My Fellow Kansans

Introducing: Up From Dust Jun 05, 2024

Trees are swallowing prairies. Bees are starving for food. Farmland is washing away in the rain. Humans broke the environment — but we can heal it, too. Up From Dust is a new podcast from the Kansas News Service about the price of trying to shape the world around our needs, as seen from America’s breadbasket: Kansas. Hosts Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos wander across prairies, farm fields and suburbia to find the folks who are finding less damaging, more sustainable ways to fix our generational mistakes.

Summer of Mercy (Rebroadcast) Jul 20, 2021

Remembering the abortion protests of the Summer of Mercy in Wichita, Kansas, thirty years later.

My Fellow Kansans Special: People and the Pandemic Sep 06, 2020

S3 Episode 6: Michelle Taylor, Silver Lake Aug 10, 2020

Getting married and having your first child is stressful enough. Try making those life changes during a pandemic. As a teacher.

S3 Episode 5: Slai Hung, Garden City Aug 03, 2020

One western Kansas resident's recovery from COVID-19 was made worse by an unpleasant health care experience.

S3 Episode 4: Ehlaina Hartman, Spearville Jul 27, 2020

What happens when the coronavirus comes between your senior year and dreams of a state championship?

S3 Episode 3: Anil Gharmalkar, Jalon Evans-Gharmalkar And Tamarah Chancellor Jul 20, 2020

A first-hand account of what it's like to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and how a family handled the situation.

S3 Episode 2: Gabrielle Griffie, Wichita Jul 13, 2020

Besides the coronavrius, another urgent topic again surfaced this year: an end to racism.

S3 Episode 1: Montella Wimbley, Wichita Jul 06, 2020

Hair has been quite the topic during the coronavirus. For the first episode of My Fellow Kansans: People and the Pandemic, we spoke with a salon owner.

Coming Soon: Season 3 Of My Fellow Kansans Jul 02, 2020

My Fellow Kansans is back with a new season: People And The Pandemic.

BONUS: Kansas Drinkers Can Thank This Tough Guy Apr 01, 2020

In this episode of KCUR's new podcast, A People's History of Kansas City , host Suzanne Hogan and Matthew Long-Middleton tell the story of the pugnacious Kansas sheriff and attorney general Vern Miller, whose antics seemed to be a throwback to the Wild West era but left a surprising legacy.

Introducing Statehouse Blend Kansas 2020 Jan 24, 2020

In this episode of Statehouse Blend Kansas, host Jim McLean looks at the legislative session. Lawmakers are already at odds on the hot-button issues of abortion and Medicaid expansion. Republican leaders are pushing for quick passage of an anti-abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution. Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning are joining forces to break a nearly decade-long stalemate on expansion.

S2 Bonus Episode: Free college and a town's prospects Dec 13, 2019

A town loses population one decade after the next. Then a wealthy native son makes a generous offer: I'll pay the college tuition of every kid who graduates from high school here. Beyond putting college in reach for more families, the donation hopes to draw people to Neodesha, Kansas. Except ... it might just encourage people already in the region to change addresses. And the town is short on housing.

S2 Episode 6: The Wild West, Cattle And Immigrants Nov 21, 2019

While population numbers decay across so much of the Great Plains in Kansas, Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City stand out as growth stories. Their cattle trade draws immigrants, and those newcomers drive change. Dodge City likes to play up its gunslingin' Wild West reputation, formed in its earliest days in the cattle business. Now giant industrial meatpacking plants define the economy of a modern cowtown.

S2 Episode 5: Even Remade, A Town Struggles Nov 14, 2019

Greensburg, Kansas, already found itself in a struggle for survival before getting leveled by a tornado in 2007. Then outside help and new hope emerged with the idea of rebuilding the town as a green, environmentally sustainable place. But the town's still lost more than a third of its population since the twister. It hopes for a rebirth, but powerful forces continue to drive depopulation even after its makeover.

My Fellow Kansans Live Nov 11, 2019

My Fellow Kansans is coming to Johnson County Library Nov. 13 for a live podcast event. Host Jim McLean will lead a discussion about rural issues with a panel of special guests, including state Rep. Eileen Horn. If you live in the area, we hope you'll join us. RSVP at KCUR.org/Kansans .

S2 Episode 4: Ailing Rural Health Care Nov 07, 2019

The closing of a rural hospital marks a particular loss for a community — greater distances to travel for health care, fewer jobs, and the sense that a town is on the wane. This episode of the podcast looks at the forces that have led to an epidemic of shuttered small-town hospitals, and some things being tried to resuscitate rural health systems.

S2 Episode 3: Rural And Shrinking, But Smartly Oct 31, 2019

Rural communities continue to empty out, victim to powerful economic forces that nudge people to larger cities and suburbs. If the depopulation in some places appears all but inevitable, some social scientists suggest it need not mean doom. There are ways to shrink smarter , focusing on improving the quality of life for people who remain rather than chasing businesses that might never come.

S2 Episode 2: Bigger Farms, Ever Smaller Towns Oct 24, 2019

Many of Kansas’ small towns look weathered, worn and neglected after more than a century of exodus. The unending trend toward bigger farms, and fewer farmers, has sped that depopulation. That rise of modern farming techniques continues to pose a threat to rural cities and towns, particularly across the commodity crop-growing Great Plains.

S2 Episode 1: Rural Problems and Prospects Oct 18, 2019

One decade after the next, since the days of the Homestead Act, remote Kansas cities and towns have seen their sons and daughters move on to bigger, more vibrant places. That's had profound impacts on rural economies, rural health care and the vibrance of communities whose past looks rosier than the future. Jim McLean examines the factors that could make a difference between towns withering away or making the best of a modern, rural reality.

Coming Soon: My Fellow Kansans Season 2 Oct 09, 2019

Rural Kansas has a storied past. But as once-thriving towns continue to shrink — does it have a future? That depends on who you ask. In season two of My Fellow Kansans, host Jim McLean explores rural Kansas to discover what the future holds for rural communities across the state.

My Fellow Kansans: Live Roundtable Dec 14, 2018

Kansas voters elected a new governor, Democrat Laura Kelly, who wants to promptly expand Medicaid eligibility, resolve a long-running lawsuit with more school funding, and address a crisis in the state's foster care system. But her ability to fulfill that agenda will depend on how willing a more conservative Legislature is to work with her.

My Fellow Kansans: Live With The Governor-Elect Dec 14, 2018

With the election of Democrat Laura Kelly as governor, it appears Kansas is trending back to the center. But voters sent a mixed message as conservatives regained control of the Legislature.

My Fellow Kansans: 'Kansas Common Sense' Nov 19, 2018

Well, fellow Kansans, it’s over.

My Fellow Kansans: Kelly Wins — A Minisode Nov 09, 2018

A race that looked to be oh-so-close turned out to be a clear victory for Democrat Laura Kelly, the new governor-elect of Kansas.

My Fellow Kansans: Laura Kelly Nov 02, 2018

If conservative firebrand Kris Kobach would continue Kansas on its path to the right, Democrat Laura Kelly would be its pivot back to center.

My Fellow Kansans: Kris Kobach Oct 29, 2018

If there’s a talking point in Kris Kobach’s campaign that virtually no one could quibble with, it’s captured in his billboards: “The consistent conservative.”

My Fellow Kansans: Greg Orman Oct 22, 2018

Of the three leading candidates in the race for Kansas governor, polls suggest Greg Orman is the least likely to win.

My Fellow Kansans LIVE Oct 18, 2018

My Fellow Kansans is coming to Johnson County Library on Oct. 25 for a live event, featuring podcast host Jim McLean and political scientist Beth Vonnahme. We'll discuss the current state of Kansas politics and learn how Kansas voters are feeling ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. You'll have a chance to ask questions and hear more about the making of our podcast, too. Join us for this special live event on Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Johnson County Library Central Branch in Overland Park, Kansas. You can learn more and RSVP at kcur.org/kansans .

My Fellow Kansans: The Red Pickup Truck Oct 15, 2018

In 2016, as Kansas voters revolted against Gov. Sam Brownback and his conservative allies in the Legislature, one-time Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Barnett, saw an opening.

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