Missouri
Missouri officials tout new digital platform verifying social service program income
Staffers at the Missouri Capitol were abuzz last month when NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal spent time posing for photographs and shaking hands in the historic House Lounge.
But his presence in the Capitol prompted an obvious question: Why was O’Neal in Jefferson City?
O’Neal is a part-owner of Steady, a company that’s partnering with the Department of Social Services to help verify income for Medicaid, food assistance programs and temporary assistance for needy families.
In a brief interview with St. Louis Public Radio, he said the Steady platform amounts to a “win-win.”
“It helps save the taxpayers some money. It helps get people their benefits and get them real quick,” O’Neal said. “And it helps the administration cut down on costs.”
DSS officials launched the SteadyIQ pilot program several years ago and announced they were rolling out the platform to the general public last month.
Marcel Crudele, chief strategy officer for Steady, said participants provide their income source information — which can be a bank or digital wallet such as PayPal or Venmo. SteadyIQ then compiles the income data into a report that can be sent to state officials, Crudele said,
“So the income verification part is more accurate and much faster for them to do, and that accelerates the ability to make a determination,” Crudele said.
Steady chief commercial officer James Haberlen said the platform should provide a quicker response to applicants about whether they qualify for a program and make it easier for the state to process applications more efficiently.
“The state has a solution that can unify how income verification is done to both help the case worker on the state side be more efficient, but also the clients that are looking to get public benefits as quickly as possible,” Haberlen said.
Michelle Wolf, Department of Social Services’ deputy director of the family support division, said SteadyIQ is preferable to a cumbersome process that requires applicants to either gather screenshots or print out paystubs for state officials.
“It was very labor intensive, not only for the participant or applicant by gathering screenshots or printouts, but it’s also labor intensive for the state agency to take those screenshots or printouts and add them together to calculate a monthly income,” Wolf said. “So it’s very labor intensive and prone to error.”
A broader trend
Kimberly Enard, an associate professor of health management and policy at St. Louis University, sees DSS’ embrace of Steady’s technology as part of a broader trend for state social service agencies.
“I think we’ve seen a lot of improvements and changes over the past decade or so in how people who are applying for these types of benefits are able to do so,” Enard said. “It really hasn’t been that long ago when people actually had to show up in person to do this.”
After the passage of the Affordable Care Act in the early 2010s, Enard said states began to modernize application processes. She added that if artificial intelligence programs continue to evolve and improve, more states could implement similar technologies like SteadyIQ.
“I think it’s going to become more and more common as we leverage technology more to streamline some of these processes,” she said.
Enard said one aspect that states like Missouri should watch closely is how these types of technologies protect an applicant’s data.
“I do think there probably are going to be some people who have some concerns about having this type of technology access their information,” she said.
One particular challenge for Department of Social Services officials is that people who may qualify for Medicaid or SNAP food assistance may not have easy access to smartphones or computers with reliable internet access.
Wolf said that since SteadyIQ is browser based, an applicant can access it at a library or at a relative’s house.
“There is some flexibility on how to use this,” she said.
Wolf said the platform won’t cut someone off benefits if their income goes over the limit for a particular program. For instance: Medicaid has a $34,341-a-year maximum for a family of three.
“This will be used in applications,” Wolf said. “We will explore what other options there are to use this technology in the future. But it’s not about looking to cut anyone off. It’s about getting timely and accurate benefits to everyone who applies and who meets this.”
A Jackson County judge on Friday denied Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s attempt to immediately stop Kansas City-based CBD American Shaman and several affiliated companies from selling kratom products.
The motion for a temporary restraining order, which was filed alongside the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, took particular aim at the more potent 7-OH products, which Hanaway argues are “hazardous opioids” banned by state and federal law.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles McKenzie’s ruling Friday stated there are “competing affidavits” from experts on both sides of the argument, following a hearing on the motion earlier this week.
“The court cannot find, based on the oral argument of the parties, the respective competing affidavits presented and the pleadings, whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits at this juncture in the proceedings in order for the court to grant relief in the form of a temporary restraining order,” McKenzie’s order states.
Hanaway’s argument was backed by sworn statements from an undercover narcotics officer with the highway patrol who said 7-OH is being used to cut fentanyl and a woman whose brother died from a kratom overdose.
Her office also submitted an FDA report that points to 7-OH as “a potent opioid that poses an emerging public health threat” and states health data showing synthetic 7-OH was involved in at least 197 Missouri deaths.
American Shaman submitted statements of its own from five toxicology and addiction experts, who largely said there wasn’t enough evidence to show that 7-OH and kratom posed a public health risk. One who researched narcotics said she had never heard of 7-OH being used to cut fentanyl.
Company owner Vince Sanders’ statement detailed how he came up with the idea to create 7-OH products, which now have an “enormous” demand, particularly among people who need pain management.
Sanders could not be reached for comment about the ruling on Friday.
McKenzie denied a temporary restraining order “without prejudice,” meaning that he would like to see more evidence.
“It is because of this finding that the court determines it necessary to hold an additional hearing,” he wrote, “where it can consider the parties’ respective positions with the potential of testimonial evidence and other properly introduced evidence, all as more fully developed by the parties, in order to further analyze these issues.”
The judge will consider “other injunctive relief sought in the pleadings at a future hearing to consider the issues,” the order states.
Hanaway filed a similar lawsuit Thursday against Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, and its owners Dustin Robinson and Ajaykumar Patel.
The group received a warning letter from the FDA for producing 7-OH products last year, similar to one received by Shaman Botanicals.
“This is another step in our ongoing crackdown on kratom manufacturers who flout the law and try to justify endangering Missourians in the name of profit,” Hanaway said in a press release Thursday.
“Our mission is to safeguard Missourians from unregulated and addictive substances, and we will continue to pursue every legal tool available to protect public health and safety.”
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 7-2-5
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 9-6-8
Evening Wild: 7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 7-1-9-9
Midday Wild: 1
Evening: 6-9-8-9
Evening Wild: 2
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 10 drawing
Early Bird: 02
Morning: 11
Matinee: 10
Prime Time: 12
Night Owl: 11
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 10 drawing
09-18-23-31-39
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
BURLINGTON JUNCTION, Mo. (KCTV) – A head-on collision on Highway 71 killed 3 people and seriously injured a 4th, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
State Troopers say the crash happened around 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, near the intersection of Highway 71 and 170th St. – about a mile and a half north of Burlington Junction.
Investigators say a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by a 59-year-old woman from Carthage, Texas, was heading north on the highway when it crossed the centerline.
The Chevrolet struck a southbound 2026 Ford Explorer head-on, according to MSHP. Both vehicles caught fire and came to rest in the southbound lane.
State Troopers note that the crash killed the Texas driver, a 67-year-old woman from Harlan, Iowa and a 76-year-old woman from Rockwell City, Iowa.
The Ford’s driver – a 72-year-old man from Rockwell City – was airlifted to Bryan West Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, with serious injuries, according to first responders.
Troopers say all four people involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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