Coming up.

The Chiefs and Royals finally forced to get off the fence and choose.

Is it Kansas and Missouri?

A Kansas stadium offer expires in just a few hours.

Six murders in 48 hours.

What happened to all those promises of progress?

Now, Kansas City leaders scolding business owners for not doing more to help the family of the woman killed in last year's Chiefs rally, now suing the city and Union Station.

And the bigger tragedies.

It was preventable.

And I know it was hard, but the crowd seemed sparse for the big World Cup kickoff party this week.

Those stories and all the rest of the week's news straight ahead.

Week in review is made possible through the generous support of Dave and Jamie Cummings.

Bob and Marlese Gourley the Courtney as Turner Charitable Trust, John H. Mize and Bank of America na co trustees.

The Francis Family Foundation through the discretionary fund of David and Janice Francis and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

Hello and welcome.

I'm Nick Haines and glad to have you with us on our weekly journey through Kansas City's most impactful, confusing, and downright head scratching news stories.

Hopping on board the Weekend Review bus with us this week.

He is 50% of Dana & Parks on 98.

KMBC Scott Parks, former star reporter and editorial writer Dave Helling from our metro's newest newspaper, Next Page KC Eric Wesson and tracking the region's top political stories for KCUR News Brian Ellison, now the owners of the Chiefs and royals, are being forced to finally pick a side this week.

Kansas or Missouri?

A Kansas offer that would pay up to 70% of the construction costs for building new stadiums for the teams, expires at the end of the week.

Kansas legislative leaders say they have no plans to extend the June 30th deadline.

So how come Dave Helling, we're not hearing any big announcements for John Sherman or Clark Kent?

Well, we may yet hear something over the weekend or Monday, but the reality is the deadline and the Kansas offer is not as firm as we all thought it was going to be, even though the top Kansas legislative leaders said they would never, never extend this.

This is it.

Here's how it works.

There's a group called the Kansas Legislative Council.

that includes the leadership from both parties in both houses of the legislature.

And they meet and could have extended the deadline past, July 1st.

if you read the language, which I failed to do, and other reporters probably mistakenly failed to do you read that that group can extend the deadline another year retroactively, so they can wait 2 or 3 months and then go back and say, no, we're extending the deal.

So the deadline is not really a deadline.

That may be while you're not hearing how infuriating, Scott, how long have we been talking about this?

I thought we might get finally, some resolution this week, and we can finally move this into the rearview mirror here.

The answer to how long is too long?

and it just seems like the teams are literally playing state against state.

I've long thought that the only viable location for both teams, if they were to move to Kansas, is just west of the legends.

I still think one of those two teams will the idea of a ballpark, a baseball ballpark down at the old spring campus?

I find that very hard to believe.

I know that, you know, a shadow company has bought that property, or at least put a lease on that property, for a potential new Royal Stadium.

I find that very hard to believe.

The infrastructure just isn't there.

Hold the front page.

Eric Wesson at next page.

Casey has a literal front page story about three years of correspondence between John Sherman and, big time restauranteur in Kansas City, Ollie Gates, about bringing, the stadium, the wrong stadium to 18,000 vine.

How seriously should we really take that?

It's.

It picked up a lot of traction this week.

it got you hits.

But how seriously should we take it?

You know, a lot of people.

Baseball in Kansas City started in urban core.

I think that's one of the things that Mr. Gates was, was focusing on the Chiefs, the A's, they started their Negro Leagues.

Baseball started just about in the same location that they have.

So it has a historical connection to the community.

the goal is to buy the data catalog that is used to it is very close to it, and build it all the way to Truman Road.

But that was considered as a potential site at the very beginning and then ignored by the ownership of the Royals and John Sherman when they didn't even pick it as one of their final sites.

Right.

They, looked at that area and it wasn't feasible.

So finally, again, Brian, for another week, we've learned absolutely nothing new whatsoever about this issue.

I'm not I don't have a hard time believing all these.

Gates wants to see the stadium at 18th vine.

I am not yet convinced that John Sherman is giving that serious thought.

But then again, I think all options are on the table.

I think, we have seen that you mentioned the hesitation of the Kansas legislative leaders to be used to be used as pawns or leverage against a Missouri plan, but at the same time, if the teams come calling, I think they're going to take that call, even into the next for as many people out of our viewership who are absolutely fatigued by the story, David always amazes me anywhere, whether I'm at Costco or Price Chopper.

The number one question people have is, hey, Nick, where is the stadium going to be built?

But here's the I think there is a political danger ahead for both teams and for the people who are negotiating that the longer this drags out without transparency, without explanation, without some interface with the public, the longer people are going to distrust whatever decision is ultimately made.

And in my memory, any happened.

Yes.

And it's getting worse.

And that's what one of the biggest, perhaps the biggest problem with the crossroads, vote back in 2024 was mistrust of all the principals involved.

And in Missouri, you're going to almost certainly need voter approval for some local component.

I think the longer this drags out, the worse it is for everyone involved.

And that's why I think you may hear some announcements sooner rather than later.

I am really not sure I agree with Dave that this is going to end up requiring voter approval.

I think, enough pieces are starting to fall into place between the the tools for granting tax incentives that exist in the municipalities, the tools, the things that have already been approved by both legislatures in the states.

it would not surprise me at all if part of why we're seeing this delay is that they're trying to work out a plan that does not require voter approval, and that's true.

That's true in Kansas, Brian.

In Missouri, you have to have sufficient local support of some sort.

if it's if it's tax breaks and tariffs and that type of thing for baseball, I'm not sure it passes that test.

I think the biggest stumbling block that we have with 18 divided is that City Hall wants it in Washington Square.

However right next to Crown Center, right next to Crown Center.

However, there are some conversations going on between the gates team and the Royals team as well, so it would be interesting if that were to happen.

Gates did all of this, patted himself on the back and the Royals then put in a Q 39 barbecue in the stadium.

Well, we do have other stories going on, believe it or not.

While many Kansas City fans were fixated on violence in the Middle East this week, there was a lot of violence much closer to home.

Kansas City recording six homicides in 48 hours as the murder count tops 80, a 12% increase on last year.

What happened to all those promises of progress?

We need help around here.

Everyone should be concerned.

No matter what zip code you live in.

The community has had enough of these repeated incidents again and again.

These tears are not a sign of weakness, a sign of frustration.

Now we just supposed to turn a blind eye to that and not care how and what world.

Boy, that's kind of unusual to see our top prosecutor crying over crying.

Scott.

I thought it was incredibly emotional, and I think it speaks to what she experiences mean.

She said in that news conference that she she hears the gunfire at night in her own home.

it's embarrassing.

It's tragic.

It's, you know, add your adjective.

It's awful what Kansas City needs to do in any city with the with the violence problem is go to Boston.

We have 87 homicides already, and it's June.

Boston has had 14 homicides this year.

They had 28 last year.

they're doing something right in Boston.

And that is a city with 100,000 more people than Kansas City, Missouri.

But instead of going to Boston, we are blaming, business owners this week.

Did you see, by the way, the video of all those community leaders pouring into a BP gas station on prospect, shouting at the Indian born store clerk there, my back, my neck there.

Yeah, come on now.

Come on now.

drug feeling alone?

I called the police a lot of time.

Talk to them.

Everybody has a gun for you.

So we cannot go outside and talk to anybody because everybody has a gun.

So we are scared to stop nobody from getting no gas.

Okay?

Is shaming and scolding business owners going to turn things around, or are they pointing the finger of blame in the wrong direction?

Eric they're pointing the finger and the blaming the wrong direction.

And I think what the most frustrating part is, people are tired of the tough talk about what you're going to do and all of these things, and you don't have a plan.

Kansas City and to a parks was saying Kansas City invest money in shiny objects, but they're not investing money in people.

That is the problem.

That's they don't fit.

And prosper has been a problem for a long time.

It was a problem long before that guy bought that gas station and it's been a problem.

I had the opportunity to interview with him this week, and his people were saying, the police told us to put no Trespassing signs up, so they put them up.

No loitering, no trespassing.

They put the signs up.

They said they haven't seen the police since.

They put the signs up and people continue to loiter.

There.

But if you look at the reality of a $5 million for a parking lot for the airport, for people to sit in with a cell phone, what are you investing in?

Young people in the community just to redpoint quickly.

You are investing through the central City tax, close to 80 or $90 million and a 10th of a cent sales tax over many years.

That was supposed to solve the problems on prospects or suspect or at least improve them.

And there will be an effort.

And I think, Eric, you're aware of this, to extend that tax.

so it isn't completely that there aren't resources.

It may be misallocation of resources, but not that the money isn't there.

And I just jump in right there.

That's great.

They've got millions of dollars.

They have a plan to put $500 million in a prospect plan.

But when you look at the construction that's going on, which is where does the money is going, how many black people do you see working on those jobs?

Maybe two at several locations.

I'm 39, fall to 39th and 40.

That's a complex point, the finger at whose problem it is.

But people in the urban core said, hey, get us a training center so that we can, get young people trying to do construction.

Where did they put it?

And the North land, how many young black kids are going to be able to get to the Northland to get the job training when you have the, the training center on while we can look at the finger of blame and what's working, what's not, we did see, even though some people were critical of the mayor and the prosecutor and the police chief being on the sidewalk outside of businesses, complaining, scolding businesses, it did have an impact.

This week.

I did see that BP gas station, where many of those crimes took place, has already made a change.

They're no longer be open 24 seven.

They'll be closing from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., when many of that violence is taking place.

That will surely prevent any crime from occurring in the region overnight.

I mean, I, I think the reality, Nick, is that this doesn't help us with solutions to the problem, but it certainly does demonstrate the absolute intractability and helplessness that that even the elected leaders seem to feel.

that press conference did not accomplish anything from a legislative standpoint.

It accomplished perhaps some raising of awareness about the seriousness of the problem.

But that's not news to the people who already live there.

Yes, who already are are victims of the crime.

Now, I will say Eric did mention earlier about the, we seem to be fixated on shiny objects and not people.

How about can we sometimes have shiny objects and people?

Because that's one story this week.

This was the week of the big World Cup kickoff party.

You're here to celebrate the World Cup, coming to Kansas City, Video from the big party at the Asbury.

A campus in Overland Park showed noticeably thin crowds in attendance.

How much should we read into that?

All do organizers deserve a pass?

Scott?

After all, it was 92 degrees and Kansas City was under a heat advisory.

And I know this is the story that was brought in for today.

you are our soccer correspondent.

You are official soccer.

I think organizers get a pass, and here's why.

Okay.

the heat certainly factored in.

there is no lack of enthusiasm.

At least with people that I run around with, for the World Cup coming next summer.

And that's the key.

It's next summer.

I can you imagine the Chiefs having a kickoff party in February, right after the Super Bowl for the upcoming season in August.

It's too early, but even if they did, I bet they would have large crowds.

Anything with a Chiefs shirt would get a large amount of crowds.

So do you think?

Yes.

Okay.

Now projections about how many people actually we can expect to come to Kansas City to see the World Cup became a news story of its own.

This week, the Kansas City Host Committee says they're planning for 650,000 out-of-town visitors.

So how come the LA times this week reports that Los Angeles is projecting 180,000 out-of-town visitors, even though they're hosting the first match featuring the U.S. national team and will be the site of more games than Kansas City.

Maybe Kansas City is a little optimistic about the number of people, coming to see, the soccer tournament.

I will say that to sort of refer back to the kickoff sparsely attended kickoff event.

I think the attraction of the World Cup is the out-of-town visitors who are coming in, not necessarily the local community getting excited about it.

Scott is exactly right.

It's a year away.

But again, if you're depending on the enthusiasm of just Kansas City for the World Cup, then I think you will be disappointed, in how it impacts our community.

You really do need to bring the foreign visitors here to make it worthwhile.

I do think there are some other factors and I have no idea how they came up with that number, so I'm not pretending to know, but I but I know that, for example, Kansas City is the only city for a large radius around that is a host city.

Los Angeles has other cities on the West Coast and obviously other things going on as well.

I also do think so much depends on which countries end up having their home base here.

And which games are played here.

You know, if you're counting on a lot of, out of country visitors who are supporting their particular team and Iran, who has already qualified for the World Cup, is one of the teams in town, and all of their fans are prohibited from entering the country.

I think that's going to put a dent in some of the not.

But Kansas City's World Cup committee did get some welcome news this week, as it's reported that the English national soccer team is looking to make Kansas City its base camp for the entire tournament.

That should certainly would expand the throngs of fans coming here, wouldn't it?

It certainly would.

And I think the Sports Commission is hoping to land about three teams with their base camps here in the Kansas City area.

Lawrence is obviously an option as well.

but if we were to get an England or Germany or a Brazil, Spain, you name it, Italy, it's going to be huge, for Kansas City.

And it's going to be a great draw because the fans don't just go to the games, they want to be around their team during the World Cup.

What if we get to run?

not only is that interesting, as Brian points out, and potentially problematic, but the foreign policy posture of the United States a year from now will play some role, just can't sweep under the rug.

The continuing of, friction points, not just in the Middle East, but Ukraine and Russia and, But if it's still troubled and problematic, attendance could be down.

I have to say there were some other interesting stats I just wanted to bring up.

We did learn this week that the average international visitor, when they come here, apparently will stay about ten days, while the year.

So there's lots of entertainment options for them.

They'll be looking for things to do, going to restaurants and bars.

They're still looking for 6000 volunteers for this event.

That's totally unpaid, but good news, we found out this week they will get a multi piece uniform to wear that you get to keep.

Now, Eric, is that enough of an incentive for you to sign up for a minimum of nine eight hour shifts?

Where's the sign up sheet.

It okay.

I think to going back to the 650,000, I believe that's a stretch.

it sounds good.

It makes businesses think, hey, you're going to have an opportunity to make a lot of money, so get involved in that.

But I doubt very seriously if we have 650,000 people here now, top of mind for local World Cup organizers is security.

Kansas City is still feeling the ripple effects of a mass shooting at the Chiefs victory Parade rally last year.

Now the family of the Johnson County woman who died at that event is suing the city and Union Station, as well as the gun shops that sold weapons to the alleged perpetrators for such a tragedy.

In a stroke, the hearts of everybody in our community and the bigger tragedies, it was preventable.

The lawsuit claims the organizers should have known the risk and set up perimeter fencing and installed metal detectors, as took place for the NFL draft.

It's argued in the suit they didn't because the organizers wanted to save money.

But regardless of what happens here, Kansas City is going to be paying out big in legal bills.

Is that whole Chiefs parade tragedy influencing how Kansas City now approaches the World Cup?

So I certainly hope I hope it does.

you know, I was I was thinking earlier this week when I, when I saw the topic list, we would be talking about the security at the World Cup would be one of the discussion points.

I would not be surprised.

And the one thing Kansas City has to do is have this World Cup next summer, go off without a flaw and without any security breaches or any violence at the games.

And I could foresee and this would be I would add hours on on the people getting into the stadium, scenario where it's almost like trying to get on to Fort Leavenworth, where they're rolling mirrors under your car.

You're popping the trunk, before you can even get into the stadium.

And, that is going to add a lot of time because you can't have an incident at that World Cup game or at those World Cup games.

But one thing we is sort of realizing now is you're not going to have a car anywhere near that place, because they now encourage people to take busses there.

They will be no parking.

So folks who are used to going to Arrowhead or a Royals game are gonna have a very different experience.

Yes, they are, because they're not going to be able to do that.

For the most part.

There will be dignitaries and probably, team busses and things like that that will be there.

But they're they're encouraging people, not to be in in vehicles like that.

Now, the Kansas City mayor's office notified all media this week to embargoed news of a big event.

The city was going to finally get around to naming something after former mayor Sly James, and they didn't want us spawning the surprise.

So what happened?

Well, was it well, after all the drama, it was announced they were naming a pavilion after Sly James at the Kansas City Convention Center.

Now, Brian, do you remember all the talk of naming the airport after him?

Was this a little bit of a letdown here?

Well, I don't know.

He seemed happy enough.

Okay, you know, the slide James Pavilion is right, right next to the Kay Barnes Grand Ballroom at the convention center.

There's certainly some precedent for, naming meetings, spaces.

I think, you know, we've we've seen a season where naming renaming streets has been complicated for Kansas City.

Right.

And I think that would have involved a lot more people, a lot more decision making, a certainly more public process.

This might have been a, an easier way to go.

But, you know, Emanuel Cleaver has a quite prominent road named after him that goes right by the Nelson.

There.

You know, wasn't there something bigger, something bigger that could have happened?

You know, even Roy Blunt got the, the, you know, the new park downtown that's coming in, that's going to be the lead over the highway.

I mean, James could have had something like that.

Well, yeah, this might just be the start of, some better things to come, but going out there, I thought it was going to be the airport.

I doubt that they would, you know, put the egos and stuff aside and then name the, airport after him.

The pavilion is based on art.

His wife is very much into art.

So it was kind of a tribute to him and his wife as well.

You have to remember, though, that Mark Funkhouser has left office a lot longer than slide James.

Where is his notable, building statue?

The groundswell for a mark Funkhouser themed street is not high in Kansas City.

The big issue for me is what will they name for Quinton Lucas?

It seems as if we're going down and down and down in terms of prestige, which suggests that he might get some conference room or a small meeting room at Bartle Hall after his eight years.

Did any of you listeners care, or was it not even a topic of conversation?

This was on the radar screen, and I think it is a letdown.

I think they should have named the airport after Sly James, and quite frankly, I don't think they've named enough things after Kay Barnes.

you know, a grand ballroom.

Yeah.

I mean, look at downtown now.

And what it has become without Kay Barnes is leadership.

I would argue that that's not there.

I think they name, did they not?

The plaza in front of, the Sprint Center or now T-Mobile center for K Barnes as well.

And there was a ceremony for that.

So she has actually has two things.

But, the bigger point that Scott makes is probably valid, you know, that the idea of naming Bartle Hall for Rho Bartle was a big deal.

The Wheeler Airport was a big deal.

Clever boulevard, and the honorifics now seem to be shrinking.

Before we get to our big story in this segment, by the way, a quick update on that prolonged what seems like a never ending effort to force a recall election of Jackson County Executive Frank white.

After being on the streets collecting signatures for months.

The Jackson County Election Board this week reported that the campaign is still 231 signatures short.

Does that show that despite what we may see in the media, Frank white is still incredibly popular?

Brian, I'm not sure that is the conclusion I would draw on it, but I do think it shows something about the lack of, attention that, voters in, county and city government are paying attention.

I just don't know that there's a lot of enthusiasm one way or the other.

I think that their biggest thing was having enough events and enough time to attract enough people.

They got quite a bit of saying, and even if they're 200 signatures short, there's still a lot of signatures.

And now people are still talking about their new tax bills as well.

Now, when you put a program like this together every week, you can't get to every story grabbing the headlines.

What was the big local story we missed?

The relentless heat definitely deserves a mention.

Here are some others.

Missouri's Whiteman Air Force Base in the national spotlight as its B-2 bombers lead America's attack on Iran.

Protests condemning the actions see only small crowds in Kansas City, so it's not the end of the matter.

A lawsuit now filed to block the new $30 million Prairie Village City Hall project.

The suit claims the move violates a state law requiring cities to bring bond issues to a public vote.

And for all the talk of leaving, Kauffman Stadium is ranked the sixth best place to watch baseball in America.

One of its biggest draw some of the cheapest parking in Major League Baseball.

But the city's authors say the Royals will let down by its on field performance with one of the worst home records in the league.

All righty, Scott, did you pick one of those stories or something completely different?

Go with the first one.

Regarding Whiteman Air Force Base, the line was national spotlight.

It was in the local spotlight, but not the national spotlight.

the fact that there would be two is certainly, gathered attention, but, I watch way too much cable news.

on a daily basis.

And it just said, from an air base in the Midwest or an air base in Missouri.

Whiteman was rarely recognized.

Dave, in New York, as most of your viewers will know, there was a primary in the Democratic, race for mayor.

And, I want to get this name right.

Ran.

Mom, Donny was the victor.

One of the main parts of his, platform is free bus service, and he is often cited Kansas City as a pattern for what they might do in New York for free busses, even though that's become a big issue.

Yes, yes.

And the mayor, by the way, Mayor Lucas has tweeted out it's functionally free now, which is the change.

All right, Eric, I'm going back to 35 and prospect for something new.

One of the messages that got lost in, demonstrations was too many liquor stores in the urban core, and that was one of the things that Gwen Grant and Bishop Tendo talked about during the, demonstration was there's too many liquor stores in the urban core.

Brian.

I'm going over to Kansas.

this week, Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a letter to the secretary of education asking for an inquiry to be launched into four Kansas school districts Shawnee Mission, Olathe, KKR among them, because those districts are, refusing to change their policies about not notifying parents that their child has asked to be known by a different pronoun when they are at school.

this is on top of Kansas enacting its ban on gender affirming care for transgender youth.

cases are reported this week on families who are facing decisions about possibly leaving the state, believing that their children's lives are at risk.

I think we're waiting to see what the impact will be of public officials taking actions that affect real people's lives in potentially very dangerous ways.

And on that, we will say.

A week has been reviewed courtesy of Casey watch Brian Ellison and news icon Dave Helling.

You can hear Scott Parks 2 to 6 weekdays on Dana and Parks on KMBC radio, and you can experience Eric Wesson every time you open your copy of Next Page.

Casey or watch for his regular appearances on this show, which, by the way, will not be next week is Friday, is the 4th of July, and everyone is taking the day off to celebrate America's independence from the British.

Go figure.

We'll see you right after that.

I'm Nick Haines from all of us here at Kansas City PBS.

Be well, keep calm and carry on.