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A prescription drug that helps Lore Wilkinson walk and talk despite a rare muscle disease cost her so little for more than a decade that she didn’t even use her insurance to pay for it. But now, her Medicare insurance is shelling out about $40,000 for a one-month supply of the drug, and she fears […]

The post A bitter battle over the ‘orphan drug’ program leaves patients’ pocketbooks at risk appeared first on Missouri Independent.

I was talking to a cannabis business owner I’ve known for a while and respect. The man, who is white, told me he refused to use the term “marijuana” because it’s racist.  It was one of my first conversations on the cannabis beat, which I’ve been on for a month now. And my mind was […]

The post Why some people believe ‘marijuana’ is a racist word, and why it doesn’t offend me appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case from New Jersey commercial fishermen next term that could significantly constrain federal agencies’ rulemaking, the court said Monday. The order announcing the court would hear the case, an appeal from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals initially brought by New Jersey fishing operations that objected to paying for federal […]

The post U.S. Supreme Court to hear N.J. fishing case that could limit federal agency powers appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Two hospitals — one in Joplin and another in Kansas City, Kansas — denied emergency care to a pregnant Missouri woman in violation of federal law because doctors and staff worried that doing so would violate state abortion restrictions. Those findings were included in a report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on […]

The post Hospitals in Joplin, KCK cited for denying emergency abortion to Missouri woman appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is still blocked from enforcing an emergency rule limiting gender-affirming care after a St. Louis County judge granted a 14-day temporary restraining order Monday. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and Lambda Legal, alleges that Bailey abused the state’s consumer protection law to create the […]

The post Judge blocks Missouri AG’s rule limiting transgender health care appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s decision to withdraw from a lawsuit against the state highway patrol has earned a sharp rebuke from his potential 2024 rivals, with candidates from both parties demanding he return campaign donations connected to companies suing the state. Bailey cited an unspecified conflict of interest for not being able to defend […]

The post Missouri AG faces criticism for dropping out of gambling lawsuit against highway patrol appeared first on Missouri Independent.

On an almost daily basis we are confronted with the choice of continuing to believe in the role, value and integrity of our government or conclude that it is irretrievably broken. At a minimum we must seriously ask: Are we at risk of succumbing to what appears to be inherent and intransigent dishonesty and hypocrisy […]

The post Beware of dangerous rip currents that threaten our government appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Transgender legal scholars and advocates say they were relieved to see the Biden administration extend some protections for transgender students’ sports participation at a time when bans are being enacted by multiple states. But they say they remain cautious about the effect on high school and college sports. For two years, the U.S. […]

The post Biden proposal on transgender student athletes met with praise but also questions appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Soon after the 2020 election, Eric Coomer’s name started trending on Twitter, often accompanied with the hashtag #ArrestEricCoomer. At the time, he was living in Colorado and working as director of product security for Dominion Voting Systems, the company ensnared in unfounded election fraud conspiracies following former President Donald Trump’s loss to Joe Biden.  Coomer […]

The post Missouri lawsuit isn’t the only defamation case against far-right site Gateway Pundit appeared first on Missouri Independent.

In 2015, Robert Dear shot three people to death and injured nine others at a Colorado Planned Parenthood. When he was arrested after a five hour stand-off he told police: “no more baby parts.”  The gunman was repeating a lie that presidential candidates and politicians had taken mainstream after an anti-abortion group released doctored videos […]

The post We know where the Missouri AG’s inflammatory anti-trans rhetoric could lead appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators grilled the executives of three major credit reporting bureaus Thursday on whether their practices are transparent and fair to consumers, with Democrats frequently pressing the CEOs to remove medical debt from the reports.   Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, said all […]

The post Credit bureau CEOs face tough questions at Senate hearing; Democrats push to remove medical debt appeared first on Missouri Independent.

With only two weeks left before lawmakers adjourn for the year, Gov. Mike Parson is threatening to keep Missouri’s general assembly in Jefferson City if they don’t pass bills banning gender-affirming care for minors and placing restrictions on transgender athletes. Parson told KCMO Talk Radio’s Pete Mundo on Tuesday, and reiterated to reporters and Thursday, […]

The post Missouri governor threatens to call special session to ban gender-affirming care appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Missouri Senate passed a proposal raising the threshold for passing constitutional amendments Thursday but rejected an alternative that would have quieted well-funded opponents. Under the measure sent back to the House, any constitutional amendment proposed by initiative would need 57% of the vote or a simple majority statewide and in five of eight congressional […]

The post Missouri Senate passes initiative petition changes certain to trigger strong opposition effort appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration Thursday announced the use of processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala to create legal pathways for migrants, in preparation for the ending of a pandemic-era tool used to expel migrants that is expected to cease in May. The migrant processing centers will open shortly and be run by international organizations. […]

The post Biden administration to use processing centers in Latin America to handle migration appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Commodity trade group leaders at a U.S. House Agriculture subcommittee hearing this week advocated for bolstered risk management programs and maintaining foreign market access as tools to support farmers amid volatile times. The industry representatives said supply chain disruptions and increased production costs have tightened margins for large-scale farmers, and decreased the effectiveness […]

The post Ag leaders lobby for better risk management programs at U.S. House farm bill hearing appeared first on Missouri Independent.

At the beginning of this month, the annual renewal began for Medicaid recipients. It sounds simple enough but prompts many questions, depending on how closely you have been watching the situation. How will that affect people on Medicaid? Why weren’t annual renewals being done? How do we get ahead of this and make sure the […]

The post It’s time for annual Medicaid renewal in Missouri. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s last-minute push to move a lawsuit challenging restrictions on transgender care to federal court was denied Wednesday, with a federal judge ruling the matter belonged back in state court. “You just can’t file something in federal court just because you want to be in federal court,” District Judge Henry Edward […]

The post Judge rejects push by Missouri AG to move transgender care lawsuit to federal court appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Missouri Senate on Tuesday night fell into an intramural fight among Republicans over whether to use the budget to put limits on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state government. The heated argument continued over nearly six hours before a bipartisan vote defeated an amendment from Sen. Denny Hoskins that would have banned diversity, […]

The post Missouri Senate approves $50B budget plan after divisive diversity debate appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Three of the four top agricultural leaders in Congress are emphasizing writing a farm bill that meets the needs of all rural Americans, but they diverge sharply over food assistance work requirements pushed by U.S. House Republicans as well as uses of Inflation Reduction Act conservation funds. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, […]

The post Congressional farm leaders split over work requirements for food aid, climate funds appeared first on Missouri Independent.

At five months pregnant, Kayla Marmaud started putting her name on waiting lists for child care. But when her son was born in late 2021, she still hadn’t heard from any daycares. As her maternity leave drew to a close, Marmaud found herself in waitlist limbo. Leaving the workforce was not an option financially for […]

The post Missouri child care deserts include nearly half of kids 5 and under, new data shows appeared first on Missouri Independent.