News
At home in Scranton, Joe Biden pitches his sprawling domestic agenda
SCRANTON, Pa. — President Joe Biden took the stage Wednesday in his childhood hometown surrounded by images of America’s infrastructure. A retired Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority railcar sitting to his far right offered an example of how neglected the country’s infrastructure has been. Its letters were barely visible. The door’s paint was scuffed and faded. […]
Parson doubles down on push to prosecute reporter who found security flaw in state site
Gov. Mike Parson escalated his war with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday when his political operation published a video doubling down on his attack against a reporter who informed the state that a state website revealed teacher Social Security numbers. The video is produced by Uniting Missouri, a political action committee created by Parson […]
U.S. Senate Republicans again block debate on voting rights legislation
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans blocked the advance of voting rights legislation Wednesday, the second time this year — thwarting again Democrats’ attempts to pass federal protections for voters amid a slew of new state elections laws. “When we are faced with a coordinated effort across our country to limit the freedom to vote, we […]
Feds OK ‘mix-and-match’ approach for COVID-19 booster shots
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given a green light to Americans who want to receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a different company than the one that produced the initial shot they received. The announcement Wednesday on allowing “mix-and-match” shots from different manufacturers will give more flexibility to state […]
Kids age 5 to 11 next in line for COVID-19 vaccines as White House rolls out plans
WASHINGTON — Smaller needles. Redesigned shipments to ease the storage needs in pediatricians’ offices. And enough vials of the COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate the 28 million U.S. children between ages 5 and 11. Those are among the plans announced by the White House on Wednesday as federal and state officials prepare for a regulatory decision to be […]
After negotiating to revise new Missouri law, Christian boarding school sues to block it
A Christian boarding school from northeast Missouri with a history of defying government intervention filed a federal lawsuit last week seeking to block oversight requirements in a new state law — even after negotiating with legislators to revise the law’s provisions. CNS International Ministries Inc., a nonprofit which operates various recovery programs for children, men […]
Democrats say Missouri governor inflating cost of fixing website flaw found by reporter
When Gov. Mike Parson last week angrily called for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to be prosecuted for uncovering security flaws on a state agency website, he said the newspaper’s actions could “cost Missouri taxpayers up to $50 million.” That amount, two Democrats on the House Budget Committee said Tuesday, is an estimate for providing credit […]
National parks nominee pledges to ramp up workforce, improve staff morale
President Joe Biden’s choice to lead the National Park Service told a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday he would work to rebuild the agency’s workforce, which has shrunk even as park attendance hits new records. Charles F. Sams III, of Oregon, would be the first enrolled tribal member to lead the National Park Service. He is […]
For many Kansas City refugees, job options depend on spotty public transportation
This story was originally published by The Kansas City Beacon. As a young man in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Solomon Kasongo attended university and had plans to launch a meaningful career, possibly in business. War disrupted those hopes. Kasongo fled his home country and spent more than a decade in a refugee camp in […]
Top fundraiser in Missouri Senate race last quarter was Democrat Lucas Kunce
While all the attention in the race for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat has been focused on the crowded GOP primary, a Democrat quietly out-raised the field last quarter. Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, 39, reported raising nearly $840,000 during the three months that ended Oct. 1. That far outpaces his main rivals for the Democratic […]
Can you live on retirement benefits as a Kansas or Missouri teacher? It depends
This story was first published by The Kansas City Beacon. As local school systems are dealing with a teacher shortage, a new report ranks Missouri and Kansas in the bottom half of the pack nationally when it comes to state educator retirement programs. But a teachers union representative and the director of Missouri’s retirement program […]
Feds seize property of KC-area companies accused of COVID relief fraud
The federal government has seized two vehicles, and is threatening to seize a lake house, allegedly purchased illegally with COVID-19 relief money by a Kansas City-area businessman. The property was seized from several real estate companies incorporated in Kansas by Joseph Campbell, with most operating under a version of the name Titan Fish. According to […]