Central Standard

There’s a pizza for everyone, from the picky toddler to the late-night reveler and the sophisticated gourmand. From wood-fired to deep-dish, you can go traditional or dress it up with fancy toppings like fig jam. Get enough for a crowd or order individual pies that are made from scratch and baked in front of you. On Central Standard’s annual pizza show, our Food Critics searched out the best pizza in and around Kansas City. Here are their recommendations: Jenny Vergara, Feast Magazine:

A local chef recommends the best fall harvest toppings, then KCUR's Food Critics search out the best pizza of 2016 in and around KC. Plus, is there anything that makes KC pizza unique? Guests: Paige Vandegrift, local chef, blogger and culinary instructorCharles Ferruzza, The Independent and Shawnee Mission PostJenny Vergara, Feast MagazineJill Silva, The Kansas City Star

When Donald Trump explained his remarks on grabbing women as "locker room talk," some women responded by sharing their own stories of survival. Has the conversation on sexual assault and the casual objectification of women reached a tipping point? Plus, Question Quest finds out what's in the center of the United States. Guests: Annie Cherry, local performerMikah K. Thompson, Director of Affirmative Action and Title IX Coordinator at UMKC

Is the gas station central to the Midwestern experience? A look at the proposal that called for removing a street to expand a fuel stop in Westport, plus two bloggers who love QuikTrip so much that they've reviewed the food there. Guests: Julie Tenenbaum, West Plaza Neighborhood AssociationShannon Jackson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UMKCRobert Bishop, QuikTrip enthusiast, Lunch Blog KCMatt Shaw, QuikTrip enthusiast, Lunch Blog KC

What is it like to go viral? We check in with a few Kansas Citians whose projects lead them to reach "trending" status in the Interweb. Plus, East and West 18th Streets in downtown Kansas City can feel worlds apart ... even though they're not. How local groups are working to bridge that gap. Guests: Alex Bryant, pastor at New Life Church, creator of viral video about perception of raceHenry Ismert, 7th grader, band Hammerhedd went viral with a Plaza street performanceLuke Ismert​, Henry's

Kansas Citians love their Chiefs. But the game of football has been harshly criticized, for the slew of injuries and the enduring mentality that causes them. We hear from a few people working to change the game, including one UMKC professor who has designed a new football helmet. Also, ahead of an event at the Black Archives of Mid-America, a local historical tour guide shares stories of the late Felix Payne, an influential man who transformed the political identity of black Kansas Citians in

The 2006 film Idiocracy has become shorthand for the dumbing down of American culture. What are we really saying when we reference the movie? Guests: Russ Simmons, resident film criticAnthony Sze-Fai Shiu, Associate Professor, Department of English at UMKCWill Averill, Founder, "Bleep" You, I'm From Kansas

If you are one of the many in Kansas City who has found themselves scratching at large, stubborn bug bites this autumn, you may think that you have encountered a spider or an enormous mosquito. But it’s likely that you have been bitten by the oak mite. Dr. Pavika Saripalli​, a physician at the University of Kansas Watkins Health Services, told Central Standard host Gina Kaufmann that the region is experiencing an “oak mite bloom right now.” She noticed that a large number of students on KU's

An interview with the political correspondent at NPR. How did her conservative Christian background and growing up in KC help her connect with people on the campaign trail? Plus, Question Quest looks into a mysterious octagon in Belton. Guest: Sarah McCammon, Political Reporter, NPR

In the U.S., tensions between communities and police seem to be at an all-time high. As we witness trust deteriorating and fear escalating on a national level, what is being done locally — or not being done — to make that relationship between police officers and communities work? Guests: Andre Thurman, Director, 100 Men of Blue HillsKevin Terry, community police officer, Kansas City, Kansas Police DepartmentKen Novak, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology at UMKC,

We're used to mosquito bites here in the Midwest, but if you've found yourself intensely scratching a single, long-lasting bite for weeks, you've probably been bitten by the oak mite. The science behind these pesky critters that have made Kansas City their home, plus, another peek into nature with a writer who sowed his ideas in his gardens. Guests: Rick Miller, agricultural agent, Kansas-State University Research and ExtensionDr. Pavika Saripalli​, physician, University of Kansas Watkins

When you imagine a library, you probably envision a calm space designed for quiet reflection, study and debate. Well, two incidents at Metro area libraries, in which two libraries found themselves at odds with police over freedom of expression, may have you thinking otherwise. What role do libraries play in social change and intellectual freedom? Guests: Ritchie Momon, chief customer experience officer, Mid-Continent Public LibraryR. Crosby Kemper III, executive director, Kansas City Public

Fall is upon us. And fall marks the arrival of the heralded, beloved pumpkin spice latte. #PSL. The pumpkin spice latte was born in 2003, when it made its first public debut in a Starbucks in D.C. It sure has grown up a lot since then. The Real PSL now has it’s own Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, where you can actually chat with it. The chatbot was, unfortunately, unavailable for interview. Surely The Real PSL is under a lot of stress right now. These days, it’s rare to find a cafe that doesn’t

It's officially fall on the calendar, and our mornings and nights are starting to cool down. Time to get out the sweaters and blankets and indulge in a hot drink. From that morning cup of joe to more boozy concoctions, KCUR's Food Critics search out the best hot beverages in and around Kansas City. Here are their recommendations: Jenny Vergara, Feast Magazine: Krokstrom Klubb & Market — glögg. Made with their traditional Scandinavian mulled wine, warming spices, raisins, almonds and brandy

A quest to find the pumpkin in pumpkin spice lattes, then KCUR's Food Critics search out the best hot beverages in and around KC. Guests: Charles Ferruzza, The Independent and Shawnee Mission PostJenny Vergara, Feast MagazineNatalie Gallagher, local food and drink writer