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'Day to Day' in Kansas City Kansas City, Mo. lies near the geographic center of the continental United States. It's known for its jazz, innovative architecture and great barbecue. It's also the dividing line between a traditionally "blue" state (Missouri) and a traditionally "red" one (Kansas). So how does being in the middle affect politics, culture and life in the 21st century? Day to Day goes halfway across the country to find out.
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'Day to Day' in Kansas City

Kansas City: The View from the Middle

Kansas City is at the geographical center of the country — and also at the center of political divide and consensus, business and culture, traditionalism and modernism. Its geographical and cultural middle ground has been shaping this Midwestern city since the Civil War.

Kansas City: The View from the Middle

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Kansas City Artist was Master of the Heartland

Thomas Hart Benton brushed aside the prevailing modernism of his time to create naturalistic scenes of America's heartland. From his Kansas City studio, he painted giant murals that gave prominence to the working-class people and small farmers of Middle America.

Kansas City Artist was Master of the Heartland

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Dole Discusses His Home State, 2008 Race

Former Sen. Bob Dole has deep personal and political roots in Kansas. He grew up in the small town of Russell. The former Senate majority leader and presidential contender talks about his attachment to Kansas and his views on the 2008 presidential race.

Dole Discusses His Home State, 2008 Race

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For Chiefs Fans, Tailgating is not a Game

Kansas City Chiefs fans are serious about tailgating. This pre-game ritual is marked by people arriving in old school buses painted with Chiefs colors or in big trucks with team flags.

For Chiefs Fans, Tailgating is not a Game

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Kansas City an Island in Sea of Housing Woes

The housing market in Kansas City is more stable than what you might find on either coast — and more affordable. Local real estate agent Judy Johns offers a tour of a house and a glimps of the market.

Kansas City an Island in Sea of Housing Woes

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City in the Middle a Center of Transportation

With tractor-trailers and trains crisscrossing the region and barges traveling north and south on the Kansas and Missouri rivers, transportation is nearly as big an industry in Kansas City as farming.

City in the Middle a Center of Transportation

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Kansas City's Wholesome Image Belies Mob Past

Kansas City these days seems like a bastion of wholesome, Middle-American values. But from the 1920s to the 1960s, the city was a haven for gamblers, bootleggers and a corrupt political machine.

Kansas City's Wholesome Image Belies Mob Past

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Trillin Embraces His Midwest Roots

Alex Chadwick checks in from the road in Kansas City where he finds out what to expect from humorist and author Calvin Trillin. A native son, Trillin has lived for many years in New York City, but likes to think he keeps in touch with his Midwest roots.

Trillin Embraces His Midwest Roots

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Same Name, Two Very Different Cities

As Day to Day prepares for its three-day visit to Kansas City, Alex Chadwick poses the question, "Am I in Kansas or in Missouri?" Turns out, a little of both ... and the two are different.

Same Name, Two Very Different Cities

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