States are moving in sharply different directions on the death penalty, with some looking to broaden when and how executions occur while others try to scale them back or end them entirely. Lawmakers in more than half of the states have introduced over 100 bills this year to either expand or limit capital punishment, to […]
With some early childhood education centers already closing their doors because of the federal government shutdown, local leaders are scrambling to find money to keep Head Start programs available to some of the country’s most vulnerable children. Head Start programs, which serve more than 700,000 low-income children across the country, are almost entirely federally funded. […]
Missouri public schools showed continued improvement in annual performance reports released by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Thursday, with 56% of districts and charter schools raising their scores. The state is in its fourth year of the Missouri School Improvement Program 6, which education officials deem “more rigorous” than the previous iteration of […]
This report has been updated. A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration Thursday to pay roughly $9 billion for a full month of nutrition assistance benefits by the next day. Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr., who was appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama, said the administration blew its chance to […]
A newly formed political action committee created to defend the gerrymandered congressional map drawn by Missouri lawmakers received $100,000 this week from national Republicans. On Wednesday, Put Missouri First reported two $50,000 contributions — one from the National Republican Congressional Committee and the other from the Republican National Committee. It marks the first contributions to […]
The United States gained 42,000 jobs in October, the first increase since July as measured by ADP, a private payroll processing company and the only source of jobs estimates during the government shutdown, as federal jobs reports have been paused. ADP’s report, released Wednesday, showed job increases mostly in West Coast states, which gained 37,000 […]
As masked and costumed protesters demonstrate outside federal immigration facilities nationwide, the federal government has sped up the start of a new rule that may expose those protesters to fines and additional penalties. Under the new rule, which took effect Wednesday, those fines can apply to people who commit crimes near federal property as well […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the first woman to hold the speaker’s gavel, announced Thursday she will retire, ending a 40-year legislative career as one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress. Her announcement came after Tuesday’s elections. Pelosi had a hand in crafting what was known as […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Before Abhinav Kochar traveled from India to the United States to study computer science in late 2023, a consular official interviewed him at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. It’s in a scene repeated countless times around the world each year as foreign students seek access to American higher education. The […]
If Missouri’s newly gerrymandered congressional map makes it to the ballot next year, Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins wants to tell voters it “better reflects statewide voting patterns” and replaces a “gerrymandered” version that “protects incumbent politicians.” Hoskins on Friday sent the proposed ballot language for a referendum petition to Republican Attorney General Catherine […]
Halloween might be over, but the tricks aren’t. As Missourians pack away the costumes and candy, our state’s anti-abortion politicians are still playing dress-up, hoping to trick voters into giving up the rights we fought to win just one year ago. A year ago this week, Missourians made history. We became the first state in […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court during lengthy arguments Wednesday weighed whether President Donald Trump violated the Constitution when he became the first U.S. president to impose sweeping global tariffs under an economic emergency powers statute usually reserved to combat rare and unusual threats. Justices in both the conservative 6-3 majority and liberal minority questioned […]
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration would restrict air travel in 40 “high-traffic” areas of the country to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who have been working without a paycheck since Oct. 1. The cutbacks will start Friday, Duffy said at an afternoon press conference. He and FAA Administrator […]
WASHINGTON — Following major Democratic wins in local and state elections across the country on Election Day, top Democratic congressional leaders pushed for a meeting with the president to end the federal government shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest in U.S. history at day 36. “The election results ought to send a much-needed bolt […]
When the Independence School District announced it was switching to a four-day week during the 2023-24 school year, it drew questions from local families and statewide officials. Parents wondered what kind of child care they would have on days without classroom instruction. And lawmakers debated whether the state needed to intervene. Ultimately, Missouri’s General Assembly […]
Young homebuyers have been priced out of the market even more than previously, according to a report released Nov. 4 by the National Association of Realtors. “As a result of decreased housing affordability and limited housing inventory, potential first-time buyers retreated further from the housing market,” the report stated, comparing homebuyers between July 2024 and […]
One year ago today, Missourians voted to enshrine abortion rights into the state Constitution. But access remains fragmented as court battles and proposed abortion bans introduce more confusion into an already complicated situation. Procedural abortions are sporadically available at three Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri as numerous legal fights unfold, including a question over whether […]
Voters expanded Medicaid eligibility in 2020 to reduce the number of uninsured adults, stabilize hospitals and bring more federal tax dollars back into the state’s health system. At the time expansion was implemented, many rural hospitals were already under severe financial strain. Four years later, the program delivered what voters intended: fewer uninsured patients, steadier […]
President Donald Trump backtracked Tuesday on a pledge by his administration in court filings to partially fund November food assistance during the government shutdown, posting on social media that benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!” White House press secretary Karoline […]
This report has been updated. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Tuesday failed for the 14th time to advance a stopgap spending bill to fund the government, as the ongoing shutdown hit 35 days and is now tied with the shutdown of 2018-2019 as the longest ever. The 54-44 vote was nearly identical to the previous 13 […]
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