Nick’s Picks | Barnes, Redistricting, Shutdown and More …

Kay Barnes Replaces White

This week, former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes will officially roll up her sleeves to temporarily lead Jackson County government. She will take over from Frank White, who was ousted by voters in a special recall election last week.

But the official handover won’t take place until the results of that election are officially certified, which is expected to be on Tuesday or Wednesday. In the meantime, White remains in charge and is still taking meetings.

Barnes, who’s now 87, is only expected to stay in the job until the legislature can vote on an interim county executive.  Later today, lawmakers will meet to work out the details of that process. The public won’t get to weigh in until the next election in November 2026.

Kansas Moves to Redraw Political Map

It seems that Kansas has now caught the redistricting bug. Weeks after Missouri lawmakers redrew their state’s political map, Kansas is now inching towards a special session to do the same thing. It could begin in just a few weeks.

In addition to reworking the state’s congressional district boundaries, it’s also likely to take up a request from Attorney General Kris Kobach to ban transgender Kansans from altering their driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

Since Kansas has a Democratic governor opposed to both changes, legislative leaders need to collect the signatures from two-thirds of Senate and House members to trigger the special session. The chamber’s leadership believes it can get those signatures by the end of the week.

Truman Museum Shuts Its Doors

It’s the sixth day of the federal government shutdown. And the most visible local sign of the budget stalemate in Washington is the closing of the Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence. It’s run by the National Archives.

Less visible is the anxiety being felt by the nearly 30,000 federal employees who work in metro Kansas City. Many of them are being furloughed without pay. Now, add a new twist: they could have their positions permanently eliminated as President Donald Trump threatens to use the shutdown to further reduce the federal workforce.

Last Week, Reviewed

Mayor Lucas in Deutschland

You won’t see much of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas this week. He’s in Germany, on a four-day trip that includes a visit to Kansas City’s Sister City, Hannover.

The mayor’s office insists taxpayers aren’t on the hook for Lucas’s European adventure.

His staff says his travel is being picked up by a group called Engagement Global on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Lucas will return on Saturday.

In Other News You Can Use …

• The U.S. Supreme Court’s new term opens today. The justices will test the limits of presidential power with expected rulings on everything from tariffs to birthright citizenship.
• The WNBA Finals could be decided as early as Friday night. The Las Vegas Aces have a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Mercury in the best-of-seven series.
• The National Hockey League season opens on Tuesday.
• This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced on Friday.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among a handful of world leaders that nominated Trump for the award.
• And the Chiefs are in action tonight on Monday Night Football. The team is flying to Florida for the 7:15 p.m. game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jonas Brothers Mark 20 Years in KC

Kansas City is getting a visit from another big music act this week.

The Jonas Brothers are in town and celebrating 20 years of performing together.

Will they get the Chappell Roan treatment, with a special streetcar wrap or a mural in their honor? It doesn’t look like it. But I am sure there’ll be hordes of fans wanting to see them perform Tuesday night at T-Mobile Center.

Nick Haines tracks Kansas City’s most impactful, confusing and downright head-scratching stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.