Nick’s Picks | Batteries, Recall, Butterflies and More …

Panasonic Plant Grand Opening

Panasonic’s $4 billion Kansas battery plant finally begins operations this week.

The company is hosting a grand opening ceremony today in De Soto with state and local leaders. The project is jam-packed with superlatives:

• Largest electric vehicle battery plant in the world
• Largest building in Kansas
• Largest economic development project in Kansas history

At full capacity, the plant can churn out 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. But it’s unclear if or when that will happen.

Panasonic has announced it is dialing back full production at its Kansas plant due to declining electric car sales and new Trump administration policies that end green energy tax credits and the $7,500 rebate that has encouraged thousands of Americans to make the switch.

Panasonic promised to hire 4,000 workers at the plant. As of this morning, 1,100 employees are on the payroll.

Last Week, Reviewed

Frank White Recall Election

We’re waiting for the next shoe to drop this week in the recall election of Jackson County Executive Frank White.

Last week, Jackson County legislators unanimously voted to place the issue on the August ballot.  But White could still veto the measure. And he has until Thursday to make his decision. Just in case, legislators have scheduled a rare Friday meeting to consider a potential override vote.

We’re also watching for a judge’s ruling on the matter after the Kansas City and Jackson County election boards filed a lawsuit claiming they had insufficient time to prepare for the August 26 election. They’re proposing that the vote be delayed until November.

Truman International?

This is a story that came out of nowhere and now seems to be on the fast track…

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will meet with airport officials on Tuesday about renaming the “new look” KCI after President Harry Truman. 

Lucas has already met with representatives of the Truman Library Institute about naming the terminal after the late commander in chief from Independence.

If Reagan and Bush have airports named after them, why not Truman?

The campaign seems to be moving quickly. There’s a push to make the change before the throngs of World Cup fans arrive in June.

Decision Week for Public Broadcasting

Here’s a national story with a local twist…

Now that the “Big Beautiful Bill” has been signed, President Donald Trump is now focused on eliminating federal cash for public broadcasting and foreign aid programs.

If you haven’t been paying attention, the House has already voted to slash funding for NPR and PBS, but the Senate has yet to act.

Now they have a looming deadline this week.

If they don’t approve the president’s request by Friday, the money has to be allocated. 

In what is a tight deadline for lawmakers, you’ll see a local face playing a prominent role.  It has been left to Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt to lead the measure through the chamber. As majority caucus chairman, he is charged with cobbling together the votes to pass the president’s cuts.

Stamp Sticker Shock

If you’re heading to the post office this week, be ready to shell out more cash.

The cost of mailing a letter rises by a nickel today. A first-class stamp will now set you back 78 cents.

The U.S. Postal Service is requesting four more price hikes over the next two years to keep the agency afloat.

‘Trail of Tears’ Memorial

A new memorial to the “Trail of Tears” is being installed in Johnson County this week.

It will mark one of the most brutal chapters in American history, the forced displacement of about 60,000 Native Americans from their ancestral lands between 1830 and 1850.

The new art installation is being hailed as the largest to commemorate the 660-mile forced march of the Potawatomi people, known as the “Potawatomi Trail of Death.”

A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Saturday at Heritage Park in Olathe.

It’s An ‘All-Star’ Week

Major League Baseball takes a break this week for the annual All-Star game.

The league’s top-player showcase is in Atlanta this year.

The Royals have four All-Stars in the Tuesday night game.

Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic were initially selected as reserves.

But an expanding injury list means two other Royals have been called up at the last minute, closer Carlos Estévez and third baseman Maikel Garcia.

In other sports news … truckloads of pads, helmets and other football paraphernalia will depart Arrowhead Stadium for St. Joseph, Missouri, this week. Chiefs training camp is just days away. The players report on Monday.

Get Into Patrick Mahomes’ Head

St. Louis may have its famous arch, but Kansas City is the only place that has a Mount Rushmore-sized copy of Patrick Mahomes’ head.

The Chiefs quarterback’s ultra-large noggin is being installed this week in the Power & Light District.

And I’m not sure who felt there was a need for this, but you can plunge inside.  

Mahomes has partnered with Coors Light to offer fans the chance to cold plunge into what is essentially a giant head-shaped ice tub.

“The Patrick Plunge” is a fundraiser for Mahomes’ charitable foundation. It starts at noon on Saturday at KC Live.

5 To Try

KC Summer Brew Fest is coming to Kauffman Stadium on Saturday. You can sample up to 150 beers on the Royals’ outfield lawn.

The KC Fringe Festival kicks off this week. The event bills itself as Kansas City’s largest arts event, with more than 340 shows across 12 venues.

Powell Gardens’ Festival of Butterflies returns Thursday. See previous Flatland feature video here.

The legendary music group Earth, Wind & Fire is in town. They take the stage at Starlight Theater on Friday night.

Nelson-Atkins Lawn Party: If you’re looking for something free to do with your family this week, grab a blanket and head on over to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which is hosting its annual Lawn Party on Sunday with live music, lawn games and art demonstrations. It starts at 4 p.m.

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.