Midwest
Missouri Supreme Court upholds state Senate map, rejecting redistricting suit
A divided Missouri Supreme Court upheld voting districts drawn for the state Senate on Wednesday, rejecting a legal challenge that claimed mapmakers should have placed a greater emphasis on keeping communities intact.
The high court’s 5-2 decision means the districts, first used in the 2022 elections, will remain in place both for this year’s elections and ensuing ones.
The case was one of about a dozen still lingering around the country that challenged state legislative or congressional boundaries after the 2020 census.
MISSOURI HIGH COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS IN SENATE REDISTRICTING SUIT
Many of those fights have pitted Democrats against Republicans as each party tries to shape districts to its advantage, but the Missouri lawsuit has divided the GOP into two camps.
Attorney Chuck Hatfield speaks to Missouri Deputy Solicitor General Maria Lanahan at the Missouri Supreme Court in Jefferson City, Missouri, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)
While a Republican Senate committee supported the Senate map enacted in 2022 by a panel of appeals court judges, a GOP House committee sided with Democratic-aligned voters suing for the districts to be overturned.
The lawsuit alleged that mapmakers should not have split western Missouri’s Buchanan County or the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood into multiple districts.
At issue were revised redistricting criteria approved by voters in a 2020 constitutional amendment. The Supreme Court said a trial judge correctly decided that the constitution makes “compact” districts a higher priority than keeping communities whole within districts.
The majority opinion was written by Judge Kelly Broniec, one of Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s newest appointees to the court.
In dissent, Judge W. Brent Powell said he would have struck down the map because it included a population deviation of more than 1% in the districts containing Buchanan County and Hazelwood while failing to keep the communities intact. He was joined by Judge Paul Wilson.
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Michigan
Michigan Lottery: Woman wins $822K prize after buying ticket during lunch break
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Shelby Township woman stopped for some pizza and a Michigan Lottery ticket during her lunch break. Then, she won a $822,159 Club Keno The Jack prize.
Sue Strong, 65, matched her easy pick The Jack number, 10-26-33-50-56-58-60-67-70, to nine of the 20 Club Keno numbers that were drawn in draw 2569809, according to the Michigan Lottery.
“I regularly play Club Keno, and I always add The Jack to my ticket,” said Strong. “I went out and bought a Club Keno ticket and pizza on my lunch break and then watched the drawings on my phone while I ate. When I saw all my The Jack numbers come in and the jackpot reset to $10,000, I was shocked! It was nerve wracking and exciting, and to be honest, I’ve hardly slept since!”
The lucky player purchased her winning ticket at Party Palace Liquor Inc., at 49133 Schoenherr Road in Shelby Township.
She plans to share her prize money with her family, pay bills and then save the rest.
This is the largest The Jack prize a player has ever won on the Club Keno game.
The previous record was set in March 2025, when a player won $677,141 from a ticket purchased at JP’s Trolley Stop in Taylor.
The Jack is an optional add-on to a Club Keno ticket that costs $1 per draw.
When playing The Jack, participants receive nine quick-pick numbers and try to match them with the numbers drawn in Club Keno. Prizes range from $1 up to the jackpot, which begins at $10,000 and increases until claimed. To hit the jackpot, all nine numbers must be matched.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Missouri
See how much new unemployment claims in Missouri fell last week
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Missouri dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 2,182 in the week ending February 21, down from 2,462 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 212,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 208,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 132.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.9%.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
Nebraska
Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection
LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.
On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.
During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.
After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.
Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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