Missouri is expanding access to Narcan through vending machines and porch-style boxes, with the city of Springfield serving as one example of how wider naloxone access could help save lives, statewide.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has delayed tougher wastewater treatment standards for coal-fired power plants, a move critics say could slow reductions in toxic pollution. The delay affects facilities nationwide, including in Missouri.

Advocates of affordable healthcare warn that proposed Medicaid changes could result in coverage losses for thousands of Missourians, not because they’re ineligible, but due to paperwork and administrative hurdles. They point to past coverage losses and growing strain on rural hospitals as concerns mount ahead of a possible January government shutdown.

Missouri farmers are facing ongoing financial pressure from tariffs, trade disruptions, and rising costs. Farm advocate Joe Maxwell says a new $12 billion federal aid package offers limited relief and doesn’t fix underlying problems in the farm economy.

A major tax incentives package approved Monday by Kansas lawmakers will help the Chiefs build a new $3 billion domed stadium.

A new report finds Missouri outpaces the national average on after-school meals, but many eligible children still go without supper after school. Advocates say the federally funded program is underused and could become even more critical as families face rising food costs.

In rural Missouri, faith-based sober-living homes are expanding to fill gaps where accredited treatment beds are scarce. These unaccredited recovery houses provide housing and support for people with substance-use disorders.

Southeast Missouri State University will celebrate 708 graduates at two commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 13. Justin Davison, President and CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare System, will present the keynote address at both ceremonies.

Missouri’s new congressional boundaries could take effect as soon as Thursday, even though voters submitted more than 300,000 signatures to block them. The clash between Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and the repeal campaign is now driving one of the biggest election-law battles in the state.

Conservationists in Missouri say a rare cave system is directly connected to the drinking water many residents rely on. A newly protected habitat in Perryville is the only home of the endangered grotto sculpin, (GRAHTTO skull pen), a tiny fish that signals whether the underground water supply is healthy.