Economy

Missouri Getting $24M for Housing Relief

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced that the state is receiving $24 million in federal funding, much of which will go toward mortgage and rent-payment relief for residents. The money would be distributed through the state's Community Development Block Grant program… more

Johnson County Stay-At-Home Order Extended

Splitting with Gov. Laura Kelly's reopening plan that starts on Monday, Johnson County commissioners opted to push back their stay-at-home order until May 11. The plan was extended as cases have risen in the county. “We are also keeping a… more

Kansas Reopening Plan Starts Monday

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly last night released her plan to reopen the Kansas economy in the wake of COVID-19, as the state reported 500 new cases in one day. The first phase will look much the same as things are… more

Polsinelli: Chapter 11 Bankruptcies Rise

Kansas City-based law firm is seeing the highest rate of Chapter 11 bankruptcies in seven years, according to its Polsinelli-TrBK Distress Indices Report.  “It’s actually quite common to not see an immediate increase in bankruptcies during an economic crisis. With… more

Missouri Pork Association: Millions of Pigs to be Euthanized

Though the Missouri Pork Association (MPA) applauded President Trump's signing of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to extend funding to pork producers, problems apparently lie ahead. "Hog values have plummeted, and hog farmers are facing liquidation of their farms without… more

Unemployment Claims Hit 30 Million in Six Weeks

There were 3.8 million additional filings for unemployment for the week ended April 25, bringing the total to about 30 million in the last six weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.  The four-week moving average for unemployment is… more

Consumer Spending Falls 7.5% in March

Consumer spending fell by 7.5 percent in March, a according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is a major shift in the small monthly increases seen prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. The decrease was $829.9 billion in spending… more

Feds Keep Interest Rates at Zero

The Federal Reserve Bank is keep interest rates between zero and one-quarter of percent as a result of negative economic impact caused by COVID-19. "The Committee expects to maintain this target range until it is confident that the economy has… more

Federal Guidelines on Social Distancing Expire Today

Though localities around the Kansas City metro area will allow businesses to open in phases next week, the federal government's guidelines on social distancing expired today. As a result President Trump said he would soon travel to Arizona, which is… more

KCMO Easing Stay-At-Home Rules

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is allowing some businesses to have soft opening and all employees back to work on May 6, a move up from the prior May 15. Called the "10/10/10 rule," it lets some non-essential businesses open… more