MoInd 📰

President Donald Trump’s calls this week to “nationalize” elections capped a year of efforts by his administration to exercise authority over state-run elections. The demands now have some state and local election officials fearing — and preparing for — a tumultuous year ahead. “I don’t think we can put anything past this administration,” Oregon Democratic […]

WASHINGTON — Congress has approved the first public health funding bill since President Donald Trump began his second term, with lawmakers largely rejecting his proposed spending cuts and the elimination of dozens of programs.  A bipartisan group of negotiators instead struck a deal to increase funding on several line items within the Department of Health […]

People who drink cannabis beverages – that often come in cans, like beer or hard seltzers – may be consuming less alcohol, according to a recent study from University of Buffalo.  More than 60% of the study’s participants who drank cannabis beverages said they had either reduced (61.5%) or stopped (1.1%) drinking alcohol as a […]

A state and federal investigation of “illegal” slot machines is looking at how “billions” flow from Missourians to the companies that own the games, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway told a legislative committee Thursday. The state, at the request of federal investigators, joined the probe that has its roots in a federal civil court case where […]

Despite the high-profile U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minnesota, ICE arrests were down slightly in January compared to December, according to new data.  Immigrant detention nationwide also reached a new high in January, and a growing percentage — nearly three-quarters — of people in detention have no criminal convictions. ICE arrested 36,579 people […]

The first bill to clear the Missouri House this year would open the door for health care providers to face the death penalty if they don’t provide life-saving care to a baby born after an attempted abortion.  The legislation could also allow lawsuits against anyone assisting with illegal medication abortions.  “A baby that makes it […]

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic proposal Thursday to sue the Trump administration over allegations that it did not fully release the Epstein files, as mandated under a law unanimously approved by senators and signed by the president nearly three months ago. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., asked for unanimous consent on a resolution […]

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s attempts to dramatically slash funding for the U.S. Department of Education amid a broader push to dismantle the agency hit a major roadblock this week in the form of bipartisan approval of a spending law that gives the department a small raise.  The president signed a measure that funds the […]

The number of Missourians waiting in jail for services from the state’s mental health department continues to rise, with a backlog of more than 500 people with stalled cases. None of the people on the wait list have been convicted of the crime that led to their incarceration. They were found incompetent to stand trial […]

I dedicated decades of my life to helping keep St. Louis safe. As a former cop, I know how hard it is to do that with limited resources – we can’t be everywhere at once or prevent every crime. How we prioritize our time and resources matters. That’s why many police chiefs, sheriffs, and prosecutors […]

WASHINGTON — The top two Democrats in Congress on Wednesday outlined their proposal for restrictions on immigration enforcement, including body cameras and a ban on masks, though they had no details to share about when actual negotiations would begin. Lawmakers from both political parties have less than two weeks to find a solution before the […]

Missouri lawmakers are moving to rein in elementary schools’ use of technology, debating legislation Wednesday that would cap students’ daily use of digital devices at 45 minutes. “This bill is about restoring balance, common sense and childhood to Missouri classrooms,” said state Rep. Tricia Byrnes, a Republican from Wentzville. “Before we lose another generation of […]

A bill aimed at curbing the use of automatically recurring campaign donations — a fundraising tactic employed by a prominent GOP candidate — won first-round approval without opposition Wednesday in the Missouri House. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Murphy, would prohibit political candidates from setting up recurring contributions without explicit authorization from donors. […]

A bill to move school board elections to November and extend members’ terms got a public hearing Tuesday in the Missouri Senate Committee on Education. Sponsored by state Sen. Adam Schnelting, a Republican from St. Charles, the bill would align school board elections with four-year general elections and extend board members’ terms to four years, […]

WASHINGTON — Department of Justice attorneys said during a Wednesday hearing in federal court that a final decision will be made by May as to what kind of death penalty charges could be pursued for the suspect accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in the nation’s capital, killing one and seriously wounding […]

April ballots in 97 Missouri counties will include a question asking voters if they want to cap property tax bills. Whether the caps will take effect if approved remains an open question. Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh on Tuesday denied a motion asking for a summary judgment that lawmakers improperly enacted the caps during […]

The conversion of Missouri farm land from food to solar power production creates feuds among neighbors, pits residents against developers and raises questions about property rights. Those tensions were on full display Tuesday in the Missouri Senate Commerce Committee, which held hearings on two bills aimed at halting solar power development and a third that […]

Missouri lawmakers have been pushing regressive and shortsighted tax policies that undermine everyday workers and sabotage the Show-Me State’s ability to raise revenue. Within a few months, Missouri ended taxation of capital gains, poised itself to cut property taxes across the state and reignited the Kansas City border war. To make matters even worse, the […]

President Donald Trump restated a call Tuesday for federal control over election administration across the country, undermining the structure outlined in the Constitution that empowers states to run elections. For the second time in as many days, Trump indicated he wanted the federal government more involved in elections. The issue renews concerns over Trump’s expansion […]

WASHINGTON — The partial government shutdown that began this weekend ended Tuesday when President Donald Trump signed the funding package that both chambers of Congress approved within the last week.  “We’ve succeeded in passing a fiscally reasonable package that actually cuts wasteful federal spending while supporting critical programs for the safety, security and prosperity for […]