Missouri loosened its liquor laws for the tournament. Then Kansas City reined them in. Here are the 16 bars that landed a 5 a.m. license and the process they went through to get there.
Labor
Posted inEconomics
Against headwinds, minority-owned businesses open at higher rate in KC
A new Kauffman Foundation report shows business creation rebounding to pre-pandemic levels, led by Black, Latino and immigrant founders. But increasing numbers are often driven by necessity, and Kansas City is falling behind the national pace.
Posted inHousing
Union group wants to bolster KC’s affordable housing by investing pension money
Union leaders say pension-backed housing projects could help Kansas City tackle affordable housing and labor shortages.
Posted inLabor
Kansas City’s tipped workers could pay the price for World Cup culture clash
KC restaurants are split on adding automatic tips during the World Cup. For tipped workers the stakes are real — and the safety net is thin.
Posted inLabor
Missing the first rung: Entry-level job seekers in Kansas and Missouri feel hiring slowdown
Hiring is at a historically slow pace and young Missouri and Kansas workers are feeling it. Here’s what’s reshaping the entry-level job market.
Posted inHousing
Priced out: KCPS eyes vacant historic school building for teacher housing in Brookside
KCPS is exploring converting the vacant Bryant School in Brookside into affordable housing for teachers — but the idea faces challenges.
Posted inLabor
Kansas City data centers and AI flip the script on job security
KC’s data center boom is a windfall for construction trades. But the AI powered by those buildings is already reshaping who has job security — and who doesn’t.
Posted inHousing
Working homelessness: When ‘getting a job’ isn’t enough in KC
Increasing numbers of sheltered families have jobs while a growing population is caught in the gap between the wages they earn and the cost of housing. It’s a formula for rising homelessness.
Posted inEconomics
Canary in the corner booth: What restaurant closures reveal about the KC economy
Some legacy restaurants close ahead of World Cup opportunity while others report strong sales. Who can afford a night out reveals a split economy.
Posted inEconomics
Close to the bone: KC’s workers struggle with inflation amid affordability crisis
While workers produce more than ever, rising costs for food, housing, child care, and health care outpace wage growth, forcing Kansas City families into tough choices.