(Missouri Independent) – Missourians who experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to pay their mortgage can now apply for help through the State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) program. Starting March 1, the federally-funded SAFHR for Homeowners program will begin to provide nearly $140 million in assistance to homeowners to pay past-due mortgage […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden used his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night to reassert America as a leading global voice for democracy and condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting an “unprovoked” war in Ukraine. “Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address is set to focus significantly on the economy, with the former member of the U.S. Senate calling on Congress to pass much of the agenda stalled in the so-called Build Back Better bill. During the Tuesday night speech, which begins at 9 p.m. […]
(Missouri Independent) – Congress is working quickly to determine how much military and humanitarian aid it should send to Ukraine as the war in that country continues to claim lives and send hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing as refugees. Lawmakers are working with the Biden administration to provide billions in funding at the same […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden formally announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday afternoon. “President Biden sought a candidate with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law,” the White House said in a statement. If confirmed by the Senate, Jackson, 51, […]
A man pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine aboard a bus traveling through Kansas City, Missouri, from Los Angeles, California, to New York. Douglas D. McDowell, 63, of New York, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to […]
Governor Mike Parson announced seven appointments to various boards and commissions. Sheriff Jim Arnott, of Springfield, was appointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Sheriff Arnott has served as the Greene County Sheriff since 2008. He has also simultaneously served as the Interim Chief of the Fair Grove Police Department and Ash Grove Police […]
(Missouri Independent) – With a deadline looming that could cost Missouri almost $2 billion in federal education aid, the bill to distribute the money passed the state Senate on Wednesday after Democrats slammed a zero-dollar funding line as a partisan attack on Planned Parenthood. The $4.6 billion spending bill approved on a 25-7 vote is the first legislation requiring […]
Multiple reports were given at the North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees meeting February 22nd. Vice President of Student Affairs Doctor Kristen Alley reported NCMC’s graduation rate is 42%, and the withdrawal rate is 39%. NCMC is the only community college in the state to have a higher graduation rate than a withdrawal rate. […]
The candidate filing period begins Tuesday (today) at 8 am for county, district, and statewide officeholders. County candidates file for office with the county clerk at their respective courthouses. Candidates for the district or a statewide position file with the secretary of state’s office in Jefferson City. Candidates will be filing to run in their […]
Missouri Independent) – In mid-December, Texas’ highest criminal court revoked the state attorney general’s ability to use his office to prosecute election-related cases without the request of a district or county attorney. In an 8-1 opinion, the all-Republican court weakened Attorney General Ken Paxton’s power to independently go after perpetrators of voter fraud, a problem he says […]
Missouri has roughly 330,000 lead service lines, the pipes connecting water mains to buildings including people’s homes, and federal funding could help speed up the process of removing and replacing them. The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year includes $15 billion for lead-pipe replacement, building on funds from the American Rescue Plan. Erik D. Olson, senior strategic director at […]
Candidate filing, pursuant to RSMo section 115.127.5, opens at 8 a.m. on February 22 and closes on March 29 at 5 p.m. Candidates are responsible for knowing if they meet the qualifications for the office they intend to file for. Individuals planning to file for office must possess a paid filing fee receipt from a […]
(Missouri Independent) – Leaders of faith organizations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities told members of a U.S. House panel on Thursday how their institutions and places of worship have been roiled by bomb threats and extremism. They talked about the recent waves of bomb threats aimed at HBCUs, a terrifying hostage-taking at a Texas […]
(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]
(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News. The Biden administration and state officials are bracing for a great unwinding: Millions of people losing their Medicaid benefits when the pandemic health emergency ends. Some might sign up for different insurance. Many others are bound to get lost in the transition. State Medicaid […]
(Missouri Independent) – U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler scored a major victory on Saturday in her quest for Missouri’s open Senate seat, winning the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in the crowded GOP primary. Hawley made the announcement at the Missouri GOP’s annual Lincoln Days event in St. Charles. Hartzler is part of a six-way primary, […]
(Missouri Independent) – U.S. Rep. Cori Bush on Thursday led a coalition of Black women members of the U.S. House in a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to pick a Black woman for the U.S. Supreme Court — which he has promised — who has a track record of protecting civil rights. “The […]
(Missouri Independent) – In a case that grew out of a law making it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion after eight weeks, the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday said those seeking to force a referendum on new laws can begin collecting signatures as soon as the bill is passed. The ruling threw […]
Some Missouri Republican lawmakers are working to make it harder for voters to get an initiative on the ballot. A bill aimed at changing the ballot initiative process advanced Monday evening in the House of Representatives. It would require signatures of 10-percent from all Missouri’s congressional districts from the current requirement of 10-percent of voters […]
