National

Large U.S. franchisee faces bankruptcy

Months of speculation that NPC International was in untenable financial peril proved correct this morning, as the largest Pizza Hut franchisee in the world filed for bankruptcy protection in federal court. One of the Kansas City region’s biggest private companies,… more

National Case-Shiller Home Price Index released

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index® rose 4.7% year-over-year in April (non-seasonally adjusted), up from 4.6% in March, according to a report from Zillow released Tuesday morning. Annual growth was also up from March in the smaller… more

PPP application window closing today

Three months since the Trump administration launched the pandemic aid program for small businesses worth $670 billion, the window to apply ends Tuesday with about $134 billion in funds obtainable as of Monday night, reports The Wall Street Journal. The… more

Children developing severe inflammation, linked to COVID-19

A condition called multisystem inflammation syndrome, or MIS-C, has been found in dozens of children by two different U.S. research groups, according to STAT News. Researchers say it is a side effect of COVID-19 and reports have described children who… more

Coping with COVID: Metrics update

Regionally, the 905 newly diagnosed cases in Kansas on Monday represented a surge of nearly 60 percent from last Friday’s previous record of 568. It was the seventh time in eight days that new cases had surpassed the previous day’s… more

Future work remains remote for many

Remote work environments are now the status quo following closures across the U.S. due to COVID-19. A survey conducted by S&P Market Intelligence finds that most companies will not be returning to standard offices as they reopen Whether permanently or… more

Weekly housing market report

Data through June 20 shows new listings took a step back last week nationally, limiting inventory even further, according to the Zillow Weekly Market Report released Friday. However, newly pending sales are up again, rising as buyer activity remains strong.… more

Consumer spending up nationwide

Following a weeks-long dry spell in spending, the U.S. saw consumers increase their spending by a record 8.2% in May, partly erasing huge plunges the previous two months, according to reporting by the Associated Press. The consumer spending rebound followed… more

Coping with COVID: Record new cases for Kansas City metro and U.S.

Kansas City and the surrounding area saw the largest increase in recorded COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row on Thursday, recording just over 200 new cases.           A total of 227 new cases were reported by the end… more

Comparing COVID-19 and the Great Recession

The economic downturn the U.S. is seeing today as a result of COVID-19 is beginning to pan out for many much like the Great Recession in 2008 did. Although many comparisons can be made, one difference shown in the data… more