Senate Republican primary carries stakes beyond southwest Missouri
Lori Rook, left, is challenging state Sen. Curtis Trent in the GOP primary in Missouri Senate District 20 in southwest…
Business
It’s possible to end corporate influence in politics
(Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) More than 15 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court removed limits on corporate political spending in its…
I once wrote that two moments explained Mike Parson’s tenure. Make it three
Former Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks to the media from his office in the state Capitol in 2020 (photo courtesy…
US labor market weakened in June
Empty tables line the pier at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, where a drop in Canadian visitors has affected business. Nationally,…
Feds encourage public housing authorities to impose work rules, time limits
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is currently finalizing a rule that would allow public housing authorities and…
Why Trump chose a deal over a wider Iran War, and what it means for Missouri
President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit…
California lawsuit challenges Trump’s effort to revoke auto emissions rules
Traffic moves along the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles earlier this year. California has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald…
States ease child labor laws ahead of summer hiring season
A fast food restaurant advertises jobs on the first day of summer. The Economic Policy Institute found a handful of…
17 GOP AGs sue California over single-use plastics law
A lawsuit led by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, a Republican, alleges that California’s single-use plastics law will drive up…
Mildly blue or a blue tsunami? 9 states will decide if Dems flip control of U.S. Senate
Maine’s Graham Platner is the Democratic candidate for what’s considered one of the nation’s most competitive battles for the U.S.…
The drawer problem: Why so many of us can’t let go of our old electronics, and what we can do about it
This look familiar? Peter Dazeley/Photodisc via Getty Images Think about the last smartphone, tablet or smartwatch you stopped using. Odds…
60-day clock starts for negotiations with Iran over strait, nuclear future
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference at the White House on June 18, 2026. Vance is expected…
What the 1.5% actually buys: A promise of quality for Missouri families
(Spenser Heaps/Utah News Dispatch) A recent commentary in The Missouri Independent asked what the Missouri Charter Public School commission (MCPSC)…
Why corporate inclusion policies are moral decisions, not just business ones
Executives are facing pressure from boards, employees, regulators and consumers to either defend or abandon diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.…
Seat the rich! World Cup ticket inflation reflects widening gap between haves and have-nots
In 1994, the last time U.S. stadiums hosted the World Cup, an average ticket cost US$58. The most expensive ticket…
Black families fall further behind on homeownership
Some cities and states are trying to boost Black homeownership, which dropped to a 60-year low even before the economic…