Harry Houdini's great Kansas City escape
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How did Harry Houdini first become connected to Kansas City as a child?
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This is Kansas City Today. I'm Nomi Naouji-Adin. Today is Friday, September 4th. Coming up, Harry Houdini was a master of escape. He was also a self-promoter who once performed a stunt in downtown Kansas City.
He did jail breaks, he jumped off bridges handcuffed, but in 1915, he came up with something new.
We'll learn about the Houdini escape that originated right here. But first, some headlines. Yesterday, the Missouri Supreme Court placed a referendum on the state's new congressional map on the November ballot. The high court reversed a lower court ruling that blocked a petition to have voters decide on the map. Republicans passed the map last fall, effectively eliminating Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver's Kansas City seat. The court also wrote that a 2022 map with a district much more favorable to Cleaver will be in effect in November. The decision is a huge win for Missouri Democrats. Republican State Attorney General Catherine Hannaway could appeal the ruling in federal court. The deadline to change Missouri's ballot is September 8th.
The Missouri Supreme Court also placed a measure making it harder for the legislature to overturn voter-approved initiatives on the ballot. The court overturned a lower court ruling blocking what's known as the Respect Missouri Voters Initiative. That proposal would require 80% of the legislature and a successful statewide public vote to change voter-backed constitutional amendments or changes to the law. The proposal would also ban the legislature from presenting anything to voters that makes it harder to pass ballot initiatives. The Kansas City Clerk's Office has certified a petition that would require future stadium deals to win voter approval first. That comes after the city council passed a $600 million finance package for the Kansas City Royals.
KCUR's Talisa Kalakal has more.
Members of the progressive group Missouri Workers' Power gathered more than 4,500 signatures to put the proposal before Kansas City voters. It would change redevelopment codes to require a citywide vote on any publicly funded stadium or similar venue. Advocates hope that the vote could halt development on the Royals' ballpark at Crown Center, but Mayor Quinton Lucas says it will not affect the recent funding deal. City Council now must decide when to put the petition on the ballot. The earliest it could appear is April 2027.
The Kansas City Council approved Mayor Quinton Lucas's pick to fill a vacant council seat yesterday.
What was the 1915 suspended straitjacket escape that Houdini performed at 10th and Main?
Lucas recommended Kevin McManus to be the new 6th District at-large council member. McManus previously represented the 6th District from 2015 to 2023. Council member Andrea Boo vacated that seat after she became interim president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. That organization oversees public agencies that grant tax breaks and other financial tools for development projects. McManus will serve until August 2027. He's pledged not to run for any city council race when his term is over. The Country Club Plaza's owners say developing taller buildings in the shopping district is necessary to generate the foot traffic needed to support retail and restaurants. Building height has been a concern for many nearby residents, especially after the Kansas City Council loosened height restrictions in the plaza in May.
But Gillen Property Group Vice President Dustin Bullard told KCUR's UpToDate they still want to make sure the taller buildings fit in with the surroundings.
You've seen some renderings of some of the height proposals in buildings that we've initially looked at along Brush Creek, and I would say that they fit very well into the existing heights there with the adjacency south of Brush Creek.
Bullard says the ownership group is also focused on filling storefronts and renovating infrastructure.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
How did Harry Houdini first become connected to Kansas City as a child?
0:00–2:47
2
What was the 1915 suspended straitjacket escape that Houdini performed at 10th and Main?
2:47–6:15
3
Why did Houdini choose a newspaper building for the stunt and how did the crowd react?
6:15–8:30
4
How did Houdini’s Kansas City performances evolve over his career?
8:30–10:39
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