Defund The Police Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

U.S. House hearing on extremism toward minorities turns into ‘defund the police’ debate

(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 […]

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall spoke at the organization’s 2022 annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia (photo provided by American Farm Bureau Federation)

American Farm Bureau Federation claims it’s the ‘voice of agriculture,’ Others beg to differ

(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 […]

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Audio: Missouri bill targets smash-and-grab thieves

Mobs of thieves have hit up retailers around the country recently by quickly raiding stores and taking off with piles of merchandise in a matter of minutes. State Representative Lane Roberts, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Joplin, is sponsoring a bill meant to address these organized theft crime rings, such as so-called smash-and-grab crimes. A […]

Screenshot of the cover of USDA Rural Development Guide

USDA unveils resource guide to help rural entrepreneurs start and grow businesses

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small today unveiled a resource guide to help people in rural America start and grow businesses, create good-paying jobs in their communities and strengthen America’s economy. “America’s rural entrepreneurs are critical to the success of our nation’s economy,” Torres Small said. “They create jobs […]

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Charges Filed: Man subdued by passengers, flight crew after causing disturbance on flight; plane forced to land in Kansas City

A California man was subdued by several passengers and flight attendants when he tried to open the exit door on an American Airlines flight en route to Washington, D.C., on Sunday afternoon, forcing the plane to land at Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. Juan Remberto Rivas, 50, was charged with one count […]

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Man from Polo injured in crash on Highway 13

The Highway Patrol reports a Polo man sustained moderate injuries when the car he drove hit a pickup truck in Ray County on Friday morning, February 11th. An ambulance took 44-year-old Matthew Fleener to the Ray County Memorial Hospital. No injuries were reported for the pickup driver, 28-year-old Whitney Marrant of Richmond. The car traveled […]