A plan to overhaul higher education funding by tying state aid to enrollment squeaked through the Missouri House on Thursday and faces strong opposition in the state Senate. The spending bill that would cut funding for some state universities by 40% or more passed the House 83-66 as 21 Republicans joined Democrats in opposition. A […]
Thousands of protests are scheduled across the United States on Saturday as part of the āNo Kingsā movement opposing President Donald Trumpās administration. Organizers expect millions of people to turn out for this third round of No Kings demonstrations, with more than 3,000 local-level events mapped on the movementās official website. Previous No Kings protests, […]
Small counties in the coastal Southeast had some of the largest population gains between mid-2024 and mid-2025 in estimates being released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, mostly because of people moving from larger areas. Jasper County, South Carolina, where thereās a building boom taking advantage of the popularity of nearby Hilton Head, was the […]
Missouri lawmakersā latest attempt to bar state and local officials from helping enforce certain federal gun laws collapsed Wednesday in a House committee, defeated not only by Democrats but by Republicans who said the bill would hurt gun dealers, invite costly litigation and ignore the concerns of law enforcement. The House General Laws Committee voted […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow gas stations to sell a blended fuel containing 15% ethanol into the summer season in an effort to lower gas prices, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. The blend, known as E15,Ā is usually barred in many Midwest states over the summer to reduce smog, though the federal government […]
WASHINGTON ā U.S. senators showed no movement Wednesday toward a deal to end the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, despite the problems itās causing for the thousands of federal workers set to miss yet another paycheck and travelers waiting hours to get through airport security lines.Ā Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said […]
Hundreds of child care providers, parents and child advocates rallied in the Missouri Capitol Wednesday, a day after the House signed off on $51.5 million in cuts to the stateās child care subsidy program. The proposed budget, which needs another roll call vote in the House before heading to the Senate, would also derail plans […]
I was diagnosed withĀ nonāHodgkinās lymphoma in 2019, and ever since,Ā IāveĀ lived with theĀ understandingĀ that my cancer is permanent and my future uncertain.Ā After ruling out other causes and reviewing my decades of Roundup use, my medical team concluded that repeatedĀ exposure toĀ herbicidesĀ wasĀ very likelyĀ the cause of myĀ non-HodgkinĀ lymphoma. IāmĀ grateful for the proposedĀ $7.25 billionĀ Roundup settlement because it offers aĀ secure,Ā realĀ pathĀ toĀ compensation forĀ me andĀ my family. […]
TOPEKA ā Former Evergy employees suing the utility company for failing to properly oversee retirement investments in the companyās 401(k) plan settled their class action lawsuit in an as-yet undisclosed agreement. Evergy spokeswoman Gina Penzig said Monday in an emailed statement to Kansas Reflector that the settlement and proposed distribution of settlement funds will be […]
WASHINGTON ā President Donald Trump hailed his new Homeland Security head, former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, as āstrong, professional and fairā during an Oval Office swearing-in ceremony Tuesday. Mullin, who until Monday was one of Oklahomaās Republican senators, takes the reins at the Department of Homeland Security amid a weekslong partial shutdown in the aftermath […]
WASHINGTON ā U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday were waiting to hear back from Democrats after they sent them a new offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February.Ā Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the proposal would fund many of the agencies within DHS, including the Federal […]
Gas prices are climbing again across the United States ā with little clarity on where prices are headed next ā spurring proposals for state gas tax holidays in the hopes of offering drivers some relief. The national average hit $3.96 per gallon Monday, up from $3.72 the week before, according to the U.S. Energy Information […]
The Missouri House rejected attempts by Democrats on Tuesday to restore $51.5 million in cuts to the stateās child care subsidy program. The program helps cover the cost of child care for more than 27,000 low-income and foster children statewide, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The department started a waiting […]
The Missouri House gave first-round approval Tuesday to a state operating budget that will close an almost $2 billion deficit by using almost all the stateās remaining surplus in the general revenue fund. At the end of more than five hours of debate, there were few changes in the spending plan for fiscal 2027 approved […]
Across the country, governors and mayors are embracing a familiar pitch: high-profile development projects financed with bonds that supposedly come at āno cost to taxpayers.ā This is certainly the case with huge investments in stadiums for professional sports teams, such as Kansasā proposal to issue $1.8 billion in bonds to help finance a new domed […]
Transportation Security Administration officers are struggling to afford basic necessities as they approach their second missed full paycheck since a funding lapse began last month, union leaders said at a virtual press conference Tuesday. Officials from the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 44,000 TSA officers nationwide, urged Congress to immediately find […]
WASHINGTON ā U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed split Tuesday on whether the Trump administration should be allowed to turn away asylum-seekers who present themselves at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. The question presented to the justices was whether migrants have to fully cross into the United States in order to have the right […]
The Missouri Supreme Court handed down three rulings Tuesday that could shape the 2026 election, saying lawmakers had the authority to pass a new congressional map last year, leaving intact the stateās photo-ID requirement for voters and striking down limits on voter-registration and absentee-ballot outreach. The decisions gave Missouri Republicans a major win in the […]
For Quinton Hayes Jr. and his classmates, social media āis where a lot of our lives happen.ā The 12-year-old middle school student from Bloomington said that includes having fun, talking with friends ā and bullying. āIt follows you home,ā he said, āonto your phone, into your head.āĀ Hayes described how his friend was affected when […]
A perfect storm has arrived on the ledgers of many state budgets, bearing down on the people who often need help the most. Federal and state policy decisions, the end of pandemic aid and long-term fiscal trends ā such as people aging into Social Security benefits ā are requiring states to take a tougher look […]