News

Note: this episode originally aired on 1 May 2014.

This week, we're looking at the increasingly complex state of energy politics in Eastern Europe. Conflicts between Russia, which supplies much of the region's natural gas, and its neighbors are escalating. The United States government has increased sanctions on the Russian energy sector in response to the country's actions in Crimea and the Ukraine. How have markets been reacting to this? What does it mean for the area's balance of power?

Joining us this week:

The campuses of the University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Missouri-St. Louis have set new fundraising records.

UCSL Chancellor Thomas George says $31.2 million was raised during the 2013-14 fiscal year — $10 million better than the previous year's fundraising total. The donations helped create 70 new scholarships, contributed nearly $6 million for a new building for the business college and $2 million for the St. Louis Mercantile Library.

In an audio-only edition of Views of the News, Mike McKean, Esther Thorson, and Rod Gelatt bring you our weekly media criticism from the Missouri School of Journalism. 

Today Paul Pepper visits with ADAM SAUNDERS, Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, about what goes on at CCUA and gardening in general. At [3:52] ADDISON MYERS and AARON KRAWITZ tell us about "Freud's Last Session," the latest production from Talking Horse Productions. July 31, 2014

President Obama woke up in Kansas City on Wednesday, rallying support for a growing economy, dreaming of equal pay for his daughters and touting what he called “economic patriotism.”

With just four months before the mid-term elections, Obama called out Congress for fighting him on help for the middle class in a rousing appearance at the Uptown Theatre and later, in a walk down Parkville’s Main Street.

Columbia residents have a new way to get around town. The new downtown route for CoMo Connect began today, with the rest of the new system set to launch August 4. The downtown route, Red Line, replaces the 107 FastCat route for Columbia Transit. Dorothy Vetter waited to ride the new bus and was pleased with the outcome.

 “Well, it goes to most of the places everyone needs to get to. It goes by all of the hospitals and I think it’s going to be a good route.”

President Barack Obama plans to use his visit to Kansas City to prod Congress to close corporate tax loopholes and take other action before going on summer break this week instead of trying to sue him.

The Columbia Police Department is warning that scammers are posing as representatives from the IRS or from Ameren Missouri in an attempt to get people to quickly send them money.

  Zane Volkman has been riding for as long as he can remember.

From the steer he would ride through his family’s pasture, to a donkey and finally to his grandpa’s horse, Volkman was already an experienced rider when he started training colts for a local rancher at age 12.

But an accident in the summer before his senior year of high school made it unclear if Volkman would be able to continue his career on a horse. While working at a livestock market in Kingdom City, Mo., a routine dismount caused Volkman to break his back and sustain three brain bleeds.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt says the passage of federal legislation should provide assistance to Missouri centers that aid child victims of violent crimes.

Proceeds from sales of Missouri Lottery tickets have gone exclusively toward education since 1992.

Gov. Jay Nixon is urging Missouri school administrators to lobby legislators to uphold his vetoes of various tax breaks.

The agriculture industry is a cornerstone of the Midwest economy. In some states, it may even become a right.

In Missouri, the so-called “right to farm” is on the ballot in the form of an amendment to the state Constitution. And the controversial provision could be a model for Constitutional additions on other ag-heavy states.

Though the “right to farm” provision is focused on agriculture, it has pitted farmer against farmer with some worried that the results could change the face of farming in the Midwest.

Accountability concerns

Ameren Missouri is seeking approval to add about $1.50 to customers' monthly electric bills.

Two years after Muslims in Joplin suffered the traumatic loss of their place of worship at the hands of an arsonist, a new $2 million mosque is now open.

A 36-year-old Jefferson City man faces an August court date on suspicion of assaulting a 15-year-old baseball umpire at the Show-Me State Games in Columbia.

A judge has sentenced a Columbia man to life in prison for the 2013 shooting death of 17-year-old Tre'Veon Marshall last summer.

Two proposals on Missouri's August ballot are attracting millions of dollars of campaign spending.

Finance reports filed Monday show supporters of a transportation tax already have spent $2.5 million and have nearly $1.7 million available for their final push.

By contrast, opponents of the three-quarters-cent sales tax have spent just a little over $22,000.

A proposal creating a constitutional right to farm has spawned a somewhat closer financial battle.

  On this week's Intersection, we are talking with board members from Missouri Health Literacy about how to talk to your doctor.  

Today Paul Pepper meets EMILY HERZOG, a board certified music therapist at MU's Women's and Children's Hospital. At [4:50] LESLIE TOUZEAU tells us about "Organic Field Day," happening this Friday at Bradford Farm! July 28, 2014

Corn farmers in southeast Missouri are expecting high yields — but low profits.

A report compiled when Kansas City was seeking federal terrorism and emergency response grants claims Kansas City International Airport is a hub for terrorist travel.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Kansas City, where he's expected to speak about the economy.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt is touting passage of legislation that authorizes the appointment of a special ambassador to the Middle East focused on religious freedom.

Regional Coverage from the KBIA Newsroom including:

• Columbia Police department will outfit officers with body cameras
• Columbia city manager presents proposed budget for FY 2015
• Powerful chemicals used in farming are found in Midwest waterways
• Feds find mismanagement at St. Louis VA

City Manager Mike Matthes is proposing that the city ask voters to approve a property tax increase and to renew the Capital Improvement Sales Tax in order to fund Columbia police and fire departments. Matthes announced this when presenting the proposed 2015 fiscal year budget at a press conference Friday morning.

When you were growing up did you play classical music? Did you have your own instrument? The classical classical duo Zofo - made up of Eva-Maria Zimmermann and Keisuke Nakagoshi - play one piano. At the same time. KBIA's Trevor Harris  recently talked with the duo by phone about the nature of playing one piano with four hands, the process of commissioning new music for their repertoire and their new CD Zoforbit.

Today Paul Pepper chats with RUSS SCOTT, director of Maplewood Barn's latest production, "Julius Caesar," about the show and working with material written by Shakespeare. At [4:52], WENBO ZHAO (Z), Central Missouri Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, returns with WHY we need to drink water. Think you know the answer? July 25, 2014

A federal investigation finds a high rate of mismanaged disability claims at the St. Louis VA.

The Columbia Police Department plans to outfit all of its uniformed officers with body cameras.