Tessa Weinberg

Ginkgo Bioworks was originally contracted by Missouri last year to operate a screening COVID testing program backed by nearly $185 million in federal funds. Only 25 districts onboarded and 119 schools participated — roughly 5% of schools in the state.

Eric Schmitt’s office appears to be targeting the journalistic fact-checking process and research into social emotional learning at the University of Missouri, but has offered little public explanation for the requests. Free speech advocates say it's a “shocking” overstep of his authority.

The mobile clinic will be part of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, and will provide medication abortions up to 11 weeks gestation. It’s expected to launch later this year.

The Department of Mental Health has continued to grapple with steep vacancies among staff, causing access to care across its state-run mental health facilities to decline as wings are shut down.

State officials declared the backlog of Medicaid applications "no more" and expressed optimism they would meet a federal deadline set for the end of the month. The state's processing time had grown to 115 days, far longer than allowed under law.

The injunction came in response to a request from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Social Services for the Christian boarding school to be closed, but the order remains on pause until a hearing Monday.

The attorney general is suing St. Louis over its plan to use federal funds to support abortion access. But after the case was moved to federal court, reproductive rights groups worry that a ruling could further curtail abortion access for the entire region.

Attorneys for Jackson County and other municipalities argued that a judge's ruling last November, which declared "null and void" any unilaterally-issued COVID health orders, is impacting their ability to curb the spread of contagious disease.

Parson’s proposal would lower the state’s top income tax rate from 5.3% to 4.8% and eliminate the bottom income tax bracket. Some Democratic lawmakers and advocates have expressed concern an income tax cut is poorly-timed.

If passed in November's election, the petition would legalize recreational marijuana for those 21 and older. The recreational system would include caps on licenses and give precedence to existing licensees, who would be permitted to serve both medical and non-medical purchasers.