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Seg. 1: KCPD Chief Rick Smith | Seg. 2: Ethics Professors

Segment 1: Chief Smith speaks to 'disheartening' amount of violent crime in Kansas City, Missouri.

When asked about the causes behind violent crime in his city, police chief Rick Smith pointed to several factors including lack of conflict resolution skills, public policies and gun law issues. Smith shared the department's new approach that focuses on the most dangerous individuals involved in gun crimes and acknowledged that the police department "will always be a constant review process" to keep up with changes in technology and the types of jobs needed within the force.


Segment 2, beginning at 27:22: How to ethically approach climate change resolutions and thoughts on cancel culture.

Our ethics professors agree climate change resolutions are an issue of public policy. While Wayne Vaught said  individuals should certainly be making "conscience decisions,"  it's ultimately about supporting efforts to combat the phenomenon on a larger scale. They untangled the concept of cancel culture and whether or not a celebrity or other public figure should lose their livelihood by being cancelled for a single act or statement.

Copyright 2021 KCUR 89.3. To see more, visit KCUR 89.3.

Steve Kraske is an associate teaching professor of journalism at UMKC, a political columnist for The Kansas City Star and has hosted "Up to Date" since 2002. He worked as the full-time political correspondent for The Star from 1994-2013 covering national, state and local campaigns. He also has covered the statehouses in Topeka and Jefferson City.
Jamie Hobbs hails from Southeastern Missouri, and is a senior at the Missouri School of Journalism. She is also studying Spanish. She specializes in reporting stories on the environment and human rights.