A quarter millennium after its founding, the United States faces a stark choice that will define its future. In the years ahead, the country can continue to follow the path blazed by President Donald Trump, who is attempting to bring states under the authority of a more powerful federal government led by him. Or it […]
Before Curtis Trent can try to run the Missouri Senate floor, he has to win reelection in southwest Missouri. Trent, a Springfield Republican seeking his second term in the state Senate, is also running for majority floor leader — one of the most powerful jobs in the Capitol and a position that could shape the […]
More than 15 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court removed limits on corporate political spending in its notorious Citizens United decision, ushering in an era of unprecedented influence by moneyed interests. As a result, a small group of ultrawealthy donors have skewed the political system to their advantage — and today, social scientists link the […]
WASHINGTON — The prime time for ticks is here in the United States, and after an especially active start to the season, experts are urging the public to stay alert and take preventive measures. Monthly emergency department visits for tick bites in April spiked to their highest level since 2017 and continued to remain high […]
President Donald Trump has shown the immense power of the executive branch to stymie offshore wind development, as nearly all projects are in waters where federal agencies operate as the landlord. Now, as the feds block new permits and dangle billion-dollar buyout offers to convince developers to walk away from their projects, state leaders are […]
Kansas City-based Frontier Schools is on track to open Columbia’s first charter school in the fall of 2027. At this point, Frontier Schools has hired a contractor and is looking for possible locations for the charter school in the city. The Missouri Board of Education approved the opening of the STEM-based elementary school in April, […]
Missouri cannabis workers are trying to turn a string of recent union victories into broader organizing momentum across the state. High Profile Cannabis dispensary workers in Columbia last week unanimously ratified what union officials say is the state’s first collective bargaining contract for cannabis workers, securing higher pay and paid vacation time. “Now for the […]
Democrats are seizing the mantle of states’ rights to oppose the agenda of President Donald Trump, who has sought to reset Washington’s relationship with the states. While the party out of federal power has always pushed its agenda in statehouses, Democrats across the country have recently demanded more autonomy for governors and state lawmakers. Liberals, […]
When Mike Parson left office 18 months ago, I wrote that two moments explained his six years as Missouri governor. The first was a pandemic press briefing where a besieged Parson decided not to take questions and instead recite Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena,” casting criticism as something beneath the dignity of the […]
WASHINGTON — What’s more American than apple pie? Capitalism. And an array of merchandise and influence is on sale for the 250th birthday of the United States. An America250 $275 Liberty Lux American Prosperity decorative throw pillow, anyone? How about a $25 Freedom 250 youth tee? America250, a commission created by Congress a decade ago, and […]
More states this year have looked beyond traditional counseling and medication to help first responders cope with post-traumatic stress. Firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers routinely witness fatal crashes, violent crimes and other traumatic events that can leave lasting psychological scars. “When you are in the fire service, or any first responder industry, or […]
Former Gov. Mike Parson’s office spent $375,000 flying him around on state aircraft without keeping flight records showing why, and for a third of those flights auditors could not identify any state business purpose. That finding anchors a closeout audit of the governor’s office released Thursday by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, which gave the office […]
Dozens of public housing authorities, tribes, property owners and community groups have joined a new coalition organized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to promote work requirements and time limits for people who receive federal housing help. HUD is currently finalizing a rule that would allow public housing authorities and property owners who […]
Job growth slowed in June to an increase of 57,000 after three straight months of gaining more than 100,000, according to a new report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job gains were also revised down from 172,000 to 129,000 for May, and from 179,000 to 148,000 for April. The unemployment rate […]
Legislators in at least six states this year have approved measures related to patient medical debt, according to a report on legislative policy trends released Wednesday by United States of Care, a nonpartisan think tank. Many Americans are struggling to afford healthcare. A recent survey found that 46% of adults, regardless of their health care insurance […]
MONTGOMERY CITY — Bill Cope stood before the Montgomery County Commission earlier this month to urge local officials to reject a 25-year, 70% personal property tax abatement for a $15 billion, 934-acre Google data center project under construction outside of New Florence. “I’m not against the schools or health department or anybody getting more money,” […]
In March, Michigan attorney Ruby Robinson received a denial notice for legal status for his client — an immigrant woman suffering physical abuse from her husband. Her husband had choked her, Robinson said. Shoved her. Forced unwanted touch. Controlled the finances. The woman and the man married in the United States after being in a […]
WASHINGTON — As outdoor celebrations and events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup reach their peak, local officials across the country are urging caution amid a heat wave blanketing many East Coast and Midwestern states. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for parts of about 20 states, including […]
WASHINGTON — Republicans celebrated last year when they barred Medicaid payments from going to Planned Parenthood for one year, predicting the financial impact would hollow out the organization. A year later, with that section of the “big, beautiful” law set to expire July 4, GOP lawmakers are trying to find a way to keep the […]
At least nine states have passed voting laws this year that will make it more difficult for some voters to cast their ballots during the midterm elections in November. Lawmakers in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia passed laws between January and May of this year restricting access […]
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