News
Missouri AG’s office denies allegations it broke law in medical marijuana lawsuit
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office dismissed accusations that his office and the state department of health illegally concealed records and violated the Sunshine Law during the course of a medical marijuana lawsuit, calling the charges “frivolous” and “baseless.” The accusation arose last week in a motion seeking sanctions against Schmitt’s office and the Missouri […]
Missouri county stops COVID social media posts over ‘negative, insulting’ comments
A Missouri county enduring the state’s fourth-highest rate for new COVID-19 infections will stop posting local data on Facebook because of responses that attack its work and raise conspiracy theories about the disease. Ste. Genevieve County, a southeast Missouri county with 17,894 people, has added 195 new cases since Sept. 30 and 93 in the […]
The Missouri governor who was never governor
In early October 1864, Major General Sterling Price was poised to strike at Jefferson City with a force of about 12,000 men who had marched from the Arkansas border through the state in a last-ditch attempt to turn Missouri to the Confederate side. Accompanying Price was Thomas C. Reynolds, a native of South Carolina who […]
Spire Missouri program will help customers catch up on gas bills during COVID pandemic
The natural gas supplier for more than 1 million Missouri customers will create a payment assistance program and allow up to 18 months to pay bills that have accumulated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the plan approved Thursday by the Missouri Public Service Commission, Spire Missouri will help customers who have lost […]
High COVID case counts sending some Missouri students into virtual classrooms
Missouri continued its string of days reporting 1,000 or more new coronavirus infections on Friday, adding 1,811 new infections amid growing difficulties for school districts trying to maintain in-class instruction. While one of the state’s largest districts, Columbia Public Schools, opened doors for elementary students for the first time on Monday, the small Maries County […]
Trump in final debate slams pandemic aid as a ‘big bailout’ for blue cities and states
WASHINGTON — Asked during Thursday’s final presidential debate about why another round of economic relief hasn’t been approved to aid unemployed Americans and struggling local governments, President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, pointed fingers at opposite ends of the U.S. Capitol. Trump blamed House Democrats for the stalemate over another coronavirus stimulus […]
Medical marijuana lawsuit: Missouri health department illegally concealed documents
A Missouri family that sued after being denied a medical marijuana license is alleging the state department of health and Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office illegally concealed documents and violated open records laws in order to undercut their lawsuit. The allegations — which are included in a 28-page motion seeking sanctions against the state that […]
Nearly half of Missouri’s COVID deaths occurred in nursing homes
Nearly half of all coronavirus deaths in Missouri have occurred in nursing homes, with the highest total coming in St. Louis County, according to a new analysis of federal data from Saint Louis University researchers. At least 24 facilities around the state have reported 100 or more cases among residents and staff, and at least […]
Barrett nomination advances to U.S. Senate floor with a GOP-only vote
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as Democrats boycotted the markup in a show of protest. The 12 Republicans on the panel speedily voted on Barrett’s nomination and sent it to the Senate floor. The full Senate will […]
Missouri makes COVID data available to download, explains difference in positivity rate
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Department of Health and Senior Services made some — but not all — of its data on the coronavirus outbreak available to download this week. In a new tab on its website, DHSS now includes accessible data breaking down tests, cases and deaths by […]
Missouri governor calls special session as CARES Act spending deadline looms
With Missouri in its 13th consecutive week of reporting an average of more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases per day, and facing a Dec. 30 deadline for using federal relief funds, Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday called a special session to begin just after the Nov. 3 election. On Thursday morning, the Department of Health and […]
Missouri Medicaid expansion: Will it bust the budget or pay for itself?
When Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion in August, they were told by the ballot language that the price tag was unknown, with possible costs at $200 million stated alongside $1 billion in potential savings. What is known for certain is that about 250,000 Missourians will become eligible for coverage next year — and the next […]