News

New year marks minimum wage raise in Missouri

Beginning New Year's Day, Missouri's minimum wage increased to $10.30 per hour, a rise of 85 cents. According to the Missouri Department of Labor, the 85 cent raise only applies to employees working for a private business and there's an additional… more

U.S. stocks finish year with record gain over 16 percent

U.S. stocks finished 2020 with a gain of more than 16 percent after a technology sector-led rally pulled Wall Street back from a brief bear market to set a record high in defiance of pandemic, recession and political upheaval. The… more

AMC to sell 50 million more shares, avoid bankruptcy filing

Leawood-based AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. plans to sell up to 50 million more shares as it tries to prevent a bankruptcy filing. The movie theater chain said in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that it plans to offer… more

Missouri-based Centene acquires healthcare company for $2.2B

Centene will buy Magellan for $95 per share in a cash deal that values the Phoenix-based behavioral health provider at $2.2 billion.  The deal is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021. It will make Centene one… more

Coping with COVID: FDA to potentially begin delivering half-doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

The FDA is meeting this week to consider giving half-doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine to people ages 18 to 55. The head of Operation Warp Speed says clinical data shows the vaccine can be just as effective at half-doses in… more

Kansas to increase testing, detect COVID-19 strains

The state of Kansas plans to increase genetic testing of COVID-19 positive patients to identify strains of the virus. Kansas currently tests around 1 percent of COVID-19 patients with genetic testing, according to Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health… more

Main Street Lending Program expiration extended

The Main Street Lending Program - utilized by small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S. – has granted an extension on its expiration date. The termination date on its facilities was pushed back, a decision made by the Board of… more

Blue KC makes investment, takes minority stake in Connecticut performance management company

Nearly a year after announcing their partnership, Blue KC has taken a minority stake in Connecticut health care performance management company, Cedar Gate Technologies. The partnership announcement revealed in January 2020 was made to increase the insurer’s analytical capabilities and its… more

Q&A with Nicole Watson

Don’t leave money on the table – Conduct End of Year Financial Review   Q: What should people be thinking about with their financial picture at this point tin the year? A: Performing an end of year financial review is… more

New Kansas Energy Assistance Program to begin next week

A new energy assistance program in Kansas aimed at keeping low-income households heated this winter will open applications starting next week. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said the new program from the Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF) will help… more