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To crack down on price gouging, proposed legislation in Missouri calls for allowing felony charges against health care staffing agencies that substantially raise their prices during a declared emergency. A New York bill includes a cap on the amount staffing agencies can charge health care facilities. And a Texas measure would allow civil penalties against […]

The post Temp nurses cost hospitals big during the pandemic. Missouri lawmakers are mulling limits appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack bristled at complaints from both Democrats and Republicans of unchecked departmental spending and delayed support for farmers during a Thursday U.S. Senate oversight hearing. He also lobbied Congress to provide a farm bill that will balance large-scale productivity with the needs of small and mid-sized producers, a theme the […]

The post Members of U.S. Senate agriculture panel spar with Vilsack over USDA spending, response appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Battered by years of criticism from U.S. lawmakers and environmental advocates, the Department of Defense will stop purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam later this year and phase it out entirely in 2024. The replacement for Aqueous Film Forming Foam has yet to be determined, and advocates are frustrated it’s taken so long to halt […]

The post Pentagon to halt use of firefighting foam that contains PFAS as cleanup costs mount appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The painful and tragic reality we face is that it often takes the murder of a Black person on national news for people to start questioning the function of police. Take for example the excruciating case of Tyre Nichols, whose name has recently been added to the long list of those we’ll never forget. Just […]

The post The ‘wanteds’ system must end appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The St. Louis region’s public transit agency plans to “improve customer service” by making cuts to its paratransit system serving those with disabilities. It’s a move disability rights advocates have decried as a “cruel” solution to a real problem. Metro Transit’s paratransit system, which is called Call-A-Ride, provides services for those with disabilities in St. […]

The post Disability-rights advocates decry planned cuts to transit service in St. Louis County appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate took a broadly bipartisan vote Thursday to advance legislation that would end the 32-year-old and the 20-year-old Authorizations for Use of Military Force against Iraq. The 68-27 vote moves the measure past the chamber’s 60-vote legislative filibuster and towards a final passage vote as soon as next week. House Republican leaders, some […]

The post U.S. Senate moves toward repealing authority for military force against Iraq appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The federal Surface Transportation Board has approved the $31 billion merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads, saying Wednesday the combination will reduce travel time, incentivize investment and enhance efficiency while providing safety and environmental benefits. The STB said that while approving the merger, it also is imposing a number of conditions and […]

The post Federal government approves $31 billion Kansas City Southern railroad merger appeared first on Missouri Independent.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Wednesday for the federal authority responsible for determining the causes of transportation casualties to investigate the safety culture at all major North American freight railroads. Following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment that caused a toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, Schumer, a New York Democrat, said […]

The post U.S. Senate leader calls for safety audit into all major railroads after Ohio derailment appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri is one of just 13 states that levies a sales tax on grocery food items. Citing the hefty burden on low-income shoppers and rising cost of food, several other states have moved to reduce the burden of the grocery sales tax. Kansas began phasing it out this year and Illinois suspended the tax for […]

The post Proposals to eliminate Missouri sales tax on groceries in limbo appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The nation’s largest grid operator is warning that it might not have enough electric generation in the future to guarantee reliability.  And it comes as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission convenes a forum on the multibillion-dollar capacity market PJM operates to ensure there’s enough power to meet demand even during grid emergencies, such as during […]

The post The nation’s biggest electric capacity market needs fixing, critics say appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by the Kansas City Beacon.  Bill Thompson cooks at a fast-food restaurant, shares a car with his wife and helps care for an older family member. He’s got a lot to manage, but Thompson has found time to attend “listening sessions” that the Kansas City Royals have organized to discuss […]

The post Kansas City service workers push for protections as Royals look to build downtown stadium appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A few cities and towns around the U.S. are letting noncitizens vote in local elections, and more could follow. In response, Republicans see a chance to turn opposition to noncitizen voting into a national rallying cry. On March 14, Washington, D.C., became the latest city to approve noncitizen voting, when a bill allowing the District’s […]

The post Noncitizens allowed to vote in some local elections around the country, spurring GOP backlash appeared first on Missouri Independent.

TOPEKA, Kansas — The Keystone oil pipeline was operating at the bounds of its permit when it burst and released almost 13,000 barrels of oil in northern Kansas, an executive from the company said Tuesday. Gary Salsman, vice president of field operations for TC Energy, which owns the Keystone pipeline, testified before a joint meeting […]

The post Keystone oil pipeline was pushed to bounds of its permit before Kansas spill appeared first on Missouri Independent.

After the largest U.S. bank failure in more than a decade, regional bank stocks plunged on Monday as the federal government — with the 2007-2008 financial crisis still a fresh memory for many — rushed to reassure Americans that the U.S. banking system was stable. President Joe Biden told Americans that the risks taken on by failed banks will […]

The post Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse differs from our last financial crisis appeared first on Missouri Independent.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump, in his first Iowa stop as an official presidential candidate, took aim at a potential rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump said if DeSantis joins the 2024 presidential race, his track record on ethanol and Social Security could cost him the Iowa caucuses. “I don’t think you’re gonna be doing […]

The post Trump criticizes DeSantis, calls for national ‘school choice’ at first 2023 Iowa event appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by Investigate Midwest.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to relinquish its oversight of pet pesticide products in the wake of criticism for its handling of a popular flea and tick collar linked to more than 100,000 reports of pet injuries and deaths. Its bid to hand the job to the Food […]

The post EPA pushes ahead with transfer of regulation of pet products to FDA appeared first on Missouri Independent.

After three months of looking through old marijuana charges, Boone County Circuit Court Clerk Christy Blakemore — along with clerks and judges around the state — has come to a realization. There’s no quick way to wipe those records clean.  And, it’s going to take a lot more money for overtime to go through the […]

The post Courts hopeful Missouri lawmakers can provide funds to help with marijuana expungements appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As the Missouri House debated legislation last week to allow students to transfer out of their home district, rumors about the state’s declining school performance data lingered. When the numbers became public later in the day, lawmakers were quick to voice their opinions. Missouri students scored worse across the board from pre-pandemic levels, and 112 […]

The post Impact of declining scores unclear as Missouri lawmakers continue education debate appeared first on Missouri Independent.

It is pretty cool that the largest proposed infrastructure project in Missouri would generate thousands of construction jobs, save hundreds of thousands of Missourians billions of dollars over its lifetime, and deliver reliable clean energy for decades to come. The Grain Belt Express and Tiger Connector, which is under consideration now, needs the support of […]

The post Fate of ‘Tiger Connector’ depends on Missourians voicing their support appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A class action lawsuit filed in federal court this week seeks to do what law enforcement and legislators have been reluctant to do – shut down Torch Electronics, the vendor behind many of the video machines in convenience stores offering payoffs of hundreds or thousands of dollars. The lawsuit in Missouri’s Western District, which accuses […]

The post Missouri lawsuit accuses Torch Electronics of violating racketeering law appeared first on Missouri Independent.