MoInd 📰

President-elect Donald Trump ordered congressional Republicans on Wednesday to block a broadly popular bill to protect press freedoms, likely ending any chance of the U.S. Senate clearing the legislation. The measure would limit federal law enforcement surveillance of journalists and the government’s ability to force disclosure of journalists’ sources, codifying regulations the Department of Justice has […]

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday evening he plans to nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his newest pick for U.S. attorney general. Trump’s announcement came just hours after another Floridian, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, withdrew as Trump’s expected nominee for the country’s top law enforcement job. Gaetz was tapped to be nominated […]

The trustees of Missouri’s largest state employee retirement system voted Thursday to prohibit the use of pension funds for political contributions. The Missouri State Employees Retirement System board, responding to donations made this year by two smaller systems, made it the responsibility of the executive director to make sure money doesn’t flow into campaigns for […]

WASHINGTON — Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz announced Thursday he’s withdrawing as President-elect Donald Trump’s planned nominee for attorney general days after securing the appointment. Gaetz’s path to Senate confirmation was highly unlikely following years of investigations about alleged drug usage and payments for sex, including with an underage girl. He submitted his resignation to […]

WASHINGTON —  The 2025-26 form to apply for federal student aid is now available to all students and families, the U.S. Department of Education said Thursday. The department used a staggered approach to launch the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — to address any issues before the form became available […]

State officials’ hopes of rolling back Jackson County property assessment increases are floundering after a circuit court judge dismissed a lawsuit by the State Tax Commission on Wednesday.  The commission in August ordered Jackson County to reverse most of its 2023 property valuations, arguing they had been performed illegally and resulted in huge increases in […]

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration’s request for nearly $100 billion in natural disaster response and recovery funding is on track to sail through the U.S. Senate after both Republicans and Democrats expressed strong support during a Wednesday hearing. Members of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, however, voiced concerns with how the federal government prepares for […]

The outcomes of seven ballot measures in Arizona, California and Colorado reflect the stricter approach to crime that’s been seen across much of the country recently, with voters and policymakers driven by concerns over rising retail theft, homelessness, fentanyl misuse and challenges in police recruitment and retention. Voters have decided in recent years that they […]

The not-for-profit group originally set up to pay for Gov. Mike Parson’s 2021 inauguration gave $150,000 this week to the political action committee that helped get him elected. Parson is leaving office due to term limits and has said repeatedly that he does not intend to be a candidate for public office again.  The PAC, […]

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats largely reserved judgment Wednesday on President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Linda McMahon as his nominee for Education secretary, even as they raised concerns about Trump’s plans to eliminate the department. In interviews Wednesday, Democrats in the U.S. Senate mostly did not raise the sorts of objections to McMahon — the co-chair of […]

A Cole County judge on Tuesday ordered the Missouri Department of Social Services to pay more than $115,000 in legal fees and a $5,000 penalty for “knowingly and purposefully” violating the state’s open records law. In September, Judge Jon Beetem determined that the department violated the Sunshine Law by wrongfully withholding public records based on […]

Imagine two fields, side-by-side. One grows genetically modified corn, the seed bought from a major firm. The other grows organic where the farmer stresses about cross-contamination. The company that produced the neighbor’s corn seed has patented its product, restricting its use. If the grower’s corn intermingles with the neighbor’s, the organic farmer worries about being […]

The Federal Reserve’s second consecutive key rate cut could mean more than just lower borrowing costs for the average consumer — state and local governments stand to benefit, too. Lower interest rates may bring changes for housing development, tax revenue, debt refinancing and bread-and-butter projects like roads, water and sewer, state and local government officials […]

As the community grapples with the closure of the Rainbow House Children’s Emergency Shelter, questions remain about what led to the shutdown of the only shelter of its kind in mid-Missouri. Allegations of misuse of funds have been raised by both community members and Rainbow House’s board of directors, and much of the blame has […]

Andrew Bailey has won re-election. For the next four years, he’ll be Missouri’s attorney general. So he no longer has to worry about potentially alienating teachers. Or conservative ministers. Or those who believe in spanking children. Or county sheriffs and other local law enforcement officials. Or business owners and leaders who want to make a […]

WASHINGTON — Consequences for President-elect Donald Trump’s guilty conviction in a New York state case will be years away, as prosecutors signaled they will not oppose suspending the lawsuit while the incoming 47th president carries out his four years in the Oval Office. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wrote Tuesday that he will fight Trump’s […]

WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina led a charge Monday to try to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House office buildings, following the election of a transgender lawmaker. The move, which the House Democratic leader characterized as attempting to “bully” another member, came as […]

TOPEKA, Kansas — The editor of the Kansas newspaper raided by police last year has a message for journalists struggling with their sense of purpose. Go on the offensive. Eric Meyer, editor and publisher of the Marion County Record, delivered remarks Friday as he was inducted alongside his mother, Joan, into the Kansas Press Association […]

A new federal rule will require water utilities across the country to pull millions of lead drinking water pipes out of the ground and replace them, at a cost of billions of dollars. States, cities and water utilities agree that the lead pipes need to go to ensure safe water for residents. But they say […]

The federal government is asking a judge to rule that it has the power to impose staffing requirements on nursing homes that collect billions of federal tax dollars through Medicaid and Medicare. The request was made Friday in the form of a motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by the nursing home industry. […]