
By Jason Hancock | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning,
Big policy fights often get sold in broad strokes. Then comes the harder part: making them work.
Missouri’s plan to restrict SNAP purchases is moving toward a fall launch, but grocers still need the most basic implementation tool — a clear list of what cannot be bought at the register.
In the Missouri Senate, Lincoln Hough is leaving office with a warning about what happens when questions inside the majority party become acts of defiance. And in Washington, a nearly $1.8 billion fund created by the Trump administration is testing how much discretion the executive branch can claim over public money.

(Lance Cheung/USDA)
by Steph Quinn
Missouri wants to block SNAP purchases of candy, prepared desserts and sugary drinks, but retailers say the policy could become chaotic without precise guidance on what gets rejected at checkout.

(Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)
by Sterling Sewell
The term-limited Springfield Republican spent his final session challenging his own party’s leadership, offering a rare inside look at Senate tradition, budget fights and the cost of independence.

(Win McNamee/Getty Images)
by Ashley Murray
A nearly $1.8 billion Justice Department fund has drawn lawsuits, transparency concerns and Republican unease over whether pardoned Jan. 6 defendants could benefit.
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