Even before federal prosecutors unsealed charges against Michael Avenatti, the lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in legal battles against President Donald Trump was facing legal scrutiny for his business practices. Avenatti was testifying March 22 in ...
Read More »Backlash, questions follow dismissal of Jussie Smollett case
Prosecutors still insist Jussie Smollett faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in the hopes that the attention would advance his acting career. The “Empire” star still says he was assaulted by two men late at night in downtown Chicago. ...
Read More »Centene to buy WellCare for $15B creating ACA powerhouse
Centene is spending more than $15 billion on rival WellCare to dive deeper into government-funded health coverage in the same week that President Donald Trump’s administration renewed its attack on the Affordable Care Act. The insurer said Wednesday that its ...
Read More »Prosecutors abandon criminal case against Jussie Smollett
In an astonishing reversal, prosecutors on Tuesday abruptly dropped all charges against Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after the “Empire” actor was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in ...
Read More »Real ID-compliant licenses now available in Missouri
The Missouri Department of Revenue began offering Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses and non-driver identification this week, which will be required under federal law to board planes and enter some federally controlled buildings starting next year. Here are details about what ...
Read More »Maker of OxyContin reaches $270M settlement in Oklahoma
The maker of OxyContin and the family that owns the company have reached a $270 million settlement with the state of Oklahoma over the prescription painkiller’s role in the nation’s deadly opioid crisis, a person familiar with the agreement said ...
Read More »Some Americans cheer Mueller’s report, others feel let down
The first glimpse into the special counsel’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election did little to mend a gaping American political divide. The four-page summary of Robert Mueller’s probe released by Attorney General William Barr didn’t satisfy many ...
Read More »Experts warn Midwest flood risk may persist for months
Even as floodwaters receded in hard-hit places in in the Midwest, experts warned Saturday that with plenty of snow still left to melt in northern states, the relief may only be temporary. Rainfall and some snowmelt spurred flooding in recent ...
Read More »EPA critical of some elements of Missouri coal ash plan
Federal regulators say Missouri’s plan to oversee the disposal of toxic waste from coal-fired power plants fails to adequately protect human health and the environment. St. Louis Public Radio reports that the Environmental Protection Agency said in a letter to ...
Read More »R Kelly defense emerges, including saying accusers are lying
R Kelly yelled through tears in a recent TV interview before an audience numbering in the millions, saying he’s in a fight for his life to disprove sexual abuse charges. That fight will ultimately be waged in court, with an ...
Read More »New charges for man accused in Planned Parenthood arson
A Missouri man accused of trying to burn down a Planned Parenthood clinic in February now faces new charges. Wesley Brian Kaster was originally charged March 4 with maliciously damaging a building owned by an organization that receives federal financial ...
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