AP

By Missouri Independent via My Courier-Tribune Speaker Dean Plocher’s attorney sought to attend a closed-door hearing of the Missouri House Ethics Committee on Wednesday night, arguing he should be allowed to stay in order to listen to the panel review a report detailing the investigation of his client. Lowell Pearson, a veteran Republican attorney, was

By Missouri Independent via My Courier-Tribune For the second year in a row, a Missouri House committee debated GOP-backed legislation that would face the same limits on drag performances as govern “sexually oriented businesses.” The bill, sponsored by Bethany Republican Rep. Mazzie Christensen, would also create penalties for engaging in an adult cabaret performance in

By Metro Creative Millions of people across the globe receive a cancer diagnosis each year. While that diagnosis can initially be devastating, it’s important to note that many cancer patients survive the disease and go on to live productive lives. Advocacy is a significant part of many cancer survivor’s lives. Cancer survivors often become strong

By Associated Press NITEROI, Brazil | Since Rio de Janeiro declared a public health emergency after an outbreak of dengue fever last month, the city has ramped up testing capacities, opened up a dozen dengue health centers and trained medical staff to attend to the ever-growing needs of its population. But in Rio’s sister city

By Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers racing to restart in vitro fertilization services in the state gave final approval Wednesday to legislation shielding providers from the fallout of a court ruling that equated frozen embryos to children. The state House and Senate gave final approval to a bill that would protect providers from

By Associated Press NEW YORK | Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, leaving Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination. Haley didn’t endorse the former president in a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. Instead, she challenged him

By Associated Press LOS ANGELES — With just a few days to go until the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, the show’s producers are feeling good about what they’ve put together. The nominees are some of the best the Oscars have seen, including some true blockbusters like “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.” Ryan Gosling is singing “I’m

By Associated Press A Southern Baptist Convention leader said Wednesday the U.S. Department of Justice has ended its investigation of a top denominational agency’s handling of sexual abuse and doesn’t anticipate further action. The statement by Jonathan Howe, interim president of the denomination’s Executive Committee, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of

By Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday killed three of its crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel, the U.S. military said. It was the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by

By Associated Press LONDON — Novels that give voice to the often unheard stories of migrants around the world are among the nominees for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The 16-book longlist announced Tuesday for the 30,000 pound ($38,000) award includes works by writers from Ghana, Barbados, Britain, the United States, Ireland, South Korea

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The House passed a $460 billion package of spending bills Wednesday that would keep money flowing to key federal agencies through the remainder of the budget year. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation before a midnight Friday shutdown deadline. Lawmakers are negotiating a second package of six

By Associated Press LONDON — One of the original momagers, Mary Villiers knew how to use her son to get wealth, power and prestige. In “Mary & George,” Julianne Moore plays the white ruff-wearing, pushy mom who took advantage of her son George’s charms to win favor in the court of King James I in

By Associated Press NEW YORK — Children’s writer Kate DiCamillo is known for beloved stories like “The Tale of Despereaux” and “Because of Winn-Dixie,” about kids and animals trying to navigate the world and make emotional connections. Her trademarks include a strong voice, humor, and a tinge of sadness. But her latest book, “Ferris” is

By Associated Press ST. LOUIS — A federal agency is examining soil beneath homes in a small suburban St. Louis subdivision to determine if residents are living atop Cold War era nuclear contamination. But activists say the testing needs to be far more widespread. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking soil samples at

By Associated Press NEW YORK — Stocks gained ground Wednesday to recover some of their losses from the day before, which was Wall Street’s worst in three weeks. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said again that cuts to interest rates may be coming this year, but that the Fed needs more data showing inflation is

By Associated Press Boeing and the National Transportation Safety Board argued Wednesday over whether the company has cooperated with investigators looking into the blowout of a door-plug panel on one of its planes during a flight in January. The safety board’s chair, Jennifer Homendy, told a Senate Committee that for two months Boeing repeatedly refused

By Associated Press An employee of a rural Missouri boarding school is accused of bloodying a boy’s face while boxing — the third person associated with the same school to be charged this month. Caleb Sandoval, 22, was charged Monday with abuse or neglect of a child. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.

By Associated Press A new album from Ariana Grande and Garth Brooks taking viewers behind the scenes to the opening of his bar in Nashville are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Chair Jerome Powell reinforced his belief Wednesday that the Federal Reserve will cut its key interest rate this year but said it first wants to see more evidence that inflation is falling sustainably back to the Fed’s 2% target. Powell’s comments to a House committee largely echoed those he made

By Associated Press Ground cinnamon sold by U.S. discount retailers is contaminated with high levels of lead and should be discarded, federal health officials said Wednesday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said cinnamon sold by stores including the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar contains lead at levels that could be unsafe for people, particularly

By Sarah E. Patterson University of Michigan The Conversation via AP People caring for elderly or disabled relatives need a break – and, in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a proposal to give them one. Whitmer’s recently proposed US$5,000 tax credit, the Caring for MI Family Tax Credit, is part of a growing trend of

By Associated Press LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas rarely loses at Allen Fieldhouse, and even rarer do the Jayhawks lose there to Kansas State. On senior night? The Wildcats hardly seemed to have a chance. Kevin McCullar Jr. had 19 points in his farewell to the Phog, fellow senior Hunter Dickinson added 15 points with 20

By Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. — The Arnold Palmer Invitational is now one of the signature events on the PGA Tour, meaning it has a $20 million purse with one of the strongest fields of the year on a tough golf course at Bay Hill that rarely produces surprise winners. In other words, it’s the

By The Center Square via My Courier-Tribune Two of Missouri’s largest counties and the city of St. Louis started the process for implementing property tax relief for senior citizens as the Missouri Senate is working to revise the law passed last year. Senate Bill 190, sponsored by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, and signed into law

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has offered his “deepest sympathy” to the family of a 5-year-old girl who was seriously injured in a drunken driving crash, after facing criticism for releasing from prison the driver who caused the crash, former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid. But in