Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office on Monday invoked an upcoming landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on the role of race in drawing congressional districts to justify the Republican’s proposed gerrymander. “The use of race in redistricting should never happen,” the governor’s general counsel, David Axelman, wrote in a memo unveiling a map that aims to hand […]
A proposal to write Medicaid work requirements into the Missouri Constitution has been stripped down in a Senate committee to instead give lawmakers, the governor or the state’s social services department constitutional authority to impose them. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress will require new eligibility checks on […]
While the idea of a special tax on millionaires is hotly debated across the country, Maine state Rep. Cheryl Golek characterized her state’s new tax as a modest and reasonable step toward fairness. That’s because, she said, working- and middle-class households in Maine — including teachers, firefighters and nurses — are paying effective state income […]
The Senate Education Committee debated legislation Tuesday that would prevent further review of transgender athletes participating in high school and collegiate sports. Sponsored by state Rep. Brian Seitz, a Republican from Branson, the bill aims to remove the current end date of a 2023 state law requiring transgender students to participate in sports under their […]
Missouri businesses may soon begin applying for billions in tariff refunds after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but who actually benefits is already becoming clear. Last week, the federal government took its first step toward issuing refunds, launching a portal through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that allows companies to apply for reimbursement […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators across the aisle pushed back Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate funding for programs serving disadvantaged students. Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended those and other proposed cuts to her agency outlined in Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget request, which calls for $75.7 billion in new discretionary budget authority for the department […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to make changes to a Senate-passed bill that would end the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, a move that will further delay funding and prolong the stalemate that began in mid-February. The holdup could again interrupt paychecks for workers at the Transportation Security Administration and […]
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday obtained a second grand jury indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, long a target of President Donald Trump’s anger for overseeing an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. A federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted Comey related to a photo he posted on social […]
With under three weeks remaining in Missouri’s legislative session, Senate Education Committee Chairman Rick Brattin is forging ahead with legislation aimed at giving the public a clearer view of school spending. Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, offered substitutes to five separate bills during a committee hearing Tuesday morning that added his proposal to require public […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is calling for Congress to take a closer look at presidential security following the third assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Hawley sent a letter on Monday to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul of Kentucky calling […]
WASHINGTON — The California man said by federal prosecutors to have opened fire just outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where President Donald Trump was in attendance alongside Cabinet members and lawmakers, was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate the president, administration officials said. The 31-year-old identified by authorities as Cole Tomas Allen was […]
Republican lawmakers and candidates across the country have escalated their anti-Islam rhetoric in recent months, a strategy aimed at energizing voters by claiming without evidence that Muslim culture and religious tenets threaten American political values. Political observers say Republicans are seizing on anti-Islamic sentiment to gin up enthusiasm among their voters as they head into […]
Missouri would join at least 14 other states with a “Super Tuesday” presidential primary in 2028 under a bill that would also bind the state’s delegates on the first ballot at national political conventions. During testimony Monday to the state Senate Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee, leaders of the state’s two largest political parties […]
While federal efforts to strengthen victim compensation are underway, states play a critical role in determining whether survivors of gun violence can actually access that support, according to a new report from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit gun research and advocacy organization. Access to victim compensation varies widely by state, with nearly 30% of […]
The U.S. Supreme Court could be ready to overturn a Missouri state court verdict that favored a man who sued the manufacturer of the popular herbicide Roundup for lacking any warning that the product carried a risk of cancer after oral arguments in the case Monday. The arguments focused on whether states could enforce their […]
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared likely to allow law enforcement to continue seeking warrants for the location history of cellphones near crime scenes, even as the justices wrestled with how far the government must go to protect Americans’ privacy. Some of the justices appeared to be searching for a middle ground during oral arguments […]
A New York City mom and domestic violence survivor felt a flashback of fear when she received a notice in March that the emergency housing voucher she and her son have relied on since 2023 will run out soon. “It felt like the rug was pulled out from under me,” said Nyla B., who did […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday will hear oral arguments on the Trump administration’s efforts to strip temporary legal status from 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians, a move that could open them up to deportation. The case has the potential to have an impact on multiple lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to end […]
The accidental exposure of student information from Missouri’s MOScholars program has reopened a broader fight over how much scrutiny the state’s private school voucher program should face. After The Independent reported last week that student names, schools and parent email addresses were accessible through the underlying data of a spreadsheet posted by the Missouri State […]
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