National

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

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

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

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

Treasury Borrowing $3T As Part of Stimulus

The U.S. Treasury will reportedly borrow $3 trillion this quarter, most of it related to COVID-19-relief stimulus programs, reportedly making the government's debt about $25 trillion. Next quarter, the department also plans to borrow "$677 billion in privately-held net marketable… more

Report: COVID-19 Deaths To Hit 3,000 Per Day

Deaths per day in the United States from COVID-19 could hit 3,000, said a report by the U.S. departments of Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services. The agencies also said that cases could hit 200,000 per day by the… more

KC Tech Council: Working From Home a New Reality

The KC Tech Council, through a recent survey, has found that more people are adapting to the reality of working from home. Says the report: "Nearly two-thirds of all respondents are currently managing a 100% remote workforce. Prior to this… more

Mnuchin: PPP Funding Has Helped Businesses

The Paycheck Protection Program is working, said  Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin. Their joint statement reads: “The Paycheck Protection Program is providing critical support to millions of small businesses and tens… more