A KBIA News Series exploring what needs to change to sustain agriculture. Reported and produced by Jana Rose Schleis.
Bailey Stover/KBIA
Tisya Cooke is a Jewish transgender woman and spoke about her experiences coming out and about how she personally defines gender affirmation.
MISSOURI NEWS
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The group People Not Politicians is gathering signatures to prevent a new redistricting plan from going into effect. -
![David Hall sits on his couch on Monday, April 7, 2025, at his home in Columbia. “Even in Missouri there's certain areas that you still don't see that many queens of color. And especially in the bigger cities, how many of them do you see on cast in bigger bars that have, like, either a rotating cast or a main cast throughout weekends? I will give kudos to Kansas City because they've worked really hard on having that diversity within all of their cast, but still. Like, Columbia, one joke was like, ‘Kaycee can't work all the time.’ … ‘Kaycee can't perform in every show, so you can't really ding us on diversity.’ But I'm like, I still want to bring that representation,” Hall said. “Since [Nclusion Plus], one of the places I perform with, we go to smaller areas and perform. And I'm like, just to have one person look at me and say, ‘Oh yeah, I look like them. I can do that,’ makes me really happy. And it's like, ‘OK, what I'm doing, I'm on the right track for that.’”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/92a6365/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1750x975+0+0/resize/280x156!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2F9e%2Fe25c27e04e9a9b2be4ca9cb307d6%2F20250407-bas-queer-joy-david-hall-0291.jpg)
David Hall is a bisexual man of color. He spoke about coming out and the challenges of having others affirm his bisexuality when he's in a relationship with another man. -
While Missouri's drought this fall may not have much of an impact on snowfall, it could affect severe weather next spring. -
In this episode of Behind the Issue, Editor-in-Chief Cayli Yanagida spoke with writer and opera singer Katie Grawitch about how Landlocked Opera is redefining what opera means in mid-Missouri. -
Columbia is one of the first cities in the country to receive the substantial food donation, just in time for Thanksgiving. -
Local establishments prepare for an influx of visitors for NCAA's Division I cross country championships.
![David Hall sits on his couch on Monday, April 7, 2025, at his home in Columbia. “Even in Missouri there's certain areas that you still don't see that many queens of color. And especially in the bigger cities, how many of them do you see on cast in bigger bars that have, like, either a rotating cast or a main cast throughout weekends? I will give kudos to Kansas City because they've worked really hard on having that diversity within all of their cast, but still. Like, Columbia, one joke was like, ‘Kaycee can't work all the time.’ … ‘Kaycee can't perform in every show, so you can't really ding us on diversity.’ But I'm like, I still want to bring that representation,” Hall said. “Since [Nclusion Plus], one of the places I perform with, we go to smaller areas and perform. And I'm like, just to have one person look at me and say, ‘Oh yeah, I look like them. I can do that,’ makes me really happy. And it's like, ‘OK, what I'm doing, I'm on the right track for that.’”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8765982/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1750x975+0+0/resize/560x312!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2F9e%2Fe25c27e04e9a9b2be4ca9cb307d6%2F20250407-bas-queer-joy-david-hall-0291.jpg)
NPR TOP STORIES
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Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted for drug trafficking and weapons charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison. -
A320 planes are flown by a number of domestic and international airlines, and the required software update could lead to "operational disruptions to passengers and customers," according to Airbus. -
After the alleged shooter was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal — a 29-year-old Afghan national — Trump said he would permanently shut down immigration from impoverished countries.
MORE FROM KBIA and the Missouri News Network
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Although the team has been investigating the mid-Missouri area since January, the decision to launch “Operation Brightside” was made several weeks ago after the death of a Stephens College student in a downtown Columbia shooting. -
Officials working on the Missouri Hemp Hoax Report sent 55 products bought at smoke shops, gas stations and other retailers for testing. -
The initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, paid producers for fruits, vegetables and proteins that were then distributed at no cost to families in need - was eliminated amid federal spending cuts. -
Utility provider Ameren disconnected more than 17,000 Missouri households in October for lapsing on payments, according to documents filed with the Public Service Commission. -
While the federal government has reopened and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits have been reinstated — for LGBTQ+ individuals, the ability to access food assistance remains difficult and uncertain. -
The Black Leaf Collective "...is not just a pop in and walk out. There will be an opportunity for you to sit, enjoy your book, enjoy your tea, your treat that you purchase... just pause for a second and enjoy it." Guests: Candace Hulsizer, owner of Black Tea Bookshop and Ebony Eigh, co-owner of A Case of Cakes by Robin Cason November 24, 2025
A stocking stuffer for the beer enthusiast in your life.
Redeem your beer book at 20 establishments across Mid-MO and support KBIA
Redeem your beer book at 20 establishments across Mid-MO and support KBIA
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In this episode, hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon speak with Paul Lux, the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections, and Mark Earley, the Supervisor of Elections in Leon County. They spoke about how the lists of registered voters are already maintained in Florida, and about how the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act — a proposed piece of federal legislation that would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections — could impact that process.
KBIA Newscasts
Missouri Health Talks
![Northeast Missouri Health Council is the federally qualified health center [FQHC] in Kirksville, MO.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0d538e6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/761x503+0+0/resize/260x172!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6d%2Fa1%2F4b6427de4d8ca4bcdcb797153bec%2Fnortheast-missouri-health-council.jpg)
The Daily Blend
