National

Kansas to seek to provide extra benefits to jobless workers

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will apply to participate in a federal program that provides additional benefits to workers who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday. Kelly’s announcement came less than two… more

Federal bank regulatory agencies finalize three rules

On Wednesday, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System released a statement that the federal bank regulatory agencies finalized three rules. Each rule is said to be either identical or very similar to interim final rules currently in… more

Q&A with Mark Jorgenson

Q: Has the election season started to impact bank lending or borrower inquiries? A: There has been no visible effect at this point, although anything that contributes to a feeling of uncertainty will undoubtedly cause some borrowers to put off… more

Coping with COVID: Kansas moving up ranks in positivity metrics

As of Wednesday, Kansas shows to be inching toward the top when it comes to states with high COVID-19 numbers and positivity rates. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said Wednesday that currently the state ranks… more

Unemployment insurance weekly claims down

Unemployment has continued to show a decrease week-over-week, the number of people seeking unemployment insurance making a notable drop last week. In the week ending Aug. 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims made a 98,000 drop from… more

Missouri coronavirus saliva test approved by FDA

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Washington University saliva test for the coronavirus has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Wednesday. The St. Louis-area university worked with biotechnology company Fluidigm to develop the… more

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief to reduce service through Kansas

NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — Amtrak riders in Kansas will encounter reduced service starting in October as part of the rail passenger service’s nationwide cutback in routes because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Southwest Chief, which runs through Kansas from Chicago… more

June Case-Shiller results show strong housing market despite COVID-19

Despite a rough hit on the rest of the U.S. economy, the Case-Shiller numbers for June show the housing market is holding on strong during COVID-19. Home prices continued to rise in June, the Case-Shiller Home Price Index showing a… more

Plans to build new federal prison in Leavenworth

Last week federal officials announced plans for a new federal prison in Leavenworth which could replace the U.S. Penitentiary. The penitentiary has been in Leavenworth for over 100 years and is one of the oldest in the country, currently housing… more

Coping with COVID: Second vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech shows fewer side effects

Plans for a large-scale trial to be conducted with Pfizer and BioNTech’s first vaccine (referred to as B1) were soon altered, the companies instead conducting the trial using a second vaccine, called B2. On July 1, the companies presented data… more