Segment 1: Policymakers have yet to grasp the depth of the recession in farm country.

Farmers are slowly losing their livelihood as the input costs of farming rise and the price of commodoties sink. We talked with Paul Johnson, a grower and policy analyst, about the crisis in farm country. "There's not much, if any, of a debate of a farm and food discussion that we need in Kansas," Johnson said.

Paul Johnson, policy analyst for Kansas Rural Center

Segment 2, beginning at 23:48: Digital devices have created a society of skimmers not readers.

Reading print on paper allows the brain more time for cognitive processes like critical thinking. "When you skim you are not utilizing, at the same level, the more sophisticated processes," like empathy Maryanne Wolf said.

Maryanne Wolf, author of "Reader, Come Home" and Director at Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice, UCLA

Maryanne Wolf presents “The Challenges of Reading in the Digital Age” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 4, at Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library, 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112. RSVP at kclibrary.org



