Kansas City News Wall: Local Travel, Strikes & Epstein FAIL

A quick check-in to start the weekend as we take a look at pop culture, community reporting and top headlines for night owls & early birds . . . 

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Cowtown Constant Refrain

New playbook details: With matches set, World Cup business opportunities come into focus for KC

"We're just excited to get the information out there," KC2026's Tracy Whelpley explained. "I think it's the first time this community, this region, has put together tools that are this extensive. And we're just excited to keep the communications open."

Local Season Of Hype On Track

KC Streetcar on track for biggest summer yet

Kansas City's Streetcar system is fine-tuning plans to move tens of thousands of riders during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

School Of Hard Knocks

Teacher slammed student's head into desk at Liberty middle school, lawsuit claims

A former student sued a Liberty middle school after teacher allegedly slammed the student's head into a desk, according to court documents.

Christmas Crunch Time

Kansas City travelers face new security options at KCI Airport this holiday season

Flyers will recognize one of the changes at the security checkpoint. Older body scanners have been upgraded with new, more open scanners.

Local Tipsters Help JoCo

Shawnee firefighters thank 'alert neighbor' for heads up of apartment fire

Firefighters from Shawnee, Overland Park and Lenexa turned back a blaze at an apartment building Thursday night.

C-List Celebs Talk Bump & Grind

Brooks Nader reveals how soon she had sex with Gleb Savchenko

Brooks Nader accused her ex-boyfriend Gleb Savchenko of suing her after their breakup during her appearance Thursday on Watch What Happens Live.

MAGA Flexes Against 3rd World

Trump not ruling out war with Venezuela

In an exclusive phone interview with NBC News, Trump talked about his offensive against Venezuela, his plan for health care and his outlook for the midterm elections.

Demand For Dox Cont'd

After years of speculation, DOJ faces Friday deadline to release remaining Epstein files

After years of speculation, the DOJ on Friday faces a deadline to release the remainder of its investigative files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Suspect in Brown University shooting and MIT professor's killing was once a physics student

Thirty years ago, Claudio Neves Valente and Nuno F.G. Loureiro were classmates with bright futures. Both excelled in physics and made their way from their home country of Portugal to the U.S., settling on the campuses of prestigious East Coast universities.

Team CoCo Amid Tragedy

Conan O'Brien Allegedly Stopped Guests From Calling 911 During Nick Reiner Fight Report

According to multiple sources, Conan O'Brien allegedly prevented guests at his party from calling 911 when Rob and Nick Reiner's fight escalated.

Widow Endorses Deuce

Erika Kirk backs JD Vance's potential 2028 presidential bid at Turning Point USA conference

Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and the organization's new leader, endorsed a potential presidential bid by Vice President JD Vance on the opening night of the conservative youth group's annual conference.

Latest Attack Update

U.S. launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths

The Trump administration launched military strikes in Syria to "eliminate" Islamic State group fighters in retaliation for an attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American interpreter a week ago.

Yet Another Euro War Collection

Artist's battlefield collection captures the lived experience of Ukraine's resistance to invasion

Ukrainian street artist Maxim Kilderov is building a powerful collection of battlefield artifacts documenting Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Holy Land Hot Mess Aftermath

Armed gangs are vying to fill the vacuum left by Hamas in Israeli-occupied Gaza | CNN

Gaza has been split in two. Hamas is reconsolidating its control in the western half of the enclave that Israel withdrew from. East of the yellow line, in Israel-controlled territory, armed groups are trying to assert dominance.

Far East Transit Tragedy

Taiwan: Knife attacker kills three after smoke bombing Taipei metro

The suspect's spree began at Taipei's main metro station before he moved to another station nearby.

Tesla King Stays Winning Payback

Elon Musk gets his $139 billion pay package from 2018 restored after a yearslong battle with a Delaware judge | CNN Business

The Delaware Supreme Court has restored a massive pay package awarded to Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2018 that had twice been voided by a lower court judge.

Tech Trouble For Beltway?!?

White House "investigating" after a YouTube livestream popped up on its website.

On Thursday night, the White House Live News section featured YouTuber @RealMattMoney, for reasons that remain unclear. According to Bloomberg, "The White House is aware of the incident and looking into the matter, a White House official said on the condition of anonymity." [Media: https://bsky.app/profile/bloomberg.com/post/3madcg43p272a]

Wild Time Testimony . . . 

Sex parties with my husband. Then I found a young lover as well

Jemma Hardelle had a high-flying job, did the school run and ran sex parties with her husband at home. What happened when she added a boyfriend to the mix?

Toast To Holiday Feast 2025

What's new in Kansas City food and drink: December 2025

Here's what's new in Kansas City food and drink news in December 2025 from second locations to new restaurants and more.

Buzz On December Bounce

Kansas City weather: Sunshine, above-normal temperatures return this weekend

The week will end with mostly clear skies and breezy and cool conditions.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.