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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri senators have passed a bill to renew a key Medicaid funding tax. Senators early Saturday morning voted 28-5 for the measure. The bill now heads to the House. It advanced after hours of debate over a proposed amendment to block government funding for Planned Parenthood. Some Republicans joined with…
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Officials don’t know what caused a Florida beachside condominium tower to suddenly collapse. But experts are closely examining a 2018 report that identified numerous issues with the building, including “major structural damage” to a concrete structural slab below its pool deck that needed to be extensively repaired. The report was among…
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — The sea-view side of a beachfront condo tower collapsed in the Miami-area town of Surfside early Thursday, drawing a massing response from emergency services. Scores of fire and rescue vehicles, ambulances and police cars converged on the site. Miami Dade Fire Rescue were conducting search and rescue operations, and said in…
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Overdose deaths among Black Americans surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. In St. Louis, deaths among Black people increased last year at three times the rate of whites, skyrocketing more than 33%. Dr. Kanika Turner describes the soaring death rate as a civil rights issue as pressing as any other. The communities…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democrats’ sweeping attempt to rewrite U.S. election and voting law has suffered a major setback in the U.S. Senate. The bill failed in a key test vote Tuesday, blocked by a filibuster wall of Republican opposition. The measure would strike down hurdles to voting that advocates view as the Civil Rights…
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — A southern Illinois man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for firing an automatic rifle while attending a child’s birthday party in 2020. Marco Orr of East St. Louis was sentenced Monday to 63 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in April to unlawful…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democrats’ expansive elections and voting bill is all but certain to be rejected in a key Senate test vote. The action Tuesday is expected to provide a dramatic example of Republicans’ use of the filibuster to block legislation. It’s also forcing hard questions for Democrats over next steps. Backers of the…
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Missouri now leads the nation with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections as vaccinations lag. One person in every 1,349 people in the state was diagnosed with COVID-19 from June 13 to Sunday. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services spokeswoman Lisa Cox said the north-central and southwest part of…
TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics will allow some local fans to attend when the games open in just over a month. This goes against the country’s top medical adviser who has recommended the safest way during the COVID-19 pandemic is without any fans. Fans from abroad were banned several months ago. Japanese organizers have…
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Officials say a that changes in the way St. Louis police record crime statistics have prevented the department from publicly publishing crime data for nearly six months. The problem is related a switch the department made in December to a new way of tracking crime in response to FBI reporting requirements.…