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MoInd šŸ“°

Rising prices squeeze more Americans ahead of pivotal midterm elections

2 weeks 3 days ago
Americans’ growing frustration over high prices has defined many political campaigns ahead of November’s midterm elections. Rising costs of healthcare, gas and groceries during President Donald Trump’s second term have put Republicans on defense, not only in Washington, but in statehouse and gubernatorial races across the country. As the political environment continues to sour for […]
Kevin Hardy

Missouri to raise speed limit to 75 mph on stretches of four interstates

2 weeks 3 days ago
Missourians will soon be able to drive a bit faster on some rural roads. The Missouri Department of Transportation has selected portions of four interstates where drivers can go 75 mph, rather than the typical 70 mph. MoDOT crews will work to update all speed limit signs in these areas this fall and ask that […]
Erin Hynes

Commentary: ā€˜What, me worry?’ Yes, if you’re paying attentionĀ to threats surrounding the midterms.

2 weeks 5 days ago
As the November midterm elections draw near, much of the nation seemingly has channeled Mad Magazine’s smiling, redheaded, gap-toothed mascot Alfred E. Neuman and his catchphrase: ā€œWhat, me worry?ā€ But the nation has plenty to worry about. Here’s what the current administration has done in the months leading up to November’s white-knuckle vote. This administration […]
Mark McCormick

Follow the money: Who’s bankrolling Missouri’s final election push?

2 weeks 6 days ago
Missouri Democrats confidently predict voter discontent will deliver victories in tight legislative races, but campaign finance reports show Republicans well provisioned for defense. And Republicans are using that financial advantage to shape how voters see their candidates. On Thursday, the House Republican Campaign Committee transferred $1.5 million to two political action committees that attack Democrats […]
Rudi Keller

Analysis: Trump deportations near 1M, but few are criminals

2 weeks 6 days ago
The current Trump administration claims its mass deportation efforts have expelledĀ nearly a million people through July of this year, but those include both voluntary returns and people turned around at the border, according to a new analysis by the former chief statistician for the Department of Homeland Security. The level of deportations is sharply higher […]
Tim Henderson

A record number of women are running for state legislatures this year

2 weeks 6 days ago
A record number of women are running for state legislative seats this November, more than two-thirds of whom are Democrats.Ā  Across the 46 states with legislative seats on the ballot, a total of 3,824 women are running — up from 2022’s previous record of 3,621 women candidates, according to the Center for American Women and […]
Kevin Hardy

Cost of employer-sponsored health insurance plans rises again, nonpartisan survey finds

2 weeks 6 days ago
WASHINGTON — The price health insurance companies charge for employer-sponsored plans increased again this year, as did the deductible many people must pay before those plans begin covering most healthcare costs, according to a survey released Thursday by the nonpartisan health organization KFF. The cost of individual health insurance plans rose to $9,804 on average, […]
Jennifer Shutt

Commentary: My sentence isn’t the end of my story

2 weeks 6 days ago
When I was pregnant, my ex-husband pinned me against a wall. I was afraid he would kill me. I survived that violence. I also have a felony conviction. And those two parts of my life cannot be separated. My ex-husband and I often used methamphetamine together. Our drug use led to countless arguments, and I […]
Keri Durbin

Trump set to campaign in tight US Senate contests in Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Michigan

2 weeks 6 days ago
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s midterm travel blitz will continue in the coming days, with Election Day on Nov. 3 now less than two weeks out, headlining rallies in several states hosting hard-fought Senate contests seen as toss-ups.   Trump began his October campaign road trip in GOP-friendly states, but has begun venturing into territory that’s deemed […]
Shauneen Miranda

In 6 states, ballots include bans on noncitizen voting

3 weeks ago
Voters in six states are considering ballot measures in the midterm elections that would make it clear that onlyĀ U.S. citizens may vote — and block local governments from expanding that right to others. Proposed constitutional amendments or law changes in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia would explicitly bar noncitizens from voting. […]
Anna Claire Vollers

City, state employees are proud of their work but face burnout, harassment

3 weeks ago
State and local government employees report high levels of job satisfaction across the country, but face significant rates of burnout and on-the-job harassment. That’s according to a new national survey of nearly 5,000 public servants across all 50 states released today by The People Lab at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. Researchers say the survey, which […]
Kevin Hardy

Judge blocks Homeland Security from conducting election-related sweeps in 9 states

3 weeks ago
A federal judge on Wednesday night blocked the Department of Homeland Security from conducting election-related field operations that could sweep up U.S. citizens in nine states. Judge Araceli MartĆ­nez-OlguĆ­n, an appointee of President Joe Biden in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, issued a preliminary injunction after voting rights advocates alleged that Homeland […]
Jonathan Shorman

Missouri child welfare workers say restructuring is putting children’s safety at risk

3 weeks ago
By late afternoon on Sept. 25, Missouri’s Children’s Division was struggling to find enough workers to respond to reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. According to an email obtained by The Independent, every available worker had been assigned at least three reports, yet 29 reports across 20 counties remained unassigned.Ā  Fifteen of those reports […]
Steph Quinn

US Supreme Court allows gender-affirming care for trans people in federal prisons

3 weeks ago
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday denied the Trump administration’s emergency request to implement a rule that would terminate gender-affirming care for transgender people incarcerated in federal prisons.  It means a lower court order that blocked the policy from going into effect will remain in place for now, and gender-affirming healthcare for transgender inmates […]
Ariana Figueroa

New temporary leader selected for Missouri education agency

3 weeks ago
A day after the surprise resignation of Missouri’s interim commissioner of education, the State Board of Education announced a new interim leader for the state’s public school oversight agency. Lisa Sireno, deputy commissioner of learning services, will lead the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, according to a news release from the board. Sireno has […]
Rudi Keller

Dems sue Trump, alleging election interference, as DOJ battles with California

3 weeks ago
National Democrats are suing President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of intimidating election officials and asking a federal court to block him from interfering in the midterm elections. The lawsuit, filed late Tuesday in Washington, D.C., comes as the Trump administration mounts a highly public offensive against voter fraud in California just two weeks before Election […]
Jonathan Shorman