National News

Report: One in Four Rural Hospitals Could Close

A recent report has some disturbing news for rural hospitals saying one in four of them could close to do worsened conditions heightened by COVID-19, and Kansas is one of the most at-risk states. An annual report by Guidehouse says… more

Cleaver, Clay Raise Concerns Over PPP Bottlenecks

U.S. Reps. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City and William Lacy Clay of St. Louis have written President Trump to express concerns about banking-system bottlenecks with the new federal loan program designed to help U.S. businesses avoid layong off workers during… more

Local Housing Inventory Declined, but Prices Remain Steady  

  With stay at home orders and social distancing putting a wrench in most normal activities, the U.S. housing market began slowing down in the second half of march and the Kansas City area was no exception.  “We've seen the… more

Building Permits on the Decline

Despite a rise in new building permits issued metro-wide for the month of February, early signs show that numbers will decline for the month of March as people and company’s heed government issued stay-at-home orders. In the greater Kansas City… more

Home Prices Were Up Before the Storm

It may be sore consolation to anyone cooped up at home these days, but if they own the property, at least they know its value was increasing before the Great Coronavirus Lockdown of 2020. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city price… more

Four States Have Outright Construction Bans

Missouri and Kansas have been able to dodge the construction-ban bullet, but four states—New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Vermont—have called a halt to construction, and while nine others have instituted some restrictions. Work is progressing in 38 states and the… more

Ready for Some Good News?

When the Design-Build Institute of America held a webinar last week to assess prospects for economic growth in the post-COVID-19 era, a market-intelligence expert for Olathe-based Pioneer IQ delivered a message of hope. The economy, said Pioneer’s Keith Prather, will… more

Employment Falls By 700,000 in March

Total payroll employment in March fell by 701,000 primarily due to COVID-19, according to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, and the unemployment rate hit 4.4 percent, up 0.9 percent from the previous month. That marks the biggest… more

Banks Cleared to Make Relief Loans

Federal relief for small businesses slammed with cash-flow challenges during the COVID-19 recession has begun flowing, as banks have the green light to begin making loans under the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. PPP has set aside $349 billion for… more

KC Housing Listings Drop Dramatically

Much as they have nationwide, home listings in the Kansas City area have dropped dramatically due to the COVID-19 outbreak. A report by Realtor.com says that home listings in the metro have dropped by 24.6 percent. That makes places it… more