How Missouri became central to the mifepristone fight

By Jason Hancock | Editor-in-Chief

Good morning,

Here is the thing about ballot victories in Missouri: they feel like endings, and they almost never are.

Voters enshrined abortion rights in the Missouri Constitution 18 months ago. But the fight is hardly settled — and increasingly, it isn’t confined to Missouri. Anna Spoerre traces how a Missouri senator, a former Missouri solicitor general, two Trump-nominated judges with roots in the attorney general’s office and a Missouri-led federal lawsuit have helped make the state central to the national campaign against mifepristone.

Back in the state Capitol, a parental-rights push hit a wall in the House, where a bill that cleared a voice vote earlier in the week couldn't muster the numbers when it counted.

by Anna Spoerre

Missouri voters restored abortion rights, but the state remains a proving ground for legal and political efforts targeting mifepristone — with JoshHawley helping push the fight onto the national stage.

by Kennedy Voss and Anika Austvold

A proposal expanding parental authority in schools and health care fell short in the House, exposing sharp disagreements over curriculum, child safety and how far lawmakers should go.

by Kalvin Pugh

The 340B program can still be a powerful tool for health equity. However, without transparency, it risks becoming just another revenue stream untethered from its purpose.

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