Business and Government

Coping with COVID: Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer delaying application for vaccine authorization

The drugmaker Pfizer said it will not apply for emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine candidate until at least the third week of November. Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla made the announcement in an open letter published Friday. It… more

KC homicide rate declining; Operation Legend continues

Kansas City police Chief Rick Smith says Kansas City's homicide rate has gone down since Operation Legend began. Before federal agents came to Kansas City, the metro was averaging 5.5 homicides every week. During Operation Legend, that dropped to 4.3. A… more

Aramark to lay off KC stadium, convention workers

The continued impact of COVID-19 has touched yet another company, Aramark announcing last week that that it will be cutting staff and work hours for hundreds of employees at both Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Convention Center. Around 600… more

Project Fairway in south KC pulled from city docket

High hopes for south Kansas City’s Project Fairway have faltered, plans for its construction recently canceled by the City Plan Commission just as plans were drawing near to final approval. Proposed plans for the massive 700,000-square-foot fulfillment center had been… more

Single family homeowners receive forbearance extension

On Tuesday, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced it is extending the date for single family homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages to request an initial forbearance from their mortgage servicer to forbear their mortgage payments for up to six months. Homeowners… more

Supreme Court to hear case on border wall funds

On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Trump administration’s appeal of a lower court ruling that it improperly diverted money to build portions of the border wall with Mexico. The high court has previously allowed construction to continue,… more

Survey shows boost in confidence among CEOs for remainder of 2020

The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council rose sharply in the final month of Q3, after a moderate increase in the first month of Q3. The measure stands at 64, up from 45. (A reading… more

Coping with COVID: Lee’s Summit diagnostics company receives FDA approval for COVID-19 test kit

Viracor Eurofins in Lee's Summit has now received approval from the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its development of an at-home Covid-19 test kit. The FDA gave emergency-use authorization for the test kit, a swab resembling a Q-tip… more

KC earnings tax renewal to appear on April ballot

This upcoming spring, Kansas City, Mo. residents will see a return of the earnings tax, or e-tax, to the ballot. On April 6, 2021, voters will be asked the question of whether to continue Kansas City's current one-percent earnings tax… more

Crossroads establishment The Rieger to close

Another Kansas City restaurant is closing as a casualty of the pandemic. The Rieger, in the Crossroads, announced Friday that they will be closing on Nov. 1. In a Facebook post, management said, “After many pivots, a lot of hard… more