A bill intended to connect Missourians in need with community resources passed the Missouri House Thursday, setting up a final vote in the state Senate that would send it to Gov. Mike Kehoe. The bill, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jill Carter of Granby, would direct the Missouri Department of Social Services to set up […]
After years of protests and a hard-won court battle, anti-nuclear activists in Kansas City will get a chance this week to tell the federal government why they oppose a plan to ramp up production of plutonium pits ā the bowling-ball-sized cores of nuclear weapons. The National Nuclear Security Administration, a division of the Department of […]
WASHINGTON ā Attorneys for the Trump administration argued before a federal appeals court Thursday the Pentagon should be able to reprimand Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for reminding members of the military they can refuse illegal orders, and for criticizing the Defense Department.Ā Lawyers from the Justice Department told the three-judge panel that even though […]
WASHINGTON ā The federal student loan system is set to see a dramatic overhaul beginning this summer, and critics warn it likely will make loans more expensive and difficult to obtain for borrowers ā driving them to private lenders or altering their plans for higher education. Among the major changes are new loan limits for […]
Charlotte Cravinsā son Landry turned 2 in January. Heās a smiley little boy who loves singing āItsy Bitsy Spiderā and recently got his first pair of glasses. Landry was born with Down syndrome and has impaired vision. He receives publicly funded therapies that have helped him learn to crawl, to pull himself up to stand, […]
I suppose youāve got to love The Kentucky Derby, the chance for human peacocks and princesses of all ages and hues to don their finest 19th century finery, sip mint juleps and watch a horse race thatās called āthe greatest two minutes in sports.āĀ Ā On Derby Day Saturday I stopped by The Royale Food and […]
TOPEKA ā The former top executive of a company granted a banking charter by the Kansas Legislature was found guilty Thursday by a federal jury of orchestrating a scheme to funnel more than $150 million to himself through securities fraud, false claims and fabricated records. Brad Heppner, who founded Beneficient and convinced Kansas lawmakers five […]
WASHINGTON ā State governments should shoulder more of the cost and responsibility for natural disaster recovery, according to a report released Thursday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency review council. The board, created by President Donald Trump last year, called on Congress and the administration to make several major changes, including offloading the National Flood […]
The U.S. Housing and Urban Developmentās annual one-night count of those experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness is projected to show a decline after a record-high surge in 2024, according to a new report. Conducted during January, the Point-in-Time count is HUDās annual one-night census of people staying in shelters and unsheltered locations; the latest official […]
The Tennessee Legislature passed a new U.S. congressional map that will favor Republicans in all nine of the stateās districts ahead of this yearās midterm election. The bill passed Thursday and is expected to be quickly signed by Gov. Bill Lee, as state lawmakers faced a tight deadline to get the maps approved ahead of […]
Two bills that could change primary elections in Alabama ā should federal courts allow the use of congressional and legislative maps previously ruled discriminatory ā moved closer to passage Thursday, but not without major protests erupting in legislative committees.Ā HB 1, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, and SB 1, sponsored by Sen. […]
The āBorn-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Actā remains Missouri Republicansā signature piece of abortion legislation this year as they work to fast-track it to passage before the legislative session ends next week. A state Senate bill passed late Wednesday was modified to remove provisions allowing lawsuits over medication abortions. It has received pushback from some members […]
The day after the U.S. Supreme Court crippled the federal Voting Rights Act, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson addressed a virtual gathering for the groupās members and supporters where he ranked the landmark decision alongside the courtās most infamous cases. Dred Scott excluded Black people from American citizenship ahead of the Civil War. Plessy […]
Ty Wooten didnāt realize the weight of answering his first 911 call ā until more than a decade later. A woman had dialed 911 to report that her husband had shot himself in front of her and their 7-year-old son, on the familyās living room couch. It was Wootenās first call as a dispatcher. āI […]
A last-minute fight over public school funding Wednesday almost derailed final Missouri state budget votes as Democrats, with some Republican allies, questioned whether some funds dedicated to education will be available in the coming year. The debate centered on whether the budget relies too heavily on a good year from the Missouri Lottery.Ā Education budgets […]
Interim U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday that federal prosecutors intend to pursue terrorism charges against members of American street gangs as an extension of President Donald Trumpās move last year to designate foreign drug cartels as terrorist organizations.Ā Blanche told attendees at the 2026 Border Security Expo in Phoenix that federal prosecutors intend […]
By Naisha Roy/Medill News Service WASHINGTON ā Dozens of people gathered on a sandy lot in front of the White House construction zone Tuesday evening, carrying posters peppered with monarch butterflies and unfurling massive banners reading āSet kids free.ā The butterflies symbolized immigrants without legal status, as the protesters called to abolish all detention facilities […]
A bill to authorize video lottery games in gas stations and other locations suffered a decisive defeat Wednesday in a Missouri Senate committee, ending for another year hopes of vendors hoping to replace unregulated games. With no discussion, the Senate Select Committee on Gaming voted unanimously against the House-passed bill. The committee was set up […]
WASHINGTON ā Voters, including those within the Make America Healthy Again movement, say the rising cost of healthcare is a significant concern that will have an impact on whom they support in Novemberās midterm elections, according to a poll released Wednesday by KFF.Ā Sixty-one percent of respondents to theĀ survey, which asked how important several health-related […]
A bill to prohibit low-flying drones over power plants, pipelines and other infrastructure transformed into wide-ranging public safety legislation Tuesday as the Missouri House added 47 amendments over nearly three and half hours. As the debate wore on, the bill became loaded with proposals ranging from a domestic violence registry to expanded DNA testing after […]