Kansas City Friday News Layout: Rally Days, Healthcare & Spy Games

Right now hottie Josie and her trendsetting fashion winning inspire this peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Not Quite Fan Fest But Close Enough . . . 

Royals Rally set to let fans send of their team to Spring Training

Kansas City Royals fans have a unique opportunity to get to know the team ahead of Spring Training. On Feb. 4, at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals are hosting their first-ever Royals Rally to send the team off. The event is presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.

Courthouse Fights Epidemic

Here's where Jackson County is spending money to help residents overcome drug addiction

As part of the new county budget, five social services organizations will receive funding for their work with unhoused people, drug rehabilitation and behavioral health programs. The groups say the money will help them serve hundreds more people suffering from substance abuse.

Show-Me Bridgework

MoDOT to close portion of US 169 into Downtown beginning Monday - Downtown Council of Kansas City

This more-than-600-day closure is part of the construction of the new U.S. 169 Buck O'Neil Bridge and will allow crews to tie the new southbound bridge into the new flyover ramps to Interstate 35. Traffic control for this work will require various lane closures beginning overnight on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Take Care In The Midwest

How America's Health Rankings impact residents of Kansas and Missouri

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The United Health Foundation's 2022 annual America's Health Rankings report placed Missouri as 39th healthiest and Kansas as 31st among all states. New Hampshire was the healthiest, with Louisiana ranking last, according to the report. "I call it a balanced scorecard approach," said Dr. Lee Norman, in support of the report's methodology.

Newspaper Plays Hype Man

'It's really happening.' Construction to start on bridge entertainment venue over Kaw

Construction will begin next month on an ambitious project to transform a rusty old locomotive bridge into a unique entertainment destination over the Kansas River.

Angel Turns Fashion Mogul

Models Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes expand their fitness empire with a workout app

In 2016, supermodels Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes co-created an Instagram account, named with an amalgamation of the first two letters of each of their own names, Joja. Through the account, which has accumulated over 600,000 followers, the two women have shared their fitness regimens, offering an inside look at how the former Victoria's Secret Angels train and sharing tips they'd learned from years of access to celebrity trainers.

Prez Biden Trades On Goodwill

The continuing mystery of Biden's trade policy

When Joe Biden assumed office two years ago, proponents of free trade hoped it would signal a break from President Trump's protectionist stance. To the chagrin of many, Biden's trade policy remains a mystery. Some analysts believe Biden is continuing the neo-protectionism of the Trump era, although with a bit more polish.

Red Scare Overhead

What is a suspected Chinese spy balloon doing above the US? | CNN

News that the Pentagon is monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon in the skies over the continental United States raises a series of questions - not least among them, what exactly it might be doing.

AOC ON WARPATH!!!

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speech targets Republicans after Ilhan Omar removed from committee

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Thursday hit back at her Republican colleagues after the House voted along party lines to remove U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over previous comments she made about Israel. Ocasio-Cortez in a minute-long speech first compared the move to the Islamophobia following the attacks on Sept.

GOP Talks Election Strategy

McCarthy launches 'Protect the House 2024' as he aims to expand the GOP majority

EXCLUSIVE - As he works to protect and grow his razor-thin GOP majority in the House of Representatives in next year's elections, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has launched a new joint fundraising committee.

Vlad's Grinder Shocks Europe

Soaring Death Toll Gives Grim Insight Into Russian Tactics

Moscow is sending poorly trained recruits, including convicts, to the front lines in eastern Ukraine to pave the way for more seasoned fighters, U.S. and allied officials say.

Pandemic Economic Postscript Now Prelude Moving Forward

It's not the COVID economy - it's just the economy now

The Federal Reserve doesn't see the pandemic posing a risk to the economy anymore - an important milestone. Driving the news: "COVID is no longer playing an important role in our economy," chair Jerome Powell told reporters at a press conference Wednesday.

Flexing On Far East

US plans to expand its military presence in Philippines to counter threats against Taiwan

The U.S. will nearly double its military presence in the Philippines under an agreement announced Thursday, part of an effort to counter China's threats to Taiwan and growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The Philippine government is giving the U.S. temporary access to four more of its domestic military bases, U.S.

Meet American NextGen

Nearly 600,000 migrants released inside U.S. since 2021 with no court date

Nearly 600,000 migrants who crossed the U.S. border since March 2021 have been released into the U.S. without being charged or given a date to appear in court, according to data obtained by NBC News, and thousands have even been dropped from the program that was supposed to track them.

GOP Preps Counterpoints

Sarah Huckabee Sanders to give Republican State of the Union response

The White House press secretary turned Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will give the Republican response to Joe Biden's State of the Union address next week. Announcing the move on Thursday, the House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, called Huckabee Sanders "a servant-leader of true determination and conviction", adding about his fellow Republican: "I'm thrilled Sarah will share her extraordinary story and bold vision for a better America on Tuesday."

Talker Flames First Son

TUCKER CARLSON: Hunter Biden versus laptop repairman doesn't seem like a fair fight

You know you're living in a non-democracy when it's dangerous to displease the ne'er do well children of the supreme leader. If you were, for example, at a red light in pre-invasion Baghdad and Uday Hussein came screaming up behind you, drunk in his Lamborghini, you got the hell out of the way, and you did not complain about it.

2nd Amendment Stands

Federal appeals court strikes down domestic violence gun law

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the government can't stop people who have domestic violence restraining orders against them from owning guns - the latest domino to fall after the U.S. Supreme Court 's conservative majority set new standards for reviewing the nation's gun laws.

World's Greatest Conspiracy Theorist Exposed As Critics Celebrate His Harsh Times

Alex Jones' text messages point to depressing home life

The private text messages of Alex Jones' have been published to the general public from the Southern Poverty Law Center, stemming from his attorney accidentally sending the complete contents of his phone in the summer of 2021 to the opposing attorney representing families of the Sandy Hook shooting.

FOODIE SABOTAGE!!!

'Sushi terrorists' tamper with other diners' conveyor belt sushi in viral video trend

A popular conveyor belt sushi chain in Japan is now taking action against people who have filmed videos of themselves ruining other diners' meals to post on social media. A spokesperson for the company recently shared that only 10% of the sushi chain's outlets are now operating with the traditional conveyor belt setup.

Exceptional Look For Celeb

Selena Gomez shows off fresh no-makeup face and natural curls and fans are loving it

Selena Gomez is showing off her natural side. While fans are used to seeing the singer, actress and businesswoman all glammed up, she took to Instagram on Wednesday to display her bare-faced beauty in a series of photos. In the first photo she has on a blue top, and you also see her natural tousled curls while she's slightly smiling.

Lady Talks Options

I have a husband and a boyfriend - trolls call me selfish, but I don't care

This TikToker has a husband and a boyfriend - and a lot of haters. User @middlespoonpodcast, known as Sarah, posts videos about her throuple on TikTok and Instagram, answering questions from her legion of followers about her open relationship. In a TikTok uploaded this week, she confronted the criticism she receives.

Odds Always Against Kansas City

Super Bowl betting notes: Mahomes in rare situation against Eagles

After opening at pick 'em, the Philadelphia Eagles are now small favorites over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. It is on track to be one of the tightest Super Bowl lines in the history of the game. It would mark the first time Patrick Mahomes is a postseason underdog in his career.

Local Creator Draws Interest

KC-created comic's evolution in motion as 'Scarlet Knight' quests toward animated streaming series

Describing the coming move as a long-expected next step, Kansas City comic book creator Juaquan Herron announced he's begun working on a five-episode animated video series - each about 10 minutes long - that will further "The Scarlet Knight" story.

Chill For Friday

Back to winter's cold in the metro today

Hide Transcript Show Transcript DONNA: IT FEELS LIKE BELOW 2? NICK: NEGATIVE 2 OR 2 ABOVE. IT FEELS THE SAME TO ME AND FEELS REALLY COLD OUT THERE THIS MORNING. YOU HAVE TO BUNDLE THE KIDS UP AT THE BUS STOP.

Arcangel, Bad Bunny - La Jumpa is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.