MoInd 📰

WASHINGTON — The two chambers of Congress, both controlled by Republicans, were at odds Friday over how to fund the Department of Homeland Security, prolonging the shutdown that began in mid-February.  The Senate voted before dawn to approve a funding bill that would have reopened every agency within the department impacted by the funding lapse. […]

Missouri education officials are piloting a new model for the state’s decades-old standardized test, shifting the Missouri Assessment Program from a single end-of-year exam to a through-year assessment with multiple checkpoints. The change is designed to give a clearer picture of student growth during the school year and deliver results within 24 to 48 hours, […]

WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday were reading through a new Republican offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security that could end the shutdown that began nearly six weeks ago, with a congressional recess set to begin. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in the afternoon that Democrats hadn’t “responded officially” to […]

WASHINGTON — Mikayla Pivec said she worked more than 50 hours per week as a women’s college basketball player, but earned less than $8 an hour from a $1,600 monthly stipend. The professional basketball player and former star at Oregon State University said she was testifying at Thursday’s U.S. Senate panel hearing on reshaping college athletics […]

A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators from the Midwest on Thursday asked the Commerce Department to investigate major agricultural machinery manufacturers, saying they paid shareholders handsomely while offshoring jobs. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, and Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to open an investigation under a law that allows tariffs […]

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves is abandoning his run for a 14th term in Congress and will retire, the Northwest Missouri Republican told the Wall Street Journal. Graves, 62, has represented Missouri’s 6th District since 2001 and is now among a growing number of House members stepping aside ahead of the 2026 midterms. “I think it […]

A proposal to mandate daily physical activity in public schools squeaked through the Missouri House Thursday after the legislation’s sponsor promised major changes in the Senate. State Rep. Bishop Davidson, a Republican from Republic, said he will ask senators to remove high schools from the bill. He alluded to seeking additional amendments as well, speaking […]

A proposed constitutional amendment approved earlier this month by the Missouri House would trigger sweeping tax increases and deep cuts to essential services, especially for older Missourians. For years, AARP has worked with the General Assembly to deliver meaningful, targeted tax relief for older adults. Together, we’ve modernized and expanded eligibility for the circuit breaker […]

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, who wants to ban mail-in voting, said he had the right to vote by mail-in ballot in Florida’s special election Tuesday “because I’m president of the United States.” The president’s statement at his Cabinet meeting Thursday comes as he aggressively pushes U.S. Senate Republicans to break the long-standing filibuster to […]

A plan to overhaul higher education funding by tying state aid to enrollment squeaked through the Missouri House on Thursday and faces strong opposition in the state Senate. The spending bill that would cut funding for some state universities by 40% or more passed the House 83-66 as 21 Republicans joined Democrats in opposition. A […]

Thousands of protests are scheduled across the United States on Saturday as part of the “No Kings” movement opposing President Donald Trump’s administration. Organizers expect millions of people to turn out for this third round of No Kings demonstrations, with more than 3,000 local-level events mapped on the movement’s official website. Previous No Kings protests, […]

Small counties in the coastal Southeast had some of the largest population gains between mid-2024 and mid-2025 in estimates being released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, mostly because of people moving from larger areas. Jasper County, South Carolina, where there’s a building boom taking advantage of the popularity of nearby Hilton Head, was the […]

Missouri lawmakers’ latest attempt to bar state and local officials from helping enforce certain federal gun laws collapsed Wednesday in a House committee, defeated not only by Democrats but by Republicans who said the bill would hurt gun dealers, invite costly litigation and ignore the concerns of law enforcement. The House General Laws Committee voted […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow gas stations to sell a blended fuel containing 15% ethanol into the summer season in an effort to lower gas prices, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. The blend, known as E15,  is usually barred in many Midwest states over the summer to reduce smog, though the federal government […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators showed no movement Wednesday toward a deal to end the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, despite the problems it’s causing for the thousands of federal workers set to miss yet another paycheck and travelers waiting hours to get through airport security lines.  Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said […]

Hundreds of child care providers, parents and child advocates rallied in the Missouri Capitol Wednesday, a day after the House signed off on $51.5 million in cuts to the state’s child care subsidy program. The proposed budget, which needs another roll call vote in the House before heading to the Senate, would also derail plans […]

I was diagnosed with non‑Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2019, and ever since, I’ve lived with the understanding that my cancer is permanent and my future uncertain. After ruling out other causes and reviewing my decades of Roundup use, my medical team concluded that repeated exposure to herbicides was very likely the cause of my non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I’m grateful for the proposed $7.25 billion Roundup settlement because it offers a secure, real path to compensation for me and my family. […]

TOPEKA — Former Evergy employees suing the utility company for failing to properly oversee retirement investments in the company’s 401(k) plan settled their class action lawsuit in an as-yet undisclosed agreement. Evergy spokeswoman Gina Penzig said Monday in an emailed statement to Kansas Reflector that the settlement and proposed distribution of settlement funds will be […]

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump hailed his new Homeland Security head, former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, as “strong, professional and fair” during an Oval Office swearing-in ceremony Tuesday. Mullin, who until Monday was one of Oklahoma’s Republican senators, takes the reins at the Department of Homeland Security amid a weekslong partial shutdown in the aftermath […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday were waiting to hear back from Democrats after they sent them a new offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February.  Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the proposal would fund many of the agencies within DHS, including the Federal […]