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MoInd šŸ“°

U.S. and China hit the pause button on trade war for 90 days, as talks continue

6 months ago
The United States and China agreed Monday to lower steep tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, temporarily cooling a trade war but still leaving a cloud of uncertainty over businesses in the world’s two largest economies. American and Chinese officials announced the pause will go into effect Wednesday, following talks in Geneva, Switzerland, as negotiations on […]
Ashley Murray

Trump signs order aiming to lower U.S. drug costs to match prices abroad

6 months ago
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at lowering drug prices by pressuring pharmaceutical companies to align their U.S. pricing models with those in similarly wealthy countries. ā€œWe’ll slash the cost of prescription drugs and will bring fairness to America,ā€ Trump said at a morning White House event. ā€œWe’re all gonna […]
Ariana Figueroa

Kansas City immigration lawyer fighting against Trump blocking immigrants from access to college

6 months ago
Immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s attempts to block five international students from their college educations — and so far, she’s winning. Court records show that on April 24, a judge granted Sharma-Crawford’s motion for a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration revocation of their legal status as […]
Grace Hills

Treasury advises Congress must deal with debt limit before August or face default

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department announced Friday that Congress must address the debt limit before August, setting a firm deadline for Republicans to wrap up work on the ā€œbig, beautiful billā€ that will raise the nation’s borrowing limit by up to $5 trillion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in aĀ letter to congressional leaders that ā€œthere […]
Jennifer Shutt

Trump again tries to defund NPR and PBS, sparking a new congressional battle

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump urged Congress to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting during his first term, but was largely unsuccessful. Now, in his second go-around, Trump is once again asking lawmakers to scrap federal spending on the private, nonprofit corporation that Congress established in the 1960s. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting […]
Jennifer Shutt

As Trump slashes AmeriCorps, states lose a federal partner in community service

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — Hillary Kane learned on a Saturday morning in April that within days, she would lose AmeriCorps funding for two programs that match mentors with West Philadelphia high schoolers and first-generation college students — both vulnerable groups at risk of not completing diplomas and degrees. Kane, director of the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for […]
Ashley Murray

States push to combat human trafficking amid federal funding cuts

6 months 1 week ago
For help, call 1-888-373-7888 or text *233733 for the 24/7 National Human Trafficking Hotline, a national, toll-free hotline. States are moving to strengthen protections against human trafficking, but some advocates warn that federal funding cuts could undermine efforts to support survivors. This year, lawmakers in several states have introduced bills to expand education, strengthen penalties […]
Amanda HernƔndez

Missouri lawmakers eye late push to move Kansas City Royals to Clay County

6 months 1 week ago
With only a week to go before the legislature adjourns for the year, Missouri lawmakers are considering a last-minute push for a $300 million incentive package aimed at building a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals in Clay County.Ā  The tentative plan, which according to those involved has the blessing of the governor’s office, […]
Jason Hancock

Bill funding newborn rescue boxes heads to Missouri governor

6 months 1 week ago
A bill that would help fund the installation of rescue boxes for parents in crisis to anonymously relinquish newborns to the state is headed to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. State Rep. Jim Murphy, a St. Louis Republican and the sponsor of the ā€œSafe Place for Newborns Fund,ā€ called his legislation ā€œa pro-life bill that everybody […]
Anna Spoerre

Missouri budget negotiators agree to spend $50 million on private school scholarship program

6 months 1 week ago
After a sharp, brief fight in which Democrats were outnumbered by majority Republicans, Missouri legislative budget negotiators agreed Thursday to spend $50 million to expand the MOScholars program that helps pay tuition at private and parochial schools. The general revenue support would be the first time state tax dollars have been appropriated directly to the […]
Rudi Keller

ā€˜Out of control’: Kristi Noem on defense over Homeland Security spending overrun

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON  — The top Democrat on a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee panel Thursday slammed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for her handling of her agency’s funding and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Sen. Chris Murphy warned Noem that DHS is at risk of running out of its $65 billion in funding by July […]
Ariana Figueroa

Puzzled senators question Trump’s FBI chief on nonexistent spending plan

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — The case of the missing Federal Bureau of Investigation budget request was on full display Thursday, when senators repeatedly asked the law enforcement agency’s director what resources he needed Congress to provide in the upcoming fiscal year. FBI Director Kash Patel did not disclose a dollar amount, an unusual development at a hearing […]
Jennifer Shutt

FEMA leader ousted, one day after publicly opposing agency’s elimination

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ousted the leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and replaced him with another official, States Newsroom has confirmed. Cam Hamilton, senior official performing the duties of the administrator at FEMA, was let go just one day after he testified before Congress about the size and scope of the […]
Jennifer Shutt

Gulf of Mexico to be renamed ā€˜Gulf of America’ under bill passed by U.S. House

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House approved a measure Thursday that would codify part of President Donald Trump’sĀ executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the ā€œGulf of America.ā€ The bill — which was passed on a nearly party-line vote,Ā 211-206 — calls on the head of each federal agency to ā€œupdate each document and map of […]
Shauneen Miranda

U.S. House panel debates FEMA’s role, as Trump administration eyes ā€˜top-down reform’

6 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — U.S. House lawmakers on Wednesday began debating when the Federal Emergency Management Agency should provide state and local communities with help addressing natural disasters and when aid should be handled by others. The Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee’s hearing on FEMA’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year came just days after the Trump administrationĀ sent […]
Jennifer Shutt

Lawmakers negotiating Missouri budget add $300M to public schools spending

6 months 1 week ago
Missouri’s public schools would be fully funded and a policy some blame for undermining a child care subsidy program would be fixed, legislative budget negotiators decided Wednesday night as they worked through eight of the 13 spending bills for state operations in the coming year. Over about three hours, the conference committees of five lawmakers […]
Rudi Keller