpaid bills, often for small amounts of money. Calen Moore of the Kansas News Service reports.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Kansas City officials are waging a war against graffiti, scrubbing surfaces clean only to see them tagged again the next day. Businesses and hotels are fighting back to send the message that downtown is a welcoming, thriving and safe place.

In a metro lucky enough to have numerous murals intended to make outside surfaces beautiful, some walls and bridges are being bombarded by random recurring graffiti. KCUR’s Brandon Azim takes us out with the people who are doggedly working to clean it up.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love, Jacob Smollen, and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

A longtime resident of Columbia, Missouri, remains imprisoned in Texas more than a month after he was detained by federal officers. Owen Ramsingh is a green-card holder who immigrated to the U.S. as a child, but he’s now facing deportation due to a drug conviction from when he was a teen.

Owen Ramsingh's absence has taken an emotional toll on members of the community, who have begun organizing to spread awareness about his detainment. When asked for an explanation, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson called Ramsingh a "criminal alien" and said, "A green card is a privilege, not a right." KBIA’s Lilley Halloran reports on Ramsingh's detainment and why his supporters are hopeful he will return home.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. This episode was produced by Mackenzie Martin and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

Now that the government shutdown is over, tens of thousands of furloughed civil servants are back to work in Kansas City. But that doesn’t mean all is well. KCUR spoke with a Social Security employee who answers the 1-800 line about her experiences working without pay.

Chandler McGinnis has worked at the Social Security Administration since 2021. Working from home due to medical accommodations, she takes about 45 calls a day handling benefits, disability claims and death reports. McGinnis tells KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin about what it was like working during the shutdown, what she hears from callers, and how the Trump administration's actions have affected her and her colleagues.

If you’re a current or federal worker and want to talk about your experiences, email [email protected].

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

An Independence museum for artwork made out of human hair recently closed its doors for good. Hear the story of the final days of Leila’s Hair Museum. Plus: Missouri families have to navigate tough food decisions after getting alpha-gal syndrome from ticks.

The most unusual attraction in Independence, Missouri, has closed for good. But thanks to the founder's granddaughter, the museum's massive collection of wreaths made out of human hair is finding new homes at museums across the country. KCUR’s Julie Denesha reports on the final days of Leila’s Hair Museum.

Often when Missourians receive an alpha-gal syndrome diagnosis, they don’t know where to start beyond simply not eating red meat. KBIA’s Rebecca Smith reports on some in southern Missouri who are trying to help people adapt to their new diets.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love, Jacob Smollen, and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

The tickborne illness alpha-gal syndrome affects what you can eat. For those who contract it, mealtime becomes a minefield. Plus: American agriculture depends on foreign workers, but President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown is shrinking a farm workforce that many say was already too small.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 450,000 people in the U.S. have alpha-gal syndrome, a tickborne allergy to red meat. Many others have never heard of the condition, which is believed to be prevalent in Missouri. KBIA’s Rebecca Smith explains how this allergy works — and how it impacts people who have it.

The ag workforce has shrunk by at least 155,000 people this year under Trump’s immigration crackdown. Ag labor prices are surging, and the crisis is driving some farmers out of business. But as Harvest Public Media's Frank Morris reports, some in the ag industry say this could be the moment for changes to allow more foreigners to work legally on American farms.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history appears to be near an end. But weeks without paychecks and cuts to SNAP benefits put many Kansas Citians in desperate situations — and turning to local support systems like food pantries, mental health services and utility assistance programs.

KCUR's Up To Date host Steve Kraske spoke with Kera Mashek, director of communications at United Way of Greater Kansas City, and Maggie Haghirian, chief program officer for Jewish Family Services, about the struggles those nonprofits are facing and how Kansas Citians are feeling.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

A Kansas City historian is preserving the stories of Mexican Americans who served during Vietnam. The new oral history project is titled "In Their Own Words: Mexican American Vietnam Era Veterans."

More than 50,000 U.S. service members died in theater during the Vietnam War. A disproportionate number of those killed and injured were Latino. Ahead of Veterans Day, historian Dr. Gene Chavez and Army veteran Frank Hernandez spoke with Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up To Date about the experiences of Mexican American veterans.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Jacob Smollen and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

As the government shutdown drags on, what’s the experience like for federal workers — not just the thousands who have been furloughed, but those left behind to carry on the work without pay? KCUR spoke with an IRS customer service agent about her experiences working through the shutdown, and her worries for the future.

For federal workers — including the more than 30,000 in the Kansas City area — the impact of the shutdown has been immediate and direct. Many have been furloughed, missing their second paychecks now as the shutdown drags on.

But some, like IRS employee Brittany Melugin, are still coming into the office. It's steady work that she's still proud to be doing, but it hasn't been easy. She spoke with KCUR’s Nomin Ujiyediin to talk about the shutdown and its impact on workers.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox, Emily Younker and Gabe Rosenberg.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

A Kansas City therapist started a walking group in a disadvantaged neighborhood that aims to make sure everyone can keep up. We'll take a Friday stroll with the “Marlborough Unstoppables." Plus, a 1962 plane crash heading to Kansas City killed eight crew members and 37 passengers — in what turned out to be the country's first jet bombing.

After a series of health scares, one Kansas City mother needed to make a change. But finding a place to walk isn’t easy in her neighborhood east of Troost Avenue. So, as KCUR's Luke Martin reports, Shakea Roper teamed up with her local neighborhood association and created her own walking community.

The first suicide bomber to target a passenger flight was on a 1962 flight from Chicago to Kansas City. And the culprit was from Merriam, Kansas. “Disaster at 3900 Feet,” written by Enfys McMurry, dives into the investigation and the impact on two small Midwestern towns. She spoke with Kansas City Public Library’s Laura Spencer.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love, Jacob Smollen, and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.