Nick’s Picks | Vance, Buddy, Houdini and More …

JD Vance Back in Kansas

It’s been quite some time since our area received this much national political exposure.

A week after President Donald Trump hosted a campaign rally in Kansas, second in command JD Vance heads to Topeka today.

The vice president will host a rally for Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall at Haas Metal Engineering, a Topeka based steel company. Vance is scheduled to speak at 5:15 p.m.

It’s his second visit to the region in a little more than a month. In September, Vance stopped at an FBI facility in Kansas City and rallied for Marshall in Olathe.

Final Election Countdown

It’s the final full week of campaigning before the midterms. But for a growing number of voters, Election Day is already old news.

In Johnson County, election officials say early voting is running at a presidential-election pace. In Wyandotte County, early turnout is triple what it was during the 2022 midterms.

The candidates still have eight days to change minds. But a substantial share of voters has already delivered their verdict.

Last Week, Reviewed

Getting Scary

America’s favorite unofficial holiday arrives Saturday, with ghosts, goblins and pint-sized candy extortionists preparing to invade Kansas City neighborhoods.

But Mother Nature may have a trick of her own. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 50% chance of rain Halloween night. The consolation prize? Temperatures in the 70s could make this one of the warmest Halloweens in recent memory.

And what will everyone be wearing? Google’s newly released list of 2026’s hottest costume searches is dominated by movie characters, including some you’ve probably never heard of.

Topping the list? Buddy the Unicorn, the murderous mascot from the horror film Buddy.

Apparently, unicorns aren’t all rainbows and glitter anymore.

Houdini’s Lasting Trick

This Saturday marks 100 years since the death of master escape artist Harry Houdini.

And now there’s a marker in downtown Kansas City to mark his substantial Kansas City connections.

While Houdini was not from here, the world’s best-known magician arrived in Kansas City as a 12-year-old runaway, after accidentally boarding the wrong freight train from Wisconsin.

He later returned on purpose. On Sept. 8, 1915, Houdini performed his very first suspended upside-down straitjacket escape in downtown Kansas City at 10th and Main streets.

He returned to perform in Kansas City eight times throughout his career.

Last month, a historical marker was unveiled at 10th and Main to commemorate the spot where he pulled off his famous death-defying stunt.

World Series

Baseball’s biggest prize is up for grabs this week, with the Milwaukee Brewers holding a 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Whoever wins, history will be made. Neither franchise has ever won a World Series.

And here’s another rarity: It’s the first Fall Classic since 1991 featuring two teams from the bottom half of baseball’s payroll rankings. Proof that you don’t always need the biggest checkbook to win.

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

Also, this week…

• Baseball isn’t the only sport heading for a championship cliffhanger. The WNBA Finals are deadlocked at 2-2, with the Golden State Valkyries hosting the Atlanta Dream for Game 5 tonight in San Francisco.

And here’s another spooky coincidence: If that series goes the distance, Game 7 also falls on Halloween. Two championship trophies could be handed out on the same night. Talk about a monster finish!

• Meanwhile, the Chiefs are chasing a little redemption. After getting walloped 20-3 by Seattle, Kansas City heads to Denver Sunday for a showdown with the division-rival Broncos. Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m.

Fully Booked

Move over, musicians. Kansas City’s hottest tickets tonight aren’t for concerts. They’re for book signings and author talks.

Three big names are hitting local stages this evening, and not a single seat is left.

• Jeff Kinney, creator of the wildly popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is at Unity Temple on the Plaza. He’s now on book number 21, proving there’s nothing wimpy about his publishing empire.
• David Sedaris, the master of turning everyday awkwardness into literary gold, brings his famously dry wit to the Lied Center in Lawrence.
• And Steven Raichlen, PBS’s barbecue authority and author of The Barbecue Bible, is firing up a special Kansas City PBS fundraiser. He’s dishing on his new memoir, “Man on Fire,” over some ribs, burned ends and a little “BBQ&A.”

All three events are sold out. Who says nobody reads anymore?

Turning Back Time

For all the talk in Washington about ending the twice-a-year clock change, we’re about to do it again.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, when we turn the clocks back an hour. The reward? An extra hour in bed. The price? Darkness arriving before dinner.

Three different proposals to stop the clock-changing ritual have stalled in Congress.

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