Family farming is tough business in Missouri and across the nation. But advocacy groups such as Farm Aid and the Missouri Rural Crisis Center are working to help Missouri farmers keep their businesses growing and their heritage intact.

The government shutdown has furloughed about 75% of the Department of Labor employees, and an Illinois-based union president is warning of widespread ripple effects. He urges Congress to act quickly and calls for empathy for federal workers.

SEMO will inaugurate Dr. Brad Hodson as its new president during Homecoming Week, featuring campus events, a block party, and an official ceremony on Friday, Oct. 17.

A man sentenced to be executed at 6 p.m. Tuesday, who has insisted upon his innocence, was on Monday denied clemency by Gov. Mike Kehoe and refused a delay of his execution by judges in the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

As Illinois responds to a spike in domestic violence cases, new research finds nationwide, nearly 20 women lose their lives each month to intimate partner gun violence that also involves suicide. It says 99% of perpetrators are men, and states with weaker gun laws see rates three times higher than other states. The report stresses an urgent need to enforce laws that disarm abusers and protect survivors.

Medicare open enrollment begins October 15th, and some Missouri residents may be eligible for additional health care coverage. Health care advocates say Dual Eligible Special Needs plans offer additional benefits, but far too many older adults and people with disabilities remain unaware that the plans exist.

A Missouri health expert says he's glad to see renewed attention on autism after recent federal remarks have sparked serious discussions of possible genetic, environmental, and/or medication links to the condition.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released funds for farmer-driven agriculture research in Missouri and nationwide after a months-long delay. Farmers across the country launched a campaign to insist the government release the money, which it did in mid-September. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program grants funds to farmers and ranchers for on-farm studies and helps distribute the results.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins must try again to write ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban most abortions, a Cole County judge ruled Tuesday.

With experts warning of a possible tick invasion in Illinois, a new antibody treatment aims to provide seasonal protection against Lyme disease by offering passive immunity. The company licensing it says clinical trials are expected to begin within two years.