National

March New-Home Sales Drop 15.4%

New-home sales in March fell 15.4 percent from February and were down 9.5 percent from the same year-ago period, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 627,000 new homes sold last month, 333,000 new houses for sale, and the… more

Another 4.4 Million File for Unemployment

Just over 4.4 million people filed for unemployment insurance for the week ended April 18, putting the insured unemployment rate at 11 percent, though many estimates place that number much higher. The 11 percent is 2.8 percent  higher than the… more

March Traffic at KCI Cut in Half

Year-over-year passenger traffic in March was down 52.8 percent, according to the KC Aviation Department, as 480,690 passengers arrived and departed from the facility during the month. Passenger boardings dropped 55.2 percent, to 227,860, while year-to-date boardings fell 21.4 percent.… more

EPR Properties Sees Rent-Payment Dive

Kansas City-based EPR Properties, which operates experiential real estate properties in 44 states, such as entertainment centers with cinemas, has only received 15 percent of rent payments from tenants so far in April. As result, EPR is deferring rent payments… more

Mental-Health Med Use Up During Pandemic

St. Louis-based Cigna's Express Scripts has done a research report that says anti-anxiety and anti-depressant and anti-insomnia prescriptions filled between Feb. 16 and March 15 increased 21 percent year over year, likely due to the pandemic. "Americans have grown increasingly… more

Centene Nabs KS Department of Corrections Contract

Centene Corp. announced that its subsidiary Centurion has been awarded a contract by the Kansas Department of Administration to provide healthcare services in the Department of Corrections facilities.   The two-year contract is expected to start on July 1 and… more

Mortgage Applications Decline

Though 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are at an all-time low, purchases hit their lowest levels since 2015, a 31-percent decrease from the same year-ago period. The Mortgage Bankers Association also reported that, for the week ended April 17, mortgage applications decreased… more

Macy’s Might Consider Debt Versus Bankruptcy

Macy's, the country's largest department-store chain, with five locations in the Kansas City area, might reportedly consider taking on up to $5 billion in debt instead of filing for bankruptcy. Inventory would be used as collateral to raise $3 billion… more

KS, MO Fared Better Than Most States With PPP

Kansas and Missouri both did relatively well in receiving funds from the $350-billion Payroll Protection Program COVID-19 relief bill, at least compared to most states. Kansas came in nine per capita of all states for funding, while Missouri was ranked… more

Senate Passes New Aid Bill For Small Business

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that would give another $484 billion to small businesses and hospitals. It's a move that was partially pushed by the Small Business Administration last week running out of $350 billion in funds that… more