Nick’s Picks | Flu, Speeches, Protests and More …

Flu Surge Halts Surgeries

Kansas City hospitals are cancelling hundreds of elective surgeries this week as they struggle to keep up with a surge of respiratory illnesses brought on by what the CDC is now calling the most brutal flu season in 25 years.

The flood of hospitalizations is tied to a new influenza strain, Subclade K, now being called a “super flu.”

Hospital leaders say postponing non-urgent procedures is a last resort—but a necessary one—as flu patients fill rooms faster than they can be discharged.

The surge is also sidelining caregivers themselves.

Doctors, nurses, and support staff are getting sick, thinning already tight staffing levels. In response, KU Hospital is reinstating mask policies in patient care areas. Children’s Mercy Hospital is imposing a new visitor restriction policy.

Health officials say Kansas City is only midway through flu season, meaning exposure risks are expected to continue for several more weeks.

Last Week, Reviewed

Kelly’s Last Stand

Time is running out for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Tuesday night, the Topeka Democrat will deliver her final State of the State address before a joint session of lawmakers at the Kansas Statehouse. It’s Kelly’s last big speech before voters pick her replacement in November.

More than a dozen candidates have announced they are running to succeed Kelly, including former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Senate President Ty Masterson, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Insurance Commissioner Vickie Schmitt.

Governors Go Head To Head

This is awkward.

Kelly and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe have both picked the same day to deliver their State of the State addresses. I can’t remember the last time that happened.

Kehoe is expected to detail his plans to eliminate the state income tax on Tuesday.

And a few viewers and listeners will be tuning if for something else: whether he slips in a jab at Kelly for “stealing” the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas Lawmakers Head Back to Work

Kansas lawmakers head back to work today.

At the top of the agenda: property tax relief. Lawmakers are also borrowing from Missouri’s playbook, pushing to ban DEI programs and outlaw cell phones in classrooms.

One fight they’re skipping this year: redistricting. House Speaker Dan Hawkins says he simply doesn’t have the votes to pass a new map over the all-but-certain veto of Kelly.

KCPD’s New Look Hits the Streets

The Kansas City Police Department gets a wardrobe change this week. And a color makeover.

Mayor Quinton Lucas and Police Chief Stacey Graves are rolling out the police department’s first uniform change in 42 years today.

The iconic French blue worn since 1984 is out, replaced by a navy-blue, high-tech fabric designed to breathe better, repel fluids, and even block UV rays.

On Our Radar: Here are 8 More Local & Global Stories Shaping the Week

Another week of protests? It was getting crowded on the Country Club Plaza over the weekend as anti-ICE protesters shared space with Iranian exiles now demanding regime change in Tehran. Both are volatile storylines that will continue to play out this week. President Donald Trump is considering military action against Iran as the death toll continues to rise amid nationwide protests in the country. Experts are calling it one of the gravest challenges to Iranian authorities since the Islamic Revolution nearly five decades ago.

Meanwhile, hundreds more federal immigration enforcement officers are expected to arrive in Minnesota today as protests continue over the fatal shooting of Renee Good. The Department of Homeland Security has already deployed nearly 2,000 officers in what it calls its largest immigration enforcement operation ever. Gov. Tim Walz has activated the National Guard in preparation for potential unrest this week.

Buying Greenland: Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to meet with Danish officials this week to advance talks on a U.S. takeover of Greenland. It’s not the first time the United States has wanted control of the strategic arctic island. Hometown President Harry Truman secretly offered Denmark $100 million in gold to buy Greenland in 1946. The deal was only revealed publicly in 1991 when declassified documents surfaced.

Abortion Amendment on Trial: Missouri’s voter-approved abortion rights amendment is back on trial this week as a judge weighs whether the state can still impose rules and regulations on the procedure. The trial is set to begin today at the Jackson County Courthouse.

KC’s Biggest Cliffhanger:  Chiefs Kingdom may finally get answers this week—does Travis Kelce call it a career, or chase one more season?

Coaching Exodus: Could the Kansas City Chiefs lose most of their coaching staff this week? Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy is interviewing for several head-coaching jobs, including in Baltimore. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is a finalist for the Titans’ top spot, and defensive line coach Joe Cullen is talking with the Washington Commanders.

Still on the Menu: If you haven’t eaten your way through KC Restaurant Week yet, there’s still time. The annual celebration of local dining runs through Sunday.

Plaza Lights Forever? For the second straight year, the Country Club Plaza is keeping on its holiday lights through Valentine’s Day. Given how long it takes to put the bulbs up, could a case be made to keep them on all year long? Of course, that would deprive us of the annual holiday lighting ceremony. But what an opportunity for a new Thanksgiving ritual: “The Plaza “No One’s Climbing That Ladder Again” Ceremony.

And the Royals are moving to…? Ever since the Chiefs dropped their Christmas-week curveball about heading to Kansas, I am constantly refreshing my email and news feeds with expectations of an imminent Royals decision. So, could this finally be the week the Royals reveal where they plan to build their new ballpark? Lucas says he wants an answer by “Spring Training.” That’s February 20—just 39 days away. Not that anyone’s counting.

Nick Haines tracks the region’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.