Business and Government


Total weekly bankruptcy filings hit 15-year low

Of the many economic surprises to come out of 2020, a positive report has recently popped up concerning bankruptcy filings. According to a Weekly Bankruptcy Analysis report by the American Bankruptcy Institute, total bankruptcy filings were down by 44.5 percent for… more

Effectiveness of Kansas tax credit program in question

From 2015-2018, the angel investor tax credit program in Kansas cost millions in forgone income tax revenue, but a post-audit could not determine if the program met its goals. The program gives investors a tax credit for investing in certain… more

National jobless claims drop following two-week rise

In the week ending November 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 712,000, a decrease of 75,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 9,000 from 778,000 to 787,000. The… more

Missouri to provide fill-in medical staff at hospitals

More help is on the way to Missouri hospitals. Overall, Missouri does not have a hospital bed shortage, it has a medical staffing shortage. The state is cutting a deal, bringing in about 760 more hospital staffers for the next… more

Waddell & Reed acquired in billion-dollar sale

Kansas City-headquartered Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. has been acquired, soon to begin the merge with global financial services company, Macquarie Group. An sale agreement worth a lofty $1.7 billion was made with Macquarie Asset Management, Macquarie Group out of… more

Kansas governor renews request for federal relief

While November tax collections again exceeded estimations, Governor Laura Kelly said that without federal support, future revenue growth – and our state’s ability to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic – may be compromised. The State of Kansas saw… more

Thousands in small business grants approved in WyCo

As part of the Unified Government’s (UG) CARES Act request, the UG Commission recently approved $825,000 to support the Economic Development Department’s WYCO Loves Local Small Business grants. The WYCO Loves Local initiative was created to encourage continued growth and… more

Mo. reports 99.9 percent census enumeration rate

Over a month following the conclusion of the 2020 Census on Oct. 15, results from the Missouri 2020 Complete Count Committee final report have been published this week. The Missouri 2020 Complete Count Committee was established back in December 2018… more

Kansas launches statewide program to increase broadband

The launching of the new Broadband Acceleration Grant Program in Kansas is aiming to bridge the digital divide across the state, especially among rural and underserved areas. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced the introduction of the program last week, marking… more

Coping with COVID: Missouri, Kansas vaccination distribution plans to serve healthcare workers first

Established statewide plans for how the first COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed reveals healthcare workers will be the first to receive the shot, both in Missouri and Kansas. Although a viable COVID-19 vaccine has not yet been released to the… more