American Stroke Month: AHA raises awareness in Missouri
Public News Service - May 12, 2025
May is American Stroke Month and the American Heart Association wants Missourians to know the signs and take action.
Stroke is the sixth leading cause of death in the state, and across the U.S., nearly 800,000 people suffer from one each year. In 2021, heart disease and stroke took more lives in the U.S. ...(Read More)
Community leaders in MO take action amid threats to SNAP benefits
Public News Service - May 7, 2025
As the national debate intensifies over cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits and school meal funding, Missouri food system leaders are stepping up to help underserved communities thrive.
Birthed out of the 2014 Ferguson uprising over the shooting death of Mike Brown, the nonprofit group A Red Circle tackles racial and economic disparities in North St. Louis County through food, education, wellness and the arts.
...(Read More)
Survey: Many Missourians fear birth control access will decline
Public News Service - April 30, 2025
A recent poll shows widespread concern among Missourians about the future of birth control access.
The survey from the Right Time Initiative reveals almost 40% fear birth control will become harder or even impossible to obtain. Some medical industry experts believe the uncertainty is fueled by a lack of access to future Title X funds, which provide affordable family planning services to thousands in the Show Me State.
...(Read More)
Habitantes de MO temen que disminuya el acceso a métodos anticonceptivos
Public News Service - April 30, 2025
Una encuesta reciente muestra una preocupación generalizada entre los habitantes de Missouri sobre el futuro del acceso a los anticonceptivos. La encuesta de la Iniciativa "The Right Time" revela que casi el 40% teme que los anticonceptivos se vuelvan más difíciles, o incluso imposibles, de obtener.
Algunos expertos de la industria médica creen que esta incertidumbre se debe a la falta de acceso a futuros fondos del Título X, que brindan servicios de planificación familiar asequibles a miles de personas en el "Show Me State."
En una medida sin precedentes, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de EE. ...(Read More)
Budget tune-up could improve Missourians' money management skills
Public News Service - April 29, 2025
As Financial Literary Awareness Month ends this week, talk of tariffs and their effects on inflation could continue for months.
Many Missourians are watching their retirement accounts on the stock market roller coaster and may be wondering what to do. The economic impact of the pandemic is still being felt in some households, as families worry about affording food, transportation and housing.
...(Read More)
'Drug Take Back Day' helps clear out unwanted meds in Missouri, nation
Public News Service - April 21, 2025
Law enforcement officers and drug prevention advocates in Missouri are joining forces to tackle prescription drug misuse.
As part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's "National Prescription Drug Take Back Day," five collection sites will be set up across Taney and Stone counties on April 26.
Data from two years ago showed around 190,000 Missourians misused opioids, including 180,000 who misused prescription pain relievers.
...(Read More)
Report: Poor data sharing hinders Missouri health care delivery
Public News Service - April 16, 2025
A new report found Missouri's public health agencies are not sharing information effectively and fixing the problem could lead to better health care for people in the state.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released its first assessment of the state's digital health system, highlighting ways to improve how health data is shared and used. The evaluation uncovered significant gaps in sharing critical information such as disease rates, hospital visits, birth outcomes and access to care.
...(Read More)
Poll: Voters oppose MO House repeal of Prop A's sick-leave provision
Public News Service - April 15, 2025
Despite voter approval in November, Missouri lawmakers are moving to undo part of Proposition A, specifically, the clause requiring employers to provide paid sick leave.
The Missouri House passed the repeal legislation last month by a 96-51 vote. The provision was approved by nearly 60% of voters, who also supported raising the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. ...(Read More)
Missouri mom shares heart failure survival story
Public News Service - April 14, 2025
Black Maternal Health Week runs through April 17th, and according to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of maternal death, in Missouri and across the nation. Black women
are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related heart complications.
Tiara Johnson, a St. ...(Read More)
Bipartisan bill aims to tackle farmland access crisis in MO, nationwide
Public News Service - April 8, 2025
Missouri ranks second in the nation for the number of farms, with more than 85,000.
Beginning farmers in the state and across the nation may soon get a boost from Washington. Beginning farmers are defined by the U.S. ...(Read More)
Nonprofits warn proposed Medicaid cuts could devastate millions of Missourians
Public News Service - April 1, 2025
About 1.3 million Missourians are currently enrolled in Medicaid and nonprofits around the state have warned proposed federal cuts would be devastating.
In Missouri, children are the largest group served by Medicaid, with 61% enrolled. States could face more than $800 billion in Medicaid cuts and more than $200 billion in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps.
...(Read More)
Poll: Americans fear bird flu's effect on finances over personal health
Public News Service - March 31, 2025
In January, H5N1 avian influenza struck more than 400,000 birds in Missouri, making it the second-highest state for affected flocks at the time and a recent poll showed nearly 90% of Americans are more concerned about bird flu driving up food prices than its effects on health.
Egg prices have surged by more than 70% in some regions because of supply shortages caused by the bird flu. The poll from the health policy research and news organization KFF spans across parties, race and ethnicity, as well as household income levels.
...(Read More)
Rural MO charity braces for 'ripple effects' of federal cuts
Public News Service - March 28, 2025
Rural communities in Missouri are bracing for a tough reality as they plan ahead for the possibility of federal cuts to programs such as Medicaid.
The poverty rate in rural Missouri stands at more than 16%, compared with a little more than 11% in urban regions of the state.
Bryan Stallings, co-founder and CEO of the rural charity Elevate Branson, said they don't get their resources directly from federal funding, but primarily from donations. ...(Read More)
Riders, IRIS and union bus drivers fight Kansas City transit cuts
Public News Service - March 25, 2025
Kansas City transit riders and workers are fighting proposed cuts, warning of a looming public transit crisis.
Hundreds of advocates of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority gathered on the steps of City Hall last week over threats to cut 13 bus routes, eliminate up to 175 transit jobs and shut down the Immigrant and Refugee Integration Services microtransit program.
Protesters warned the cuts could strand thousands, cost hundreds of jobs and leave misclassified IRIS drivers without unemployment benefits.
...(Read More)
MO university powers up semiconductor workforce
Public News Service - March 24, 2025
A Missouri university is stepping up as America works to revive semiconductor manufacturing by helping train people to do the work.
It is estimated 300,000 engineers will be needed by 2030. Semiconductors power technology in health care, transportation, artificial intelligence and defense. ...(Read More)