The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked economic upheaval that places more Americans at risk of being homeless, exacerbating the issue existing long before the current health crisis. A surge in evictions during 2020 prompted a federal order to temporarily halt such ousters, enabling many Americans to stay in their home, but the pandemic created poignant challenges for those already without a fixed residence.

Resources for the homeless were strained as that population expanded, some shelters had to close, and basic housing costs soared. On this week’s Kansas Reflector podcast, Tim Carpenter is joined by Joseph Reitz, who helped start Family Promise of Lawrence more than a decade ago to help families with kids with shelter, food and counseling with the goal of getting those people permanently housed with jobs.

Lack of affordable or permanent housing is not a new issue to Kansas, but amid the pandemic thousands of Kansas have come face to face with the threat of eviction. Estimates indicate 27,000 Kansas renters are currently behind on their rent and about 14,600 renters are at risk of eviction.

COVID-19-related moratoriums and relief programs have provided temporary relief for some, housing advocates warn a crisis could be bubbling without adequate policies. On this episode of the Kansas Reflector podcast, freelance reporter Shelton Brown shares the voices of those impacted.

When extreme heat descends on the Kansas City metro, you can feel it radiate off of buildings and dark pavement. Built-up areas, like downtown, become nearly unbearable — superheating well beyond the outlying areas. It’s called the urban heat island effect, and Kansas City, dominated by highways and parking lots, gets hit hard.

On this week’s Kansas Reflector podcast, reporter Allison Kite dives into extreme heat in Kansas City, which can be devastating for the city’s most vulnerable residents and is expected to become more frequent over the coming decades.

Tony Mattivi, a retired assistant U.S. attorney, is the latest entrant in the quest to find a replacement for Attorney General Derek Schmidt. He joins a GOP field that already includes Kris Kobach, the former secretary of state, and Sen. Kellie Warren, of Leawood.

Mattivi sits down with Tim Carpenter to discuss how his experience led him to run for attorney general of Kansas and what makes him qualified for the job.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is working hard to return to an office in the Capitol where he previously served as a state senator. Now he is campaigning for the Republican Party's nomination for governor in 2022.

Schmidt joins senior reporter Tim Carpenter on the Reflector podcast to discuss the campaign and a potential shot at challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

The Kansas foster care system has been the subject of numerous heartbreaking stories as a surge in the number of children entering foster care strained the capabilities of the system and placed children's safety in jeopardy. While progress has been made in recent years, a lot of work remains.

Laura Howard, secretary of the Department for Children and Families and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, is focused on improving outcomes for children in state custody. She joins Sherman Smith to discuss her work monitoring approximately 6,800 kids in the Kansas foster care system, as well as support programs for parents and families.

Selma, Memphis, Little Rock, Montgomery and Topeka: The city names alone are a roadmap of the nation's struggle for equality in terms of voting rights, educational opportunity, and jobs. These landmark cities are also on the U.S. civil rights trail.

Joining Tim Carpenter on the Kansas Reflector podcast is Lee Sentel, Alabama's tourism director and the man behind a 128-page guide to more than 120 historic sites across 14 states, including the Brown v Board of Education and National Historic Site and Sumner Elementary School in Topeka.

In June of 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and outcry for social and racial progress, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly established the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice. The first year of work was spent focusing on law enforcement and policing with more than 60 recommendations for different levels of government submitted in a final report.

Now, the commission has released an interim report on a bevy of new subjects. The co-chairwomen of the commission, Tiffany Anderson, superintendent of Topeka Public Schools, and Shannon Portillo, a Douglas County commissioner, discuss the interim report.

Since July 5, more than 500 workers on strike have been posted across from a Frito-Lay plant in Topeka demanding higher wages and more limited hours.

Union members rejected a contract offer from Frito-Lay with an annual 2% wage increase because for many workers that would be less than 50 cents per hour. Additionally, many employees are subjected to forced overtime and work up to 84-hour weeks because of worker shortages.

We visit the picket line on this Kansas Reflector podcast to speak with the workers before planned negotiations on July 19.

In 2018, Republican Jeff Colyer fell 172 votes short of beating Kris Kobach in the closest statewide GOP primary election in Kansas history. He is confident he would have beaten Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat seeking re-election in 2022.

Now Colyer is competing against Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the Republican gubernatorial primary for the opportunity to finally go toe-to-toe with her. He sits down with Tim Carpenter on this week's Reflector Podcast.