WASHINGTON — The Trump administration still needs to determine how it will remove nuclear materials from Iran after officials from both countries sign documents to end the war, a senior official said Friday. “This is very combustible stuff, very volatile stuff. We’re not just going to, like, go down there with a backhoe and a […]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia issued a preliminary injunction Friday halting the Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for one week, giving the government time to sign a “clear, unambiguous” agreement that the fund is dead. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said from the bench the agreement […]
The New World screwworm has arrived in the United States. For years, ranchers across Southern states have prepared for a potential invasion of the flesh-eating parasite that can wreak havoc on livestock, pets and even humans. Though the United States went decades without a confirmed case of the invasive pest, it’s now made its way […]
As the U.S. Supreme Court pulls back from the landmark federal law designed to safeguard the voting rights of minorities, more states are stepping in to prohibit discrimination in state and local elections. State versions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act include some of the federal law’s approaches to fighting discrimination, including prohibitions against voter […]
For decades, making an untraceable firearm required specialized tools, technical expertise and hours of work. Today, it can start with a downloaded file and a consumer-grade 3D printer. As advances in additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, make it easier to produce firearms at home, lawmakers in a growing number of states are pursuing […]
WASHINGTON — Advertisements for Polymarket and Bud Light lined an eight-sided cage on the White House grounds Thursday ahead of a series of mixed martial arts fights scheduled for Sunday, President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, and billed as a celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship company, whose chief executive is […]
For many incarcerated people, getting a full night’s sleep is almost impossible. Bright lights, loud noise, overnight head counts, early morning meals and other routine features of prison and jail operations can make restorative sleep nearly impossible, according to a new report from researchers at the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of […]
When Missouri cannabis regulators recalled hundreds of marijuana vape pens last month, the Kansas City-based manufacturer said the issue was related to “evolving” testing requirements for licensed facilities. But state regulators say the testing rules did not change. And certificates of analysis posted by the company and reviewed by The Independent show the recalled products […]
As more discussions about supplying adequate, affordable childcare are had across the state, childcare centers continue to struggle with staff retention. Beth Ann Lang, deputy chief executive officer of Child Care Aware of Missouri, has been working to address Missouri’s childcare crisis for more than 20 years. Lang said there are many deep-rooted issues within […]
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — On a recent weekday evening, Avram Kline kicked a soccer ball to his son on the bright green pitch in Brooklyn Bridge Park, where the skyscrapers of Manhattan loom just across the East River. Kline is a self-described soccer superfan who founded the Newcomers Football Club, a mutual aid group to support […]
Democrats’ prospects in a trio of key U.S. Senate races are improving, an influential elections forecaster said Thursday, though Republicans are still favored to retain control of the chamber after the midterm elections. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, which predicts election outcomes, moved three races — in North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio — in Democrats’ favor. After the […]
As Missouri secretary of state, Denny Hoskins is often responsible for reducing complicated ballot measures to a few sentences voters can understand. In his first year and a half in office, judges have repeatedly found those sentences unfair, insufficient or misleading. Courts have rejected or rewritten Hoskins’ descriptions five times on measures involving abortion, redistricting, […]
In June 2025, I wrote that PortKC, Kansas City’s ubiquitous subsidy-granting agency, was too powerful, too poorly run, and subject to too little oversight. Evidence from the past year has only strengthened that conclusion. If Kansas City’s leaders are unwilling to demand more, state legislators must. PortKC’s portfolio has grown far beyond its original mission. […]
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has failed to refund more than $145 billion in tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unlawful, a pair of U.S. Senate Democrats said in a Wednesday letter to the administration’s chief of customs. Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Edward Markey of Massachusetts demanded that the U.S. Customs and […]
The Trump administration Wednesday proposed new regulations for online prediction markets that would ban bets on war, assassination and other extreme events, but still allow many sports bets to operate on the growing platforms. Critics say the proposed rules don’t do enough to rein in an industry that has sparked jurisdictional battles between state and […]
TOPEKA, Kansas — An estimated 650,000 visitors will flood the Kansas City area over the course of the monthlong FIFA World Cup, which chose Kansas and Missouri as the home for four teams and at least six matches. The event catalyzed a major transportation expansion, created temporary diplomatic offices and established dedicated health care infrastructure […]
WASHINGTON — The head of the Social Security Administration testified before Congress on Wednesday that customer service has drastically improved during the last year, though he declined to offer ways to address the program’s dire financial situation. Commissioner Frank Bisignano instead deferred to lawmakers, who will need to make changes to the safety net program […]
Consumer price inflation reached 4.2% in May, the highest mark in three years, boosted largely by higher energy prices that have spiked because of the Iran war, according to federal numbers released on Wednesday. The higher year-over-year inflation rate was expected. But at more than double the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%, the new numbers dimmed […]
With many students and educators already using widely available artificial intelligence tools, state lawmakers and school districts are playing catch-up on AI policies. In Maryland, for example, AI usage policies for K-12 schools are “all over the map,” Democratic state Sen. Katie Fry Hester said. In some school districts, she said, AI use is encouraged, […]
The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development has until Dec. 1 to craft a new formula for distributing state aid among public colleges and universities — or risk lawmakers creating their own plan that “institutions quite likely will not like,” the state’s higher education commissioner said Wednesday. Bennett Boggs, speaking during a meeting […]
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