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By Missouri Independent via My Courier-Tribune Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher and his allies complained for weeks that the ethics investigation into his alleged misconduct was dragging out unnecessarily. As it turns out, the biggest reason for the delay may have been Dean Plocher himself. The Republican from Des Peres for three months allegedly refused

By Associated Press Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver” landing on Netflix and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album 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’ entertainment journalists:

By Associated Press Millions of people around the world will pause on Monday, at least for a moment, to mark Earth Day. It’s an annual event founded by people who hoped to stir activism to clean up and preserve a planet that is now home to some 8 billion humans and assorted trillions of other

By Metro Creative Dessert is a great way to cap off a tasty meal. Flavorful desserts can turn a good meal into a great one, and the following recipe for “Chocolate-Covered Salt-Sopped Cherries” from Mark Betterman’s “Salt Block Cooking” (Andrews McMeel) combines the potent flavor of cherries with the beloved taste of salt. Chocolate-Covered Salt-Sopped

By Associated Press WASHINGTON | The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned whether federal prosecutors went too far in bringing obstruction charges against hundreds of participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. But it wasn’t clear how the justices would rule in a case that also could affect the prosecution of former President Donald Trump,

By Associated Press WASHINGTON | The House sent two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on Tuesday, forcing a trial on allegations that he has “willfully and systematically” refused to enforce immigration laws. While the Senate is obligated to hold a trial under the rules of impeachment once the

By Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri ethics panel is at an impasse over reported misconduct by the powerful state House speaker, who allegedly used his office to stymie an investigation into his actions. A draft of the Ethics Committee report recommended that the House formally denounce actions taken by Republican Speaker Dean

By Associated Press OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ‘s government announced Tuesday it is imposing higher taxes on the wealthiest Canadians as part of the federal budget. The budget proposes to increase the capital gains inclusion rate, which refers to the taxable share of profit made on the sale of assets. The

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Defiant and determined, House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office. “I am not resigning,” Johnson said after a

By Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Strong storms caused damage in parts of the middle U.S. Tuesday and spawned tornadoes in Kansas and Iowa, including one that left two people hurt. An EF-1 tornado touched down shortly after 6 a.m. near the northeastern Kansas town of Richland, the National Weather Service said. The twister reached

By Associated Press MEXICO CITY — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the closure of his country’s embassy and consulates in Ecuador on Tuesday in solidarity with Mexico in its protest over a raid by Ecuadorian authorities on the Mexican embassy in Quito. Maduro and other presidents participating in a virtual meeting of the Community of

By Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa — Stung by paying billions of dollars for settlements and trials, chemical giant Bayer has been lobbying lawmakers in three states to pass bills providing it a legal shield from lawsuits that claim its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Nearly identical bills introduced in Iowa, Missouri and Idaho this

By Associated Press NEW YORK — The first seven jurors for Donald Trump’s hush money trial were seated Tuesday after lawyers grilled the jury pool about their social media posts, political views and personal lives to decide who can sit in fair judgment of the former president. The panelists who were selected are an information

By Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The giant stuffed bear, its face a twisted smile, lumbers across the screen. Menacing music swells. Shadows mask unknown threats. Christopher Robin begs for his life. And is that a sledgehammer about to pulverize a minor character’s head? Thus unfolds the trailer for the 2023 movie “Winnie the Pooh:

By Associated Press AUGUSTA, Ga. — Just think if Scottie Scheffler had not misread that 5-foot birdie putt that kept him out of a playoff at the Houston Open. Imagine him slipping his arms into that size 44 long Masters green jacket as a winner of his last four tournaments. The comparisons with Tiger Woods

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s latest plan for student loan cancellation is moving forward as a proposed regulation, offering him a fresh chance to deliver on a campaign promise and energize young voters ahead of the November election. The Education Department on Tuesday filed paperwork for a new regulation that would deliver

By Associated Press NEW YORK — Whitey Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. He was 92. Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Tuesday the team

By Associated Press NEW YORK — Most U.S. stocks slipped Tuesday, and Treasury yields rose on expectations that interest rates may stay high for a while. The S&P 500 fell 10.41 points, or 0.2%, to 5,051.41. The index deepened its loss from the day before, when it sank under the pressure brought by a jump

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Tuesday of potential global economic damage from rising tensions in the Middle East and pledged that the U.S. and its allies won’t hesitate to use their sanctions powers to address Iran’s “malign and destabilizing activity” in the region. She made her remarks ahead of this

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson suggested Tuesday that the central bank’s key rate may have to remain at its peak for a while to bring down persistently elevated inflation. In a speech, Jefferson said he expects inflation to continue to slow this year. But he omitted a reference to

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned Tuesday that persistently elevated inflation will likely delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates. “Recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence” that inflation is coming fully under control and “instead

By Associated Press NEW YORK — It’s the stuff of movies: Two friends vow to marry each other if they’re not hitched by a specified future date or age. Well, the Marriage Pact, an annual matching ritual that has become popular on nearly 90 college campuses around the U.S., has turned that dusty cliche into

By Metro Creative Chili may not be an ideal dish on sizzling summer afternoons, but when the temperatures dip and fall and winter settles in, few dishes stick to your ribs better than chili. Perhaps no dish is more suited for the colder months than a good bowl of chili, and the following recipe for

By Clare Pastore University of Southern California The Conversation via AP On April 22, 2024, the Supreme Court will hear a case that could radically change how cities respond to the growing problem of homelessness. It also could significantly worsen the nation’s racial justice gap. City of Grants Pass v. Johnson began when a small