(Radio Iowa) - Authorities in southwest Iowa are releasing more information about an incident that left two people dead. 

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says its investigation began after a juvenile suffering from a medical emergency was brought by private vehicle to the hospital in Harlan on June 16th, and later died at the Children’s Hospital in Omaha. 

Authorities say the incident that resulted in the emergency is believed to have taken place at a residence in Shelby. Through an investigation, Nicholas Segebart - who was caring for the juvenile - was identified as a suspect in the incident, and a search warrant was executed at his home. On June 18th, law enforcement in Illinois located Segebart, who had taken his own life.

(Radio Iowa) - Authorities in southwest Iowa are releasing more information about an incident that left two people dead. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says its investigation began after a juvenile suffering from a medical emergency was brought by private vehicle to the hospital in Harlan on June 16th, and later died at the Children’s Hospital in Omaha. Authorities say the incident that resulted in the emergency is believed to have taken place at a residence in Shelby. Through an investigation, Nicholas Segebart - who was caring for the juvenile - was identified as a suspect in the incident, and a search warrant was executed at his home. On June 18th, law enforcement in Illinois located Segebart, who had taken his own life.

SW Iowa sheriff reveals details about death of child, caregiver

(Radio Iowa) - Ten Iowa regions have launched a "wage enhancement program" for childcare workers. 

It was financed with three MILLION dollars in federal pandemic relief money and Iowa businesses in those areas committed one-and-a-half MILLION dollars in matching funds. It has so far led to 110 children on wait lists getting full time child care. The federal money in the program must be spent by September 30th. 

Officials in Cerro Gordo County, along with Alamakee, Hamilton, Howard, Johnson, Mitchell and Story Counties have each established the incentives for child care workers in their areas. The program's also operating in the cities of Dubuque and Knoxville as well as the two Linn County cities of Mount Vernon and Lisbon.

(Radio Iowa) - Ten Iowa regions have launched a "wage enhancement program" for childcare workers. It was financed with three MILLION dollars in federal pandemic relief money and Iowa businesses in those areas committed one-and-a-half MILLION dollars in matching funds. It has so far led to 110 children on wait lists getting full time child care. The federal money in the program must be spent by September 30th. Officials in Cerro Gordo County, along with Alamakee, Hamilton, Howard, Johnson, Mitchell and Story Counties have each established the incentives for child care workers in their areas. The program's also operating in the cities of Dubuque and Knoxville as well as the two Linn County cities of Mount Vernon and Lisbon.

Programs in 10 areas of Iowa are boosting child care workers' pay

U.S. beef export value topped $900 million in May, the highest point since June 2023. 

According to data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. beef exports totaled 110,133 metric tons, down five percent from a year ago but the second largest amount in 2024. 

Beef export value reached $902.4 million in May, three percent higher than last year and the highest in 11 months. Exports trended higher year-over-year to Japan, Mexico, the ASEAN Region, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central America. January-May beef exports followed a similar trend, increasing five percent in value to $4.29 billion despite a four percent decline in volume. 

May pork exports totaled 251,447 metric tons, down four percent from a year ago, and valued at $715.8 million. That’s two percent below last year. Shipments to leading market Mexico were below last year’s volume but still trended higher in value, topping $200 million.

U.S. beef export value topped $900 million in May, the highest point since June 2023. According to data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. beef exports totaled 110,133 metric tons, down five percent from a year ago but the second largest amount in 2024. Beef export value reached $902.4 million in May, three percent higher than last year and the highest in 11 months. Exports trended higher year-over-year to Japan, Mexico, the ASEAN Region, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central America. January-May beef exports followed a similar trend, increasing five percent in value to $4.29 billion despite a four percent decline in volume. May pork exports totaled 251,447 metric tons, down four percent from a year ago, and valued at $715.8 million. That’s two percent below last year. Shipments to leading market Mexico were below last year’s volume but still trended higher in value, topping $200 million.-NAFB

May beef exports hit high point

Appropriations leaders in both chambers of Congress will convene this week with the goal of working out key spending plans. 

Farm Policy News says the coming weeks are critical for pushing funding bills ahead of the upcoming August recess. The Senate Appropriations Ag-FDA subcommittee is scheduled to mark up its fiscal year 2025 spending bill on Thursday. 

Senate appropriators will unveil their fiscal 2025 Ag-FDA spending bill in the coming days ahead of what’s expected to be another bruising federal spending clash with House Republicans. Democrats have already expressed staunch opposition to the House GOP’s agriculture spending bill, which includes spending cuts and a controversial pilot program to test restrictions on the types of foods people can buy with SNAP benefits. 

The House Appropriations Committee is set to vote on that bill on July 10. The Agriculture-FDA funding proposal published Monday would allocate $25.9 billion in discretionary spending in fiscal 2025.

Appropriations leaders in both chambers of Congress will convene this week with the goal of working out key spending plans. Farm Policy News says the coming weeks are critical for pushing funding bills ahead of the upcoming August recess. The Senate Appropriations Ag-FDA subcommittee is scheduled to mark up its fiscal year 2025 spending bill on Thursday. Senate appropriators will unveil their fiscal 2025 Ag-FDA spending bill in the coming days ahead of what’s expected to be another bruising federal spending clash with House Republicans. Democrats have already expressed staunch opposition to the House GOP’s agriculture spending bill, which includes spending cuts and a controversial pilot program to test restrictions on the types of foods people can buy with SNAP benefits. The House Appropriations Committee is set to vote on that bill on July 10. The Agriculture-FDA funding proposal published Monday would allocate $25.9 billion in discretionary spending in fiscal 2025.-NAFB

Federal Ag spending bills considered this week

With Kansas lawmakers hoping to lure the Chiefs and Royals, Gov. Mike Parson expects Missouri to put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday he doesn’t think the Kansas City Chiefs want to leave Arrowhead Stadium for Kansas, though he acknowledged he hasn’t actually talked to the team’s owners.

Speaking to reporters after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-gov-mike-parson-signs-tax-break-for-kc-nuclear-weapons-manufacturer/">bill signing in Kansas City</a>, Parson said he thought the reigning Super Bowl champion wasn’t that interested in building a new domed football stadium.

“I think they really want Arrowhead to stay,” Parson said. “I think it’s a unique arena.”

Parson’s remarks came after he spent the afternoon meeting with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other area officials to discuss how to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">keep the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals in Missouri</a>.

Both teams have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/17/chiefs-royals-ask-kansas-for-incentives-to-allow-teams-to-leave-missouri/" target="_blank">publicly considered the possibility of leaving for Kansas</a>&nbsp;after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium for the Royals and upgrades to Arrowhead.&nbsp;

Last month, Kansas lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/18/kansas-house-passes-incentive-bill-to-lure-kansas-city-chiefs-royals/" target="_blank">expanded a state tax incentive program</a>&nbsp;in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate.

“I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point,” Parson said.

Parson, who leaves office in January, said he expected to see Missouri put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year. Missouri’s plan, he said, could be just as good for the teams —&nbsp;if not better.

First, he said, information on the teams’ plans —&nbsp;including location of stadiums, costs of the project and details of any entertainment district or other development planned around it — needs to be made public.&nbsp;

With Parson’s impending departure from office, Missouri’s next governor could be left to finalize any plan to keep the teams. Two of the three top&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/05/candidates-for-missouri-governor-split-on-offering-incentives-to-keep-chiefs-from-moving/">candidates for the GOP gubernatorial nomination say they would oppose</a>&nbsp;any incentive package for the Chiefs and Royals.&nbsp;

Asked if that affects negotiations, Parson said the state has tools at its disposal even now while the Missouri General Assembly is not in session “if we knew what the plan was.”&nbsp;

“The conversation needs to be had with the Royals —&nbsp;where are you going to put a stadium?” Parson said. “How much money do you need? What’s it going to cost for this? How are we going to pay for this? What incentives does the city have?”

Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson — who will likely become the next speaker of the House — told the Kansas City Star Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article289866274.html#storylink=mainstage_lead" target="_blank">he expects Jackson County residents will wind up voting again over the stadium sales tax</a>. He also told The Star, following conversations with both the Chiefs and Royals, that it was clear both teams wanted to stay in Missouri.

After Kansas lawmakers passed legislation designed to relocate the teams, Patterson told The Star he thought a second Jackson County vote would be successful.

“I think now with the Kansas option staring us, staring us right in the face, I think that changed the dynamic, and it would be a different vote next time around,” he said.

Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. said in a statement after meetings with Parson that the two had a “productive conversation centered on the pride these teams bring to our community and the importance of developing a fair and sustainable plan for the future.” Before White can support a new stadium proposal, he said, “it must offer clear and significant benefits to the taxpayers of Jackson County,” something he argues the sales tax does not.

White said he’s hopeful that the state will continue to support the effort to keep the teams in Missouri even after Parson leaves office.

“Together, we can find a solution that ensures the Chiefs and Royals remain a proud part of Jackson County without compromising the financial well-being of our community,” White said.

The Royals’ Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead sit next to each other and share the parking lot of the Truman Sports Complex in east Kansas City.

The teams’ plans for the Jackson County sales tax were criticized by some, including White, as vague and incomplete.&nbsp;

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

But Kansas lawmakers saw in the failed Jackson County vote a chance to lure the teams across the state line. They claimed Missouri had “dropped the ball” and it was up to Kansas to keep the teams in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Last month, Kansas lawmakers expanded the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond to help finance up to 70% of the cost for one or both teams to move to Kansas. The expanded program could yield hundreds of millions of dollars for the stadiums.

STAR Bonds are issued to help pay the construction costs and then repaid by the sales tax collected at the project site. Normally, STAR Bonds, which are meant to help build tourist and entertainment venues, are limited to 50% of the project costs.&nbsp;

The legislation,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/" target="_blank">signed by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly last month</a>, was criticized by Missouri officials who considered it a violation of an agreement Kelly and Parson reached in 2019 to stop using economic incentives to move companies and jobs back and forth across the state line.

Neither the Chiefs nor the Royals were available to comment

<h2>With Kansas lawmakers hoping to lure the Chiefs and Royals, Gov. Mike Parson expects Missouri to put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday he doesn’t think the Kansas City Chiefs want to leave Arrowhead Stadium for Kansas, though he acknowledged he hasn’t actually talked to the team’s owners.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, we met with Mayor Lucas, Jackson County Executive White, and Clay County leaders to discuss our commitment to keeping the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. We look forward to continued coordination with our local partners to formulate a plan for Missouri’s teams. <a href="https://t.co/F0hoHGxj8J">pic.twitter.com/F0hoHGxj8J</a>&mdash; Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1810477996953804862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking to reporters after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-gov-mike-parson-signs-tax-break-for-kc-nuclear-weapons-manufacturer/">bill signing in Kansas City</a>, Parson said he thought the reigning Super Bowl champion wasn’t that interested in building a new domed football stadium.“I think they really want Arrowhead to stay,” Parson said. “I think it’s a unique arena.”Parson’s remarks came after he spent the afternoon meeting with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other area officials to discuss how to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">keep the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals in Missouri</a>.Both teams have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/17/chiefs-royals-ask-kansas-for-incentives-to-allow-teams-to-leave-missouri/" target="_blank">publicly considered the possibility of leaving for Kansas</a>&nbsp;after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium for the Royals and upgrades to Arrowhead.&nbsp;Last month, Kansas lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/18/kansas-house-passes-incentive-bill-to-lure-kansas-city-chiefs-royals/" target="_blank">expanded a state tax incentive program</a>&nbsp;in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate.“I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point,” Parson said.Parson, who leaves office in January, said he expected to see Missouri put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year. Missouri’s plan, he said, could be just as good for the teams —&nbsp;if not better.First, he said, information on the teams’ plans —&nbsp;including location of stadiums, costs of the project and details of any entertainment district or other development planned around it — needs to be made public.&nbsp;With Parson’s impending departure from office, Missouri’s next governor could be left to finalize any plan to keep the teams. Two of the three top&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/05/candidates-for-missouri-governor-split-on-offering-incentives-to-keep-chiefs-from-moving/">candidates for the GOP gubernatorial nomination say they would oppose</a>&nbsp;any incentive package for the Chiefs and Royals.&nbsp;Asked if that affects negotiations, Parson said the state has tools at its disposal even now while the Missouri General Assembly is not in session “if we knew what the plan was.”&nbsp;“The conversation needs to be had with the Royals —&nbsp;where are you going to put a stadium?” Parson said. “How much money do you need? What’s it going to cost for this? How are we going to pay for this? What incentives does the city have?”Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson — who will likely become the next speaker of the House — told the Kansas City Star Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article289866274.html#storylink=mainstage_lead" target="_blank">he expects Jackson County residents will wind up voting again over the stadium sales tax</a>. He also told The Star, following conversations with both the Chiefs and Royals, that it was clear both teams wanted to stay in Missouri.After Kansas lawmakers passed legislation designed to relocate the teams, Patterson told The Star he thought a second Jackson County vote would be successful.“I think now with the Kansas option staring us, staring us right in the face, I think that changed the dynamic, and it would be a different vote next time around,” he said.Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. said in a statement after meetings with Parson that the two had a “productive conversation centered on the pride these teams bring to our community and the importance of developing a fair and sustainable plan for the future.” Before White can support a new stadium proposal, he said, “it must offer clear and significant benefits to the taxpayers of Jackson County,” something he argues the sales tax does not.White said he’s hopeful that the state will continue to support the effort to keep the teams in Missouri even after Parson leaves office.“Together, we can find a solution that ensures the Chiefs and Royals remain a proud part of Jackson County without compromising the financial well-being of our community,” White said.The Royals’ Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead sit next to each other and share the parking lot of the Truman Sports Complex in east Kansas City.The teams’ plans for the Jackson County sales tax were criticized by some, including White, as vague and incomplete.&nbsp;GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOXSUBSCRIBEBut Kansas lawmakers saw in the failed Jackson County vote a chance to lure the teams across the state line. They claimed Missouri had “dropped the ball” and it was up to Kansas to keep the teams in the Kansas City metropolitan area.Last month, Kansas lawmakers expanded the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond to help finance up to 70% of the cost for one or both teams to move to Kansas. The expanded program could yield hundreds of millions of dollars for the stadiums.STAR Bonds are issued to help pay the construction costs and then repaid by the sales tax collected at the project site. Normally, STAR Bonds, which are meant to help build tourist and entertainment venues, are limited to 50% of the project costs.&nbsp;The legislation,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/" target="_blank">signed by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly last month</a>, was criticized by Missouri officials who considered it a violation of an agreement Kelly and Parson reached in 2019 to stop using economic incentives to move companies and jobs back and forth across the state line.Neither the Chiefs nor the Royals were available to comment

Mo. governor on Kansas City Chiefs: ‘I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point’

The lieutenant governor is next in line to be governor, breaks ties in the Missouri Senate and sits on various boards

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

When Eric Greitens was forced to resign from the Missouri governor’s office in 2018, he was replaced by Lt. Gov. Mike Parson.

Two years later, Parson won a full term of his own.&nbsp;

Being next in line for governor is the major constitutional requirement for the lieutenant governor. In Missouri, unlike many other states, the lieutenant governor doesn’t run on a ticket with the governor.&nbsp;

Five Republicans hope to win their party’s nomination for lieutenant governor on Aug. 6, vying for a job that involves sitting on&nbsp;<a href="https://ltgov.mo.gov/boards-commissions/" target="_blank">various boards</a>&nbsp;and breaking ties in the Missouri Senate.

Despite its limited constitutional authority,&nbsp;millions are being spent to capture the GOP nod heading into the fall, where the winner will take on one of two Democrats — state Rep. Richard Brown of Kansas City or Anastasia Syes of St. Louis&nbsp; — and Libertarian Ken Iverson of Lake St. Louis.

Rehder, of Scott City, served eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2020.

The work she’s most proud of in the legislature, she said in an interview, was helping pass policies to “help people out of poverty, help them become self-reliant and and help with the mental health struggles we see,” pointing to veteran suicides and the opioid epidemic.

“I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “I grew up on the system and got myself out, turning into a business owner, starting from the ground up, not because anyone handed me anything but because it was because I worked for it and took the risk.”

Rehder, who married at 15 and had a daughter at 16, sponsored legislation this year&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/legislation-enacting-total-ban-on-child-marriage-in-missouri-dies-in-the-house/">to ban child marriage</a>, which narrowly failed.&nbsp;

She also sponsored legislation last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-restrictions-for-trans-athletes/">prohibit transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;from competing in sports that align with their gender identity, which was signed into law.

Before politics, Rehder worked in the cable television industry and co-founded a cable contracting company.&nbsp;She is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University.

She said she decided to run for lieutenant governor to make a larger impact on people’s lives than she can as a senator, with the opportunity to “delve into some policy issues and really fight to help people.” Areas she is particularly interested in focusing attention toward include the foster care system and veterans’ mental health.

Rehder&nbsp;has&nbsp;$302,928 cash on hand&nbsp;in her&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C111145" target="_blank">campaign fund</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;$264,596&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C211685" target="_blank">Southern Drawl PAC</a>, her joint fundraising committee, as of April 15 filings. Her campaign fund had spent $190,055 and the PAC had spent $40,508 on the campaign, as of April 15.

Wasinger is an attorney at a St. Louis law firm he owns and manages, and a certified public accountant.

He ran for auditor in 2018 and lost in the GOP primary.

Wasinger grew up in Hannibal and attended the University of Missouri and then Vanderbilt Law School, before moving to St. Louis. He has worked at the law firm for over 20 years, specializing in business litigation.

After the 2008 financial crisis, Wasinger “took on Wall Street banks,” he said,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-courts-wallstreet/small-firm-lawyer-takes-on-wall-street-and-wins-twice-idUSBREA1F0M120140217/" target="_blank">representing whistleblowers</a>&nbsp;in financial fraud cases against Countrywide Home Loans and JP Morgan Chase. The whistleblowers were key witnesses in the federal government’s case against the banks, helping federal prosecutors recover billions of dollars.&nbsp;

Wasinger said the position of lieutenant governor “serves as a great bully pulpit to expose this corruption and these insider deals taking place in Jefferson City.”&nbsp;

As of April 15&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C242714" target="_blank">filings</a>, Wasinger’s campaign had $222,554 cash on hand and had spent&nbsp;$17,759. Since then, he has donated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=UQggPoJftVkEEf1ZNi5D6RYZJXNG2vDba4ENMvWHEVCvOWH17nTkRAj158jgMKdNeOyoKXtQSV%2fNHBQgEqUF0LAzRPhHahiB" target="_blank">$1.5 million</a>&nbsp;of his own money to the campaign.&nbsp;

Hough, of Springfield, first won election to the Missouri House in 2010 and won a seat on the Greene County Commission in 2016. Two years later, he was elected to the Senate and was re-elected last year.

Hough is a “first-generation cattleman” who started his cattle ranch when he was in seventh grade. He graduated from Missouri State University.

“The most important thing I would want people to know about me is that I’m a self made person,” he said. “And I don’t come from a political family. I don’t come from money.”&nbsp;

Hough has served as chairman of the powerful Senate appropriations committee since last year, giving him huge influence over the state budget.&nbsp;

He said he’s proudest of his work in the legislature&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/29/legislature-sends-764-million-income-tax-cut-to-missouri-governor/">cutting the income tax</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/19/missouri-senate-committee-triples-funding-for-widening-i-70-across-the-state/">investing in Interstate 70</a>&nbsp;and providing state funds to support the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-house-sends-bill-funding-border-deployment-to-the-senate/">National Guard when it was dispatched to the US-Mexico border</a>&nbsp;by the governor.&nbsp; He also said that in his time as chairman “we have completely&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/23/missouri-senate-passes-4-6b-spending-bill-with-pay-raises-federal-school-funds/">defunded Planned Parenthood,”&nbsp;</a>by preventing it from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.

&nbsp;“I’ve got a good track record of actually getting things done in Jefferson City,” he said, “and not just not just doing the kind of the political talking points that people like to do.”&nbsp;

Hough said he sees the focus of the lieutenant governor as&nbsp; “promoting Missouri,” and “supporting the workforce initiatives of the governor.”

Hough’s&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C091272" target="_blank">campaign fund</a>&nbsp;had $377,679 cash on hand as of April 15. A joint fundraising PAC,&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C171164" target="_blank">Lincoln PAC</a>, had roughly $1.2 million.&nbsp;

His campaign fund had spent&nbsp;$138,222 and the PAC had spent $143,683 as of April 15.

Berry, a St. Louis County businessman, has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/24/republican-lg-hopeful-files-lawsuit-seeking-to-toss-out-71-missouri-initiative-petitions/">run unsuccessfully</a>&nbsp;in five campaigns since 2012.&nbsp;

He has also filed numerous lawsuits that have either been dismissed or withdrawn, including one intended to force state lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/missouri-congressional-candidate-paul-berry-files-redistricting-lawsuit/39389086#" target="_blank">pass a congressional redistricting map</a>&nbsp;and another alleging election irregularities cost him victory in his&nbsp;<a href="https://callnewspapers.com/paul-berrys-lawsuit-asking-for-new-county-executive-election-is-dismissed/" target="_blank">22 percentage-point loss</a>&nbsp;in the 2020 St. Louis County Executive race.

Though he isn’t an attorney, Berry represented himself in those cases.

Berry is a bail bondsman from Bridgeton and the great-nephew of rock-n-roll legend Chuck Berry.

His campaign filed a limited activity report with the Missouri Ethics Commission, meaning it raised and spent less than $500.

Baker is the county clerk in Franklin County. He lives in Robertsville and before becoming clerk ran for county commissioner three times and lost.

As county clerk, Baker said, he has focused on saving taxpayer money by reducing “wasteful spending.”

He said he believes in the importance of the boards the lieutenant governor serves on, including veterans and tourism, and would hope to bring more attention to farming in Missouri.

“Farming is our number one industry in our state,” he said. “And a lot of people, especially in the urban areas, don’t necessarily know what a farm looks like or where their food comes from whenever you go out and talk to folks. And it would be nice to bring that to the forefront too.”

Baker has $5,646 on hand, according to April 15&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C180071" target="_blank">filings</a>, and had spent $4,079.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704198327621.png" alt="The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, as pictured September 26, 2023 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, as pictured September 26, 2023 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The lieutenant governor is next in line to be governor, breaks ties in the Missouri Senate and sits on various boards</h2>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>When Eric Greitens was forced to resign from the Missouri governor’s office in 2018, he was replaced by Lt. Gov. Mike Parson.Two years later, Parson won a full term of his own.&nbsp;Being next in line for governor is the major constitutional requirement for the lieutenant governor. In Missouri, unlike many other states, the lieutenant governor doesn’t run on a ticket with the governor.&nbsp;Five Republicans hope to win their party’s nomination for lieutenant governor on Aug. 6, vying for a job that involves sitting on&nbsp;<a href="https://ltgov.mo.gov/boards-commissions/" target="_blank">various boards</a>&nbsp;and breaking ties in the Missouri Senate.Despite its limited constitutional authority,&nbsp;millions are being spent to capture the GOP nod heading into the fall, where the winner will take on one of two Democrats — state Rep. Richard Brown of Kansas City or Anastasia Syes of St. Louis&nbsp; — and Libertarian Ken Iverson of Lake St. Louis.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720613034642.png" alt="&nbsp;Holly Rehder (photo submitted)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Holly Rehder (photo submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Holly Thompson Rehder</h2>Rehder, of Scott City, served eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2020.The work she’s most proud of in the legislature, she said in an interview, was helping pass policies to “help people out of poverty, help them become self-reliant and and help with the mental health struggles we see,” pointing to veteran suicides and the opioid epidemic.“I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “I grew up on the system and got myself out, turning into a business owner, starting from the ground up, not because anyone handed me anything but because it was because I worked for it and took the risk.”Rehder, who married at 15 and had a daughter at 16, sponsored legislation this year&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/legislation-enacting-total-ban-on-child-marriage-in-missouri-dies-in-the-house/">to ban child marriage</a>, which narrowly failed.&nbsp;She also sponsored legislation last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-restrictions-for-trans-athletes/">prohibit transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;from competing in sports that align with their gender identity, which was signed into law.Before politics, Rehder worked in the cable television industry and co-founded a cable contracting company.&nbsp;She is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University.She said she decided to run for lieutenant governor to make a larger impact on people’s lives than she can as a senator, with the opportunity to “delve into some policy issues and really fight to help people.” Areas she is particularly interested in focusing attention toward include the foster care system and veterans’ mental health.Rehder&nbsp;has&nbsp;$302,928 cash on hand&nbsp;in her&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C111145" target="_blank">campaign fund</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;$264,596&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C211685" target="_blank">Southern Drawl PAC</a>, her joint fundraising committee, as of April 15 filings. Her campaign fund had spent $190,055 and the PAC had spent $40,508 on the campaign, as of April 15.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720613080951.png" alt="Dave Wasinger (photo submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Dave Wasinger (photo submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Dave Wasinger</h2>Wasinger is an attorney at a St. Louis law firm he owns and manages, and a certified public accountant.He ran for auditor in 2018 and lost in the GOP primary.Wasinger grew up in Hannibal and attended the University of Missouri and then Vanderbilt Law School, before moving to St. Louis. He has worked at the law firm for over 20 years, specializing in business litigation.After the 2008 financial crisis, Wasinger “took on Wall Street banks,” he said,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-courts-wallstreet/small-firm-lawyer-takes-on-wall-street-and-wins-twice-idUSBREA1F0M120140217/" target="_blank">representing whistleblowers</a>&nbsp;in financial fraud cases against Countrywide Home Loans and JP Morgan Chase. The whistleblowers were key witnesses in the federal government’s case against the banks, helping federal prosecutors recover billions of dollars.&nbsp;Wasinger said the position of lieutenant governor “serves as a great bully pulpit to expose this corruption and these insider deals taking place in Jefferson City.”&nbsp;As of April 15&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C242714" target="_blank">filings</a>, Wasinger’s campaign had $222,554 cash on hand and had spent&nbsp;$17,759. Since then, he has donated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=UQggPoJftVkEEf1ZNi5D6RYZJXNG2vDba4ENMvWHEVCvOWH17nTkRAj158jgMKdNeOyoKXtQSV%2fNHBQgEqUF0LAzRPhHahiB" target="_blank">$1.5 million</a>&nbsp;of his own money to the campaign.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720613124250.png" alt="Lincoln Hough (courtesy of Missouri Senate)." />
 <figcaption>Lincoln Hough (courtesy of Missouri Senate).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lincoln Hough</h2>Hough, of Springfield, first won election to the Missouri House in 2010 and won a seat on the Greene County Commission in 2016. Two years later, he was elected to the Senate and was re-elected last year.Hough is a “first-generation cattleman” who started his cattle ranch when he was in seventh grade. He graduated from Missouri State University.“The most important thing I would want people to know about me is that I’m a self made person,” he said. “And I don’t come from a political family. I don’t come from money.”&nbsp;Hough has served as chairman of the powerful Senate appropriations committee since last year, giving him huge influence over the state budget.&nbsp;He said he’s proudest of his work in the legislature&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/29/legislature-sends-764-million-income-tax-cut-to-missouri-governor/">cutting the income tax</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/19/missouri-senate-committee-triples-funding-for-widening-i-70-across-the-state/">investing in Interstate 70</a>&nbsp;and providing state funds to support the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-house-sends-bill-funding-border-deployment-to-the-senate/">National Guard when it was dispatched to the US-Mexico border</a>&nbsp;by the governor.&nbsp; He also said that in his time as chairman “we have completely&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/23/missouri-senate-passes-4-6b-spending-bill-with-pay-raises-federal-school-funds/">defunded Planned Parenthood,”&nbsp;</a>by preventing it from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.&nbsp;“I’ve got a good track record of actually getting things done in Jefferson City,” he said, “and not just not just doing the kind of the political talking points that people like to do.”&nbsp;Hough said he sees the focus of the lieutenant governor as&nbsp; “promoting Missouri,” and “supporting the workforce initiatives of the governor.”Hough’s&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C091272" target="_blank">campaign fund</a>&nbsp;had $377,679 cash on hand as of April 15. A joint fundraising PAC,&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C171164" target="_blank">Lincoln PAC</a>, had roughly $1.2 million.&nbsp;His campaign fund had spent&nbsp;$138,222 and the PAC had spent $143,683 as of April 15.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720613155329.png" alt="Paul Berry III" />
 <figcaption>Paul Berry III</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Paul Berry III</h2>Berry, a St. Louis County businessman, has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/24/republican-lg-hopeful-files-lawsuit-seeking-to-toss-out-71-missouri-initiative-petitions/">run unsuccessfully</a>&nbsp;in five campaigns since 2012.&nbsp;He has also filed numerous lawsuits that have either been dismissed or withdrawn, including one intended to force state lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/missouri-congressional-candidate-paul-berry-files-redistricting-lawsuit/39389086#" target="_blank">pass a congressional redistricting map</a>&nbsp;and another alleging election irregularities cost him victory in his&nbsp;<a href="https://callnewspapers.com/paul-berrys-lawsuit-asking-for-new-county-executive-election-is-dismissed/" target="_blank">22 percentage-point loss</a>&nbsp;in the 2020 St. Louis County Executive race.Though he isn’t an attorney, Berry represented himself in those cases.Berry is a bail bondsman from Bridgeton and the great-nephew of rock-n-roll legend Chuck Berry.His campaign filed a limited activity report with the Missouri Ethics Commission, meaning it raised and spent less than $500.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720613253993.png" alt="Tim Baker (photo submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Tim Baker (photo submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Tim Baker</h2>Baker is the county clerk in Franklin County. He lives in Robertsville and before becoming clerk ran for county commissioner three times and lost.As county clerk, Baker said, he has focused on saving taxpayer money by reducing “wasteful spending.”He said he believes in the importance of the boards the lieutenant governor serves on, including veterans and tourism, and would hope to bring more attention to farming in Missouri.“Farming is our number one industry in our state,” he said. “And a lot of people, especially in the urban areas, don’t necessarily know what a farm looks like or where their food comes from whenever you go out and talk to folks. And it would be nice to bring that to the forefront too.”Baker has $5,646 on hand, according to April 15&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C180071" target="_blank">filings</a>, and had spent $4,079.

Crowded GOP primary field vying to be Missouri’s next lieutenant governor

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/graceburwell/">GRACE BURWELL</a>

Construction crews began work Monday night on an ambitious $2.8 billion project that will expand Interstate 70 to three lanes across Missouri.

Crews are first tackling a stretch from Route J at Millersburg to Route M at Hatton, 7 miles of a 20-mile section that will ultimately add a third lane in each direction from Columbia to Kingdom City.

The overnight schedule is designed to minimize traffic disruptions as the highway work progresses from the center of the state to other portions at the east and west ends of the highway.

The project’s first 20-mile section is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Subsequent phases include improving stretches of highway from Warrenton to Wentzville and from Blue Springs to Odessa. The entire project is expected to be finished by 2030.

Road crews will first close the westbound lane from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. nightly to lay new asphalt that will strengthen the highway shoulders, said the state’s Improve I-70 central project director, Jeff Gander.

When that portion is done, the eastbound lane will be closed to traffic. Estimated completion is this summer.

“After they get that shoulder-strengthening done, they’re going to re-stripe the highway to push traffic more toward the outsides, and then they’ll be setting barrier wall all along the inside to barrier off the median so we can perform our work in there,” Gander said.

In addition to adding a third lane each way to the 20 miles between the U.S. 63 and U.S. 54 exits, crews will improve the intersections of U.S. 63 and I-70 in Columbia and between U.S. 54 and I-70 in Kingdom City.

Missouri Department of Transportation plans to begin working on the U.S. 63-Interstate-70 connector this summer, while construction on U.S. 54 will likely not start until 2025, Gander said.

A St. Charles-based contractor, Millstone Weber, was selected to do the first section, which has a $405 million price tag. The contractor intends to avoid impacting local traffic by keeping two lanes open during construction at all times, with the exception of some temporary closures at night.

“What we have committed to for this project is to keep two lanes of I-70 flowing at all peak times, which means during the day,” he said. “There’s a good possibility that they will have a lane closed at night, both eastbound and westbound at the same time.”

MoDOT did preliminary work ahead of Monday’s construction, including pavement coring, as well as subsurface boring where some of the structures will go to prepare for the design.

Since the initiative is a design-build project, highway improvement happens incrementally, Gander said. In this kind of project, the full design plans are completed while the project is underway.

“When we actually award this contract, we don’t have full design plans — we have plans that are probably at, say, 30 percent complete,” Gander said. “Right now, they are hot-and-heavy working on fully designing the rest of the project.”

The project has been on MoDOT’s unfunded agenda for almost 20 years and is the largest interstate construction program since the early 1960s. The expanded highway portion will run from Blue Springs in Jackson County to Wentzville in St. Charles County.

More than 40,000 vehicles travel between Kansas City and St. Louis each day. A third lane will allow for emergency vehicles to access crashes faster and with less traffic back-up, keeping drivers safer and less frustrated, according to MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna in an earlier Missourian report.

Due to the significant highway construction happening around Columbia during the next few years, Gander said it is important for people to pay attention while driving.

Distracted driving is the main issue that highway construction workers must deal with, he said.

“When this project gets really rolling, and we have all the different areas that we’re working on, we could have upwards of around 300 people out there working on a day-to-day basis, including our prime contractor and our subcontractors,” he said.

“Our goal is for everybody to go home safe, so we really need the public’s help for that.”

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/long-awaited-i-70-expansion-project-begins-near-columbia/article_0cde008a-3d48-11ef-a41e-7ff24996b4b8.html#tncms-source=Featured" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720571482343.png" alt="Construction on Interstate 70 begins Monday in Columbia. The $2.8 billion project is expected to be finished by 2030 (Sarah Voyles/Missourian)." />
 <figcaption>Construction on Interstate 70 begins Monday in Columbia. The $2.8 billion project is expected to be finished by 2030 (Sarah Voyles/Missourian).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/graceburwell/">GRACE BURWELL</a>Construction crews began work Monday night on an ambitious $2.8 billion project that will expand Interstate 70 to three lanes across Missouri.Crews are first tackling a stretch from Route J at Millersburg to Route M at Hatton, 7 miles of a 20-mile section that will ultimately add a third lane in each direction from Columbia to Kingdom City.The overnight schedule is designed to minimize traffic disruptions as the highway work progresses from the center of the state to other portions at the east and west ends of the highway.The project’s first 20-mile section is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Subsequent phases include improving stretches of highway from Warrenton to Wentzville and from Blue Springs to Odessa. The entire project is expected to be finished by 2030.Road crews will first close the westbound lane from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. nightly to lay new asphalt that will strengthen the highway shoulders, said the state’s Improve I-70 central project director, Jeff Gander.When that portion is done, the eastbound lane will be closed to traffic. Estimated completion is this summer.“After they get that shoulder-strengthening done, they’re going to re-stripe the highway to push traffic more toward the outsides, and then they’ll be setting barrier wall all along the inside to barrier off the median so we can perform our work in there,” Gander said.In addition to adding a third lane each way to the 20 miles between the U.S. 63 and U.S. 54 exits, crews will improve the intersections of U.S. 63 and I-70 in Columbia and between U.S. 54 and I-70 in Kingdom City.Missouri Department of Transportation plans to begin working on the U.S. 63-Interstate-70 connector this summer, while construction on U.S. 54 will likely not start until 2025, Gander said.A St. Charles-based contractor, Millstone Weber, was selected to do the first section, which has a $405 million price tag. The contractor intends to avoid impacting local traffic by keeping two lanes open during construction at all times, with the exception of some temporary closures at night.“What we have committed to for this project is to keep two lanes of I-70 flowing at all peak times, which means during the day,” he said. “There’s a good possibility that they will have a lane closed at night, both eastbound and westbound at the same time.”MoDOT did preliminary work ahead of Monday’s construction, including pavement coring, as well as subsurface boring where some of the structures will go to prepare for the design.Since the initiative is a design-build project, highway improvement happens incrementally, Gander said. In this kind of project, the full design plans are completed while the project is underway.“When we actually award this contract, we don’t have full design plans — we have plans that are probably at, say, 30 percent complete,” Gander said. “Right now, they are hot-and-heavy working on fully designing the rest of the project.”The project has been on MoDOT’s unfunded agenda for almost 20 years and is the largest interstate construction program since the early 1960s. The expanded highway portion will run from Blue Springs in Jackson County to Wentzville in St. Charles County.More than 40,000 vehicles travel between Kansas City and St. Louis each day. A third lane will allow for emergency vehicles to access crashes faster and with less traffic back-up, keeping drivers safer and less frustrated, according to MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna in an earlier Missourian report.Due to the significant highway construction happening around Columbia during the next few years, Gander said it is important for people to pay attention while driving.Distracted driving is the main issue that highway construction workers must deal with, he said.“When this project gets really rolling, and we have all the different areas that we’re working on, we could have upwards of around 300 people out there working on a day-to-day basis, including our prime contractor and our subcontractors,” he said.“Our goal is for everybody to go home safe, so we really need the public’s help for that.”This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/long-awaited-i-70-expansion-project-begins-near-columbia/article_0cde008a-3d48-11ef-a41e-7ff24996b4b8.html#tncms-source=Featured" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Missouri’s long-awaited I-70 expansion project begins near Columbia

(Radio Iowa) - The state Racing and Gaming Commission plans to hold a meeting Friday to work out a timeline for dealing with requests for a new gambling license. 

They discussed the issue Monday at their first meeting since the legislature's two-year moratorium on new licenses expired. Racing and Gaming administrator, Tina Eick, says a market study is one of the first steps and that could take 60 to 120 days to be completed. 

The Linn County Gaming Association has a proposal for a casino on the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids that has been on hold since the moratorium two years ago. Eick says she doesn't know of any other casino proposals out there. The I-R-G-C will hold an online meeting Friday at 8:30 a-m to discuss the timeline for considering any new licenses.

(Radio Iowa) - The state Racing and Gaming Commission plans to hold a meeting Friday to work out a timeline for dealing with requests for a new gambling license. They discussed the issue Monday at their first meeting since the legislature's two-year moratorium on new licenses expired. Racing and Gaming administrator, Tina Eick, says a market study is one of the first steps and that could take 60 to 120 days to be completed. The Linn County Gaming Association has a proposal for a casino on the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids that has been on hold since the moratorium two years ago. Eick says she doesn't know of any other casino proposals out there. The I-R-G-C will hold an online meeting Friday at 8:30 a-m to discuss the timeline for considering any new licenses.

IRGC To Discuss Timeline For License Applications

(Radio Iowa) - Public meetings are scheduled in 23 counties for review of the Summit Carbon Solutions plan to expand its proposed pipeline to more ethanol plants. 

State regulators have already granted Summit approval to build along its original 688 mile route through the state -- but only if regulators in neighboring states approve the pipeline's route outside of Iowa. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was first to report public hearings are now scheduled in to discuss extending the pipeline another 340 miles. 

The expansion represents Summit's agreements with ethanol plants that had been linked to the abandoned Navigator C-O-2 pipeline project. The hearings about Summit's pipeline project expansion start in late August and the last one will be held on September 30th.

(Radio Iowa) - Public meetings are scheduled in 23 counties for review of the Summit Carbon Solutions plan to expand its proposed pipeline to more ethanol plants. State regulators have already granted Summit approval to build along its original 688 mile route through the state -- but only if regulators in neighboring states approve the pipeline's route outside of Iowa. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was first to report public hearings are now scheduled in to discuss extending the pipeline another 340 miles. The expansion represents Summit's agreements with ethanol plants that had been linked to the abandoned Navigator C-O-2 pipeline project. The hearings about Summit's pipeline project expansion start in late August and the last one will be held on September 30th.

Meetings in 23 counties on expanding Summit Carbon pipeline project

Expansion at Boehringer Ingelheim in St. Joseph
strengthens the Animal Health Corridor, dedicated to innovation in livestock
and pet health.

The corridor runs from Columbia, Missouri to
Manhattan, Kansas with 300 animal health companies employing more than 20,000
people in 22 counties.

Animal Health Corridor President, Kimberly Young,
says the corridor promotes the interests of those companies.

“How can we bring the global industry together,
both farm and nutrition companies, and work in areas where working together and
speaking with one voice the industry is stronger,” Young tells KFEQ/St. Joseph
Post.

Young says Boehringer’s announcement that it is
building a cutting-edge research and development lab on its St. Joseph campus is
a welcomed addition.

“We’re thrilled that BI continues to expand and
grow in the Animal Health Corridor and in St. Joseph,” Young says.

Young says the corridor is built on the strength
of the region – it’s ties to agriculture.

“The whole reason why the corridor is here is
because we’re an ag-based economy,” Young says, adding that the ties to agriculture
stretch back to the foundation of the stockyards in St. Joseph and elsewhere
throughout the Midwest.

Recruitment of qualified workers is one of the
objectives of the Animal Health Corridor.

“They’re here and we have the talent pool here
and that is what the continued global attraction is for other companies,”
according to Young. “They want to come to an area that has an eco-system in
animal health with an organization like the Animal Health Corridor that is
exclusively focused and intentionally focused on supporting and growing the
industry.”

Young says the corridor focuses on workforce
development, innovation, and public policy.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720550238403.jpeg" alt="Boehringer Ingelheim/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Boehringer Ingelheim/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostExpansion at Boehringer Ingelheim in St. Joseph
strengthens the Animal Health Corridor, dedicated to innovation in livestock
and pet health.The corridor runs from Columbia, Missouri to
Manhattan, Kansas with 300 animal health companies employing more than 20,000
people in 22 counties.Animal Health Corridor President, Kimberly Young,
says the corridor promotes the interests of those companies.“How can we bring the global industry together,
both farm and nutrition companies, and work in areas where working together and
speaking with one voice the industry is stronger,” Young tells KFEQ/St. Joseph
Post.Young says Boehringer’s announcement that it is
building a cutting-edge research and development lab on its St. Joseph campus is
a welcomed addition.“We’re thrilled that BI continues to expand and
grow in the Animal Health Corridor and in St. Joseph,” Young says.Young says the corridor is built on the strength
of the region – it’s ties to agriculture.“The whole reason why the corridor is here is
because we’re an ag-based economy,” Young says, adding that the ties to agriculture
stretch back to the foundation of the stockyards in St. Joseph and elsewhere
throughout the Midwest.Recruitment of qualified workers is one of the
objectives of the Animal Health Corridor.“They’re here and we have the talent pool here
and that is what the continued global attraction is for other companies,”
according to Young. “They want to come to an area that has an eco-system in
animal health with an organization like the Animal Health Corridor that is
exclusively focused and intentionally focused on supporting and growing the
industry.”Young says the corridor focuses on workforce
development, innovation, and public policy.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Boehringer Ingelheim expansion strengthens Animal Health Corridor

NEW YORK (AP) — Target will no longer accept personal checks from shoppers as of July 15, another sign of how a once ubiquitous payment method is going the way of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4f8c481007014190ac534c17c2592fdc">outmoded objects</a>&nbsp;like floppy disks and the Rolodex.

The Minneapolis-based discounter confirmed the move in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday, citing “extremely low volumes” of customers who still write checks. Target said it remained committed to creating an easy and convenient checkout experience with credit and debit cards, “buy now, pay later” services and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-fourth-quarter-earnings-inflation-231a975d4bf95a80ed623b52a8c77dff">Target Circle membership program</a>, which applies deals automatically at checkout.

“We have taken several measures to notify guests in advance" about the no-checks policy, the company said.

Target's decision leaves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-price-cuts-inflation-target-65fbc568804f20919a609c594531e129">Walmart</a>, Macy’s and Kohl’s among the retailers that still accept personal checks at their stores. Whole Foods Market and the Aldi supermarket chain previously stopped taking checks from customers.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spending-consumers-inflation-economy-growth-federal-reserve-b1d34bc43a0da960a152911b7c230881">Shoppers</a>&nbsp;have pulled out checkbooks increasingly less often since the mid-1990s.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-chase-bank-branches-hiring-5ee9b9ce933759b2b37217d9effef53a">Cash-dispensing ATMs</a>, debit cards, online banking and mobile payment systems like Venmo and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-pay-digital-payments-visa-mastercard-affirm-d8e85a7d30c02523998dfbdd6f0b0497">Apple Pay</a>&nbsp;mean many young adults may never have written a check.

Check usage has been in decline for decades as Americans have largely switched to paying for their services with credit and debit cards. Americans wrote roughly 3.4 billion checks in 2022, down from nearly 19 billion checks in 1990, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-reserve-system">the Federal Reserve</a>. However, the average size of the checks Americans wrote over the 32-year period rose from $673 in 1990 — or $1,602 in today’s dollars — to $2,652.

The drop in check writing enabled the Federal Reserve to sharply reduce its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/paymentsystems/check_about.htm">national check processing infrastructure.</a>&nbsp;In 2003, it ran 45 check-processing locations nationwide; since 2010, it has operated only one.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target will no longer accept personal checks from shoppers as of July 15, another sign of how a once ubiquitous payment method is going the way of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4f8c481007014190ac534c17c2592fdc">outmoded objects</a>&nbsp;like floppy disks and the Rolodex.The Minneapolis-based discounter confirmed the move in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday, citing “extremely low volumes” of customers who still write checks. Target said it remained committed to creating an easy and convenient checkout experience with credit and debit cards, “buy now, pay later” services and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-fourth-quarter-earnings-inflation-231a975d4bf95a80ed623b52a8c77dff">Target Circle membership program</a>, which applies deals automatically at checkout.“We have taken several measures to notify guests in advance" about the no-checks policy, the company said.Target's decision leaves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-price-cuts-inflation-target-65fbc568804f20919a609c594531e129">Walmart</a>, Macy’s and Kohl’s among the retailers that still accept personal checks at their stores. Whole Foods Market and the Aldi supermarket chain previously stopped taking checks from customers.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spending-consumers-inflation-economy-growth-federal-reserve-b1d34bc43a0da960a152911b7c230881">Shoppers</a>&nbsp;have pulled out checkbooks increasingly less often since the mid-1990s.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-chase-bank-branches-hiring-5ee9b9ce933759b2b37217d9effef53a">Cash-dispensing ATMs</a>, debit cards, online banking and mobile payment systems like Venmo and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-pay-digital-payments-visa-mastercard-affirm-d8e85a7d30c02523998dfbdd6f0b0497">Apple Pay</a>&nbsp;mean many young adults may never have written a check.Check usage has been in decline for decades as Americans have largely switched to paying for their services with credit and debit cards. Americans wrote roughly 3.4 billion checks in 2022, down from nearly 19 billion checks in 1990, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-reserve-system">the Federal Reserve</a>. However, the average size of the checks Americans wrote over the 32-year period rose from $673 in 1990 — or $1,602 in today’s dollars — to $2,652.The drop in check writing enabled the Federal Reserve to sharply reduce its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/paymentsystems/check_about.htm">national check processing infrastructure.</a>&nbsp;In 2003, it ran 45 check-processing locations nationwide; since 2010, it has operated only one.

Target will stop accepting personal checks next week

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa Food System Coalition wants to make locally-produced food the norm, not the exception, and is releasing a 250-page plan to get there in a decade. 

One priority is to make it easier to get food from the farm to the table, by supporting more local and regional infrastructure, like small-scale processing for specialty crops, grains, dairy and livestock. Coalition executive director Chris Schwartz says more than 40 partners across Iowa helped shape the plan. Schwartz says the plan aims to make Iowa's food system more nutritious and more environmentally sustainable. 

Strategies include improving farmers’ access to land and expanding incentives to adopt practices that protect Iowa’s soil, water and air. The coalition also wants to invest in more refrigerated trucks and food hubs, which aggregate and distribute local products.

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa Food System Coalition wants to make locally-produced food the norm, not the exception, and is releasing a 250-page plan to get there in a decade. One priority is to make it easier to get food from the farm to the table, by supporting more local and regional infrastructure, like small-scale processing for specialty crops, grains, dairy and livestock. Coalition executive director Chris Schwartz says more than 40 partners across Iowa helped shape the plan. Schwartz says the plan aims to make Iowa's food system more nutritious and more environmentally sustainable. Strategies include improving farmers’ access to land and expanding incentives to adopt practices that protect Iowa’s soil, water and air. The coalition also wants to invest in more refrigerated trucks and food hubs, which aggregate and distribute local products.

Plan unveiled to make Iowa's food system more local and sustainable

Max’s Law has been signed by Governor Mike Parson, successfully
ending a three-year effort to honor St. Joseph’s K-9 Max, shot and killed in
the summer of 2021.

Max’ Law increases the penalty for killing a police dog or any
police animal.

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster attended the bill signing
ceremony this morning in Jefferson City and says the change is needed.

“It’s important to know that those dogs are part of the police
family and they serve a very purposeful and useful function in policing,”
Luster tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And to have a law in effect that will properly
hold those accountable that have a desire to hurt one of those animals is very
important to our community and to our profession.”

Luster says even with his years in police work, he didn’t
realize how light the penalty was for killing a police dog.

“I had no idea that it was just treated like a property crime,”
Luster says. “They spoke this morning that there was a higher penalty for
breaking a window of a police car than there was for killing a police dog. That’s
just not acceptable given the importance of what those K-9 officers do for us.
I was very surprised to learn that and very satisfied to know that we’ll have
the proper legislation in effect now.”

K-9 Max was shot and killed chasing a suspect on June 30th of 2021.

Several police dogs and their handlers attended the bill
signing ceremony in the governor’s office. K-9 Max’s handler, Officer Lucas
Winder, attended as well.

In all, Luster says it was an emotional day.

“It was kind of overwhelming there being in the governor’s
office and having Gov. Parson sign into law Max’s Law named after our K-9 there
in St. Joe,” Luster says. “To have his handler, Officer Winder, there as well was
a pretty overwhelming experience.”

State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican from Parkville,
sponsored the legislation. Luetkemeyer first carried the legislature the year
after K-9 Max was shot and killed. That legislation couldn’t overcome a
filibuster mounted on the last day of the legislative session. Last year, Gov.
Parson vetoed the anti-crime bill that contained Max’s Law, objecting to an
unrelated provision in the bill. Luetkemeyer removed that provision in the bill
this year.

The bill goes into effect on August 28th.

Click <a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=438">HERE</a> for the text to Senate Bill 754.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720548766586.jpeg" alt="Gov. Mike Parson signs the anti-crime bill containing Max's Law. Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer is to Parson's left along with K-9 Max's handler, St. Joseph Police Officer Lucas Winder. St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster is in the back./Photo by Alisa Nelson, Missourinet" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Mike Parson signs the anti-crime bill containing Max's Law. Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer is to Parson's left along with K-9 Max's handler, St. Joseph Police Officer Lucas Winder. St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster is in the back./Photo by Alisa Nelson, Missourinet</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMax’s Law has been signed by Governor Mike Parson, successfully
ending a three-year effort to honor St. Joseph’s K-9 Max, shot and killed in
the summer of 2021.Max’ Law increases the penalty for killing a police dog or any
police animal.St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster attended the bill signing
ceremony this morning in Jefferson City and says the change is needed.“It’s important to know that those dogs are part of the police
family and they serve a very purposeful and useful function in policing,”
Luster tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And to have a law in effect that will properly
hold those accountable that have a desire to hurt one of those animals is very
important to our community and to our profession.”Luster says even with his years in police work, he didn’t
realize how light the penalty was for killing a police dog.“I had no idea that it was just treated like a property crime,”
Luster says. “They spoke this morning that there was a higher penalty for
breaking a window of a police car than there was for killing a police dog. That’s
just not acceptable given the importance of what those K-9 officers do for us.
I was very surprised to learn that and very satisfied to know that we’ll have
the proper legislation in effect now.”K-9 Max was shot and killed chasing a suspect on June 30th of 2021.Several police dogs and their handlers attended the bill
signing ceremony in the governor’s office. K-9 Max’s handler, Officer Lucas
Winder, attended as well.In all, Luster says it was an emotional day.“It was kind of overwhelming there being in the governor’s
office and having Gov. Parson sign into law Max’s Law named after our K-9 there
in St. Joe,” Luster says. “To have his handler, Officer Winder, there as well was
a pretty overwhelming experience.”State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican from Parkville,
sponsored the legislation. Luetkemeyer first carried the legislature the year
after K-9 Max was shot and killed. That legislation couldn’t overcome a
filibuster mounted on the last day of the legislative session. Last year, Gov.
Parson vetoed the anti-crime bill that contained Max’s Law, objecting to an
unrelated provision in the bill. Luetkemeyer removed that provision in the bill
this year.The bill goes into effect on August 28th.Click <a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=438">HERE</a> for the text to Senate Bill 754.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720549178344.jpeg" alt="K-9 Max/file photo" />
 <figcaption>K-9 Max/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Three years in the making:  Max's Law signed into law by Gov. Parson

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's performance during the debate last month&nbsp;raised concerns&nbsp;about his age and health. Late Monday, the White House released a letter from President Biden’s doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor on the multiple visits to the White House by Dr. Kevin Cannard, who is an expert on Parkinson’s.

The letter from the doctor came hours after White House press secretary had no answers about why the neurologist has visited numerous times over the past year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720133821321.png" alt="White House file photo" />
 <figcaption>White House file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's performance during the debate last month&nbsp;raised concerns&nbsp;about his age and health. Late Monday, the White House released a letter from President Biden’s doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor on the multiple visits to the White House by Dr. Kevin Cannard, who is an expert on Parkinson’s.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720526697169.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720526734368.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karine Jean-Pierre to <a href="https://twitter.com/edokeefe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edokeefe</a>: &quot;It doesn&#39;t matter how hard you push me. It doesn&#39;t matter how angry you get with me. I&#39;m not going to confirm a name...What I can say share with you is that the president has seen a neurologist for his physical three times.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/oZQjMiIOPv">pic.twitter.com/oZQjMiIOPv</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1810397009150619756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The letter from the doctor came hours after White House press secretary had no answers about why the neurologist has visited numerous times over the past year.

Read new note from President Biden's doctor explaining neurologist's visits

MILWAUKEE —The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee announced the program themes for next week's GOP convention in Milwaukee and released their 2024 Platform.

<a href="https://cdn.nucleusfiles.com/be/beb1a388-1d88-4389-a67d-c1e2d7f8bedf/2024-gop-platform-july-7-final.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ncl_amplify&amp;utm_campaign=240708-2024_gop_platform_make_america_great_again&amp;utm_content=ncl-4NsN8UE5x2&amp;_nlid=4NsN8UE5x2&amp;_nhids=Nog6f1V6">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the full 16-page platform document

The points of the platform are listed below

&nbsp;The platform will be voted on in full at the GOP convention next week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718556066582.png" alt="File photo -Former President Trump during a campaign stop last month -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo -Former President Trump during a campaign stop last month -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>MILWAUKEE —The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee announced the program themes for next week's GOP convention in Milwaukee and released their 2024 Platform.<a href="https://cdn.nucleusfiles.com/be/beb1a388-1d88-4389-a67d-c1e2d7f8bedf/2024-gop-platform-july-7-final.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ncl_amplify&amp;utm_campaign=240708-2024_gop_platform_make_america_great_again&amp;utm_content=ncl-4NsN8UE5x2&amp;_nlid=4NsN8UE5x2&amp;_nhids=Nog6f1V6">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the full 16-page platform document<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720521521992.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The points of the platform are listed below<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720484913719.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;The platform will be voted on in full at the GOP convention next week.

Read the Trump inspired Republican Party 2024 platform document

KANSAS CITY—An Amtrak train struck a tree Monday afternoon near Washington, Missouri.

According to a statement from the rail service, "Just before 5p.m. Monday, Amtrak Train 319 made contact with a tree on the tracks east of Washington, Missouri. There were no injuries to the 124 passengers and five crew members aboard the train made up of one locomotive and seven railcars, but rear axle of the locomotive lost contact with the tracks."

Power has since been restored to the train and Amtrak is making arrangements to transport passengers on to their destinations."

As of 6:25 p.m. and due to ongoing delays, Amtrak canceled Train 319 and made other arrangements to transported passengers. Washington, Missouri is three hours east of Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY—An Amtrak train struck a tree Monday afternoon near Washington, Missouri.According to a statement from the rail service, "Just before 5p.m. Monday, Amtrak Train 319 made contact with a tree on the tracks east of Washington, Missouri. There were no injuries to the 124 passengers and five crew members aboard the train made up of one locomotive and seven railcars, but rear axle of the locomotive lost contact with the tracks."Power has since been restored to the train and Amtrak is making arrangements to transport passengers on to their destinations."As of 6:25 p.m. and due to ongoing delays, Amtrak canceled Train 319 and made other arrangements to transported passengers. Washington, Missouri is three hours east of Kansas City.

Amtrak train derails in Missouri after striking a tree

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the death of his mother at her home in Olathe has been charged for the crime.

Last week, 40-year-old Brian Christopher Thode was charged with first degree murder and cruelty to animals, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. The charges are in connection with the June 29, death of 72-year-old Nancy Thode.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just before 6 p.m. June 29, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of East Oakview Street in Olathe for a death investigation, according to&nbsp;Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Officers arrived and discovered Nancy Thode unresponsive with significant injuries. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Brian Thode also “unlawfully, knowingly, maliciously and feloniously” killed a cat and a bird, according to a charging document in the case. Thode remains jailed on a $3,000,000.00 bond. He is due back in court July 17, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720003596616.png" alt="Thode-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Thode-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the death of his mother at her home in Olathe has been charged for the crime.Last week, 40-year-old Brian Christopher Thode was charged with first degree murder and cruelty to animals, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. The charges are in connection with the June 29, death of 72-year-old Nancy Thode.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just before 6 p.m. June 29, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of East Oakview Street in Olathe for a death investigation, according to&nbsp;Police Sergeant John Moncayo.Officers arrived and discovered Nancy Thode unresponsive with significant injuries. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Brian Thode also “unlawfully, knowingly, maliciously and feloniously” killed a cat and a bird, according to a charging document in the case. Thode remains jailed on a $3,000,000.00 bond. He is due back in court July 17, according to online jail records.

Kan. man charged with his mother's murder, animal cruelty

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 9:30p.m. July 3, a Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle on 150th near U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver Kathy Lynn Jauch, 56, of Golden, Colorado, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316459572.png" alt="Jauch photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jauch photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 9:30p.m. July 3, a Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle on 150th near U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver Kathy Lynn Jauch, 56, of Golden, Colorado, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Colo. woman was transporting meth in Kansas

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>

President Joe Biden pledged Monday to stay in his race for reelection, even after a weekend in which a growing number of Democrats asked for him to withdraw and a key U.S. House Republican called for an investigation into the president’s doctor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316947280.png" alt="President Joe Biden raises the hand of Vice President Kamala Harris as they view the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House -image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden raises the hand of Vice President Kamala Harris as they view the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House -image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>President Joe Biden pledged Monday to stay in his race for reelection, even after a weekend in which a growing number of Democrats asked for him to withdraw and a key U.S. House Republican called for an investigation into the president’s doctor.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This morning, I sent a letter to my fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill. In it, I shared my thoughts about this moment in our campaign. It’s time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump. <a href="https://t.co/ABtAaJrr0n">pic.twitter.com/ABtAaJrr0n</a>&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1810301614965604827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24794331-bidenletterjuly8" target="_blank">a letter</a>&nbsp;to congressional Democrats, Biden argued that the calls for him to drop out of the presidential race — with just 119 days until Election Day — ignored the results of Democratic primaries and caucuses that he handily won and said he remained the best candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump.The two-page letter ended with a call for party unity and an end to the public back-and-forth among Democrats over whether Biden should leave the race, after a June 27 debate performance that shook some high-ranking Democrats’ confidence in his ability to overcome his polling deficit against Trump.“The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now,” Biden wrote. “And it’s time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump.”<h2>Comer seeks interview with Biden doctor</h2>Congress returns Monday from a weeklong July Fourth recess after several days in which members of both parties continued to press the issue of Biden’s fitness for office.Republicans also began pressing for more details. House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Letter-to-OConnor-070724.pdf" target="_blank">on Sunday called</a>&nbsp;for Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, to submit to a transcribed interview about his assessments of Biden and O’Connor’s business dealings with James Biden, the president’s brother.The Kentucky Republican said Biden and the White House had sent mixed messages about recent medical examinations of the president.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last week that Biden had not been examined by a doctor since his regular checkup in February.But Biden told a group of Democratic governors the same day that he was “checked out by a doctor” following the debate, Comer wrote.Following the debate, Biden, attempting to explain a low, raspy voice, said he’d had a cold.Comer also questioned if O’Connor could accurately report Biden’s health, or if he was compromised by a conflict of interest because of his involvement with James Biden’s rural health care company, Americore. James Biden has testified to the committee that he sought O’Connor’s counsel for the business.The White House did not respond to a message seeking comment about Comer’s request.<h2>More Democrats call for withdrawal</h2>The holiday weekend also saw more U.S. House Democrats join a list of those asking Biden to step aside rather than seek reelection.In&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AngieCraigMN/status/1809577054062432688" target="_blank">a written statement</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, Minnesota’s Angie Craig became the first member from a competitive district to call on the president to quit the race. Craig is the fifth member to publicly call for the president’s withdrawal.Additional members are making private calls, according to media reports.Four Democrats who lead House committees — Jerry Nadler of New York on the Judiciary Committee, Adam Smith of Washington on the Armed Services Committee, Mark Takano of California on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Joe Morelle of New York on the House Administration Committee — said during a caucus leadership call on Sunday that Biden should withdraw,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/07/jerry-nadler-adam-smith-congress-biden-00166733" target="_blank">according to reports</a>.Other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/07/politics/house-democrats-biden-out/index.html" target="_blank">accounts reported</a>&nbsp;more members on the call, including Susan Wild of Pennsylvania and Jim Himes of Connecticut, also opposed Biden’s continued candidacy. Wild&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/briefs/susan-wild-pennsylvania-expressed-concern-biden-electability-during-call-house-democrats/" target="_blank">later told</a>&nbsp;the Pennsylvania Capital-Star she expressed concerns about Biden’s electability.In an impromptu call in to the MSNBC show “Morning Joe” on Monday, Biden insisted again he was staying in the race and called for any opponents he had to “challenge” him at the party’s convention in Chicago next month.Biden, who has secured enough pledged delegates through primary and caucus wins to clinch the nomination, would be heavily favored in a contested convention.&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2024-Call-for-Convention.pdf" target="_blank">Democratic Party rules</a>&nbsp;mandate pledged delegates “shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them,” but are not legally required to cast their convention vote for their pledged candidate.

Kbct