a Better Bubbleā„¢

MoInd šŸ“°

Pressure ramps up to halt Trump-era policy that expels migrants at the border

3 years ago

WASHINGTON ā€” Senate Democrats and immigration advocates are pushing the White House to end a controversialĀ Trump-era immigration policy enacted during the pandemic that allowed U.S. officials to expel migrants and asylum seekers at the border. ā€œI continue to be disappointed, deeply disappointed, in the administrationā€™s response,ā€ Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, […]

The post Pressure ramps up to halt Trump-era policy that expels migrants at the border appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Ariana Figueroa

Community solar offers grid relief, energy independence | Opinion

3 years ago

We have lots of problems in regards to energy. Community solar should be part of the answer. One issue is energy infrastructure. Having a massive grid makes customers susceptible to outages from extreme weather and cyberattacks. A centralized grid where power is produced hundreds of miles away requires big, expensive transmission lines. Lawmakers in Missouri […]

The post Community solar offers grid relief, energy independence | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

James Owen

Return of earmarks a boon for members of Congress facing midterm battles

3 years ago

WASHINGTON ā€” Vulnerable lawmakers from throughout the country are set to rake in federal cash for home-state projects after a major spending bill included the first round of earmarks in more than a decade. Members from both political parties began requesting thousands of projects last year when U.S. House and Senate leaders resurrected whatā€™s called […]

The post Return of earmarks a boon for members of Congress facing midterm battles appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Jennifer Shutt

Hispanic leaders ask for Missouri governorā€™s support in fighting voter ID laws

3 years ago

Six years ago, Sal Valadezā€™s mother decided she wanted to take a U.S. citizenship test after living in the country for more than 60 years. ā€œI said, ā€˜Mom, you’re 80 years old. Your English isn’t fantastic. Why?ā€™ā€ said Valadez, co-chair of the language access committee with the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition. ā€œAnd she goes, ā€˜Because […]

The post Hispanic leaders ask for Missouri governor’s support in fighting voter ID laws appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Rebecca Rivas

Shareholders for Post-Dispatch owner reject hedge fundā€™s effort to shake up its board

3 years ago

The owner of several large newspapers in the Midwest on Thursday rebuffed the latest attempt at a takeover by a hedge fund known for gutting the news outlets it buys. Lee Enterprises shareholders voted toĀ re-elect three board of director nomineesĀ at its annual shareholder meeting. That fended off a campaign by Alden Global Capital that aimed […]

The post Shareholders for Post-Dispatch owner reject hedge fund’s effort to shake up its board appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Kavahn Mansouri

More Black Missourians are buying guns. Is it driving up Black suicide rates?

3 years ago

This story was originally co-published by KCUR and Kaiser Health News.Ā  When Russell and Sharis Lewis want to unwind, they pack up their guns and drive from their home in a suburb north of St. Louis to an indoor range called the SharpShooter on the cityā€™s south side. Russell dons big protective headphones, carefully lays […]

The post More Black Missourians are buying guns. Is it driving up Black suicide rates? appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Alex Smith

Congress hates changing the clocks just like everyone else

3 years ago

WASHINGTON ā€” Republicans and Democrats in Congress can agree on sleep, or more precisely, the inconvenience of losing or gaining an hour of it each year thanks to going on and off daylight saving time. ā€œI believe that any justifications for springing forward and falling back are either outdated or are outweighed by the serious […]

The post Congress hates changing the clocks just like everyone else appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Ariana Figueroa

Bill targeting St. Louis-area EV charging mandates clears Missouri House

3 years ago

A bill meant to tie the hands of St. Louis-area officials who want to require building owners to install electric vehicle chargers cleared the Missouri House Thursday.Ā  If passed, it would prohibit cities from passing building codes requiring businesses to install chargers unless the municipalities pay. ā€œIā€™m all for electric cars. Bring them on. I […]

The post Bill targeting St. Louis-area EV charging mandates clears Missouri House appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Allison Kite

Planned Parenthood sues Missouri social services agency over restricted Medicaid funds

3 years ago

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Thursday against Missouriā€™s Department of Social Services, alleging the agency unlawfully plans to restrict Medicaid payments to the provider. A March 4 notice sent to Planned Parenthood of St. Louis Region cites a supplemental budget bill lawmakers passed last month that bars abortion providers or their affiliates from being reimbursed […]

The post Planned Parenthood sues Missouri social services agency over restricted Medicaid funds appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tessa Weinberg

Kansas State to study cost-effective ways cities can reduce exposure to lead in soil

3 years ago

A new study being conducted by Kansas State University researchers is looking at ways to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in soil in the hopes of finding affordable methods that could be replicated around the country. Ganga Hettiarachchi is a professor of soil and environmental chemistry and is leading the research with her […]

The post Kansas State to study cost-effective ways cities can reduce exposure to lead in soil appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Samantha Horton

ā€˜Begging for civilityā€™: GOP infighting in Missouri Senate boils over yet again

3 years ago

If there were any doubts that the Missouri Senate was broken, they were put to rest on Wednesday. After yet another night of GOP infighting ā€” this time over a bill pertaining to sexual assault survivors and an amendment banning ā€œobscene materialā€ in schools ā€” Senators returned to the Capitol Wednesday to take turns blaming […]

The post ā€˜Begging for civilityā€™: GOP infighting in Missouri Senate boils over yet again appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Jason Hancock

Missouri House narrowly sends open enrollment, charter funding bills to the Senate

3 years ago

A pair of education bills supported by school-choice advocates narrowly passed out of the Missouri House Wednesday, overcoming a diminished GOP majority that had threatened to doom their chances earlier in the legislative session.Ā  The bills, which deal with charter school funding and establishing an open enrollment system, both earned 85 votes in support ā€” […]

The post Missouri House narrowly sends open enrollment, charter funding bills to the Senate appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tessa Weinberg

Missouri fines CAFO $18,000 for polluting streams with 300,000 gallons of waste

3 years ago

Regulators ordered an industrial hog farm in northern Missouri to pay more than $18,000 for spilling 300,000 gallons of manure into miles of nearby streams.Ā  An advocate for environmentally responsible agriculture called that ā€œpathetic,ā€ noting the fine amounted to less than $0.04 per gallon of waste spilled.Ā  ā€œYouā€™re talking about a multi-billion dollar, multinational company […]

The post Missouri fines CAFO $18,000 for polluting streams with 300,000 gallons of waste appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Allison Kite

Missouri argues it shouldnā€™t pay Planned Parenthoodā€™s legal fees in licensing dispute

3 years ago

Its effort to deny Planned Parenthood a license to perform abortions in Missouri was unsuccessful, but the state health department argued Tuesday in court that it still shouldn’t have to pay the clinic’s legal fees.Ā  An administrative hearing commission ruled in May 2020 that the state wrongly denied Planned Parenthoodā€™s St. Louis clinic, the stateā€™s […]

The post Missouri argues it shouldn’t pay Planned Parenthood’s legal fees in licensing dispute appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tessa Weinberg

With legalization looming, Black Missourians worry about losing out in marijuana industry

3 years ago

Abe Givins sunk into a leather armchair at the Cola Private Lounge in St. Louis on Saturday afternoon, where his company hosted a panel of doctors speaking about medical marijuana. Givins is co-owner of Village, which advertises itself as the only vertically-integrated medical marijuana company in Missouri thatā€™s 100% minority owned ā€” meaning they have […]

The post With legalization looming, Black Missourians worry about losing out in marijuana industry appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Rebecca Rivas

Sports wagering bills moving toward Missouri House debate amid efforts to boost tax rates

3 years ago

When the Kansas City Chiefs open their 2022 season in early September, it may be possible for fans in the stands to bet on who will win, how many touchdown passes Patrick Mahomes will throw and even whether the coin toss will be heads or tails. But before that happens, backers of sports wagering will […]

The post Sports wagering bills moving toward Missouri House debate amid efforts to boost tax rates appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Rudi Keller

$35 insulin cap is welcome, popular and bipartisan. But Congress may not pass it anyway

3 years ago

This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News.Ā  Democrats in the Senate are primed this month to make their first attempt at salvaging one of the most popular elements of President Joe Bidenā€™s stalled Build Back Better plan ā€” the proposal to cap insulin costs at $35 a month. It might not go well. […]

The post $35 insulin cap is welcome, popular and bipartisan. But Congress may not pass it anyway appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Michael McAuliff

Partisan policies didnā€™t raise gas prices, and partisan sniping wonā€™t lower them | Opinion

3 years ago

In 2020 the price of oil crashed, even falling to less than zero one day. Traders actually had to pay buyers to get them to take oil contracts off their hands. Oil companies would prefer not to sell oil unless they can make money off it. Oil companies are just funny that way. So U.S. […]

The post Partisan policies didnā€™t raise gas prices, and partisan sniping wonā€™t lower them | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Hugh Jackson

Former St. Louis teacher helping lead coalition pushing back on book bans

3 years ago

Heather Fleming, sitting on a bench in St. Louisā€™ Forest Park, takes in the view on a warm early afternoon in February.Ā  Behind her is the Jewel Box, the giant glass-paneled greenhouse thatā€™s a park emblem. Before her are rows of tall trees, their branches stripped bare. And further on, on nearby walkways and trails, […]

The post Former St. Louis teacher helping lead coalition pushing back on book bans appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Mike Fitzgerald

Schools left ā€˜scramblingā€™ after Missouri treasurer tied bond deals to AGā€™s COVID demands

3 years ago

It was just after 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, when the forms arrived from the state treasurer’s office. Without warning, and with little explanation, school superintendents discovered they were now required to certify their district had complied with Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s demands to drop any and all COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as mask […]

The post Schools left ā€˜scramblingā€™ after Missouri treasurer tied bond deals to AGā€™s COVID demands appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tessa Weinberg