WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday to honor families whose loved ones were killed by noncitizens, but spent most of the event complaining about his approval ratings and amplifying the falsehood that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. While signed Monday, the proclamation designated the day earlier as one to honor […]
When Josh Hammann started having severe breathing problems in the spring of 2023, emergency room doctors were convinced he was having panic attacks. They gave him medication to treat anxiety, but his wife, Megan, said that only made him sicker. “Of course, that medication had alpha-gal in it,” she told The Independent. Hammann, of Cole […]
Kirsti Millar’s water broke when she was 23 weeks pregnant. Against all odds, her team of doctors at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City delayed the delivery of her son, Olson, for 11 weeks. But it required Millar to move into a hospital room until then. She hung photos and string lights across the room […]
Missouri will receive more than $216 million under a sweeping federal rural health initiative, a substantial investment aimed at stabilizing and modernizing care in rural communities. The state received the award on Dec. 29, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services required a revised budget for approval. The revised budget has been submitted, and […]
Cannabis and gambling interests had a bit of a roller-coaster week in Jefferson City, with big legislative wins in the Missouri House paired with reminders that neither business is operating in anything close to calm water. Start with a bill aimed at banning intoxicating hemp products: the seltzers and gummies sold at gas stations and smoke […]
As physicians who are proud citizens of our rural communities, we have the privilege of caring for friends, neighbors and multiple generations. But the satisfaction of providing care to our communities turned to frustration when our hospitals in Boonville and Mexico abruptly shut down in 2020 and 2022 respectively, leaving the health care of our […]
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday he plans to keep tariffs in place using different authorities after the Supreme Court ruled he exceeded his power under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. During the afternoon press conference in the White House briefing room, Trump repeatedly criticized the six justices who wrote “that IEEPA does not authorize […]
OTTAWA, Kan. — When Kansas began requiring residents to prove their U.S. citizenship before voting more than a decade ago, Steven Wayne Fish tried and failed. A first-time father in his 30s at the time, he wanted a say in debates over public school funding despite having never voted before. But Fish, who was born […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump’s trade agenda Friday, ruling the tariffs he issued under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act are illegal. In a 6-3 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court said Congress alone holds the power to tax in almost all circumstances. The Trump […]
A Republican judge in Cole County on Thursday ruled that the ballot summary must be rewritten for a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it much harder for Missourians to amend the constitution through citizen initiative petitions. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ordered the first three bullet points of the summary voters will see […]
Fifteen months after Missouri voters approved a constitutional right to abortion, Republican lawmakers are playing the long game, introducing a flood of familiar legislation seeking to roll back some protections in the hopes of ultimately ending access to the procedure altogether. Republicans are moving to expand criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions and civil […]
Corporal punishment is still on the books in Missouri and used in some schools. The practice is from an earlier era, rooted in tradition that prioritizes compliance over learning and punishment over development. The logic behind corporal punishment continues to shape extreme disciplinary practices that conflict with what evidence shows supports healthy development. Since 2015, […]
WASHINGTON — As they seek to curb President Donald Trump’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, congressional Democrats are looking to formalize some guidelines previous administrations used. Of the 10 policy proposals Democratic leaders offered in negotiations to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, which has been in a funding lapse since Feb. 14 in the midst of […]
WASHINGTON — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s faith calls him to address hunger, health access and community care, he said during an event Thursday at the progressive Center for American Progress that previewed a potential campaign in the 2028 cycle. The Trump administration has “hijacked” faith, the Democrat said, leading to harm instead of helping people. […]
Missouri Republicans voted Thursday to advance a plan to add Medicaid work requirements to the state Constitution, hoping to put the issue before voters in November. Democrats insist the proposal, which passed the Missouri House 99-48 on a party-line vote, would open the door for state lawmakers to defund the voter-approved expansion of Missouri’s Medicaid […]
The Missouri House approved a bill Thursday that would ban all intoxicating hemp products — things like THC seltzers or hemp-derived THC edibles currently sold at gas stations and smoke shops — beginning in November. The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dave Hinman of O’Fallon, would prohibit hemp products from containing more than 0.4 […]
A group of bills standardizing mandatory minimum prison terms and repealing conditional release provisions was debated by a Missouri Senate committee on Wednesday. The Senate Judiciary Committee discussed three bills, sponsored by Republican Sens. Curtis Trent of Springfield, Jill Carter of Granby and Joe Nicola of Grain Valley, which include identical provisions for restructuring prison […]
Missouri lawmakers are weighing a slate of bills aimed at reining in artificial intelligence, from proposals targeting “deepfakes” to limits on the technology’s use in political campaigns. At the same time, lawmakers are also considering measures that would limit the liability of companies that develop or deploy AI systems when those systems cause harm. But […]
Missourians are right to be concerned about the cost of health care. Prescription drug costs remain one of the most visible and painful expenses for families, seniors and small employers. But recent claims that pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform will increase costs and expand government control fundamentally misrepresent how the current system works — and […]
Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released a scathing report Wednesday on the state’s marijuana program, concluding that missteps in the 2019 licensing process triggered costly litigation and raised persistent questions about whether licenses were awarded fairly. The nearly three-year audit of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation alleges “perceived and actual deficiencies” in the application […]
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