(Missouri Independent) – For the first time in history, the White House has launched a national plan to address gender-based violence on a federal level, introducing seven strategic action plans to help communities across the United States. “As long as there are women in this country and around the world who live in fear of […]
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced his guiding principles for the future of American artificial intelligence (AI) legislation. Senator Hawley’s principles seek to protect Americans’ privacy as AI continues to develop at a pace that threatens to upend many aspects of American life. “Congress can and should act to protect Americans’ privacy, stave off the harms […]
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee on Tuesday passed several bills that are a rebuke of not only the Biden administration’s policies on immigration, child nutrition, and health care but regulations from the Obama era. The committee passed a resolution that condemns the use of public schools to shelter undocumented people, […]
(Missouri Independent) – U.S. worker productivity has dropped significantly, including in key large states, leaving some economists alarmed by the decrease in a measure that could mean trillions of dollars to the economy. Labor productivity — the value of the goods and services produced on average by an hour’s work — ranged from $58.80 in […]
A proposal from the federal government could provide a better path toward student loan debt repayment, but a new survey finds many borrowers don’t know about this option. While the fate of the Biden Administration’s debt erasure plan is in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, income-driven repayment plans offer the next best option for […]
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is brushing off calls to investigate the effect its social media platforms have on children’s mental health. Last week shareholders rejected a proposal to hire an independent law firm to evaluate the effectiveness of Meta’s audit and risk oversight committee. The resolution alleges the company regularly breaks pledges to remove content […]
A public health measure known as Title 42 was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed immigrants to be immediately expelled if they crossed into the United States illegally. It ended several weeks ago – but in Iowa, the effects are not as dramatic as some immigration advocates anticipated. Even though Title 42 has […]
(Missouri Independent) – During his long career as a high school teacher, New York State Sen. John Mannion often reached into his own pocket to cover the cost of lunches for kids who didn’t have the funds. “I watched kids get to the end of the line and not have enough money on their cards,” […]
Utah’s Davis School District has made the controversial decision to remove the Bible from elementary and middle schools after a parent complained about the presence of vulgar and violent verses that they deemed inappropriate for young children. This move follows the district’s compliance with a 2022 state law that requires parental involvement in decisions regarding […]
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision. President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, but the 52-46 vote forced vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024 to take a public stance […]
A Colorado physician was sentenced today to two and a half years in prison for fraudulently obtaining and misappropriating approximately $250,000 from two separate COVID-19 relief programs. According to court documents, Dr. Francis F. Joseph, 58, of Highlands Ranch, was the supervisory physician at Springs Medical Associates, a medical clinic with three offices in Colorado. […]
In June, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance joins the National Safety Council in promoting National Safety Month – an annual observance to emphasize that safety should be considered a top priority year-round, especially as people engage in more outdoor activities and summer travel. According to NSC, accidents are the third leading cause of […]
(Missouri Independent) – The holiday weekend debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans. The agreement released late Saturday night showed concessions from both sides — from GOP members, who […]
A Kansas man was indicted by a federal grand jury for using guns, death threats, and racial slurs to intimidate Black people and interfere with multiple federally-protected rights. The indictment alleges that, on July 27, 2022, Austin Schoemann, 30, of Wichita, brandished a firearm and used racial slurs to threaten two Black juveniles, Victims 1 […]
Researchers at the University of Iowa are using one of the body’s naturally occurring waste products to treat stroke, potentially lessening the damage. Uric acid is a natural biological component of human blood, improving flow in the smaller vessels and reducing brain damage by neutralizing chemicals occurring during a stroke. But because the uric acid is […]
Phone scammers are now using artificial intelligence to steal money from victims with realistic-sounding facsimiles of loved ones. Scammers take existing recordings uploaded to social media and use AI to create a dynamic version of the voice that can read a script, and is then used to trick others out of cash. Seniors are often […]
An Indiana licensing board has fined a local physician $3,000 and handed her a letter of reprimand after she went public about a 10-year-old Ohio patient forced to travel across state lines for an abortion. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita brought the case against obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard, for comments she made last July to the Indianapolis […]
Groups fighting for children’s health are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers to require insurance companies to cover hearing aids and related services for kids. Advocates want to see language in the budget trailer bill which would mandate the coverage. Michelle Marciniak, co-chair and co-founder of the nonprofit Let California Kids Hear and the mother of a […]
(Missouri Independent) – Lawmakers in the U.S. House passed bipartisan legislation Thursday in an effort to curb staggering overdose deaths from illegal fentanyl substances that are illicitly produced and up to 50 times stronger than heroin. The HALT Fentanyl Act passed on a 289-133 vote with 74 Democratic votes and support from the Biden administration, would permanently categorize lab-made […]
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Supreme Court in a major environmental decision on Thursday overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of wetlands that fall under the agency’s jurisdiction, siding with an Idaho couple who’d said they should not be required to obtain federal permits to build on their property that lacked any navigable water. All […]
