Missouri

Missouri Allows Some Disabled Workers to Earn Less Than $1 an Hour. The State Says It’s Fine If That Never Changes

Sheltered workshops are meant to employ disabled adults as they prepare to enter the regular workforce. In Missouri, these workers rarely graduate to higher-paying jobs.

Missouri’s War on Public Health Shows Extent of National Rift

A public health official who said he was anti-abortion and anti-mandate for masks and covid vaccines did not pass the purity test of a Missouri senator who opposes Covid public health restrictions. The senator killed the official’s nomination to be state health director, highlighting how hands may be tied in the nationwide fight against infectious diseases.

‘Am I Even Fit To Be a Mom?’ Diaper Need Is an Invisible Part of Poverty in America

Parents cannot use federal aid to pay for diapers, and are often forced to come up with other solutions, using maxi pads or towels to keep their children clean and dry. In rural America where aid is even harder to access, tiny diaper banks are the only lifeline.

States Decide if Workers Fired Over Vaccine Mandates Can Collect Unemployment

When employers fire people because they fail to follow company policy, employees are generally not eligible for benefits. But three states have or could make non compliant workers eligible.

As Variant Spreads, Some Regions Bring Back Mask Advisories

In St. Louis and Los Angeles, officials are urging vaccinated residents to wear masks as cases of the Delta strain of Covid-19 are on the rise.

Will This State’s Workers be Forced to Pay Back Mistaken Unemployment Aid?

Missouri lawmakers failed to pass legislation that would have allowed the Department of Labor to forgive unemployment benefit overpayments. Officials are trying to determine what happens next.

An Overlooked Economic Powerhouse for Small Cities

Small-scale manufacturers are well-positioned to compete in the digital economy, but also fill storefronts and contribute to a thriving downtown or business district.

'Here I Am.' Meet Kendall Martinez-Wright, a Black-Puerto Rican Trans Woman Running for State Office Amid Record Numbers of Anti-Transgender Bills.

Martinez-Wright, the first transgender woman to run for the Missouri House of Representatives, says the her campaign is “about showcasing the true beauty of diversity.”

State-Supported 'Clean Energy' Loans Are Putting Borrowers At Risk of Losing Their Homes

Dozens of Missouri homeowners who used PACE loans to fix up their houses ended up trapped in debt and could soon see their homes sold at auction.

Missouri ‘Voted for This Lie,’ Says State Rep Trying to Block Medicaid Expansion

Even with extra federal dollars and a flush budget, Show Me State Republicans are putting up roadblocks to the voter-approved constitutional amendment that would give 275,000 people health insurance.

How One State’s Public Health Defunding Led to Vaccination Chaos

The situation in Missouri is contributing to racial inequity with vaccinations and forcing some people to drive hours to get shots.

U.S. Covid-19 Testing Has Dropped Dramatically

Nationwide, COVID-19 testing has decreased by a third in the past two months, causing public health experts to worry they could miss future surges.

States Look to Forgive Unemployment Overpayments

Missouri lawmakers advanced a bill that would waive the federal but not state portion of any mistakenly paid unemployment benefits.

An Initiative to Improve Street Safety through Public Art

Officials used street murals and planters to transform a hazardous intersection in Kansas City, Missouri, tapping grant funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative.

Timing of Covid-19 Vaccine for Health Care Workers Depends on Where They Live

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Kansas and Missouri plan to rely on the honor system to comply with priority distribution of coronavirus vaccines ... Employees in one Louisiana city will receive a one-time lump-sum hazard payment ... Indiana lawmakers hope to shield businesses from Covid-19 lawsuits.

Seeking To Boost Savings and Safety, One State Eliminates Paper Tax Forms

Missouri will stop printing paper taxes forms and encourage residents to file electronically, which a spokeswoman said most taxpayers already do.

A Child’s Death in the Heartland Changes Community Views About Covid

Some in Franklin County, Missouri embraced a mask mandate after the death of a 13-year-old boy.

States Are Paying to Hire Nurses for Struggling Hospitals

Missouri is the second state to partner with a Texas-based company to bring in out-of-state nurses to temporarily increase hospital capacity ahead of an expected holiday surge of Covid-19 patients.

Feds Shoot Down Pennsylvania Plan to Funnel Virus Relief Money to School Districts

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | D.C. transit agency looking at buyouts to avoid 1,400 layoffs … Missouri state Senate postpones session because of Covid outbreak among members … Texas AG controversy continues with whistleblower lawsuit.