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.

The latest court case, like others filed earlier, argues that no authority exists in the Missouri Constitution for redrawing district lines without new census data.

More Missouri kids are losing health coverage. A new Georgetown report says the child uninsured rate nationwide just hit its highest level in nearly a decade - and Missouri is among the states seeing a sharp increase.

Coal generation still powers nearly 6 in 10 homes in Missouri, and federal data show none of the state’s utilities scored above average in the Sierra Club’s new "Dirty Truth Report." The group says utilities talk about clean energy, but their actual plans don’t match their promises. Comments from Jenn DeRose, campaign organizing strategist with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Missouri

At an event in Columbia, Gov. Mike Kehoe said he is confident he was on firm legal ground when he called lawmakers into a special session. But with three lawsuits pending against the new map, the governor said it was up to the courts to prove him right.

A new report from the Juvenile Justice Initiative of Illinois concludes that prosecuting children or teens in adult court doesn't improve public safety, even as it increases repeat offenses and disproportionately harms youth of color. The group is urging Illinois to end "automatic transfer" laws that move kids into adult court. It also wants to ensure legal counsel for children during interrogations and strengthen data collection to support more effective juvenile court practices.

Missouri hog farmers are stepping into the national spotlight as Congress considers Prop 12, California’s crate-free pork law. They say losing the law would wipe out a fair market that rewards crate-free pork.