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From Berkeley to St. Louis to Charlottesville — even on NFL playing fields — youths across the country have been watching the nation's adults respond to issues of race, culture and ideology. Today, psychologist Wes Crenshaw returns with a panel of teens to discuss whether America is measuring up to the democratic values it claims to hold dear.

Emergency preparedness is in the national consciousness in a big way. Today, the Smart Money Experts make a special trip to the studio to discuss preparing your family's finances for the wide-ranging effects of a natural disaster. Then, Kansas City voters in April approved a one-eighth-cent sales tax increase aimed at developing the long-neglected east side of town. We'll find out how the city will ensure that money is spent effectively, transparently and with the community's needs in mind.

From Mexico to Montreal, the migration of the monarch butterfly is truly Odyssean in nature. Today, we visit with a Kansas City cyclist who is pedaling the butterflies' 10,000-mile voyage to raise awareness for their declining population. Then, we hear stories of America's deported veterans and learn how the practice is affecting the families and communities expelled service members leave behind. You can follow Sara Dykman's adventures through Mexico, the United States and Canada by visiting her

Despite passing away 25 years ago, Marjorie Powell Allen's life works continue to impact the Kansas City region. Today, we recall the businesswoman, educator and philanthropist, chronicled in a new biography . Then, we speak with two-time Grammy winner and Leavenworth native Melissa Etheridge , and learn how and why she continues to advocate for the environment and the LGBTQ community. Deborah Jean Allen and Leeanne Seaver will discuss ' Becoming Marjorie: The Life and Legacy of Marjorie Powell

The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a championship-caliber start. But their prospects, and the future of football itself, may depend on whether the game can be made safer — for players to play, and for fans to watch with a clear conscience. Commentator Victor Wishna elaborates in the September edition of “A Fan’s Notes.” Hey, don’t look now — and it’s only been two games — but the Chiefs are Super Bowl favorites. It’s been an especially strong start for quarterback Alex Smith, who followed a high

This is the final season for the popular Netflix series Longmire, but not for the books that inspired it. Today, their author, Craig Johnson , reveals the inspiration for his latest novel about the fictional sheriff of Wyoming's Absaroka County, and relates what it felt like when his character came to life on screen. Then, learn what a Prairie Village husband and wife team did when their passion for amassing memorabilia about Kansas City left them with a collection too big to fit under one roof.

In a live broadcast from the Public Market in Lenexa's new City Center, we talk with officials about the 20-year odyssey to make real their community's vision for a new town square. Also, the vendors behind Frannie Franks Coffee Cakes and Red Kitchen Tamales share their start-up stories and explain why they've set up shop in the new development. Then, we get the inside scoop from one city employee, who fills us in on the pros and cons of working in a brand new City Hall.

Despite decades of government assistance, violent crime continues in too many American neighborhoods. That's why Bob Woodson, founder of the Woodson Center , thinks the solution for troubled communities must come from local leaders themselves, not from the federal or state level. Then, we dig into the troubling reactions journalists of color are subject to when writing about player protests, and other controversial issues.

For some, a belief in God and adherence to fact-based scientific research are mutually exclusive. That's not the case for Katherine Hayhoe, who's had remarkable success convincing evangelical Christians that climate change is caused largely by human activity. It could be because she's a conservative Christian herself. Then, we speak with baseball statistics guru Bill James and his daughter about a new book they've co-written on an unlikely subject; a century-old string of ax murders. Katharine

With ice caps shrinking and global temperatures on the rise, animals who live in the Arctic Circle are at increasing risk. Today, we speak with two scientists from Polar Bears International who spent their summer in and around the Arctic studying the namesake animal of that organization. With less ice on which to hunt, will the iconic northern predator adapt in time to avoid extinction? Marissa Krouse and Alysa McCall will present their polar bear research in the Kansas City Zoo's lobby