Crime & Safety

A general view of Busch Stadium as fans watch during the third inning of the Cardinals home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 8, 2021 in St Louis.

Science Backs Mask Mandates. But in Missouri and Elsewhere, They’re Politically Toxic

Studies have repeatedly found mandates encourage mask use and slow COVID spread. Politics and lawsuits make them unattractive to policymakers.

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A photo of a doctor, a parent and a child getting a vaccine against a backdrop of light yellow and pink. This illustrates local doctors' urgency to get folks vaccinated during the recent COVID surge.

10 Things KC Doctors Want You to Know About the Recent COVID Surge

On Dec. 17, physicians and hospital leaders united to share their message of urgency in light of the recent COVID surge. Here are 10 takeaways.

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School buses wait Tuesday outside Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School in Columbia to take students home from the first day of classes.

Confusion Around COVID Ruling Swirls as Two Missouri School Districts End Semester Early

As a growing number of Missouri school districts drop COVID mitigation measures under threat from Attorney General Eric Schmitt, at least two closed the doors on their fall semester early due to large numbers of staff and students out sick.

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Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt speaks to a gathering of Missouri Highway Patrol officers in April 2021.

Missouri Attorney General Tells Schools, Health Departments to End COVID Orders

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt instructed school districts and local public health departments to immediately stop enforcing health orders a judge ruled unconstitutional last month, and warned Tuesday they may face legal action if they fail to do so.

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Donald Kauerauf, the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, speaks during a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on July 21, 2021

Missouri Health Department Found Mask Mandates Work, But Didn’t Make Findings Public

Mask mandates saved lives and prevented COVID-19 infections in Missouri’s biggest cities during the worst part of the delta variant wave, an analysis by the state Department of Health and Senior Services shows.

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