ST. LOUIS (AP) — COVID-19 infections are rising in Missouri nursing homes as the highly contagious omicron variant surges. New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows cases among nursing home staff ballooned to 1,261, up from a peak of 981 last fall. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the 895…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Heavy snow spread across a large swath of the Midwest, where travel conditions deteriorated and scores of schools closed or moved to online instruction. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa and Illinois, where forecasters were expecting up to 10 inches of fresh…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says U.S. intelligence officials have determined a Russian effort is underway to create a pretext for its troops to further invade Ukraine, and Moscow has already prepositioned operatives to conduct “a false-flag operation” in eastern Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the intelligence findings show Russia is…
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis firefighter died and another was injured after a large house collapsed while the firefighters were searching to make sure no one was inside. Fire officials identified the firefighter who died as Benjamin Polson. He had been with the department since November 2019. Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson says the…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices paid by U.S. consumer jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, the highest inflation rate since 1982 and the latest evidence that rising costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America’s households. Inflation has spiked during the recovery from the pandemic recession as…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s largest anti-abortion group is pressing state lawmakers to aggressively redraw the state’s congressional districts to favor Republicans. A plan put forth by Republican legislative leaders would essentially keep Missouri’s same political balance, with Republicans likely to win six U.S. House seats and Democrats two. Missouri Right to Life on…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra is ordering Medicare to reassess a big premium increase facing millions of enrollees this year. The increase was largely attributed to a pricey new Alzheimer’s drug with questionable benefits. Becerra’s directive on Monday comes days after drugmaker Biogen slashed the price of its $56,000-a-year medication, Aduhelm, to…
NEW YORK (AP) — Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor and enduring inspiration who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen, became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw, has died. He was 94. Few movie stars had such an…
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have returned to the Capitol for their annual legislative session. The 2022 session began Wednesday and lasts through mid-May. The Republican-led Legislature’s priority will be to agree on new congressional districts based on 2020 census data. Lawmakers have until March 28 to send new maps to GOP Gov. Mike…
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The oldest World War II veteran in the United States has died at the age of 112. Lawrence N. Brooks died Wednesday in New Orleans. He was also believed to be the oldest living man in the country. Brooks was known for his good-natured sense of humor, positivity and kindness. He…