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Missourians could vote to boost state’s minimum wage and establish paid sick leave

1 year 2 months ago
In Missouri, much of the attention as to what issues will be on the ballot in November has been about efforts to legalize abortion and sports betting. Another initiative that could boost the minimum wage and establish paid sick leave also seems primed for a vote. Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages turned in roughly 210,000 signatures to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office. The measure would raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 an hour next year – and eventually move it up to $15 an hour by 2026. Campaign manager Richard von Glahn talks about the effort.

Kids died after Missouri child abuse investigators missed signs of fentanyl abuse

1 year 2 months ago
Missouri child abuse investigators missed warning signs of fentanyl use among parents before their young children died of accidental overdoses from the drug, according to a new state report. It found that Children's Division investigators, who are tasked with following up on claims of abuse and neglect, “lacked essential procedures, missed warning signs and left vulnerable children at risk.” Jessica Seitz, executive director of the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse, joins the show. She also helped put the report together.

FPF discusses threats to the free press on radio talk show

1 year 2 months ago

Journalists in Chicago report being frozen out of contentious government meetings. We discussed this and other press freedom issues facing journalists in Chicago and worldwide on WBEZ radio. "Snowy News" by Pirate Alice is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

In honor of World Press Freedom Day, Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Director of Advocacy Seth Stern joined WBEZ’s Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons to discuss the current state of the free press in the United States. 

They addressed the decline, both among law enforcement and judges, in understanding of First Amendment freedoms for journalists. “What we're seeing all around is … a lack of sensitivity on the part of elected officials and law enforcement to the rights of journalists,” Stern observed. He noted that as news outlets shutter and shrink, police officers and judges gain less experience dealing with the press than they used to. 

Stern and Simons discussed press freedom issues from reporters’ access to city council meetings in their hometown of Chicago to threats to journalists’ lives in Gaza. They also talked about the PRESS Act, the federal shield bill to stop old ways of spying on journalists — as well as the new ways of surveilling them created by RISAA, the recently enacted law that dangerously expands surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. 

You can listen to the radio interview here.

Freedom of the Press Foundation

The Inheritance Part 2 Completes a Beautifully Crafted Epic

1 year 2 months ago
Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance Part 1 & Part 2 is a brilliant exploration of the legacy of AIDS on the lives and communal history of gay men. Last week, Tesseract Theatre Company stunned audiences with the beautifully connected and performed Part 1. This week, Director Stephen Peirick and an exceptional cast complete the story with a truly unforgettable and affecting Part 2, the St. Louis premiere of the heartfelt and moving conclusion.
Tina Farmer

Missouri Congressman Mark Alford says the U.S. must continue to support Taiwan

1 year 2 months ago
It’s been over a week since Congress put the finishing touches on a foreign aid package to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. And while much of the attention and focus is around opposition to providing military assistance to Ukraine and Israel, there’s been less debate about helping Taiwan blunt any potential invasion from China. U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R-Cass County, recently traveled to Taiwan as part of a bipartisan delegation and discusses why he voted for Taiwan aid in order to stem China’s growing influence.

Three Cities Sue Axon; Claim It Has A Monopoly On Body Cams, Electronic Weapons

1 year 2 months ago
As much as I dislike and distrust Axon (formerly Taser and the leading proponent of the “excited delirium” theory of cop exoneration), I just don’t think there’s much going on here. Sometimes there are actual monopolies. And sometimes, one business is just better at business than its competitors. But that’s what a few cities are […]
Tim Cushing