Media Resources

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has a number of resources available to reporters covering the economy, rural issues, banking, payments issues, and economic development.

Reports and Publications

• Economic Review
  The quarterly research publication focuses on economic issues of relevance to the Federal Reserve, including macroeconomics and monetary policy, financial markets, and regional and international economics. Recent articles have included “Social Security and Medicare: The Impending Fiscal Challenge” and “Long Term Perspectives on the Yield Curve and Monetary Policy.”
  
  
• Main Street Economist
  The online publication focuses on issues facing rural America, its agricultural economy, and regional development. Recent articles have explored the need for cooperation among private institutions and public entities to create regional partnerships.
  
  
• Payments System Research Briefing
  The online publication focuses on a range of payments topics, including methods of payments, developments in payments networks, and various participants’ roles in the payments system. Recent articles have included “Payments Fraud: Consumer Considerations” and “Contactless: The Next Payment Wave?” 
  
  
• Survey of Manufacturers
  The monthly survey relies on input from approximately 160 manufacturing establishments across the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve District based on geographic location, industry mix, and size. The survey tracks changes in several indicators of manufacturing activity, including production and shipments, changes in prices of raw materials and finished products, and projected future activity.The survey is released on the last Thursday of every month and is available in advance to the media on an embargoed basis.

Sources

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has economists available to speak with reporters on a number of topics related to the national and regional economy, monetary policy, agricultural economics, payments issues, and banking. For more information about the economists, including bios and their recent research, visit: http://www.kansascityfed.org/Econres/erStaff.htm. To reach any of these sources, please contact Tim Todd at 816-881-2308. Staff members and their area of expertise are provided below:

Monetary Policy and Macroeconomics

Gordon Sellon, Jr. senior vice president: Monetary policy, financial intermediation, payments systems;
Craig Hakkio, special advisor on economic policy: Monetary policy and international macroeconomics;
George Kahn, vice president and associate director of research: Macroeconomics and monetary policy;
Todd Clark, vice president: Macroeconomics;
C. Alan Garner, assistant vice president: Macroeconomics;

Banking and Financial Institutions

Kenneth Spong, senior policy economist: Banking studies and structure;
Pu Shen, senior economist: Financial markets and instruments;

Payments

Stuart Weiner, vice president and director, Payments System Research: payments issues, credit and debit cards;

Rural/Agricultural/Economic Development

Jason Henderson, assistant vice president and Omaha Branch executive;
Kelly Edmiston, senior economist: Economic development, community development;

Regional

Bill Keeton, assistant vice president: Banking and regional economics;
Jason Henderson, assistant vice president and Omaha branch executive;
Mark Schweitzer, vice president and Denver branch executive.
Chad Wilkerson, assistant vice president and Oklahoma City branch executive.

Additional Resources

• Board of Governors Press Releases - An index of all press releases by the Board of Governors including a five-year archive.

• Speeches and Testimonies of Federal Reserve officials - Includes an archive of the Monetary Policy Report to Congress (formerly Humphrey-Hawkins Report), and other speeches and testimornies by Fed officials and Board members.

• Selected Interest Rates - Updated daily, this section of the Board of Governors' site keeps you up-to-date on the most requested rate information.

• Investment FAQs - Site provides answers to a wide range of investment and financial planning questions.

• Savings Bonds information - Comprehensive source for understanding this investment tool, buying savings bonds and calculating the value of existing bonds.

• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Reliable source for the latest information including employment statistics, compensation and working conditions information and prices/living conditions statistics.

• Bank Holding Company applications - All applications filed with the Federal Reserve to acquire a bank holding company, a bank, or a nonbanking company.