Five Ways to Connect and Engage With Kansas City and KCPT

WHAT'S IN YOUR GENES?

“The Gene: An Intimate History” | Sneak Peek and Discussion

WHEN: Tuesday, March 31, 2020
5:30 p.m. Light reception
6 p.m. Program starts

WHERE: Kansas City University of Medicine | Academic Center
1750 Independence Ave. Kansas City, MO 64106

COST: Free

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns trains his camera on the greatest detective story ever told - the quest to decipher the master code of instructions that makes and defines humans.

Be the first to watch extended excerpts of Burns upcoming four-hour documentary coming to KCPT this April.

See the birth of genetics in the vegetable garden of a monastery in Central Europe and the sweeping excesses of eugenics in Germany and the United States.

Witness the identification of the first genes that cause human illnesses such as cancer and Cystic Fibrosis and the stunning breakthroughs that are changing our understanding of how genes impact heredity, disease and behavior.

Immediately following the screening, KCPT's Nick Haines will host a panel discussion exploring the ethics and nagging questions over who benefits and who is left behind by genetic research. The presentation will feature ethicists, researchers, medical students, patients and the community. The discussion will be taped for later broadcast around the Ken Burns series on KCPT.

This is a limited engagement event, so RSVP now to confirm your seat.

This program is a partnership between KCPT, The Center for Practical Bioethics and the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

DIABETES IN KC

Another big project we’re working on here at KCPT is tackling a silent killer. It's called diabetes. And many people are surprised to learn it claims more lives than cancer and HIV combined. In fact, it’s now predicted that one in three children born today will develop the disease. KCPT is partnering with PBS on a new documentary called, ‘Blood Sugar Rising.”

The film puts a human face on the statistics, explores the history and science of the illness and tracks efforts to control this deadly but often overlooked disease.

Would you like to join us as we tell this story? You can.

“Blood Sugar Rising” | Sneak Peek and Discussion

WHEN: Tuesday, March 24, 2020
6 p.m.

WHERE: Plexpod Westport | Medallion Theater
300 E. 39th St., Kansas City, MO 64111

COST: Free

This program is a partnership between KCPT and the Health Forward Foundation.

SHOW-ME SHOWDOWN

The presidential candidate party bus is finally heading our way. Less than two weeks before the Missouri primary, we have news of your first chance to see these candidates in action. Did you want to take a selfie with Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren? Get a hug from Joe Biden or Mike Bloomberg? Get a high five from Mayor Pete?

It looks like your best chance will be Sunday March 8 at 2 p.m. That’s when the Missouri Democratic Party has organized the "Show-Me Showdown" at the Kansas City Convention Center. It’s not a debate but they’re promising many of the leading candidates will be there delivering speeches and engaging with voters.

If you’re interested, here’s how to confirm your seat.

If you couldn’t care less about the Democratic candidates, is it possible President Trump will also be in town to steal the candidates’ thunder? We’re tracking that for you, too. And if we get wind of a presidential visit, we’ll let you know.

100 YEARS OF WOMEN'S VOTE

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the congressional passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. This week, we're celebrating the centennial of the League of Women Voters. There's a major celebration this Saturday, February 29 at the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College, featuring the woman whose signature appears on most of the paper bills in your wallet.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Rosie Rios led the charge to return a woman’s image to America’s paper money, by adding Harriett Tubman to the $20 bill. Spoiler alert: It still hasn't happened. She also leads a project aimed at increasing the number of women in public places. I have the privilege of hosting this event. Details can be found here.

WANT A SAY IN HOW KC SPENDS ITS MONEY?

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is facing pressure from arts advocates, allies of health care providers, tenants’ rights groups and ambassadors for the Kansas City Film office. All are upset with Lucas's new budget that eliminates or sharply cuts their programs. If you want to weigh in, you can.

On Saturday, February 29, the Mayor and the City Council host a public hearing on the budget from 9 - 11 a.m. at the Southeast Community Center at 4201 E. 63rd St. That's just north of Swope Park. The Mayor says you can also let him know your thoughts online or on the phone. Contact: MayorQ@KCMO.org or call 816-513-3500. There’s a final public hearing on March 7. You can find the details here.

Week in Review returns Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.