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The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York appeared to strongly disagree Tuesday with the former president’s lawyers’ explanation for why he should be considered in compliance with a gag order in the case. In a Tuesday morning hearing to determine whether to fine Trump for violating the order, Judge Juan Merchan warned […]

The post NY judge spars with Trump lawyers over gag order in criminal trial appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is on a glide path to passage in the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to limit debate on the package. The 80-19 procedural vote sets up a final passage vote as soon as Tuesday evening, […]

The post Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP ‘isolationist movement’ appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Private attorneys hired by the top Republican in the Missouri House demanded on Tuesday that the ethics investigation into their client be formally dismissed.  House Speaker Dean Plocher has still not publicly commented on the allegations of ethical misconduct that have hung over his final year in the legislature, or the later accusations that he […]

The post Attorneys for embattled Missouri House speaker criticize ethics investigation appeared first on Missouri Independent.

April 20 is a day recognized globally for celebrating cannabis culture, but it’s also like the cannabis industry’s Black Friday.  Dispensaries offer deals designed to inspire people to flood their stores to stock up.  However on Saturday, dispensaries across the state using an inventory platform called Dutchie were hamstrung for hours by technical challenges, which […]

The post Tech glitch on 4/20 caused Missouri cannabis businesses to lose sales appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Legislation key to keeping a landfill from being built near pricey suburban homes just outside Kansas City is headed to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk.  The Missouri House gave the legislation final approval by a 121-25 vote on Tuesday. It passed the Senate 24-7 last week. With Parson’s signature, it would prohibit a landfill from being […]

The post Bill to stop Kansas City landfill clears Missouri House, heads to governor appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare in Clinton received $1 million from the state last year to expand its cancer treatment options, the small hospital was ready to match the grant. The new facility providing radiation therapies opened in December, saving patients from the region a drive to Kansas City or Springfield or doing without the […]

The post Match rules limit spending of Missouri’s federal infrastructure funds as deadlines loom appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Biden administration finalized nursing home staffing rules Monday that will require thousands of them to hire more nurses and aides — while giving them years to do so. The new rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are the most substantial changes to federal oversight of the nation’s roughly 15,000 nursing homes […]

The post Feds set higher nursing home staffing mandates. Many Missouri facilities don’t meet them appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As any small business owner knows, the customer experience is just as important as the quality of products or services we offer. For my wellness and beauty business, AN Skin & Beauty in O’Fallon, my customers expect and depend on being able to shop our products in my store and online with ease and peace-of-mind. […]

The post The Credit Card Competition Act would harm Missouri’s small businesses appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Oral arguments in former President Donald Trump’s historic case in New York began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom where jurors will be tasked with deciding whether deceptive hush money payments to hide an affair amount to a criminal conviction. The first-ever criminal trial of an ex-U.S. president centers on Trump’s alleged falsified business records to […]

The post NY prosecutor ties Trump hush money payments to campaign as criminal trial kicks off appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Last year, the Missouri General Assembly scrambled to act on an issue popular with voters who turn out in large numbers: property tax cuts for seniors in the form of a tax freeze. Lawmakers passed a vague directive letting counties freeze property tax bills for seniors, without defining what “senior” meant, who was going to […]

The post Missouri’s senior property tax freeze still dogged by unanswered questions appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The embattled speaker of the Missouri House had little to say over the weekend in his first public comments since being accused of threatening potential witnesses and other stall tactics aimed at obstructing an ethics committee inquiry into his alleged misconduct. Speaker Dean Plocher sat down for an interview released on Sunday with Scott Faughn, […]

The post Dean Plocher mum on allegations he obstructed ethics probe, pressured witnesses appeared first on Missouri Independent.

On Jan. 18, the ninth day of the 2024 legislative session, a bill essential to balancing the state budget was placed first in line on the Senate’s calendar for debate. On the same day, a bill expanding an education scholarship program was also put on the calendar, second in line. Last week, the education bill […]

The post Senate battle over taxes that fund Missouri Medicaid leaves state budget in limbo appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Last week was Black Maternal Health Week, and Mother’s Day is just around the corner — a prefect time to focus on the fact that the critical health care an expectant mother needs remains unavailable for many. That’s especially true for Black mothers and their unborn babies. The detrimental and deadly impact of systemic racism […]

The post Systemic racism, politics prevent Black expectant mothers from getting needed health care appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation into four companies Wednesday as part of an effort to crack down on intoxicating hemp products. The problem, according to Bailey, is the products in question — such Delta-8 edibles and vape pens — are not clearly labeled to indicate that they’ll get you high. “When purchasing […]

The post Missouri attorney general launches investigation of intoxicating hemp products appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The New York state court trying former President Donald Trump on criminal charges empaneled a full 12-person jury on the third day of the trial Thursday, according to reports. The trial approached the end of its first phase Thursday afternoon as one of six alternate jurors was also selected. Selection of more alternates will continue Friday. […]

The post Full jury selected in Trump’s criminal trial on hush-money charges appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education on Friday announced a final rule that will update Title IX regulations governing how schools respond to sexual misconduct, undoing changes made under the Trump administration and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. “For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive […]

The post Biden administration to roll back the Betsy DeVos Title IX rules appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A bill winding its way through the legislature seeks to ease backlogs in child abuse and neglect investigations by allowing Missouri’s social services agency to outsource some work involving child abuse and neglect investigations to private contractors. Sponsored by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, the bill was voted out of committee unanimously […]

The post Missouri bill would let private contractors assist in child abuse investigations appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Missouri House gave initial approval this week to a bill that could protect pesticide manufacturers from some cancer lawsuits. The debate on the House floor wasn’t split along party lines however, as several Republicans cautioned against the risk of cancers caused by pesticides. Legislation sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl, a Republican from Butler, would […]

The post Missouri House gives initial OK to bill protecting pesticide-makers appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats on Thursday began coalescing behind Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to provide assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan through a series of three bills, though far-right members of his own party grew increasingly frustrated with the Louisianan’s bipartisan streak. Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is leading an effort […]

The post U.S. House speaker gains Dem backing for foreign aid plan, as far-right Republicans seethe appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Legislation pivotal to killing a proposed landfill project in south Kansas City took a huge step forward this week in the Missouri Senate and is now just one step away from the governor’s desk.  Missouri senators passed the legislation, which would prohibit a landfill from being built in Kansas City within a mile of its […]

The post Legislation designed to kill Kansas City landfill clears hurdle in Senate, nears final passage appeared first on Missouri Independent.