AltWeeklies Wire
Allegations of Racism Spark a Power Struggle at the Mutual Musicians Foundationnew
In December, the Mutual Musicians Foundation's 100-odd members installed a new board of directors. Many were new to the cause. In the weeks leading up to the election, a local singer suggested that the old board had allowed the foundation's legacy to be "pimped."
The Pitch |
David Martin |
02-09-2010 |
Race & Class
What Happens When an Undocumented Immigrant Teen Needs a New Heart?new
Eduardo Loredo's eyes are ringed with dark shadows. He blinks slowly through a deep fatigue that resists the bright room at Children's Mercy Hospital. The 14-year-old is dying. Slowly.
The Pitch |
Carolyn Szczepanski |
01-26-2010 |
Immigration
With Nowhere Left to Run, Refugees are Still Waiting to Make This Homenew
When Foibe Nibitanga got a ticket to a new life in the United States, she didn't expect the fear and hunger of the refugee camp to follow her to Kansas City. The Burundi native leans forward, trying to speak over the cries of toddlers who, in the absence of toys, play with couch cushions and a set of keys.
The Pitch |
Carolyn Szczepanski |
01-12-2010 |
Immigration
Tracking Homicides, We Learned a Few Things About Kansas City's Psychenew
Andre D. Jones, 33, was the victim of one of the metro's most disturbing murders of 2009: a quadruple homicide in Raytown whose other victims were his 21-year-old girlfriend, Precious Triplett, and her nephews, 10-year-old Amir Clemons and 7-year-old Gerard Clemons.
The Pitch |
Justin Kendall |
01-05-2010 |
Crime & Justice
Greetings From Crown Center at 40: Hallmark's Island of Misfit Ideasnew
Hallmark Cards broke ground on this "city within a city" on September 16, 1968. Company founder Joyce C. Hall had spent the previous decade meeting with architects, industrial designers and real-estate men. Walt Disney, a friend, had even contributed a few ideas. Hall envisioned Crown Center as a sort of monument to corporate benevolence.
A Massive Free Clinic Takes the Pulse of Health Care in Americanew
Familiar rhetoric: "We have the best health care in the world!" Anyone who has actually said that in the last year is probably not at Bartle Hall December 10. The weather hasn't kept away a couple of thousand people who need help. It has just made it harder for some to get here.
Will She Run For Congress? Who Cares: It Makes Good Radionew
After she promoted and appeared at local tea-party protests, grassroots conservatives began courting spitfire radio host Darla Jaye to make a run for Kansas Democrat Dennis Moore's Congressional seat.
Kansas City's Hip-hop Wants a Piece of Hot 103new
Jaz Brewer has engineered albums for some of the biggest names in Kansas City rap. Some songs that Brewer has produced have made it to the city's only commercial hip-hop station. The vast majority, however, have not, and it's not because they aren't up-to-par productionwise.
As Honeywell Closes a Kansas City Plant, Workers are Dealing with the Fatal Aftereffectsnew
The U.S. Department of Labor maintains a list of 785 toxic substances verified as having been used at the site, which will soon be abandoned. But people have been abandoned, too: former workers who live with chronic pain, who struggle to breathe or who have died.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
11-24-2009 |
Business & Labor
Professor Pellom McDaniels Wants to Move Kansas City's Black History Beyond Entertainmentnew
Most black school kids, he says, view entertainment -- being a professional athlete or a performer -- as the only form of success available to them. McDaniels, who happens to be a former NFL player, sees history as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and opening a wider future.
Mumiy Troll, One of Russia's Biggest Bands, Looks to Make Comrades in the U.S.A.new
Earlier this year, the group released its latest Russian-language work, Comrade Ambassador, via American distributive channels. Mumiy plans to release an English album before long; in the meantime, the band hopes to win over a new audience with its U.S. shows.
The Pitch |
Ben Westhoff |
10-20-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Freed After 24 Years of False Imprisonment, Darryl Burton Forgives Younew
Burton didn't just survive prison -- he met other innocents there, too, victims of a flawed justice system. Now, he says, it's his calling to do something about it.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
09-29-2009 |
Crime & Justice
At the International G.I. Joe Convention, Grown Men Play With Little Dollsnew
Most of the attendees are male, large, and loyal to either the 12-inch original toys or the 3-3/4-inch figurines based on the cartoon characters. A slight edge goes to the cartoon fans, who tend to be younger and single, with more disposable income.
Still at War, the Army Opens a New Front: Against Soldier Suicidenew
In 2008, 140 active-duty soldiers committed suicide. That's 75 percent more than the number in 2003 and the highest rate since the Army started keeping track three decades ago. Jim Haus was almost one of the casualties.
She Survived a Rape and Stabbing 10 Years Ago, and So Did Her Casenew
Recounting the story to The Pitch is like putting a period at the end of a decade of victimhood. Maybe talking about it will help other victims, she says, let them know "they can still live -- well." And maybe, she says, there's still a chance to catch the fucker who did it.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
08-25-2009 |
Crime & Justice
