Jason Kander, President Trump, Patrick Mahomes and … George Smith?

KCPT’s Nick Haines, executive director of public affairs and Week in Review host, picks out the big stories of the week ahead and the interesting stories you may have missed.

Kander Quits Mayor’s Race

The man some believed was the frontrunner to be Kansas City’s next mayor has pulled out of the race. Former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander says he is seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression at the Kansas City VA Medical Center.  In a social media post, Kander wrote he’d been battling the disease for years, and realized it was only getting worse. His abrupt departure throws the race to succeed current Mayor Sly James wide open.

President Trump in Kansas this Weekend

President Donald Trump will be in Kansas this weekend for his first stop in the state since his election. Trump will hold a rally at the ExpoCenter in Topeka, Kansas, Saturday night for Republican candidates Kris Kobach, who’s running for governor; and Steve Watkins, who’s running to succeed Lynn Jenkins in the Kansas 2nd Congressional District. Kansas 3rd District Congressman Kevin Yoder will not be in attendance due to a scheduling conflict.

How did Missouri Lose 1,200 Sex Offenders?

Missouri has lost track of more than 1,200 sex offenders. Roughly 60 percent of those unaccounted for are Tier III offenders — people convicted of rape and child molestation. A new report from State Auditor Nicole Galloway reveals that Missouri can’t account for the whereabouts of about 8 percent of the 16,000 sex offenders required to register with law enforcement in the state. Jackson County has the second highest percentage of unaccounted for sex offenders, with 439 of Jackson County’s 2,125 offenders missing, according to the audit. That’s more than 20 percent of the known sex offenders in the county.

Mahomes Trending Worldwide

It’s been an amazing few days of news here in our metro. But who do you think was the Kansas City newsmaker of the week? For all our talk about politics, it was Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s become an NFL sensation. For a few hours Monday night, Mahomes was one of the world’s top 10 trending topics on Twitter. And Mahomes’ No. 15 jersey is now one of the Top 10 best selling shirts in the NFL.

Nobel Prize for University of Missouri Professor

A University of Missouri professor has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. George Smith, who has taught for more than 40 years at MU, shares the $1 million prize with a British scientist and a researcher from California.They were honored for their work in harnessing the power of evolutionary biology to produce proteins used in everything from environmentally friendly detergents and biofuels to cancer drugs. Their research has led to the development of top-selling prescription drugs for treating arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

Nick Haines hosts KCPT’s primetime public affairs show, Week in Review. Catch the show Friday at 7:30 p.m., and the rebroadcast Sunday at 11 a.m. on KCPT.