News
Missouri sheriffs’ pension donates $30K to ballot campaign, sparking concerns
The Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System last month made a $30,000 investment, hoping for a big return if voters approve a ballot measure imposing a $3 fee on court cases to fund the system’s pensions. The $30,000 contribution to the Committee to Ensure a Future for Sheriffs & Prosecutors, the committee promoting Amendment 6 on the […]
Harris rolls out broad Medicare plan to provide long-term care in the home
Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a plan Tuesday that would strengthen Medicare coverage to include long-term care for seniors in their homes, tackling one of the biggest challenges in U.S. health care. The Democratic presidential nominee revealed the proposal while on “The View” — one of several high-profile media appearances this week as she and […]
Roaches, rust and rot: KC tenant union launches rent strike against federally backed landlords
When you walk into the back entrance of Independence Towers, you’re met with a foyer filled with dust, debris and cobwebs. Two rust-coated elevators loom against the back wall. Peeling paint and caution tape line the dirt-ridden hallways on either side. Diasha White said it wasn’t always like this. She’s lived in the building for […]
Missouri appeals court hears case over local governments stacking sales tax on marijuana
The court debate Tuesday over how Missouri marijuana products get taxed statewide sounded similar to a grammar class on conjunctions and comma placement. The constitutional amendment voters approved in 2022 legalizing recreational marijuana allowed local governments to impose additional sales tax on the products. The big question before the three-judge panel of the Missouri Court […]
U.S. Supreme Court considers Biden administration regulation of ‘ghost guns’
WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices Tuesday grappled with whether the Biden administration exceeded its authority when it set regulations for kits that can be assembled into untraceable firearms, and a majority of justices seemed somewhat skeptical the rule was an overreach. In Garland v. VanDerStok, the nine justices are tasked with determining whether a rule issued […]
Haitian immigrants find new footholds, and familiar backlash, in the Midwest, South
Fortified with work authorizations and a new freedom, Haitian immigrants are moving out of their longtime strongholds in Florida and New York, often finding good jobs while remaining wary of how they will be received in new places in the Midwest and South. This movement helps explain why Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, have become […]
FEMA chief decries rumors, disinformation about hurricane recovery as worst ever
WASHINGTON — Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said Tuesday that rumors and disinformation will become a regular part of natural disaster response moving forward, and rebuked those seeking to benefit politically from spreading false information. The volume and type of disinformation spreading about FEMA, as Southeast states struggle to recover from Hurricane […]
Planned Parenthood will close 3 Missouri clinics, expand telehealth services
Three Planned Parenthood clinics in eastern and southern Missouri will shut their doors next month, though the organization’s leaders insist the moves will ultimately expand access to reproductive health care. As part of the consolidation effort, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers will be expanding telehealth services and hours at its remaining St. Louis clinics. The moves […]
Education: Where do Harris and Trump stand?
As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sprint to the November finish line, one sprawling policy area has largely fallen out of the spotlight — education. Though the respective GOP and Democratic presidential candidates have spent comparatively more time campaigning on issues such as immigration, foreign policy and the economy, their ideas […]
Housing: Where do Trump and Harris stand?
WASHINGTON — As the cost and supply of housing remain top issues for voters, both presidential candidates have put forth plans to tackle the crisis, in hopes of courting voters ahead of the Nov. 5 election. The coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020 exacerbated problems in the housing market, with supply chain disruptions, record-low interest […]
Energy and climate: Where do Harris and Trump stand?
Highlighted in Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign as one of the major crises facing the country, climate change has received much less attention in the 2024 race for the presidency. The candidates, Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, share the twin goals of lowering energy costs and increasing U.S. jobs in […]
Harris and Trump turn to podcasts, radio and TV as campaign hurtles into final month
WASHINGTON — In an interview released Sunday on a widely heard podcast geared toward young women, Vice President Kamala Harris stressed the importance of reproductive rights, a central topic in her bid for the White House. The “Call Her Daddy” host, Alex Cooper, specifically centered the 40-minute interview around issues affecting women such as domestic […]