Missouri
Missouri woman pleads guilty to fraud after obtaining over $100K in pandemic loan funds(The Center Square) – A woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to defrauding a COVID-19 pandemic loan program out of $100,927 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Francheska… Read More
Drugs, Missouri
‘Addiction is Real’ educates parents and communities about hidden dangers of substance abuseST. LOUIS, Mo. – Addiction is real, as the spike in teen overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically illustrates. Yet the internet is actually offering products with which… Read More
Public Education
‘Evidence of backsliding’: Students’ math and reading scores aren’t bouncing back from school closures(Daily Caller News Foundation) – Students’ academic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled despite efforts to make up for the learning loss, according to a Tuesday report. Read More
COVID-19
Lawmakers investigate whether feds, Fauci suppressed Wuhan origins theory(The Center Square) – A U.S. House Committee tasked with delving into the origins of COVID-19 plan a new hearing to discuss an investigation into whether the federal government… Read More
Courts
Wuhan-partnered school district settles with aide who says she was forced out after saying COVID came from China(Daily Caller News Foundation) – A school district that partnered with the Wuhan School System in China has settled with an aide who sued after alleging she was forced… Read More
COVID-19
Biden administration has until Saturday to declassify docs on Chinese lab’s connections to COVID-19 outbreak; Hawley sits waitingThe Biden administration is required by law to declassify all federal information on the suspected lab leak of COVID-19 by this weekend. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley is waiting… Read More
Economy, Illinois
Illinois hotels continue to struggle hiring and retaining workers(The Center Square) – As the hotel industry continues to rebound from the crippling COVID-19 pandemic, worker shortages remain a challenge.The hotel industry is making a push to… Read More
COVID-19
U.S. department that oversaw pandemic didn’t have complete data, ‘situational awareness’(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services used incomplete data and didn’t have the required “situational awareness” it was supposed to during the COVID-19… Read More
Public Education
Nearly two-thirds of pandemic money for Missouri schools spent(The Center Square) – Missouri has spent nearly two-thirds of the $4.3 billion in federal pandemic aid the state was awarded for schools, according to data from the U.S. Read More
Public Education
Louisiana audit finds issues with COVID relief funds for schools, child care(The Center Square) – A report by Louisiana’s legislative auditor found that the state Department of Education didn’t abide by federal guidelines for grants and overpaid several child care… Read More
COVID-19
Watchdog finds 3.7 million potentially fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic relief recipients(The Center Square) – A congressional watchdog found more than 1 out of every 4 people who applied for pandemic relief through two Small Business Administration programs had potentially… Read More
Public Education
Study: COVID cost Arkansas students $6.6 billion in lifetime earnings(The Center Square) – Months of educational setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic are projected to create a $6.6 billion in total lifetime earnings loss for Arkansas students, according… Read More
COVID-19
World Health Organization ends COVID-19 pandemic emergency(The Center Square) – The World Health Organization said Friday the COVID-19 public health emergency was over. Friday’s announcement came after a meeting Thursday of the International Health… Read More
Culture
Three years after pandemic began, Biden will lift federal vaccination mandates(The Center Square) – The Biden administration announced Monday that it would lift vaccine requirements for federal employees, Federal contractors, and international air travelers on May 11. Read More
Biden administration, COVID-19
Arizona GOP appeals to U.S. Supreme Court to stop COVID-19 vaccine mandate(The Center Square) – The Arizona Legislature filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court over COVID-19 vaccine mandates on the federal level. The goal of… Read More
Elections, Kansas City
Kansas City Council candidate is supporting fellow campaigner despite his blatantly anti-religion tweetsA Kansas City Council candidate who’s written that “Religion is poison,” “If you have a religion, your brain is clearly not functioning” and “Death to Christmas” is nonetheless being… Read More
Culture, Public Education
Illinois reallocates $30 million of COVID-19 testing funds for classroom air purifiers(The Center Square) – Around $30 million has been designated to distribute 60,000 HEPA air purifiers in more than 3,000 Illinois schools across the state.Mike Claffey, of the… Read More
Culture
Religious vaccine exemption vetoed in Arizona(The Center Square) – Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill that would have broadened an employee’s ability to claim a religious vaccine exemption at businesses and take action against… Read More
Culture
States with less restrictive COVID policies outperformed those with more restrictions, study shows(The Center Square) – A new study is shedding light on the outcomes of states that placed restrictions on residents and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paragon… Read More
Culture
Georgetown graduate says he was subjected to a psych evaluation for questioning school’s COVID policiesAn attorney who recently graduated from Georgetown University claims the school forced him to undergo a “psychiatric evaluation” and threatened to report him to state bar associations after he… Read More