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Up To Date

Seg. 1: Kansas Court Says School Funding Plan Comes Up Short. Seg. 2: Washington's Runaway Slave.

Portraits of George and Martha Washington as they appeared on a early 20th century postcard.
Boston Public Library
George and Martha Washington pursued Martha's slave Ona Judge for years after Judge escaped to freedom in 1796.

Segment 1: Kansas Supreme Court rules new school funding plan lacks sufficient money but gives legislature another year to eliminate shortfall.

In order to avoid school shutdowns, the Kansas Legislature recently added $522 million to the education budget over the next five years. Still, critics argue this will not be enough and more needs to be added for inflation. Today, we looked at this latest development in the longstanding Gannon case and its implications for the future of public education in the state.

Segment 2, beginning at 21:28: The fugitive slave whom George Washington refused to set free.

Our first president's evolving feelings about slavery are well documented in his private journals, but more revealing are his actions toward Ona Judge. Among the Washington household's most prized slaves, she ran away during the president's second term. Today, we learned how she was able to escape, and why the president refused her emancipation. 

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.