Matthew Long-Middleton

There are a number of social land mines that can be tripped in restaurants.  How is the best way to handle a declined credit card, or when do you send something back to the kitchen?  On Central Standard Friday food critics Charles Ferruzza, Mary Bloch, Emily Farris and Gloria Gale tackle this subject and all the new restaurants of KC.

People have been cross-breeding plants for thousands of years, manipulating traits in agricultural crops from generation to generation. When scientists discovered that they could actually modify the genes of these plants in a laboratory, the landscape of agriculture changed dramatically -- and fast.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's traveling exhibit, Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945 opened at the Dean's Gallery at the Miller Nichols Library at UMKC. Stuart Hinds, head of Special Collections for UMKC libraries, joins us to talk about the exhibit and other events the museum is hosting to accompany the exhibit.

As part of Black History Month activities, UMKC is hosting an African-American Read In Feb. 20 and 28. Employees of the UMKC library and the public will read aloud from some of their favorite African-American literature and writing.

Paying bills, making purchases and balancing a checkbook all seem like straight forward actions with money. But a person's behavior toward money and wealth and how they integrate it into their lives is a psychological and sociological issue as well.

  The Federal Bureau of Investigations is our federal police force, “to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats and to enforce the criminal laws of the United States."  However, in that mission the FBI has investigated its own citizens, even it's own presidents.  Pulitzer prize winning author Tim Weiner discusses the complicated history of the FBI.

In the world of music, so many songs center around one common subject: love. But for those who aren't singing the praises of romance, there are plenty of songs about the darker and more cynical side of love. Richard Alwyn joins Central Standard to share his favorite songs for the lonely heart and to talk about his live event, The Love Hangover.

In the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated or scorned by many, but what is love like around the world? William Jankowiak, professor of anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and author of Intimacies: Love and Sex Across Cultures, joins us to talk about love across cultures.

It may be hard to remember, but the 2008 election broke racial and gender norms for politics. With President Obama, Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton among the presidential and vice-presidential candidates in both major parties, the idea of race and gender was a common discussion. But what did that election mean to those who didn’t, and couldn’t vote?

It’s taken years, but the world’s most popular sport is finally catching on in the United States. Sporting KC has regular sell-outs at its stadium, and the team has fared well in its young history.

 Now it’s turn for the U.S. women to take the pitch. This year marks the inaugural season of the National Women’s Soccer League, and FC Kansas City, our town’s team, join 7 other cities – Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Washington DC, Portland, Rochester NY, and Piscataway NJ on the field.  Today we're are joined by  the coach for FC Kansas City, Vlatko Andonovski and forward Melissa Henderson.

  The convenience and accessibility of Walmart as a one stop shop is what makes the business empire one of the most successful in the country. It is also the largest private employer in the United States and Mexico, but when a Walmart comes to town, what effects does it bring in terms of jobs and the local economy?

It was a big day for the Kansas City music scene yesterday as the Kansas City Chorale and artistic director Charles Bruffy were honored with not one but two Grammys.

Their album “Life and Breath” was honored with “Best Choral Performance” and “Best Engineered Album, Classical."

Charles Bruffy joins us by telephone from Los Angeles.

Today on Central Standard, we talk about conflict, and resolving it. Why is it that our workplaces, our families, even the international community have such trouble getting along? Our resident psychologist Bruce Liese is here to try to help … and to give us some ideas about conflict resolution in our world and in our lives.

With Valentine's Day approaching, the restaurant industry is gearing up to flirt with taste buds and create romance at the table. On the most romantic day of the year can create a lot of pressure to choose the right restaurant to enjoy a great meal with a loved one, so today on Central Standard Fridays, The Food Critics talk about the most romantic dining spots in Kansas City.