The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing the signup period for its Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative (CLEAR30) — a nationwide opportunity for certain landowners and agricultural producers currently implementing water quality practices through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enroll in 30-year contracts, extending the lifespan and strengthening the benefits of important water quality […]
Tag: United States
Biden OKs release of 1 million barrels of oil a day from reserve, calls for supply boost
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden called Thursday for U.S. energy companies to do their part in lowering gasoline prices by boosting supplies of oil, saying the industry should plow record profits back into increased production. Biden also said he would release 1 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve daily for the […]
Hawley introduces “PROTECT Act of 2022” which will toughen sentences for child porn offenders
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the PROTECT Act of 2022, which protects children from sexual exploitation by enhancing the penalties for possessing child pornography and by preventing judges from sentencing offenders below federal guidelines. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Representative Ken Buck (CO-4) is […]
Grand Jury indicts former CEO of major construction company in Missouri in Minority Business Enterprise fraud scheme
A federal grand jury indicted Brian Kowert, Sr., former Chief Operating Officer of the HBD Construction Company, on March 30, 2022, for five counts of wire fraud relative to his falsifying of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation in several construction and redevelopment projects from 2014 through 2022. Kowert, Sr. was an owner, executive vice president, […]
Another round of COVID booster shots authorized by FDA for those 50 and older
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized another round of COVID-19 booster shots for people 50 and older, as well as those who are immunocompromised. The decision to amend an earlier emergency use authorization for a second booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is meant to increase protection […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to meth trafficking and an illegal firearm
A Missouri man who was arrested after he drove two victims of an accidental shooting to the hospital emergency room has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to illegally possessing firearms. Jason Ruben Breedlove, 40, of Independence, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Monday, March 28, […]
Missouri Senate congressional redistricting plan stalls on return to the House
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri House members are not ready to accept the congressional redistricting map approved by the state Senate. The House met Monday without voting on the Senate plan, approved Thursday at the end of a Senate session that lasted almost 24 hours. State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial and chairman of the House Redistricting Committee, […]
Supreme Court to hear case against Proposition 12 by National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation
The U.S. Supreme Court at its Mar. 25 conference agreed to hear a case brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation against California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of pork from hogs born to sows that weren’t raised according to the state’s “arbitrary” production standards. “We are extremely […]
North Central Missouri College “Pirate’s Ball” honors three on Saturday evening
The North Central Missouri College Foundation March 26th recognized three individuals who attended Trenton Junior College or North Central Missouri College. Distinguished alumni John Hunolt, Janet Lake, and Nick Sottler were honored at the Pirates Ball. NCMC Athletic Director Nate Gamet introduced each honoree. John Hunolt graduated from TJC in 1971. He worked in Ottumwa, […]
Missouri man who shot at police chief after failed bank robbery, found guilty at trial, faces 27 years in prison
A Missouri man has been convicted after shooting at law enforcement officers while fleeing a failed bank robbery. Jacob Allen Monteer, 30, of Drexel, was found guilty following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Monday, March 21, of one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during […]
Governor Parson highlights successes of trade mission to United Kingdom and Ireland
Governor Mike Parson concluded his latest international Trade Mission, which included visits with key officials, businesses, and organizations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. During the Trade Mission, Governor Parson participated in several meetings to build international relationships while promoting Missouri as an ideal business location and trade partner. “It’s always exciting to highlight Missouri’s […]
Trenton City Council to have busy agenda at meeting on March 28
The Trenton City Council will hold a public hearing for the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Community Facility Director Program for the police and fire departments. The hearing will be at the city council meeting at the Trenton City Hall on March 28th at 7 p.m. It was previously announced the mayor and […]
Senate winds up grueling Supreme Court hearings on Ketanji Brown Jackson nomination
(Missouri Independent) – Representatives of the American Bar Association reiterated their finding that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is well qualified to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, and law enforcement groups rebutted GOP accusations Jackson is soft on child pornographers during the final day of Jackson’s confirmation hearings Thursday. Republicans, however, called in witnesses to […]
Audio: Missouri Congressman says Biden administration’s sanctions on Russia have come up short
Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves says it appears financial sanctions imposed by the United States and the rest of the West are beginning to have an impact on Russia. But Graves says President Biden should have imposed the sanctions long before Russia invaded Ukraine. Graves, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, says […]
U.S. to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, levy more sanctions on Russia
(Missouri Independent) – The White House announced a wave of new sanctions against Russia on Thursday while pledging to send more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcome up to 100,000 refugees. The new economic restrictions on Russia and billions more in aid for Ukrainians were detailed as President Joe Biden huddled with the North Atlantic […]
GOP senators attack and interrupt Judge Jackson in final day of questioning U.S. Supreme Court nominee
(Missouri Independent) – In the third day of hearings Wednesday on the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, several Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee interrogated her about sentences she handed down for child pornography offenses, disagreeing vehemently with her judicial decisions. Republicans grilled her with questions she had already answered […]
Video: Senator Hawley questions Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson over record of lenient sentencing for pedophiles
During the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination for U.S. Supreme Court today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) focused his questioning on the alarming trend of lenient sentencing in child pornography cases that he first mentioned in a tweet thread last week and his opening comments yesterday. During his time, Sen. Hawley focused on Judge […]
Ketanji Brown Jackson defends her record under grilling from U.S. Senate Republicans
(Missouri Independent) – Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday sharpened their criticisms of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, probing her work as a public defender on behalf of terrorism suspects, the judicial sentences she has handed down for child pornography offenses, and her views of critical race theory. Jackson defended her […]