A proposal to limit the legislature’s power to alter or repeal measures passed by initiative should not be on Missouri’s November ballot because it “impermissibly constricts” the legislative freedom to make new laws reflecting new views, a Cole County judge ruled Wednesday. The proposal, which would be Amendment 6 on the Nov. 3 ballot if […]
A federal judge in the District of Columbia issued an order Wednesday blocking U.S. Health and Human Services from implementing sweeping changes to grants under the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program while a lawsuit proceeds, but dozens of existing grants that were canceled this summer will remain so for now, unless the administration chooses to reinstate […]
A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld an injunction that bars Department of Homeland Security agents from conducting immigration enforcement “at or near” more than 1,400 houses of worship sprawling across 33 states and the District of Columbia. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a February 2025 […]
The Missouri Constitution’s provisions allowing a referendum on “any act” of the Legislature do not extend that power to laws establishing congressional districts, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled Wednesday afternoon. Delivering his decision just a few hours after conducting a trial in the case, Green wrote that to allow a referendum on redistricting, […]
Violent crime in the United States fell by an estimated 9.3% in 2025, marking the largest year-to-year decline in the national violent crime rate since the FBI began estimating crime in 1936, according to new national data. The estimated murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate also fell 18.1%, to 4.1 killings per 100,000 people — tying […]
Missouri education officials are preparing to ask lawmakers for roughly $300 million more for public schools next year, setting up a potentially difficult budget fight as the state faces a projected revenue shortfall. The numbers are yet to be finalized, but the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s preliminary report shows that recent changes to […]
Genis Tobias smiles as she kneels next to a young learner and watches him sign his message to a classmate. Just months ago, this learner relied almost entirely on repeating words and phrases he heard from others, a common experience for learners demonstrating what is known as echolalia. Now he is beginning to communicate independently, […]
WASHINGTON — Historic preservationists asked the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday to deny President Donald Trump’s appeal to continue construction on his $400 million White House ballroom on the grounds of the demolished East Wing. In response to Trump’s application to the high court, the National Trust for Historic Preservation argued irreparable harm would result if […]
A Cole County judge will decide Wednesday on whether a proposed constitutional amendment goes too far or if state law directs him to allow it to go to a November vote. At the end of an hour of arguments Tuesday, Circuit Judge Daniel Green promised he would deliver his ruling in one day. Then the […]
In the summer of 2023, a third of the fire engines owned by the fire department in Kansas City, Kansas, were unusable. Five of 15 pumper trucks were out of commission, and the department was waiting on parts from the manufacturer. So Kansas City fire officials went on a nationwide hunt for trucks. But their […]
The number of refugees admitted to the United States during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is on pace to hit its lowest level on record, according to a new analysis. The new numbers reflect a steep decline in refugee admissions since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to a new […]
For more than three decades, researchers have been tracking ticks, mice, oak trees and other wildlife in a New York forest to better understand what makes Lyme disease more likely to spread. Their latest findings challenge some long-held assumptions — including the idea that deer are a major driver of Lyme disease risk. Researchers at […]
The two proposals denied a spot on the Nov. 3 ballot by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins have the required signatures, data Hoskins has provided online shows. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green will hold a trial Tuesday afternoon on whether the proposal limiting legislative changes to measures passed by initiative will be on […]
Missouri’s Head Start programs reach only about 13% of the infants and toddlers eligible for them. The Trump administration says part of the problem is the program’s rulebook in Missouri and nationwide. Federal officials want to eliminate more than 1,400 requirements governing Head Start, arguing that less money spent complying with Washington’s rules could help […]
In the weeks and months ahead, as we approach the midterm elections, we will hear a lot of political labels used to frame, define, categorize and box in candidates and their affiliated political groups — positively and negatively. What label defines you? Are you a Democrat, Republican, independent, Libertarian, Green, progressive, socialist, liberal, conservative, leftist, […]
When young children and teenagers get into trouble, the question often comes quickly: Where were their parents? That question is again shaping public policy in communities across the country, as state and local lawmakers and prosecutors increasingly look for ways to respond to concerns about youth crime and public disorder. Some proposals would strengthen enforcement […]
Families who believe local officials prematurely ruled their loved ones’ deaths suicides or accidents — rather than investigating whether domestic violence played a role — are pushing lawmakers in a growing number of states to require additional scrutiny. Advocates call the deaths “hidden homicides” — killings they say may be staged to look like suicides, […]
Flock Safety is tightening privacy and oversight controls for its nationwide network of automated license plate readers as more communities pull back from the technology and lawmakers across the political spectrum push for new restrictions. The company announced Thursday that it will recommend that police agencies retain license plate reader data for seven days, down […]
JOPLIN — Ashley Allen had worked almost four years as a child abuse and neglect investigator for the Missouri Children’s Division when she quit in April. Some days it seemed like the printer in her Jasper County office never stopped churning out reports from the state’s child abuse and neglect hotline, Allen told The Independent. […]
Roughly $75 million in large-dollar donations poured into Missouri politics this year. That’s a lot of cash for an election year with no governor or U.S. Senate race. Where did all that money go? More than $42 million flowed to committees fighting over constitutional amendments, referendums and other ballot measures. Amendments 4 and 5, the […]
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