economy

Pew Research Center released new data showing a majority of Americans feel that life has become unaffordable, and are becoming pessimistic about their ability to save and plan for the future.

People who lose their jobs in this economy are taking longer to find new work. Nearly four in ten people exhaust their unemployment benefits before they land a new job.

Sheila Bair, a Kansas native who served as the chair of the FDIC from 2006-2011, is in Kansas City this week to accept the Truman Medal for Economic Policy from the Truman Library Institute. Bair said she is worried about the weakening of banking reforms, and sees a lot of risky lending happening right now.

Data center demand, severe weather and the aging grid are forcing utilities to drive up electricity rates. While the Midwest has historically had the cheapest energy in the nation, forces are undermining that trend.

Over the Labor Day weekend, the president declared on his Truth Social platform “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!” The Canadian aircraft maker has multiple manufacturing partners and facilities in the United States, including in Wichita, Kansas.

Data centers that power AI are exploding across the Midwest — and so is opposition to them. Now, people across the political spectrum want to see stricter regulation and more transparency.

Big tech companies are facing formidable opposition from a coalition of people across the political spectrum. Meanwhile, local elected officials find themselves scrambling to draft regulations and defend themselves against accusations of secrecy.

Sports economists looking at the $600 million deal between the Royals and the Kansas City Council aren’t very impressed. The quickly-passed measure leaves many unanswered questions about where the public funds will come from, how much risk Kansas City will take on, and if the economic benefits will actually pan out.

Inflation in food prices can hit even harder for people in their 60s and older as they also juggle fixed incomes, health problems and changes in federal law. Experts say the age group is a “forgotten population” when it comes to food insecurity.

Kansas City, Missouri, continues to sit at No. 11 in the latest ranking of best startup cities in the Midwest, a place it's held since 2022. Columbia, Missouri, jumped five spots to No. 17. Wichita, Springfield, Manhattan and Topeka all landed in the top 50.

Some immigrants in Kansas City are changing their work hours and shifting other parts of their daily routine to avoid encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A new study found last year’s surge of immigration enforcement resulted in nearly 8,000 jobs lost in Kansas City.

Childcare costs in Missouri and Kansas can now rival a mortgage for working families, but two Midwestern lawmakers are fighting to change that. Plus: After the Affordable Care Act tax credits lapsed, healthcare premiums spiked for millions of farmers and ranchers.