The Trump administration wants access to state driver’s license data on millions of U.S. residents as it builds a powerful citizenship verification program amid its clampdown on voter fraud and illegal immigration. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeks access to an obscure computer network used by law enforcement agencies, according to a federal notice, […]
In American politics, we’re familiar with gerrymandering — when a political party redraws district lines to gain an electoral advantage. But what happens when that plan backfires and accidentally benefits the opposing party instead? Enter what politicos call the “dummymander.” Republicans in several states, including Missouri, followed President Donald Trump’s orders to redraw congressional maps […]
Chris Meyers is a federal employee who was working without a paycheck during the government shutdown. The former co-owner of Crane Brewing swallowed his pride to buy reduced-priced $6 meals at a local grocery store to stretch the family budget at an uncertain moment. What happened when he went to pay at the counter left […]
More than 98% of scholarships administered by the MOScholars program this school year are funded by Missouri taxpayers. And though there are strict eligibility requirements for private-school scholarships, eligibility isn’t checked after the initial scholarship is awarded or for siblings of students who received a scholarship. The revelations about the inner workings of Missouri’s private […]
Until last year, Roberta Ross-Fisher had never been in a hospital except to visit friends and family. The self-employed higher education consultant from Franklin County was so diligent about cleaning her teeth she had a gum graft several years ago to repair where she overbrushed. Then, on May 5, 2024, she received a phone call. […]
ST. LOUIS — A federal judge promised Tuesday that he would decide whether or not to block a referendum on Missouri’s gerrymandered redistricting map before petitions to force a vote are submitted. The state is asking U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone, a recent Trump appointee, to declare the U.S. Constitution precludes any popular effort to […]
WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress who released a video in mid-November telling members of the military that they are not required to follow illegal orders announced Tuesday the Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked to speak with them about the matter. Four House members, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin wrote […]
WASHINGTON — A majority of U.S. Latinos have grown pessimistic since the 2024 presidential election and increasingly disapprove of the immigration and economic policies of the second Trump administration, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. About 70% of Latinos in the U.S. disapprove of President Donald Trump’s record, with 65% disapproving […]
A California union and a group of farmworkers from around the country are suing to stop new, lower-wage federal guidelines that save money for farmers but cut pay for temporary foreign agriculture workers — hurting local laborers as a result, the suit alleges. In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court, the United Farm Workers […]
State Medicaid agencies are struggling to pay for an intensive therapy for children with autism — and looming federal Medicaid cuts are likely to make the problem worse. Parents of children and young adults who receive applied behavior analysis, or ABA, worry states’ cost-saving measures will make it harder for them to get vital services. […]
In the first 10 months of 2025, almost 110,000 acres across Missouri were burned by more than 2,700 wildfires. More than 9,300 of those acres were burned by wildfires caused by power lines. In May 2025, the Missouri Public Service Commission — which regulates the state’s utility companies — asked utilities to detail their wildfire […]
Police departments’ “clearance rates” — the percentage of cases they declare closed — are one of the most widely cited benchmarks for how effectively they combat crime. Lawmakers reference clearance rates in hearings, mayors cite them during police budget debates, and community members often use them to judge how well their local department is functioning. […]
A 34-year-old man has been waiting 472 days in the Greene County jail for services and treatment from Missouri’s mental health department that could enable him to stand trial. A 31-year-old man in the Jackson County jail has been waiting 445 days for treatment. A 64-year-old man in the Buchanan County jail has been waiting […]
The question of whether the use of state funds for private education helps or harms taxpayers was central to day one of arguments on Monday in a trial that will determine the fate of Missouri’s voucher program. The Missouri National Education Association is challenging the state’s $50 million appropriation to MOScholars, a program overseen by […]
WASHINGTON — A three-judge federal appeals panel grilled lawyers for a former White House official and The Associated Press Monday in a case that could significantly overhaul press access to the Oval Office and Air Force One. The two sides sparred over whether the president, in this case President Donald Trump, has sole discretion over […]
A senior federal judge dismissed charges Monday against two public officials with long-running public disputes with President Donald Trump, saying the controversial appointment of the president’s former personal attorney as a prosecutor doomed the cases. Senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, whom former President Bill Clinton appointed to the bench in South Carolina, wrote […]
WASHINGTON — The Department of Defense announced on social media Monday it’s looking into “serious allegations of misconduct” against Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, one of several lawmakers who posted a video last week telling military members they are not required to follow orders that violate the law. The video spurred anger from President Donald […]
In a tacit admission that U.S. food production requires foreign labor, the Trump administration is making it easier for farmers to employ guest workers from other countries. At the same time, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in recent months appears to be refraining from conducting agricultural workplace raids, even as it scours Democratic-led cities […]
As more private equity firms buy health care physician practices and facilities, states are pushing back on acquisitions that some critics say could potentially gut health care infrastructure. This year alone at least seven states, including California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington, have enacted laws requiring more oversight over private equity acquisitions […]
As corporate ownership of residential property across the country rises nationwide, researchers from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Center for Geospatial Solutions, which is housed at the institute, warn this rising trend has complicated the housing market for first-time buyers. According to a joint “Who Owns America” report, nearly 9% of residential […]
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