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Gov. Mike Parson said Wednesday that application process has begun to replace embattled circuit attorney Gardner, who is set to quit June 1.

WASHINGTON — A pandemic-era measure that allowed for the swift expulsion of millions of migrants at the Southwest border is set to end Thursday, and the Biden administration and state officials across the U.S. are bracing for a potential increase in asylum seekers. At the same time, House Republicans this week are pushing through a […]

The post Title 42 nears an end, marking a shift in U.S. immigration policy at the border appeared first on Missouri Independent.

by Anchorage Daily News

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The deputy director of the Anchorage Public Library is resigning, less than three weeks after the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica published an article that documented her history of inflammatory comments and social media posts.

Mayor Dave Bronson announced Judy Eledge’s resignation Tuesday and said her last day will be Monday.

Eledge, a longtime conservative stalwart in Alaska, was appointed library director by Bronson in August 2021. But after it became clear she would not be confirmed by the Anchorage Assembly, she became deputy director, a role that does not require nomination hearings or approval by the Assembly. In that role, she essentially led the library until late last year, when a new director started work.

Eledge’s tenure was fraught with controversy, as employees accused her of making racist and inappropriate comments — some of which were recorded — and fostering a hostile work environment. She was at the center of ongoing lawsuits in state and federal court over the firing of the city’s former director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, who asserts she was let go in retaliation for reporting employee complaints about Eledge.

The Bronson administration is requesting city funds to settle with the Office of Equal Opportunity’s ex-director.

Eledge did not immediately respond to interview requests by phone and email on Tuesday.

In a resignation letter addressed to Bronson, which was obtained by the Daily News, Eledge said she is stepping down “per our discussion several weeks ago.” Eledge said in the letter her departure “is due to personal issues,” as she has a major surgery scheduled this month.

In the letter, Eledge also listed issues she worked on during her library tenure, including implementing a “one bag rule” for library visitors and a ticket system for homeless people and travelers to store items in a locked closet; taking steps toward renovating the Alaska Collection room and returning the collection there; and selecting the former City Hall building as the site for a new downtown library branch.

“Moving forward, I believe that even more positive accomplishments can be achieved if politicizing these positions can be avoided,” Eledge said in the letter.

The Daily News and ProPublica reported that on March 14, 2022, in a surreptitiously taped conversation with a co-worker, Eledge shared her disgust with the use of Indigenous land acknowledgements and the sharing of pronouns. She called transgender people “very troubled.”

“Equitable, to me, is a racist word,” she said to her subordinate, who recorded the conversation because she feared no one would believe her about how Eledge interacted with her colleagues. At one point, Eledge noted that library employees were working to “wipe out everything white in the world.”

Eledge, 76, also lamented how a library worker was removing books that contained the word “Eskimo,” a term that is now seen by many as unacceptable.

“I happened to live in Barrow,” she said, referring to the mostly Inupiat city that residents in 2016 renamed Utqiagvik. “They consider themselves Inupiat Eskimos but they got a bunch of woke, liberal, I consider racist Native people, young people. … It’s all about, ‘We stole their land.’ Which is bullshit!”

In a brief phone conversation last month, Eledge said she could not comment on accusations involving her statements at the library because they are the subject of a lawsuit. Asked about her social media posts, which are not included in the lawsuit, Eledge said, “I’ve already commented on those when I was running for school board.”

Following the announcement of Eledge’s resignation, the Assembly voted 9-2 on Tuesday night to approve a resolution drafted last week calling for her to resign. The measure’s main sponsor, West Anchorage Assembly member Kameron Perez-Verdia, initially moved to kill the measure, since Eledge had already resigned.

But Perez-Verdia rescinded his motion after several other members said they still had a duty to take an official stand and condemn Eledge’s behavior — especially, they said, because she is currently representing Alaska as part of a national education commission.

In March, Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed Eledge to the Education Commission of the States. A spokesperson for Dunleavy said Tuesday that the governor did not plan to remove Eledge from the commission. The spokesperson did not answer questions about the governor’s rationale.

Assembly Chair Christopher Constant said Tuesday night, “I’m really saddened by the fact that that is the voice Anchorage is leading with in the federal government and setting education policy for the whole country.”

An Assembly member who voted against the resolution, Kevin Cross, said that while he understands her position was controversial, “when somebody’s willing to leave, you don’t slam the door behind them.”

Perez-Verdia, who grew up in Utqiagvik, said he pursued the Assembly resolution after numerous members of the Alaska Native community contacted him with “extreme concern” about Eledge’s comments.

“I was pleased about the announcement,” Perez-Verdia said of her resignation. “I think it was the right choice.”

But the city continues to face claims about the damage caused by Eledge’s remarks. The former library employee who provided a recording of Eledge’s remarks to the Daily News on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the city, according to her attorney.

The lawsuit claims that the city failed to act on complaints made by the woman and five other library employees and failed to investigate reports of discrimination made against Eledge. The lawsuit also claims the employee experienced retaliation for reporting discrimination within the city Fire Department, where she worked before the library.

The mayor’s office did not answer emailed questions from the Daily News about whether Bronson had asked Eledge to resign or whether her resignation was connected to the Assembly’s proposed resolution, her history of inflammatory comments or the lawsuit.

At Tuesday’s Assembly meeting, Bronson thanked Eledge for her service, adding, “I personally wish her the best for her recovery from surgery.”

“I’m confident in the staff and Director [Virginia] McClure to continue leading our library successfully into the future,” Bronson said.

The Who has added a new show to their European and U.K. tour, bringing their music to a very special venue.  The band will bring their The Who Hits Back tour…

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A 2019 ordinance bars retailers from selling tobacco within a thousand feet of a school. But some gas station owners say their businesses aren't as valuable if they can't sell tobacco.

ST. LOUIS - For the sixth consecutive year, Schnuck Markets, Inc. is proud to support the Folds of Honor Foundation through a “Round Up at the Register” campaign taking place at all 115 Schnucks and Eatwell Markets throughout the Midwest. Folds of Honor is a nonprofit organization that honors the sacrifices of fallen and disabled military veterans and, new this year, first responders by providing educational scholarships to their spouses and children. Last year’s efforts raised $850,000 which funded 170 scholarships. Starting today and continuing through Tuesday, May 30, Schnucks customers will be able to contribute to Folds of Honor at checkout simply by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar. Those customers who use self-checkouts and wish to give may choose a $1, $3 or $5 “Scan and Give” option. Schnucks Rewards members also have the opportunity to donate their Rewards points to Folds of Honor as part of the Donate Your Rewards program.

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Tod Robberson, the Connecticut-based editorial page editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, will be retiring on June 15. Longtime editorial writer Kevin McDermott will fill the role — and we can only assume he'll be doing it from St. Louis. A Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial writing at the Dallas Morning-News, Robberson has been with the paper since January 2016 — a tenure that saw him clash repeatedly with local progressives, including St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones.

SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker was joined today by Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton, Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza, elected officials, and first responders to sign the Act-of-Duty Bill into law. HB 3162 retroactively provides Chicago police officers and firefighters disability benefits for the time they were unable to serve due to contracting COVID-19 between March 9, 2020, and June 30, 2021. “Since the darkest days of the pandemic, our first responders — police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers alike — have been on the ground, putting their own health and safety at risk to protect others,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When our first responders are disabled on the job, they deserve comprehensive benefits. HB 3162, a bipartisan Act-of-Duty Bill, ensures they get the benefits they are entitled to.” “Our first responders serve and protect, heal and care, comfort and support, Illinois residents in their time

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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday asked for applications for those interested in replacing St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who's resigning effective June 1.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Officials in Missouri's largest city are moving to declare it a sanctuary for people seeking or providing gender-affirming care, defying state officials who are intent on banning it for minors and restricting it for adults. A Kansas City Council committee approved such a resolution Wednesday. The full council will now [...]

JERSEYVILLE - It will be a busy summer at the Jerseyville Public Library with their Free Comic Book Festival coming up and several more events scheduled for this summer. The third annual Free Comic Book Festival will be held this Saturday, May 13 from noon to 3 p.m., and will feature a Smash Bros tournament, Jedi Lightsaber Training sessions, tons of door prizes, and much more. At the Free Comic Book Festival, the Smash Bros Tournament with prizes will begin at 2:30 p.m. Registration is required by May 11 for the tournament, but no registration is required for the Festival itself. The Festival will also feature a costume parade, crafts by the Jersey County Arts Council, a Wonder Woman cosplayer for photo opportunities, and professional face painting by Glitter Faces. The event is free and open to all ages, with or without a library card. Several other events are planned for the rest of this summer, including a live Zoom event on Wednesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. Olympic Gold Medalist

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Two proposals submitted by stockholders of Centene Corp. (NYSE: CNC) relating to executive compensation were not approved, according to preliminary results released at Wednesday’s annual shareholders meeting.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has officially launched an online application for anyone interested in becoming the next St. Louis Circuit Attorney.

SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker and State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera joined firefighters today to honor and remember fallen firefighters and recognize those who went above and beyond their duties at the 30th Annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Medal of Honor Ceremony. “From the July 4th Highland Park massacre to intractable lithium-ion battery fires to last month’s devastating tornadoes, our firefighters respond to our most daunting emergencies with resolve and selflessness—mitigating disaster, reuniting families, and saving countless lives, while putting themselves in harm’s way,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “Congratulations to our Firefighter Excellence Award, Firefighter Excellence ‘Unit Citation’ Award, State Fire Marshal Life Safety Award, Medal of Honor, and Medal of Valor awardees. On behalf of the State of Illinois, thank you for your service—we couldn’t be more grateful.” “Firefighters serve

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The Missouri House sent legislation to the governor’s desk Wednesday morning barring transgender youth from beginning gender-affirming care. The bill passed 108-50. Only three Republicans joined every Democrat in opposition: House Majority Leader Jon Patterson, a doctor; Rep. Chris Sander, who is gay; and Rep. Gary Bonacker.

The St. Charles Parks and Recreation Department is closing the McNair Aquatic Facility, effective immediately.

The event will kick off with 22 local trucks lined up along Southwest Drive between Tower Grove Avenue and Kingshighway Boulevard from 4-8 p.m.