National

KC area hospitalizations trend back up as COVID cases rise again

COVID-19 hospitalizations during the Delta variant spike, which reached a high in late August and fell by more than two-thirds through the first week of November, are trending back up in the Kansas City area. Monday’s combined hospitalization case count,… more

Kansas City-based Amply Media Acquired by Sonobi

Amply Media, ranked No. 1 on Ingram's Corporate Report 100 in July 2020, has sold to Florida-based Sonobi. The Kansas City, Missouri-based operation builds audience-focused, first-party data that creates targeting while driving performance and engagement through a push notification platform. At… more

In a Nutshell: Washington’s Insane Spending Spree

Federal Fiscal Year 2021 ended September 30th with our government facing many challenges.  For starters our country may default on its debt within weeks if the “debt ceiling” isn’t lifted.  While progressive politicians worry over sea levels rising an inch… more

Town Center Plaza Majority Owner Files Chapter 11

The Ohio-based majority owner of Town Center Plaza and Town Center Crossing mall properties has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Washington Prime Group, a real estate investment trust that owns about 100 malls nationwide, is in forbearance on a $23.2… more

In a Nutshell: Extreme Incompetence

Taliban fighters easily took over the presidential palace in Kabul recently, after a stunning blitz across Afghanistan that saw them seize most of the country in just over a month.  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also fled abroad with what has been… more

In a Nutshell: Here We Go Again!

The Delta variant’s rapid rise in new cases and hospitalizations is stoking concerns about ever getting back to normal.  How is this new surge in cases possible, considering that so many people have been vaccinated?  Over 70% of US adults… more

In a Nutshell: Are We Seeing The First Signs Of A Slowing Economy?

GDP rose 6.5% in the still recovering second quarter, below the 8.4% consensus, but above its pre-pandemic peak in Q4 2019.  Notably, declining inventories shaved 1.13 percentage points off GDP growth. This was not as much as the 2.62 inventory… more

In a Nutshell: Inflation Is Getting Real

Inflation is making headlines all over the country, but the mainstream media is not being honest about the true severity of the crisis. We are being told that the official rate of inflation is still in single digits, but what we aren’t… more

In a Nutshell: Our Newest Big Threat

The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 have announced their first-quarter results and, so far, the average sales and earnings surprises are running at 3.7% and 23.2% (respectively above consensus analyst estimates).  This is why analysts are so busy… more

In a Nutshell: Market Volatility Could Continue For Quite Some Time

The primary takeaway from the latest FOMC meeting is that it expects booming Q2 consumption as well as GDP growth. However, concerning economic growth during the remaining six months of this year, Wall Street expects growth and inflation to moderate. … more