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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The majority of public opinion already sides with Democratic candidates on issues like expansion of Medicaid, legalized medical marijuana and protection of kids from discrimination, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during a stop Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas. Who wins the midterms, he said, may come down to the turnout. […]

The post Pete Buttigieg touts Democrats, blasts Republicans for focus on culture wars at KC rally appeared first on Missouri Independent.

I often joke that 75% of my job involves aimlessly wandering the Missouri Capitol in the hopes of bumping into news.  But the only funny part of that bit is that it’s not really a joke.  Look: I’ve covered statehouses around the Midwest for nearly 20 years, and there has never been a day when […]

The post Two years after launching The Missouri Independent, we’re still detectives for the people appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Joey Gilbert, a Reno-based attorney, lost the GOP primary for Nevada governor by roughly 26,000 votes in June, a margin of around 11 points. But he wasn’t ready to admit defeat. Empowered by former President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud after the 2020 election, Gilbert refused to concede. He offered a $25,000 reward […]

The post Prolonged challenges by losing candidates could overshadow November election results appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — New monkeypox cases have been trending downward nationwide for more than two months, giving some hope the decades-old virus that had its first major outbreak in the United States this year is nearly under control, or even on its way out. However, experts caution that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data broken […]

The post Monkeypox cases are in sharp decline. Could the outbreak be over? appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Jon Turner isn’t shy about sharing his opinion. An associate professor at Missouri State University in Springfield, Turner’s personal social media is typically filled with articles he shares about education or about his research focus of four-day school weeks. But occasionally Turner dips into politics, especially after Attorney General Eric Schmitt began suing, subpoenaing and […]

The post ‘Attempted intimidation’: Missouri AG sent five requests for MSU emails, records appeared first on Missouri Independent.

More than 13,000 farmers have benefited from nearly $800 million in federal debt relief, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Tuesday. The assistance came from a new federal initiative to erase farmers’ loan delinquencies to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and private lenders or to resolve their remaining debts after foreclosure. Going forward, the […]

The post Federal government has given $800 million to keep indebted farmers afloat appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday promised that if Democrats keep control of the U.S. House and gain a few more Democratic seats in the Senate, then “the first bill that I will send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade.” He also told supporters at a Democratic National Committee event that […]

The post Biden vows codifying Roe v. Wade will top his agenda if Democrats expand control appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A state commission Tuesday laid out its recommendations to improve teacher recruitment and retention in Missouri, including a push to raise starting salaries that currently rank among the lowest in the nation.

The post Commission recommends salary increases to address Missouri teacher shortage appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News.  Starting Monday, consumers will be able to buy hearing aids directly off store shelves and at dramatically lower prices as a 2017 federal law finally takes effect. Where for decades it cost thousands of dollars to get a device that could be purchased only with a […]

The post Hearing aids available without a prescription, as 2017 law takes effect appeared first on Missouri Independent.

I did not grow up in a serious hunting family, but I married into one. Early on, I learned that for hardcore hunters, the time between October and December is sacrosanct. And for true devotees, the rituals of the season start much earlier: getting licenses in order, target practice, and shopping for gear – all […]

The post It’s camo season in the Midwest appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by the Kansas City Beacon.  Kansas City Public Schools is proposing a far-reaching reorganization that would close 10 schools, build or expand others and — leaders say — free up funds for academic goals. But the district knows that the plan could tank without community support. Disgruntled families could leave. […]

The post Proposal to close 10 schools in Kansas City, improve academics hinges on community support appeared first on Missouri Independent.

PORTLAND, Ore. — President Joe Biden promoted Democrats’ efforts to bring down health care costs over the weekend in a visit to a normally Democratic state three weeks before midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the next two years. Speaking on the first day of Medicare open enrollment, Biden touted a $750 […]

The post Biden pitches to the middle class as Democrats fight for support in advance of midterms appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story originally appeared in Investigate Midwest.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will ban the sale of flea and tick collars containing a chemical linked to neurological damage in children, the agency announced last week. The collars, which contain the chemical tetrachlorvinphos, make up more than half of flea and tick collars sold in the U.S., according […]

The post EPA to ban flea and tick collars linked to brain damage in children appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Almost all of Kansas and nearly half of Missouri are in severe enough drought to activate a federal program meant to help ranchers who have lost grazing acres for their herds, triggering millions of dollars in assistance. Eighty-five of Kansas’ 105 counties have been eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s livestock forage program, which […]

The post Severe drought triggers assistance in nearly all of Kansas, half of Missouri appeared first on Missouri Independent.

For some families, the delayed benefits were a missed opportunity for much-needed relief during the summer, and have been a source of concern and confusion.

The post Missouri families still waiting for summer food benefits for low-income children appeared first on Missouri Independent.

In today’s environment, one could argue that social media has become a primary source of information just as much as the traditional press — regardless of whether the content is reliable or not. The press, free from government control and oversight, has long been referred to as the fourth estate because of its watchdog role […]

The post The destructive power of the ‘fifth estate’ appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story originally appeared in Investigate Midwest.  Two of America’s largest meat companies — JBS and Tyson Foods — have invested in a smartwatch application that allows managers to monitor workers’ movements. The startup behind the application, Mentore, claims to improve worker productivity while reducing injuries. The repetitive, fast and taxing work of cutting and packing protein […]

The post JBS, Tyson Foods invest in smartwatch app that monitors workers appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Reparations is often something people hear about in an international setting — such as ongoing reparations that are paid to Holocaust survivors or reparations South Africa paid to apartheid victims. This weekend, elected officials — including St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Congresswoman Cori Bush — will gather for a “Reparations Block Party and Teach-in” […]

The post St. Louis advocates optimistic the city’s reparations effort will advance appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Each year, the Missouri General Assembly appropriates billions of dollars in public school funding using a formula built in 2005. Given the age of the current funding formula and the level of investment made by the state, are we ready to trade it in for a newer model or is it just time for a […]

The post Missouri’s public education funding formula is due for a tune up appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol voted unanimously Thursday to subpoena Donald Trump, saying the former president must be held accountable as the “central cause” of a violent attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The panel’s seven Democrats and two Republicans voted  to authorize a subpoena […]

The post Trump to be subpoenaed by Jan. 6 panel as the ‘central cause’ of Capitol insurrection appeared first on Missouri Independent.