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While Missouri has traditionally ranked in the middle among states in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual rankings, it has been declining and now stands at 32nd place. (Jacob Lund/Adobe Stock)

From rankings to real insights: Missouri’s Kids Count data

Many folks are familiar with the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book, a look at child well-being in every state. In Missouri, the …

At the state level, Renew Missouri represents renewable and energy efficiency interests before the Public Service Commission. (Adobe Stock)

MO nonprofits join forces to help with power bills for those in need

Some Missouri nonprofit groups have teamed up to help those in need in the rural southeastern part of the state. Many households in these …

On average, the lowest-income 20% of taxpayers face a state and local tax rate nearly 60% higher than the top 1% of households in Missouri, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. (tirachard/Adobe Stock)<br />

Missouri's taxes require more from low and middle-income families

New data show Missouri has the 35th most regressive state and local tax system in the country. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found …

Many of Missouri's working parents have limited and often unaffordable access to quality child care, resulting in

MO loses $1.35 billion annually due to child care issues

Among Missouri parents surveyed, 30% reported they have limited their working hours or stopped altogether because of unreliable child care. The …

The Human League says factory farming causes significant damage to rural communities, surrounding environments, and the farmed animals themselves. (zhang yongxin/Adobe Stock)

Rural Advocacy Groups: Corporate Farming Infringing on MO Family Farms

Despite the goal to unite Missourians around a common cause, rural advocacy groups have been pushing the EPA for more regulation from the Clean …

According to Salary.com, Missouri child care workers typically earn between $32,581 and $41,250 annually. (lordn/Adobe Stock)

MO Child Care Experts Elaborate on Issues in 2023 Kids Count Report

The resounding theme of the 2023 Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book is child care shortages and unaffordability. In Missouri, the …

Kiplinger rates Missouri, and nine other U.S. states, as

MO Lawmaker Proposes Raising "Circuit Breaker" Tax Credits

Every Missourian knows property values and property taxes have risen dramatically in the past 15 years, as well as the cost of rent. State lawmakers …

Homeowners and renters are eligible for state energy-assistance programs. (Victor Koldunov/Adobe Stock)

MO Low-Income Utility Assistance Now Available Year Round

With winter still bringing occasional cold snaps, low-income Missourians who face sudden heating problems have help. Missouri's Low Income Home …

The St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield regions are set to lose the largest number of affordable housing units in the next year. (sommart/Adobe Stock)

MO Group Warns of Rental Units Losing Affordability Requirements

In the next five years, roughly 8,000 affordable housing units in Missouri may no longer be affordable. The state's Low Income Housing Tax Credit …

Nationally, more than 4.5 million households reported being at risk of eviction in the next two months, according to recent Census surveys. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)

Groups Identify Barriers to Rental Assistance in MO

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Groups working to keep Missouri residents in their homes since the pandemic began are trying to identify the barriers to receiving …

One in ten Missouri teens didn't graduate high school on time in 2019, down from 19% in 2010 - though last fall, more than 40% of Missourians planning to pursue higher education either cancelled or reduced course loads. (Tom Wang/Adobe Stock)

Report: MO Children, Families to Benefit from Child Tax Credit Expansion

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is ranked 30th among states for overall child wellbeing in a new report, and advocates for kids and families say the …

Missourians working full time at the minimum wage often pay more than half their income on rent each month, and many people lost their jobs during the pandemic. (asiraj/Adobe Stock)

Report Urges Strong Eviction Moratoriums, Robust Rental Aid

ST. LOUIS -- A new study of eviction filings in St. Louis during the pandemic found people within protected classes under the Fair Housing Act…

Tens of millions of households in the United States spend more than a third of their income on rent, and the pandemic has impacted many Missourians' abilities to keep up. (steheap/Adobe Stock)

Legal-Aid Groups: Know Your Rights When Facing Eviction

ST. LOUIS -- With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction moratorium on shaky legal ground and set to expire at the end of June…

Community partnerships have found ways to adapt in order to keep caring for children and families throughout the pandemic. (Gargonia/Adobe Stock)

Pandemic Shifts Methods of Caring for Children, Families

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The COVID-19 pandemic has left many Missouri families financially insecure, especially those with children, and it's also …

A new national report says the pandemic has exposed holes in safety-net programs and policies designed to protect children from their basic needs going unmet. (Adobe Stock)

Missouri Families Face Added Pressure to Meet Basic Needs

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The ability to meet basic needs is out-of-reach for many Missouri families because of the pandemic. The challenges facing households …

KC Tenants is taking an unconventional approach to fighting for renters' rights in Kansas City. (KC Tenants Facebook page)

MO Tenants' Group Protests at Online Eviction Hearings

Correction: Tara Raghuveer, director of KC Tenants, said research shows in some cases online hearings may even violate the rights of renters with …

A new federal moratorium on evictions is in place through December 31, 2020. (Adobe Stock)

Federal Eviction Moratorium Starts Today: Is it Enough?

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- What was expected to be a tsunami of evictions has been calmed temporarily, but that doesn't mean Missouri renters who've …

Community Health Centers will lose 70% of their federal funding before November without action by Congress. (Adobe Stock)

Health Centers Adapt to Care for Missouri's Most Vulnerable

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Community Health Centers, in Missouri and across the country, are at the forefront in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19…

A new study finds a national shortage of nearly 7 million affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income families. (Wikimedia Commons)

Report: Missouri Suffers Major Shortage of Affordable Housing

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri's low-income housing crunch shows no sign of abating, according to a new report from the National Low Income …

Infrastructure such as the water ducts serving River des Peres, in southwest St. Louis, is one example of things that could be addressed with increased funding. (Paul Sableman/flickr)

Aging Infrastructure Challenges Missouri Cities

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Roads, bridges and water systems are part of the backbone of Missouri cities, and the challenge of governments across the …

Volunteers assist with the Point-in-Time homeless count each year. (Pixabay)

Missouri's Point-in-Time Homeless Count Goes Digital

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In past years, volunteers would brave the winter streets with paper surveys to identify the number of people experiencing …

In Missouri, a renter is not excused from honoring a lease simply because he or she didn't read it or doesn't understand it. (Pixabay)

Missouri Renters Gain More Rights in Eviction Cases

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled that tenants have the right to a jury trial in rent and possession evictions. The …

A group of homeless people or those who have been homeless are lobbying in Jefferson City today. (Matthew Woitunski/Wikimedia Commons)

Lobby Day for Homeless in Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A group of homeless people in Missouri was to visit the state Capitol today to remind lawmakers that the homeless need …

Missouri has almost 100,000 kids growing up with a parent in prison. (jacksoncountymo.gov)

Kids of Incarcerated Parents Travel a Rough Road

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - There are 98,000 kids in Missouri who have, or have had, a parent in jail or prison. A new report by the Annie E. Casey …

The second lawsuit in six months involving a woman in labor being shackled and driven hundreds of miles has been filed in Missouri. (Jackson County)

ACLU Files Lawsuit After Woman Shackled During Labor

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY, Mo. - The ACLU of Missouri has filed suit on behalf of an inmate who lost her baby. In December 2014, Tara Rhodes told jail staff …

States are grappling with the issues of increased medical care needed as prison populations age and prisons that aren't equipped for the elderly. (Virginia Carter)

Missouri Takes Steps to Address the "Graying" of Prison Population

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The number of older Americans serving prison sentences is on the rise, and those facilities weren't originally designed to …

Students on high school and college campuses across the country are part of a project to end food waste and feed needy people in their communities. (The Campus Kitchens Project)

Students Work to End Food Waste

ST. LOUIS, MO - On college campuses across the country, student volunteers are working to put an end to food waste and at the same time are helping …

A new report finds rising rent prices are leading to an increase in racial and economic segregation. (DodgertonSkillhause/morguefile)

Report: Rising Cost of Housing Limits Opportunity

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Your childhood zip code plays a big role in your future success in life. That's according to a new report from the Center for …

Experts say more needs to be done to strengthen families and make sure all Missouri kids are growing up in healthy situations.

Report: Trying to Ensure All Kids Grow Up in Families

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Every child deserves to grow up in a family home, and Missouri is making strides toward ensuring that remains the case…

PHOTO: Making improvements to lighting, heating and cooling in multifamily rental units across Missouri could yield big savings for building owners, consumers and the environment, according to a new study. Photo credit: dhester/morguefile.com

Bright Idea: Making Rental Units More Energy Efficient Could Save MO Money

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - When it comes to helping Missourians save money and the environment, a new study finds that making rental units more energy …

PHOTO: They put their own lives on hold for their nation, and now a new program aims to give back to those veterans who have fallen on hard times. Photo credit: ladyheart/morguefile.com.

New Program Aims to Reduce Homelessness Among MO Veterans

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - They served their nation and in many cases put their own lives on the line, but a large number of Missouri veterans are now …

PHOTO: Volunteers will fan out across Missouri this week in an effort to count the number of homeless people in the state. Photo credit: stockphotosforfree.com.

Homeless Count to Take Place in MO

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The bitter cold won't stop volunteers across Missouri from taking to the streets over the next few days in an effort to get a …

PHOTO: Clients prepare to move into the newly renovated reStart Inc. shelter, where they will no longer have to move out each morning and line up in hopes of receiving a spot. Photo courtesy of reStart Inc.

A New Approach to Ending Homelessness in MO

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For more than 30 years, reStart Inc. has had one mission: to end homelessness in Kansas City. Today, the agency is taking a whole …

Photo: Costs are increasing for renters in Maryland. Photo credit: Microsoft Images

Money Woes Worsen for Renters in Missouri

ST. LOUIS – Just because you have a job doesn't mean you can pay the rent in Missouri. A new report from the nonprofit Center for Housing …

Report: More than One Third of Missourians Lack "Rainy Day" Funds

ST. LOUIS - A lot of people in Missouri could not make it very long if they lost their job. A new report from the nonprofit Corporation for …

MO Teens Spend a Homeless Night to Raise Awareness

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Many teenagers spend hours surfing the web, but the reality for some of their peers is hours of "couch surfing," moving from …

Net Neutrality and Occupy Wall Street – Making A Connection

CHICAGO - The U.S. Senate may vote this week on overturning Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules aimed at guaranteeing an open Internet…

MO Tax Credit: Home Sweet Home for Seniors and People with Disabilities?

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Low-income seniors and people with disabilities could lose out on what some say is a critical support. During the special …

AAP Urges Smoke-Free Environment For Missouri Children

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If your neighbor smokes, chances are it will affect your children, according to a recent study that examined smoke exposure in …

Wall Street Home “Resale” Fees Raise Ire, and Eyebrows

HELENA, Mont. - With real estate values still low in most of the country, a new investment device has surfaced - and a coalition of consumer groups …

Keeping PACE With Energy Efficiency Comes To A Halt

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Missouri is "on pace" to make it more affordable for homeowners to make their houses more energy efficient, now that Governor Jay …

ID Cards for Illegal Immigrants: A Good Thing?

President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday criticized Arizona's law that makes failure to carry immigration documents a crime…

2009 Ends With Biggest Increase In Homeless Youth In MO

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As 2009 comes to an end, Missouri has a record number of homeless young people. Rachel Francis, youth services program manager …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - September 18, 2024

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MO: Housing/Homelessness