Nick’s Picks | Spring Training, Abortions, Casinos, and More … Preparing you for the week ahead, before it happens…

Winter Forever?

Say it isn’t so…

Another major snowstorm is on the way that could cause a big disruption to your commute and force school closures again.

And brace yourself for Arctic-like temperatures.

The National Weather Service says wind chills will be below zero from Monday night through Thursday morning.

As for the snow…our TV meteorologists are predicting a dusting tonight but with more significant accumulation of between 4-8 inches by Wednesday morning.

Royals Begin Spring Training

The Kansas City Royals have escaped the bone-chilling cold for shorts and t-shirt weather in Surprise, Arizona.

The first full-squad workout is today. And the first spring training game is on Friday as the Royals face the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium.

Last Week, Reviewed

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will be at the game. The mayor’s press office says he’ll also meet with “Royals leadership” while he’s there. Could this be where a deal is finally struck on a new baseball stadium?

Lucas is in Arizona for a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in nearby Phoenix.

Abortions Resume in Missouri

More than three months after Missouri voters approved Amendment 3, the first legal abortions in the state are now taking place.

Planned Parenthood says it preparing to open three abortion clinics in the state by the end of the week

On Saturday, the women’s health provider performed the first abortion at its Kansas City clinic since 2018.

Don’t Forget It’s Presidents’ Day

Post Offices, banks, and government buildings will all be closed today to mark the Presidents’ Day holiday.

Don’t forget that also means there won’t be mail delivery. And many school districts are taking the day off.

The Truman Presidential Library and Museum is offering free family events today where you can meet President Harry Truman and President Abe Lincoln, or at least historic reenactors who look and talk like them.

You can also join a ceremonial wreath laying at President Truman’s grave in the museum’s courtyard. The ceremony starts at 2:00 p.m.

Trump Layoffs Just Getting Started

Thousands of federal workers in Kansas City may be glad they’ve got the day off today, but their joy is being tempered by fears they could be out of a job by the end of the week.

The Trump administration is pushing federal employees to accept a buyout offer or be fired.

The Washington news site, Politico, claims more than 77,000 federal workers have taken the offer. It’s unclear how many of them are from Kansas City.

The federal government employs around 41,000 workers across the metro. Uncle Sam is the city’s largest employer.

If a large percentage of them leave or are dismissed, it would be a big new headache for Mayor Lucas. It could empty out downtown and create a huge hole in the city’s earnings tax revenue that helps pay for many of the city’s most basic services.

Ukraine War Anniversary

Saturday marks the third anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war.

President Donald Trump had pledged to end the conflict within “24 hours” of taking office.

Remarkably, there are still no reliable figures on how many troops and civilians have died. Russian and Ukrainian leaders have been reluctant to provide accurate casualty numbers over fears it would demoralize their citizens.

Ending Casino Smoking Loophole

Kansas lawmakers are renewing a push this week to finally close the casino smoking loophole.

If you weren’t aware, casinos are one of the last places in Kansas where you can still light up indoors.

Proponents say the outdated exemption puts gaming workers and the health of customers at risk.

But there’s concern the ban would simply chase gamblers over to casinos on the Missouri side of the state line, where no smoking restrictions exist.

New Transgender Restrictions

Missouri lawmakers are making another push to ban transgender women from using female bathrooms and locker rooms. There’s a hearing on the bill Tuesday in Jefferson City.

The next day, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on a measure criminalizing drag performances.

Meanwhile in Kansas, lawmakers are renewing their quest to ban gender transition surgeries on minors. Last week, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the measure.

Kansas City Gets ‘Messi’

Global soccer superstar Lionel Messi is in town this week.

The Argentinian striker leads his team, Inter Miami, into the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup at Children’s Mercy Park on Tuesday night.

Remember, if anyone generously offers you their tickets to the game, it’s going to be one of the coldest Sporting KC matches in history.

It’s forecast to be just 4 degrees at kickoff, with a feel-like temperature of minus 11.

Black Film Festival

This week, Kansas City PBS is marking Black History Month with the “Reel Black Film Fest.”

It’s KC’s first-ever film festival showcasing local Black documentary makers.

It’s taking place at The Truman event space in downtown Kansas City on Saturday at 3 pm.

You can reserve a seat here.

Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful local news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 pm on Kansas City PBS.