In a crisis, it’s more important than ever to get good, accurate information. We need information from our local and national government and from health officials. We need accurate, reasoned information from the media. And we need all of this while many things are unknown, or changing very quickly — whether it’s what we know about the virus itself, who qualifies for testing, government recommendations about social distancing or wearing masks in public. It can be hard to keep up, and it can also

For today's episode as we head into the weekend, we try to think about how great it would be to simply escape right now -- to head to new horizons, a new place or time, and meet new people. While actual travel is out of the question for most of us while we shelter-in-place because of the coronavirus pandemic, books can still take us places. They lift us up and take us right out of the anxiety, stress and fear we might be experiencing.

As confirmed cases of the coronavirus continue to rise in Missouri, the city of Columbia has responded (as many cities are in the absence of a statewide directive): by implementing its own stay at home order. The goal is to slow the spread of the virus and keep our community safe, but this solution comes with its own complications. The directive has meant deciding which businesses are essential and which need to close their doors and send their employees home. Difficult decisions for a city

While cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across the country and here in Missouri, a second tragic crisis is also unfolding around us. Residents have been ordered to stay-at-home to keep everyone safe, which also means that businesses across the nation and here in our Mid-Missouri towns are having to close. With those closures, business-owners are seeing their dreams shuttered, hopefully only temporarily. And people who work in restaurants and bars, among other industries, are seeing their jobs

In today's episode, we look to the weekend and consider whether some of our favorite extra-curricular pursuits can help us through this coronavirus crisis. We ask our audience what they’re reading, listening to and watching that is getting them through this crisis. Maybe there’s even something that’s more than just an escape - that’s actually helped provide meaning and solace during difficult times. And how are musicians and artists faring during a time when galleries are closed and concerts are

Boone County is under a stay-at-home order and while many of us stay in - working from home, taking care of our kids, binge-watching Netflix, - there’s a group of professionals out there who do not have that luxury right now. They’re the nurses, doctors, emergency responders and other frontline workers going to work and preparing-for and now responding-to COVID-19 cases. In this episode, we talk to people who are working on the front lines of this outbreak in our community and we’ll hear from

In this episode, we talk about community efforts to bring resources to those who need it most right now in the midst of the coronvirus pandemic. In particular we look at nonprofits, faith groups and community efforts that are helping out during this crisis.

In this episode, we’re talk about how disease outbreaks, like the current coronavirus crisis, impact our culture and how our culture also affects the trajectory of disease outbreaks. Obviously our rituals, our families and gatherings are being drastically affected right now across the world and here in Missouri, as we figure out how our communities should be responding to this crisis.

The coronavirus crisis has sparked tremendous changes in the lives of people all over the world, and in the last couple of weeks the crisis has arrived full-on for us Missourians. In the recent weeks, MU moved its classes online, then closed its dorms and sent its students home. Gov. Parson declared a state of emergency. Libraries, restaurants, offices, theaters and more have closed their doors. Elections have been postponed. Many of us are working from home, isolating with their families, or

“The ultimate goal is to slow down the spread and decrease the transmission.” KBIA’s Rebecca Smith sat down with Dr. Christelle Ilboudo, the Medical Director of Infection Contol and Prevention for MU Health Care, and two individuals from Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services – Medical Director Dr. Ashley Millham and Public Inforamtion Officer Lucio Bitoy – to discuss some of the preparations that are underway to prevent, and if necessary, manage the spread of COVID-19 in Mid

Since Louisa May Alcott's novel "Little Women" was published in 1868, it has never gone out of print, it's been translated into about 50 languages and been released in about 100 editions, according to writer Anne Boyd Rioux , author of "Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why it Still Matters." On this edition of Intersection, we invited MU Professor Alex Socarides into the studio to talk about the legacy of this story and the themes brought out by Greta Gerwig's recent film

In this special, hear the voices of MU students tell their stories of finding the people, places and feelings that have helped them grow and change. They were challenged this spring in their advanced writing class to write essays about significant moments in their lives. With the help of their professor, Berkley Hudson, they recount their stories and experiences. Hear our radio special with selected commentaries here: You can also listen to the rest of the class: Connor Hoffman shared a desire

In a recent dialogue that took place at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 97-year-old long-time Columbia resident Sehon Williams was interviewed about his life, family and work in Columbia. The conversation was part of the Society's series of lectures on the African American Experience in Missouri. Long-time Columbia civic leader Bill Thompson hosted the talk.

On this edition of Intersection, we talk with state Reps. Martha Stevens and Kip Kendrick, both Democrats from mid-Missouri leveraging their local community involvement into their legislative work in the superminority party in Jefferson City. Stevens has worked as a professional social worker and has focused on health care policy since being elected to the state legislature in November 2016. Kendrick has served in the legislature since November 2014, focusing on health care policy and serving on

What is the sound of mid-Missouri? For Columbia music writer Aarik Danielsen Columbia's location along the I-70 corridor, and in the middle of the country, brings lots of influences and some great acts that the Columbia kids grow up on. But in spite of key music venues like the Blue Note and influential festivals like Roots N Blues N BBQ, our town also makes for a music scene with some volatility - being a college town, many acts tend to move on. Danielsen, an arts and entertainment editor at

In a new report on the University of Missouri’s campus climate, the American Association of Universities says about a quarter of undergraduate women who responded to its survey have experienced sexual assault or harassment on campus. For trans, genderqueer and nonbinary students, that rate is more than 50 percent. The report also says more students know about on-campus resources for sexual assault and harassment, but that doesn’t necessarily stop sexual assault from happening. The fact is, this

As immigrants arrive and seek a new life in many Missouri counties and across the Midwest, researchers and community organizers have been getting together to share information and strengthen networks that make a more welcoming community for new arrivals. A key convener on these conversations is the University of Missouri's Cambio Center. It's celebrating its 15th year - and the center has hosted an annual conference for organizers, activists, researchers and academics at its annual Cambio de

The word impeachment is on the news and on our minds in America, right now. And an MU professor has written a book on the history and legal context behind this political process known as impeachment. Frank Bowman is the author of “High Crimes and Misdemeanors: A History of Impeachment for the Age of Trump.” He teaches at MU’s School of Law and at Georgetown University Law. Bowman says impeachment should be less of a historical oddity and more of a real political tool. He recently sat down with

This weekend in Columbia about 30 musical acts, from Country and Roots to Soul and Blues, are descending on Stephens Lake Park for the 13th annual Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival . It’s all starts tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 27, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 29. This year’s lineup features some musical legends like John Prine, Del McCoury, Alejandro Escovedo, Nick Lowe, Patty Griffin … And then there are up-and-comers like headliner Maren Morris and The Black Pumas, plus locals like the Kay Brothers,

This week on Intersection we bring you a special on oral health from Missouri Health Talks. KBIA’s Rebecca Smith spoke with Dr. John Dane, the State Dental Director, and Gary Harbison, the Executive Director for the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health. They followed up on their conversation with Smith in August 2017. They spoke about the current status of oral health care in Missouri, advances that have been made in oral health policy and struggles Missourians still face when it comes to

Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones was named to the city's top law enforcement position in August, and he is set to be sworn in at a Columbia City Council ceremony this evening. On this edition of Intersection, Jones talks with host Janet Saidi about the goals and challenges he sees on the horizon for policing in Columbia. And he discusses what motivated him to become a police officer.

On this edition of Intersection, KBIA and the Columbia Missourian sit down with Kevin McDonald, the chief diversity officer for the University of Missouri and MU, who is in his last week of service at MU before taking on the role of vice president at the University of Virginia. In the summer of 2016, just months after the 2015 protests that brought national attention to the difficulties faced by diverse students on the University of Missouri’s flagship campus, the UM System hired McDonald to

About 29 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, citizens, organizations, companies and campuses are still working on providing access and accommodations for those who need it to engage with and experience the world - its streets, its buildings, its concerts, classrooms, and even its radio programs. On this edition of Intersection, KBIA producer Kassidy Arena, who has hearing loss, explores what all this means for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. As a producer and

This week, Intersection sits down with Alex George, a Columbia author, owner of Skylark Bookshop and founder of the Unbound Book Festival , which comes to Columbia this weekend. Now in its fourth year, the festival has brought literary celebrities - like Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith and this year's keynote speaker George Sanders - as well as up-and-coming literary voices to mid-Missouri. George spoke with Intersection host Janet Saidi about what he hopes the community takes away from the festival