School buses wait Tuesday outside Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School in Columbia (Photo Credit Rudi Keller Missouri Independent

Confusion around COVID ruling swirls as two Missouri school districts end semester early

(Missouri Independent) – As a growing number of Missouri school districts drop COVID mitigation measures under threat from Attorney General Eric Schmitt, at least two closed the doors on their fall semester early due to large numbers of staff and students out sick. Meanwhile, local public health departments said Tuesday they still have not heard […]

Senator Dan Hegeman

State Senator Dan Hegeman files Bill 633 regarding election integrity and reform

State Senator Dan Hegeman has pre-filed Senate Bill 633 regarding election integrity and reform. While it contains some familiar language, Hegeman said it also embraces new technology, with what he called “voter safety” in mind. The legislative proposal would allow a local election official to oversee ballot-counting machines and ensure these machines are not connected […]

NEW COVID Dashboard for Missouri

Breakthrough infection data added to Missouri’s COVID-19 dashboard

A new addition to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services statewide COVID-19 dashboard finds that vaccination remains a strong defense against the virus, and that older age and health co-morbidities are strongly correlated with “breakthrough infections.”  The new data identifies COVID-19 breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated. The analysis is the result of a partnership […]

Moderna and J&J COVID-19 booster shots now being administered to eligible Missourians

Following federal guidance issued from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has amended the state’s standing orders for Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine administration for those who are eligible for a booster shot. For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the […]

COVID-19 Sweepstakes or COVID-19 or Coronavirus Contest

Three million Missourians complete COVID-19 vaccination as MO VIP drawings conclude

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced that more than three million Missourians have completed their COVID-19 vaccine series. Missouri reaches this milestone upon the successful conclusion of the COVID-19 vaccine incentive program, MO VIP, that Governor Mike Parson announced on July 21, 2021.  In total, more than 66,500 adults and minors were vaccinated and […]

Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBI releases 2020 statistics for law enforcement officers assaulted in the line of duty

According to statistics reported to the FBI, 60,105 law enforcement officers were assaulted while performing their duties in 2020. These assaults were reported to the FBI by 9,895 law enforcement agencies. Based on these reports, there were 4,071 more officers assaulted in 2020 than the 56,034 assaults reported in 2019. Data regarding these assaults were […]

Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots now being administered to eligible missourians

Following federal guidance issued from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has amended the state’s standing order for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administration for those who are eligible for a booster shot. Missourians who received the Pfizer vaccine can receive a booster shot at least six months after their […]

Nurse Filling Syringe with COVID-19 Vaccine at MU Health Care (Photo Courtesy of MU Health Care

Who will get a booster shot? A Question and Answer about what the feds are saying

(Missouri Independent) – Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels […]

Mask Mandate News Graphic

Biden administration opens civil rights investigation into states banning school mask mandates

(Missouri Independent) – Federal education officials have launched civil rights investigations in five Republican-led states that have prohibited school districts from mandating mask-wearing, saying those policies could amount to illegal discrimination against students with disabilities. The Biden administration notified the education chiefs in Iowa, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah, and Oklahoma of the investigations through formal letters Monday. The new investigations will examine […]

Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Audio: Missouri pediatricians group responds to attorney general’s lawsuit about school masking requirements

The Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is responding to Attorney General Eric Schmitt suing to block mask mandates in Missouri’s K-12 public schools. Schmitt, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, says a mask mandate “flies in the face of science, especially given children’s low risk of severe illness and death and their […]

Missouri School Boards Association

Audio: Missouri School Board Association leader responds to attorney general’s lawsuit challenging school mask requirements

State Attorney General Eric Schmitt is suing Columbia Public Schools and any Missouri K-12 public school requiring students and staff to wear masks. Schmitt, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, says a mask mandate “flies in the face of science, especially given children’s low risk of severe illness and death and their low risk of […]