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President Trump in Kansas

With just two weeks to go before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump is making a rare stop in Kansas today. The president is heading to the Wichita area to host “a get out the vote” rally for Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, who is locked in an unexpectedly tight reelection battle against Democrat Adam Hamilton.

It’s a race that’s suddenly putting reliably Republican Kansas on the national battleground map, with control of the U.S. Senate potentially hanging in the balance.

President Trump will take the stage at 6 p.m. at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, just outside Wichita. It’s his first visit to Kansas in eight years.

Final Face-Off

The campaign ads aren’t going away. But the face-to-face confrontations are almost over.

Marshall and Hamilton meet Wednesday for their second, and likely final, debate in Kansas’ closely watched U.S. Senate race.

It’s one last opportunity to challenge each other’s claims and perhaps deliver a knockout line before voters get the final say.

The debate airs locally on FOX4 at 7 p.m.

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Week in Review Election Special

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Early Voting Begins in Missouri

Kansas voters have already started heading to the polls. Now it’s Missouri’s turn.

No-excuse, in-person absentee voting begins Tuesday. But don’t expect a quick trip to the ballot box.

It may not be the crowds slowing you down. It could be the sheer length of the ballot.

Beyond the races for Congress and statewide offices, Missourians face five statewide questions covering everything from abortion and gender-transition surgeries, to citizen petitions, taxes, sheriffs and the seemingly never-ending fight over Missouri’s congressional map.

This election, you may spend more time reading the ballot than waiting in line to cast it.

Halting Construction on Independence Data Center?

A Jackson County judge will hear arguments Thursday on whether to halt construction of the massive Nebius data center in Independence. Neighbors accuse the Amsterdam-based tech company of repeatedly violating permit conditions and noise restrictions. Both sides will present evidence and witnesses at the Eastern Jackson County Courthouse.

The city approved the project in March, and the land has already been cleared for a complex that, when finished, would be twice the size of Arrowhead Stadium.

The legal showdown comes amid growing resistance to data centers across the metro.

In De Soto, developers are trying a different approach to winning over skeptical residents.

They’re offering everyone in the city $1,000 a year, for the next decade, to help offset concerns about rising utility bills and the project’s long-term environmental impact.

World Series Begins

Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for Friday.

The Milwaukee Brewers have punched their ticket for the first time since 1982 after sweeping the LA Dodgers. Now they’re waiting to see whether they’ll face the Cleveland Guardians or Tampa Bay Rays.

And here’s a spooky scheduling twist: If the series goes the full seven games, baseball’s champion will be crowned on Halloween night.

In other sports news…

The NBA tips off its new season Tuesday, with an historic opening night. At 41-years-old, LeBron James will become the first NBA player to ever reach 24 seasons.  And after eight years with the Lakers, he’s trading uniforms, making his Philadelphia 76ers debut against the defending NBA champion New York Knicks.

And closer to home…

The Chiefs are packing their bags for the Pacific Northwest. Kansas City heads to Seattle for a Sunday night showdown with the Seahawks. Kickoff is at 7:20 p.m. on NBC.

Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful, confusing and downright head-scratching local news stories on Week in Review(opens in new tab), Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.