Nick Haines

Executive Producer of Public Affairs at Kansas City PBS

Nick Haines leads KCPBS' news and public affairs television division and is the executive producer and host of Kansas City Week in Review.

Stories by Nick Haines

Photo of the Fairfax Assembly plant

Nick’s Picks | Layoffs, World Cup, ‘A Christmas Carol,’ and More…

The Big Shutdown Nearly two thousand auto workers at GM’s Fairfax plant are being pink-slipped today. General Motors is temporarily shutting down production at the Kansas City, Kansas, facility to transition to electric vehicles. The move signals the end of the line for the Cadillac XT4 and the Chevy Malibu, two models that are being…

Nick’s Picks: Veterans Day, Missouri Politicians, Billie Eilish and More …

Don’t Forget It Is Veterans Day If you thought this would be a good day to head to the DMV or the post office, you’re in for some serious disappointment…everything’s closed. America marks Veterans Day today. Government buildings and banks are closed. And there’s no mail delivery. The National WWI Museum is hosting special commemorative…

A ballot dropbox in Douglas County, Kansas

Nick’s Picks: Election Day, College Hoops, COVID Battle and More …

Election Day or Election Week? It’s nearly time to say goodbye to all the political ads that have appeared during every commercial break for the past couple of months. Are you going to miss them? What about all the candidate robocalls blowing up your phone? Election Day is finally here on Tuesday. But if you’re…

An aerial view of two stadiums with a large expanse of parking lot surroum.nding the

On the Ballot | Sports Betting in Missouri

Introduction In the wake of Kansas legalizing sports betting, Missouri voters will decide whether or not to allow the same on the other side of the state line. Amendment 2 proposes allowing people 21 years old and older to bet on sports in Missouri. If it passes, the Missouri Gaming Commission would regulate sports betting statewide….

Ranking box graphic with hand writing over a blue background.

On the Ballot | Ranked-Choice Voting

Introduction On Tuesday voters will decide whether to change Missouri law to prohibit ranked-choice voting and change the language in the Missouri Constitution to say that “only” U.S. Citizens can vote rather than “all”. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank all the candidates in order of preference. The way it works: Transcript Nick Haines [Host,…

Customers shop inside a Buc-ee's convenience store.

Nick’s Picks: Halloween, Buc-ee’s, Red-Light Cameras, BBQ Sauce Wrestling, and More

Scariest Day of the Year? This week we mark the scariest day of the year, Halloween. Though some Americans may argue that title better fits Tax Day, or increasingly, Election Day. With that in mind, beware of political candidates ringing your doorbell along with trick-or-treaters on Thursday night. After all, it may be the only…

A wooden door opens into a room with blurred figures, white walls and voter dividers sitting on tables. On the door is a sign that has a black arrow and the word Voting. It also has a sign with a red circle with hash through it around a cell phone that says, "cell phone use is prohibited".

On the Ballot | Missouri Abortion Rights

Introduction Amendment 3 presents Missouri voters with the decision to overturn the state’s abortion ban and enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution. Its inclusion in Missouri’s November ballot is a direct result of a citizen-led campaign that gathered more than 380,000 signatures. If passed, Amendment 3 would overturn Missouri’s abortion ban,…

Nick Haines sitting at desk with downtown Kansas City in background and calendar pages with arrow circling date.

New Ice Rink Opens, Davids Debates Reddy and Country Music Stars Visit KC

Early Voting Underway The Presidential Election is now just two weeks away, but the voting floodgates open this week as Missouri begins in-person advance voting on Tuesday. Early voting is already underway in Kansas. The Johnson County election office says more than 3,000 people cast ballots within the first hour of advance voting starting on…

Nick Haines sitting at desk with downtown Kansas City in background and calendar pages with arrow circling date.

Early Voting Begins and Hundred-Year-Old Time Capsule is Opened

A Holiday Heads Up If you’re waiting on that birthday check from grandma, you should be aware there’s no mail delivery today. Government buildings, banks and post offices are all closed in recognition of Columbus Day, now more frequently referred to as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We can also declare this the official first day of…

Nick Haines sitting at desk with downtown Kansas City in background and calendar pages with arrow circling date.

Voter Registration on Deadline as Sports Fans Pick Sides and Local Municipalities Clash

Chiefs and Royals Clash in Primetime Who’s going to win the battle for eyeballs tonight? Team Royals or Team Chiefs? Your local sports team loyalties are being put to the test due to an unfortunate scheduling clash that has the Royals playing a critical playoff game at the same time the Chiefs are on Monday…