Nick’s Picks | Obama Visits KC, Debates and Fall’s Arrival

Obama in KC

With Election Day barely six weeks away, some of the nation’s top political names are now rolling through Kansas City.

Last week, Vice President JD Vance was in town. This week, it’s Barack Obama.

The former president takes the stage Saturday at the Overland Park Convention Center for a leadership event hosted by wealth management company Creative Planning.

While he’s here, Obama is expected to work in at least one campaign event for Adam Hamilton, the mega church pastor now trying to unseat Kansas Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall.

Hamilton has several close connections with the former president. Obama invited him to deliver the sermon at his Inaugural Prayer Service in 2013. Obama later appointed Hamilton to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based Partnerships.

With control of the US Senate on the line, local GOP officials say it’s increasingly likely President Trump will hold a rally in Kansas before Election Day. The last time Trump visited Kansas City was in 2018.

No More Debates?

Don’t look for any more debates between the candidates for governor and U.S. Senate in Kansas.

The Kansas State Fair may have been your first — and last — chance to see the state’s biggest candidates go toe-to-toe.

After two raucous, heckle-heavy showdowns in Hutchinson, there’s still no encore on the calendar. Republican Ty Masterson has declined two additional TV debates with Democrat Cindy Holscher. And Roger Marshall and Adam Hamilton have failed to agree on a second face-to-face encounter before Election Day.

Missouri Map Mess Continues

The dust still hasn’t settled on one of the biggest political dramas of the year. I’m talking about the ongoing saga over Missouri’s congressional map. Apparently, two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court weren’t enough to settle the issue.

This morning, we’re awaiting a decision from the federal court of appeals in St. Louis which held an emergency hearing on the map dispute last Thursday.

Its ruling could send the case back to the Supreme Court for a third time before the week is out.

Such a scenario would redefine the word “chaos.”

Military and overseas ballots for the November election were sent out over the weekend. And absentee ballots go out across the state on Tuesday.

As it stands, and barring another major plot twist, Missouri is using its old congressional map for this election, keeping Kansas City Democrat Emanuel Cleaver in his current district, rather than forcing him to campaign in a heavily Republican one.

Last Week, Reviewed

More News You Can Use

Fall officially arrives on Tuesday and it looks like Kansas City will finally have temperatures to match the season. Mornings in the 50s. No 90s in the forecast. I’m definitely ready.

We’ve had a strange summer. The first week of September was the hottest in 66 years.

And according to Fox 4 meteorologist Joe Lauria, the first half of September was warmer than both the first half of July and the first half of August.

Yom Kippur: Today marks the holiest day in the Jewish Calendar. The Jewish Community Center is closed, and thousands of area families will take the day off for fasting and prayer.

Flock Flies to Capitol Hill: The CEO of Flock and the heads of two of its rival camera surveillance companies are in the hot seat in Washington on Wednesday. A Senate Panel chaired by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley wants answers to growing concerns over privacy and data-use concerns. The hearing comes just a week after Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe became the first governor in the country to impose statewide safeguards on AI-powered cameras.

Xi Comes to Washington: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington Wednesday for the first U.S. state visit by a Chinese leader in more than a decade. Formal talks with President Trump follow Thursday, with tariffs, oil prices, critical minerals and artificial intelligence high on the agenda.

Census Day in Kansas

Today is a big day for school districts across Kansas.

It’s Census Day — the annual student head count, that helps determine how much state funding each school district receives. Every empty desk in a Kansas classroom today means less money for your local district.

And this year, the count carries even more weight.

Schools across the metro are already feeling the squeeze from declining enrollment. Olathe recently announced plans to close six schools, citing fewer births and a shortage of family-friendly housing.

Nationwide, births are down 18 percent since 2007 — part of what education leaders are calling “the big shrink.”

In other words, America’s baby bust is now becoming a school budget crisis.

The National Center for Education Statistics projects public school enrollment will fall by another 2.6 million students by 2031 — putting even more schools on the chopping block.

Liberty Memorial Premieres New Light and Sound Show

Kansas City’s most famous tower is about to get a serious glow-up.

Ahead of the Liberty Memorial’s 100^th anniversary in November, the historic World War I monument is adding a free nightly light, music and projection show.

The eight-minute spectacle, created by three internationally acclaimed light artists, officially premieres Friday night.

But you can get a sneak peek this evening.

The show is expected to flick on for the first time during the Liberty Memorial’s Centennial Gala at the Kauffman Center.

So, if you’re anywhere near downtown after about 8:30 tonight, look up.

Plaza Art Fair Returns

Some 240 artists will fill the streets of the Country Club Plaza this weekend, for the 95^th Annual Plaza Art Fair.

The longtime Kansas City tradition runs Friday through Sunday, bringing three days of art, crowds, and more than a few Kansas Citians quietly asking, “Is that the price… or the artist’s phone number?”

Also, this week…

The 18th & Vine Arts Festival returns this weekend to Kansas City’s historic jazz district.

The event kicks off Friday on the catwalk, as nine designers compete for cash in a fashion showdown called Rock the Runway. Sunday’s finale features a hot wings eating contest.

Chiefs Head to Florida

In sports news…

The Chiefs trade Arrowhead for the palm trees of South Beach this weekend, heading to Miami for a Sunday showdown with the Dolphins. Kickoff is at noon.

And this is one of your last chances to see the Royals in action this year.

With the playoffs no longer in the picture, Kansas City closes the season with two final homestands, starting tomorrow night against the White Sox.

The curtain comes down on the Royals’ season next Monday.

Hottest Ticket in Town

And this week’s award for hottest ticket in town goes to superstar Pitbull as he performs Friday at the brand-new Morton Amphitheater. Fellow rapper Lil Jon is the opening act.

Apparently, it’s become a tradition for Pitbull fans to wear “bald caps” to his concerts. I’m going to have find one to wear before Friday!

Here are some other big acts taking the stage around the metro this week:

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, Kacey Musgraves stops at T-Mobile Center on Wednesday.

And grab your “Pumped Up Kicks” — Foster the People is at Starlight Theater on Thursday.