Kansas City Double Take: Traffic Trouble, WNBA LADY FREE & Weather Shift

Right now we respect hottie Megan's throwback as we take a peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Highway Mess For Awhile . . .

Bridge joint work on westbound I-435 near Grandview Triangle expected to last 2 weeks

Construction on a new bridge joint on westbound Interstate 435 just west of the Grandview Triangle has resulted in lane and ramp closures and traffic bottlenecks.The work began on Tuesday and is expected to last a little over two weeks.Rush hour traffic Wednesday morning resulted in stalled and stopped traffic, especially from westbound Interstate 470 approaching Interstate 435."It was just terrible, just sitting there.

KCMO Deadly Blaze Report . . .

KC fire crews discover body inside burning home

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An investigation is underway after Kansas City firefighters discovered a body inside a burning home Thursday morning. Around 1:15 a.m. crews responded to the 3200 block of Lockridge St. on a reported house fire. There firefighters found a house with heavy fire and smoke in the living room of the home.

Unpacking Local History

PHOTOS: Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs finishes multimillion-dollar renovation

The Elms Hotel & Spa has wrapped up its multimillion-dollar makeover, which features a variety of updates throughout the 153-room hotel that embrace the building's historic charm while adding modern elegance. The Excelsior Springs hotel's makeover included expanding the spa area from 18,000 to 28,000 square feet, making it the largest hotel spa in the Midwest, Spa Director Marissa Krems said.

Urban Biz Celebrated

Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Year in Review

Abby Hoover Managing Editor The International Marketplace had a successful year, hosting many events to engage the community in politics, business, planning for the future, and beautification. The Chamber is 101 memberships strong, including 20 new memberships.

Working On Equity

Race, language and ethnicity project pushes for a healthier and more equitable Kansas City - Kansas City Business Journal

Think about a seemingly simple question: What are the health outcomes of a Black woman versus a white woman in Kansas City? Seems simple, say members of a Kansas City Health Equity Learning and Action Network working group. But it's not.

Baller Debuts Merch

Chiefs Travis Kelce goes to 'New Heights' with new clothing line

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, launched a hit podcast about their lives and the NFL. Now the brothers launched a clothing line based on their digital series "New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce."

Diva Fashion Tribute Explained

Megan Fox Channels Pamela Anderson in a Feathery Pink Bucket Hat and Barely There Bra Top

Megan Fox loves a Pamela Anderson tribute moment. The actress stepped out in Florida over the weekend in an all-pink look reminiscent of what Anderson wore to the 1999 MTV VMAs - specifically that pink bucket hat. For fiance Machine Gun Kelly's performance at the Audacy Beach Festival in Ft.

SHE'S OUT!!!

WNBA star Brittney Griner released from Russian custody in a high-profile prisoner swap between the U.S. and Moscow

WASHINGTON - WNBA star Brittney Griner is free Thursday after the Biden administration negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony in exchange for an arms dealer. President Joe Biden signed off on the trade, which took place in the United Arab Emirates, even though it meant leaving behind Paul Whelan, an American corporate security executive who remains jailed in Russia.

Prez Funds Pensions

Biden to announce $36 billion in relief for major pension fund to avoid benefit cuts

President Biden on Thursday will announce $36 billion in financial relief to stave off pension cuts for thousands of union workers, the White House said. Biden will be joined by Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and union leaders and workers to detail the funding for the Central States Pension Fund, which provides benefits mostly for Teamsters...

GOP Second Guesses Vote Access

Republicans have a post-election epiphany on mail voting

McDaniel did not mention former president Donald Trump, who has railed against early, absentee, and mail-in voting for years and falsely claimed the methods led to widespread voter fraud that cost him the election. And a spokesperson said her comments were not targeted at the former president.

Mean Tweets Target City Hall

Elon Musk fumes at San Francisco mayor after city opens investigation into Twitter headquarters

Twitter owner Elon Musk fumed at San Francisco Mayor London Breed, D., on Tuesday after the city opened an investigation into the company's headquarters. The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection is launching an investigation into Twitter over reports the tech company has converted several office rooms into bedrooms for employees, according to KQED Supervising Senior Editor Ted Goldberg.

Vlad Admits Tough Fight

Vladimir Putin acknowledges Russia's war in Ukraine is taking longer than he expected

KYIV, Ukraine - Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Wednesday that his "special military operation" in Ukraine is taking longer than expected but said it has succeeded in seizing new territory and added that his country's nuclear weapons are deterring escalation of the conflict.

Dystopian Wearable Future

Dyson's Zone air-purifying headphones start at $949 | Engadget

When Dyson announced its Zone noise-canceling and air-purifying headphones earlier this year, the company kept some details close to its chest. Specifically, Dyson didn't announce pricing or availability, nor did it say much about battery life. On Wednesday, it shared that information. Let's begin with the detail everyone wants to know.

Crypto Pop Play Exposed

FTX held talks with Taylor Swift over $100mn sponsorship deal

Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX reached the late stages of negotiating a sponsorship deal worth more than $100mn with Taylor Swift, but talks with the pop star fizzled out just months before the exchange's collapse in November. The discussions included a ticketing arrangement with digital certificates known as non-fungible tokens from the record-breaking "Anti Hero" singer-songwriter, according to people familiar with the matter.

Country Snow Predictor

Weather folklore could give hints about Kansas City's winter forecast

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The first day of winter is just two weeks away, which always has Kansas City-area residents wondering: How much snow will we get this year? Factors across the nation, and even the world, lead the FOX4 Weather Team to their winter forecast for Kansas City.

December Driz

Light rain showers to have an impact in the metro Thursday

NICK: TODAY IS A FIRST ALERT WEATHER IMPACT DAY. YOU WILL NOTICE MOST IN THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. MISSED, DRIZZLE, AND A FEW SHOWERS ARE MOST LIKELY. HEAVY RAIN FALLING THERE ALONG I-44 FROM SPRINGFIELD UP TO ST. JOSEPH. NORTH AND WEST OF KANSAS CITY OVER MARYSVILLE, KANSAS YOU SEE A LITTLE POCKET.

Lit - Miserable is the #TBT song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.