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An infusion of federal money has helped Louisiana plug nearly 500 abandoned oil and gas wells this year. That number doesn’t come close to the 4,500 abandoned wells that pock the state’s terrain, leaving the potential for groundwater contamination and the near-certainty of greenhouse gas emissions. But the money has allowed the state to nearly […]

The post Billions of dollars to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells will only make a dent appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When she tried to find help for her daughter’s depression, Michelle Romero was frantic, panicked and heartbroken. She searched and searched for mental health clinicians within her daughter’s insurance coverage network. But the Houston-area mom of three couldn’t find a psychiatrist nor a psychotherapist who accepted her daughter’s health insurance and was close enough to […]

The post Insurers often shortchange mental health care coverage, despite a federal law appeared first on Missouri Independent.

I am an invader. Actually, the son of “invaders.” But with presidential hopefuls Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis having taken aim at the 14th Amendment’s explicit creation of birthright citizenship, it’s clear that “invader” by association is enough to lump me in. I’m the U.S.-born son of Mexican immigrants. My parents emigrated separately, met in this country, married […]

The post Confessions of a birthright citizen appeared first on Missouri Independent.

U.S. officials are working to recover American hostages from the Middle East and provide aid to Israel as violence continues in the region following last weekend’s attack by Hamas, administration and congressional leaders said Wednesday. Speaking to Jewish community leaders at the White House late Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden said the administration was working […]

The post Biden administration working to recover U.S. hostages held by Hamas appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher ended months of speculation about his political future Wednesday, officially announcing his candidacy for lieutenant governor. Plocher, a Republican attorney from Des Peres, joins state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker and St. Louis County resident Paul Berry in the GOP primary. All four are vying to […]

The post Dean Plocher officially joins GOP primary for Missouri lieutenant governor appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Hemp is often known for being the part of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get people high.  It’s full of CBD, a nonpyschoactive cannabinoid that helps people relax and often found in massage oils and sleep aids. But much has changed since hemp was taken off the controlled substance list in 2018 by the last […]

The post Farm bill debate includes hemp regulation as issue takes center stage in Missouri recall appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Almost as soon as Kevin McCarthy lost his position as speaker of the U.S. House, attackers pivoted their artillery toward Majority Leader Steve Scalise, an obvious candidate to replace him. Scalise’s detractors loaded their cannon with the same ammunition fired at him nine years ago, when Scalise sought to become GOP whip, and it exploded […]

The post Saddling Steve Scalise with David Duke’s baggage appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans gathered behind closed doors for several hours Tuesday evening to debate who the party should elect as the next speaker amid divided views about the path forward. The two-hour forum featured House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan making their cases and answering questions from their […]

The post Race for U.S. House speaker moves toward a vote as Scalise, Jordan make their pitches appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden wants a returning Congress to take “urgent action” on Israel’s security needs after Hamas militants have injured and killed thousands beginning with Saturday’s brutal attack, including the deaths of 14 Americans. U.S. citizens are also among the hostages taken into Gaza by the armed group, though the administration could not […]

The post Biden denounces deadly Hamas attack on Israel: ‘There’s no justification for terrorism’ appeared first on Missouri Independent.

State efforts to prop up child care might spare some providers from the worst effects of last month’s expiration of pandemic-related aid — at least temporarily. But the unraveling of a system plagued by a lack of affordability and access, low wages, staffing turnover and burnout will continue, experts say. “The basic business model of […]

The post States are trying to prop up the child care industry. It isn’t enough appeared first on Missouri Independent.

On a pretty fall day in Massachusetts last week, Morad Majjad began work by checking in with a middle school nurse to see if he was needed as a translator. By the time the day was over, Majjad — whose title is family liaison for the West Springfield school district but who is better described […]

The post As migrants arrive, some schools need more buses, books and bilingual teachers appeared first on Missouri Independent.

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. The voicemail left on St. Louis police detective Roger Murphey’s cellphone carried a clear sense of urgency. A prosecutor in the St. Louis circuit attorney’s office was pleading with Murphey to testify […]

The post St. Louis police detective sabotaged his own case in order to undermine Kim Gardner appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey expects to finally complete work on public records requests submitted to the office under his predecessor by the end of the year.  A review by The Independent of the massive Sunshine Law backlog — which stood at 315 pending requests on Friday — found inquiries from reporters and political operatives, […]

The post Missouri attorney general vows to complete 2022 public records requests by end of this year appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The United Auto Workers union isn’t backing down as it bargains for more compensation and better benefits in its new contracts with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. Under the deft leadership of its president, Shawn Fain, and other officials elected in March 2023, the union has thrown the three companies off balance with a strike […]

The post Why the UAW union’s tough bargaining strategy is working appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans will gather behind closed doors beginning Monday night in an attempt to decide who should become the chamber’s next speaker, a race with a renewed sense of urgency with ally Israel now at war and the House in paralysis. Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio’s Jim Jordan are the only candidates […]

The post McCarthy may jump into U.S. House speaker race, as crises overseas mount appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Back in March, Hawaii state Sen. Chris Lee introduced legislation urging the U.S. Congress to consider the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence technologies. But he didn’t write it. Artificial intelligence did. Lee instructed ChatGPT, an AI-powered system trained to follow instructions and carry out conversations, to write a piece of legislation that highlights the […]

The post What is artificial intelligence? Legislators are still looking for a definition appeared first on Missouri Independent.

More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided states could set their own abortion laws, including bans, the nation’s highest court now could cut off access in states where it is still legal. The Supreme Court began its new term this week and has yet to announce whether it will hear Alliance for Hippocratic […]

The post Abortion rights advocates say consequences dire if SCOTUS declines to hear pill case appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Lately, a rough consensus has emerged among people who study the impact of voting policies: Though they often spark fierce partisan fighting, most changes to voting laws do little to affect overall turnout, much less election results. But one fast-growing reform appears to stand out as an exception. When every registered voter gets sent a ballot […]

The post States that send a mail ballot to every voter really do increase turnout, scholars find appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Our society faces a number of health care challenges, but the one I find most troubling is maternal mortality — women dying as a result of child birth. The actual numbers are quite small but the tragedy associated with them is immense.  Furthermore, these deaths provide a window into the overall functioning, or rather the […]

The post A disturbing conclusion about rising maternal deaths: Most are preventable appeared first on Missouri Independent.

NEW YORK CITY — States and cities are taking advantage of expedited work authorizations for a flood of new migrants, seeking to match them with jobs so they can support their families while they wait for asylum hearings. Allowing migrants to work might enable many of them to leave shelters in cities that were already strained […]

The post States hope finding jobs for migrants will help clear shelter overload appeared first on Missouri Independent.