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Missouri governor to sign porn site age verification bill

2 weeks ago
Gov. Mike Kehoe has announced he will sign legislation Thursday requiring pornography websites to verify that users are adults before allowing them to access sexually explicit content. The bill, which will take effect Aug. 28, applies to commercial websites and social media platforms that knowingly and intentionally publish or distribute content in Missouri if more […]
Jason Hancock

Senate Republican primary carries stakes beyond southwest Missouri

2 weeks ago
Before Curtis Trent can try to run the Missouri Senate floor, he has to win reelection in southwest Missouri. Trent, a Springfield Republican seeking his second term in the state Senate, is also running for majority floor leader — one of the most powerful jobs in the Capitol and a position that could shape the […]
Jason Hancock

It’s possible to end corporate influence in politics

2 weeks ago
More than 15 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court removed limits on corporate political spending in its notorious Citizens United decision, ushering in an era of unprecedented influence by moneyed interests. As a result, a small group of ultrawealthy donors have skewed the political system to their advantage — and today, social scientists link the […]
Sonali Kolhatkar

Tick bites are surging in the US this year. Here’s what to know.

2 weeks 1 day ago
WASHINGTON — The prime time for ticks is here in the United States, and after an especially active start to the season, experts are urging the public to stay alert and take preventive measures.  Monthly emergency department visits for tick bites in April spiked to their highest level since 2017 and continued to remain high […]
Amelia Twyman

First Columbia charter school targets 2027 opening amid lawsuit over Missouri law

2 weeks 1 day ago
Kansas City-based Frontier Schools is on track to open Columbia’s first charter school in the fall of 2027. At this point, Frontier Schools has hired a contractor and is looking for possible locations for the charter school in the city. The Missouri Board of Education approved the opening of the STEM-based elementary school in April, […]
Annie Goodykoontz

Missouri cannabis workers notch union wins as organizing spreads

2 weeks 1 day ago
Missouri cannabis workers are trying to turn a string of recent union victories into broader organizing momentum across the state. High Profile Cannabis dispensary workers in Columbia last week unanimously ratified what union officials say is the state’s first collective bargaining contract for cannabis workers, securing higher pay and paid vacation time.  “Now for the […]
Rebecca Rivas

Democrats, Republicans alike focus on states’ rights as a way out of America’s political woes

2 weeks 1 day ago
Democrats are seizing the mantle of states’ rights to oppose the agenda of President Donald Trump, who has sought to reset Washington’s relationship with the states.  While the party out of federal power has always pushed its agenda in statehouses, Democrats across the country have recently demanded more autonomy for governors and state lawmakers. Liberals, […]
Kevin Hardy, Jonathan Shorman

I once wrote that two moments explained Mike Parson’s tenure. Make it three

2 weeks 1 day ago
When Mike Parson left office 18 months ago, I wrote that two moments explained his six years as Missouri governor. The first was a pandemic press briefing where a besieged Parson decided not to take questions and instead recite Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena,” casting criticism as something beneath the dignity of the […]
Jason Hancock

America’s 250th birthday is on sale. Where’s all that merch money going?

2 weeks 4 days ago
WASHINGTON — What’s more American than apple pie? Capitalism. And an array of merchandise and influence is on sale for the 250th birthday of the United States. An America250 $275 Liberty Lux American Prosperity decorative throw pillow, anyone? How about a $25 Freedom 250 youth tee? America250, a commission created by Congress a decade ago, and […]
Ashley Murray

More states expand PTSD treatment options for first responders

2 weeks 4 days ago
More states this year have looked beyond traditional counseling and medication to help first responders cope with post-traumatic stress.  Firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers routinely witness fatal crashes, violent crimes and other traumatic events that can leave lasting psychological scars.  “When you are in the fire service, or any first responder industry, or […]
Amanda Watford

Audit finds former Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s state flights often lacked a public purpose

2 weeks 5 days ago
Former Gov. Mike Parson’s office spent $375,000 flying him around on state aircraft without keeping flight records showing why, and for a third of those flights auditors could not identify any state business purpose. That finding anchors a closeout audit of the governor’s office released Thursday by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, which gave the office […]
Jason Hancock

Feds encourage public housing authorities to impose work rules, time limits

2 weeks 5 days ago
Dozens of public housing authorities, tribes, property owners and community groups have joined a new coalition organized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to promote work requirements and time limits for people who receive federal housing help. HUD is currently finalizing a rule that would allow public housing authorities and property owners who […]
Robbie Sequeira

US labor market weakened in June

2 weeks 5 days ago
Job growth slowed in June to an increase of 57,000 after three straight months of gaining more than 100,000, according to a new report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job gains were also revised down from 172,000 to 129,000 for May, and from 179,000 to 148,000 for April.  The unemployment rate […]
Tim Henderson

More states try to give patients relief from medical debt

2 weeks 5 days ago
Legislators in at least six states this year have approved measures related to patient medical debt, according to a report on legislative policy trends released Wednesday by United States of Care, a nonpartisan think tank. Many Americans are struggling to afford healthcare. A recent survey found that 46% of adults, regardless of their health care insurance […]
Nada Hassanein

Data center backlash spills into Missouri primaries as GOP candidates demand action

2 weeks 5 days ago
MONTGOMERY CITY — Bill Cope stood before the Montgomery County Commission earlier this month to urge local officials to reject a 25-year, 70% personal property tax abatement for a $15 billion, 934-acre Google data center project under construction outside of New Florence. “I’m not against the schools or health department or anybody getting more money,” […]
Steph Quinn

A sweaty Fourth of July ahead for the US as extreme heat descends on 20 states

2 weeks 5 days ago
WASHINGTON  — As outdoor celebrations and events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup reach their peak, local officials across the country are urging caution amid a heat wave blanketing many East Coast and Midwestern states.  The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for parts of about 20 states, including […]
Sam Gauntt

Medicaid again to cover non-abortion care at Planned Parenthood as GOP ban ends

2 weeks 5 days ago
WASHINGTON — Republicans celebrated last year when they barred Medicaid payments from going to Planned Parenthood for one year, predicting the financial impact would hollow out the organization.  A year later, with that section of the “big, beautiful” law set to expire July 4, GOP lawmakers are trying to find a way to keep the […]
Jennifer Shutt