Local News

U.S. Chamber Concerned About Reopened Business Lawsuits

Business that are started to reopen as stay-at-home orders are eased could be more liable for legal action if employees or customers become sick while at their establishments, said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell… more

Report: 20.2 Million Jobs Lost in April

Private-sector employment lost 20.2 million positions between April and May, according to the ADP National Employment Report, making it the biggest drop in its history. "Job losses of this scale are unprecedented," said Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research… more

Concern About a New COVID-19 Strain

A new strain of COVID-19 that is believed to have started in Europe in February and is considered highly contagious is spreading throughout the United States, according to a new study. It shows a similarity to influenza in that it… more

Home Listings See Further Decline in April

New-home listings in the Kansas City area fell 45.2 percent year over year in April, and the active-listing market fell 23.4 percent, according to Realtor.com data. The new-home listing drop was slightly higher than the national average, which came in… more

U.S. Trade Deficit Grows Nearly 12%

The U.S. trade deficit increased 11.6 percent in March, bringing it up to $44.4 billion, a $4.6-billion rise from February. Meanwhile, the year-over-year increase in the trade deficit for the period was up 17.8 percent. The March deficit was reportedly… more

Home-Price Downturn Expected

Though the economy is facing several challenges in the faced of the COVID-19 pandemic, home prices might not fall as much as people might expect. Zillow is forecasting a decline in home prices by no more than 1.7 percent year… more

Q&A With … Ray Kowalik, Burns & McDonnell

Ray Kowalik is chairman and CEO of Burns & McDonnell, the largest engineering firm by revenues in the Kansas City region, and second-largest by employee totals. Q. Your firm-wide revenue growth has been up sharply for most of the past… more

Kansas Employment To Decline 10.2%

Kansas employment is expected to decline by 10.2 percent, according to a report by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research, based in Wichita. That decline would mean a contraction of about 140,000 jobs, most of the losses taking… more

About 17% at Triumph Foods’ St. Joe Plant COVID-19 Positive

About 17 percent of the 2,700-strong workforce at Triumph Foods pork plant in St. Joseph have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those that tested positive, about 90 percent of the workers were asymptomatic, said Triumph CEO Mark Campbell.  "Those with… more

Is J.Crew Bankruptcy Just the Beginning?

J.Crew, which has namesake locations on the Country Club Plaza and Leawood, as well as Madewell locations in those areas and a factory store in Legends Outlets Kansas City, has filed for bankruptcy. Industry watchers say that J.Crew won't be… more