The clergy, 250 strong, gathered on the steps of the Kansas City Convention Center. They proclaimed a clear, moral argument opposing the Trump administrationās mass deportation campaign targeting immigrants. āGod knows no borderā was among the chants. They were among thousands attending the United Church of Christ General Synod in Kansas City July 11-15. The […]
For as much promise as artificial intelligence shows in making life better, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is worried. The tech leader who has done so much to develop AI and make it accessible to the public says the technology could have life-altering effects on nearly everything, particularly if deployed by the wrong hands. Thereās a […]
This story was originally published by KCUR 89.3. Ā In July 2023, LaTonya Williams, volunteer president of the school board in St. Joseph, Missouri, posted photos on her personal Facebook page of recent purchases from Target. Among them were rainbow pillows and other colorful items she found in the dollar bin, intended for use at […]
WASHINGTON ā A group of U.S. House Democrats on Tuesday blasted President Donald Trumpās administration for what they called ācrueltyā and ālawlessnessā in carrying out mass deportations of migrants without legal status. At a forum at the U.S. Capitol, Democrats who sit on the House Homeland Security Committee and others rebuked the administrationās sweeping immigration […]
Republicans on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted Tuesday to rename the Opera House at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for first lady Melania Trump. The panel adopted, 33-25,Ā a package of amendments to theĀ bill funding the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and related agencies for fiscal 2026 that included a provision to designate the […]
WASHINGTON ā House Republicans are headed home early for their August break after an uproar over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files all but halted any possibility of floor action. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday heās sending his members back to their districts until September to avoid āpolitical gamesā relating to a bipartisan […]
Cities and counties are not allowed to stack sales taxes on marijuana products, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.Ā In a 6-1 decision, the stateās highest court concluded the 2022 constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana limits the definition of ālocal governmentā to allow only one municipality to impose a 3% sales tax ā […]
Problems with the presentation of a Missouri Sunshine Law case, along with misinterpretation of a lower court ruling, doomed the appeal in a closely watched lawsuit over what must be included in a meeting notice and what constitutes a meeting that can be held on short notice. The Western District Missouri Court of Appeals, in […]
This report has been updated. WASHINGTON ā A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday, blocking a provision in Republicansā ābig, beautifulā law that would have barred Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood for one year. District Court Judge Indira Talwani wrote in a 36-page opinion that Planned Parenthood established āa substantial likelihood of success […]
The Missouri Supreme Court isnāt as ready to hear the appeal of a ruling that allowed abortions to resume in the state as Attorney General Andrew Bailey is to argue it in front of the seven judges. In filings for an appeal of Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhangās July 3 preliminary injunction, Baileyās office […]
The head of Missouriās cannabis testing unit said the new unannounced visits to collect product samples shouldnāt impact business, in a podcast by the Missouri Cannabis Regulation Division. āThis is going to be just another arm of compliance, guys,ā said Ryan Bernard, the divisionās testing and research unit manager. āSo keep this business as usual […]
WASHINGTON ā Republicansā ābig, beautifulā law will add $3.394 trillion to deficits during the next decade and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The updated assessment of the sweeping tax and spending cuts law came weeks after nearly every […]
Congress set aside $50 billion for rural hospitals and medical providers to allay fears over the billions more in historic cuts to federal health care spending that President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day. But is that bandage big enough to save struggling rural hospitals? āI have more questions than I have answers,ā […]
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved new rates for Amerenās gas customers, adding around 12%, or $13, to the average customerās monthly bills. John Coffman, a lawyer for the Consumers Council of Missouri, said rate increases are outpacing both inflation and wage growth. āWe believe that these increases are fueling inflation generally in the […]
With hurricane and wildfire season well underway across much of the country, state and local emergency managers say they have little idea how much support the federal government will provide if disaster strikes. And the recent deadly floods in Texas have shown just how dire the need can be. President Donald Trump has imposed severe […]
Outcry over the Trump administrationās handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files includes calls by leading Missouri Republicans for the president to order the release of as much documentation as possible to put the issue to rest.Ā U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley told KMOV-TV on Friday that President Donald Trumpās administration should ārelease everything they can.ā āWhatever […]
WASHINGTON ā A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to once again publish details about the pace at which it plans to spend money approved by Congress. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Emmet Sullivan wrote in his ruling that Congress āhas sweeping authorityā to require the president to post […]
This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project – St. Louis, a nonprofit news team covering Missouriās criminal justice systems. Subscribe to their email list, and follow The Marshall Project on Instagram, Reddit and YouTube. There was a precious time last summer when a Guatemalan immigrant finally felt at home in Missouri.Ā He, […]
Missouri cannabis regulators say theyāre halfway through getting fingerprint background checks for about 16,000 marijuana workers and volunteers who didnāt get them between 2022 and 2024. Anyone who wants to work in the cannabis industry must get an āagent ID badgeā through the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, which is when the background check normally […]
While our government ramps up its hiring of immigration enforcement officers and āmakes America safe again,ā let me tell you about a family I know. I have written about them here before. They are eight global citizens who fled their homeland in the midst of a civil war. They waited years in a refugee camp […]