Missouri

Rep. Cori Bush faces well-funded prosecutor in Missouri primary – Roll Call

Published

2 years ago

July 29, 2024

Rep. Cori Bush faces well-funded prosecutor in Missouri primary – Roll Call

In the final days of a bruising primary campaign, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., is fighting for her political life.

The two-term Democrat, “Squad” member and outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza seeks to fend off a challenge from St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell amid a flood of outside spending against her by pro-Israel groups and polls that show her trailing. It’s her biggest political test since she toppled veteran Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay in a 2020 primary that sent shock waves through Missouri’s Democratic establishment.

The victor in the Aug. 6 Democratic primary to represent Missouri’s 1st District is all but guaranteed a seat in Congress. The deep-blue House seat encompasses St. Louis and Ferguson, where President Joe Biden in 2020 beat former President Donald Trump by 58 points, according to Inside Elections, which rates the November race as “Solid Democratic.”

Limited polling indicates Bell is surging. In mid-June, the prosecutor led Bush 43 to 42 percent in a survey conducted by The Mellman Group for Democratic Majority for Israel. A survey taken at the end of June by McLaughlin & Associates publicized by the New York Post on July 14 found Bell led Bush by 23 points.

The closely watched race has pitted two Black, self-described progressives — their political careers were each propelled by their activism on the streets of Ferguson, Mo., after the killing of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown Jr. by a police officer in 2014 — against each other. At the time, Bush helped lead protests calling for police reform as Bell mediated between demonstrators and law enforcement. And on paper, there is broad agreement between the candidates on many Democratic priorities, including abortion access and climate change.

That hasn’t stopped them from sparring on a host of matters.

Bush is defending her legislative record, pitching herself to voters as the best candidate to continue the fight for progressive goals such as “Medicare for All.” Her campaign is trying to paint Bell as a centrist politician whom progressives can’t trust.

In contrast, Bell is touting his tenure as a prosecutor and criminal justice reformer. He is seeking to portray his opponent as a self-serving legislator who is more focused on political theater than delivering tangible wins for her constituents.

Israel stance draws spotlight

National observers and advocacy organizations are drawing attention to the race over the candidates’ reactions to a conflict thousands of miles from Missouri: Israel’s war in Gaza.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks into Israel by Hamas, Bell has reiterated his support for Israel to defend itself, resisted joining calls for a cease-fire and rejected the notion that Israel’s tactics in Gaza amount to a genocide. In contrast, Bush has emerged as one of Congress’ most outspoken critics of Israel.

Despite her condemnation of the Oct. 7 attacks, Bush’s advocacy for Palestinians and move to sponsor a cease-fire resolution in the House have made her a primary target of pro-Israel advocacy groups. Through Thursday, United Democracy Project, an arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, had spent nearly $7.1 million on TV ads, mailings and phone banking to promote Bell or attack Bush, according to disclosures with the Federal Election Commission.

In June, AIPAC and its affiliates spent a record $14.5 million in a successful bid to oust Bush’s fellow “Squad” member, New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman. Two days after his defeat, AIPAC sent out a fundraising text targeting Bush.

Another pro-Israel PAC, Democratic Majority for Israel, has spent $475,000 supporting Bell, which included a television ad that focuses on police reform and abortion rights — not Israel.

Bush, meanwhile, has tried to use AIPAC’s support of Bell against him by highlighting the group’s conservative donors, many of whom have donated heavily to GOP candidates, including Trump and Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley. Her campaign is currently airing a TV ad with narration that makes the case directly: “Donald Trump and Josh Hawley’s donors are bankrolling Wesley Bell!”

The Bell campaign is pushing back.

Bush has not launched similar attacks on fellow House Democrats who also receive generous support from AIPAC, Bell campaign adviser Anjan Mukherjee said in an interview.

“This is nothing more than Cori Bush playing political games,” he added. “Hakeem Jeffries also has support from AIPAC. She’s not out there criticizing him for it. She’s not out there calling him, you know, beholden to Republican money.” Jeffries, the House minority leader from New York, has endorsed Bush.

At the end of the day, both campaigns have signaled that concerns over inflation and the future of abortion access, not Israel, will be top of mind for voters next week.

“I think it [Israel] is probably not a central issue to most of them,” Peverill Squire, a professor at the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Government and Public Affairs, said in an interview. “Most voters in the 1st District are really focused on another set of issues.”

Candidates draw battle lines

Bush has repeatedly said her campaign is under attack from “far-right Republican mega donors.”

“They are bankrolling a faux-progressive, former Republican campaign operative to buy our deep blue Democratic seat,” she said in a public statement on social media that referenced Bell’s role managing an unsuccessful GOP House campaign for a personal friend in 2006.

This week, Bush allies such as Justice Democrats, which has already spent $1.5 million on the race, were quick to highlight a potentially damaging new report regarding Bell’s prosecutorial record put out by a coalition of a half-dozen social justice watchdog organizations in St. Louis. The document concluded that Bell had fallen short in delivering on his campaign promises to reform the way the prosecutor’s office operated, increase transparency and reduce reliance on cash bail. Bell told a St. Louis newspaper last week that he believes the report is political and pointed out that some of the organizations behind the document have already endorsed his opponent.

Meanwhile, his team is highlighting Bush’s poor attendance record on House votes as evidence that she’s not serious about legislating.

“She has often failed to show up to work, and she has failed to deliver results,” Mukherjee said.

The Bell campaign is taking Bush to task over her opposition to Biden’s 2023 debt ceiling deal, along with her vote against the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021, when Bush was one of just six House Democrats who broke with her party to vote against the measure.

“You know, that [vote] strikes people as not doing the job she was elected to do,” Mukherjee said.

At the time, Bush said she opposed the infrastructure bill because she wanted it and a broader climate and economic package known as Build Back Better to be passed together. “I didn’t go to Congress to do what’s easy. I went to Congress to do what is necessary, and mediocrity is the enemy of progress,” Bush told a local TV station in 2021.

Federal probe looms

A potential wild card in the race could be that Bush faces a Justice Department investigation into her use of campaign funds to pay private security and promote her now-husband, Cortney Merritts, to join her security team. She has denied any wrongdoing.

The FEC and bipartisan House Ethics Committee are also investigating the matter.

Several local election observers have told CQ Roll Call they don’t believe the campaign finance questions are enough to derail Bush’s campaign.

“It was in the news cycle for a week. Given the other scandals we hear about, this just seems so mundane. Maybe it shouldn’t be, but I think that’s how voters perceive it,” Daniel M. Butler, a professor of political science at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a June interview.

Squire concurred. “The idea of there being some sort of petty corruption in politics is sort of built into the process here,” he said.

Bell dominates fundraising

Heading into the primary’s final days, Bell had raised nearly $4.8 million to Bush’s $2.9 million and had $1.8 million in cash on July 17 to her $354,000.

“The money that has come in for Bell has given him a much better chance to make this race competitive than it would have been if he hadn’t gotten those resources,” said Squire.

But, he noted, Missouri voters are being bombarded with political ads from other candidates, thanks to the state’s high-profile primary campaigns on the Republican side for governor and attorney general.

A last-minute advertising blitz by Bell, Squire observed, would be “coming in an environment where there are lots of ads inundating voters.”

Turnout, he added, will be key for Bush. Her status as an incumbent could also give her an edge. “She has voters who have come out for her in the past, and she’s undoubtedly trying to mobilize to turn out again,” he said. “The question is whether there are enough Democrats who are disenchanted with her that they’ll simply turn out and vote for Bell.”

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for Feb. 26, 2026

Published

10 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 26, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Midday: 9-4-0

Midday Wild: 0

Evening: 5-3-9

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Midday: 9-7-1-7

Midday Wild: 5

Evening: 4-8-6-3

Evening Wild: 8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Early Bird: 10

Morning: 10

Matinee: 14

Prime Time: 10

Night Owl: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

05-20-24-28-33

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.

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Missouri

Missouri lawmakers propose water and power usage requirements for data centers

Published

22 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Missouri lawmakers propose water and power usage requirements for data centers

Data centers in Missouri would have to follow a set of requirements on electricity and water usage under legislation recently introduced in the House.

“It’s going to work on keeping our utility rates stable so that our folks throughout Missouri, not just St. Charles, but throughout Missouri, are not subject to price jolts and shocks,” said Rep. Colin Wellenkamp, R-St. Charles.

Wellenkamp and another St. Charles County Republican, Rep. Mike Costlow of Dardenne Prairie, have filed legislation titled the AI Infrastructure, Grid Integrity and Water Resource Protection Act. They spoke to reporters about the bill on Wednesday.

The legislation focuses on both electricity and water regarding data centers and, according to the sponsors, extends off a utility bill passed last year in the legislature.

On the electric side, the legislation requires large-load consumers, like data centers, that come to Missouri to pay for the necessary costs to provide them with electricity, including grid infrastructure upgrades.

“We have to make sure that that cost is not passed on in any situation to consumers. We want to protect our residents first, before we start to look to reap the benefits of this kind of investment into our state,” Costlow said.

The water infrastructure section of the bill involves a permit requirement from the Department of Natural Resources for large water users.

“If your facility is going to use more than 2 million gallons of fresh water per day, which is a lot, or 80% of the available capacity of that locality, you have to seek a DNR permit to do that,” Wellenkamp said.

If water usage goes even further, Wellenkamp said the bill would require the building out of freshwater capacity for the locality so that “no one is left in an insecure water environment.”

“We want AI infrastructure. We want a data driven economy. We want that development in our city. We want it in our county. It has to be done right,” Wellenkamp said.

According to Wellenkamp, doing it right means not compromising resources.

Cities are grappling with how to proceed concerning the increase in data centers in Missouri.

Wellenkamp’s district includes part of the city of St. Charles, where a yearlong moratorium on data centers was enacted last year. The St. Charles Planning and Zoning Commission voted this month to delay a vote on a proposed ban on data center development.

In March, St. Louis’ Zoning Section will hear a data center proposal after months of debate over the project.

Ultimately, Costlow said his bill is not intended to be against data centers or AI.

“We have a lot of the strengths that data centers are looking for. We have a lot of water. We have some of the cheapest power in the United States. We have some of the best data connectivity on long haul, dark fiber of anywhere in the Midwest,” Costlow said. “This is a place that data centers can come with very little impact, as long as we put the right guardrails around them.”

The legislation in the House hasn’t been sent to a committee yet, meaning it still has a long path to passing both the House and Senate.

Wellenkamp hopes the legislation gets a hearing quickly.

“It has a lot of interest. It has a lot of movement. But I would say, more importantly, and this is the best arrow in the quiver, it has a lot of urgency,” Wellenkamp said.

The legislation is HB 3362 and HB 3364

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Missouri

Kansas City man faces charges in 2025 shooting death of Missouri State student

Published

2 days ago

February 25, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City man faces charges in 2025 shooting death of Missouri State student

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man faces charges in the November 2025 shooting death of Elayjah Murray, 18.

Eric R. Phillips II is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.

He was previously identified as a person of interest in the case.

Phillips was charged on Dec. 3, 2025, in Jackson County under seal. The case was unsealed Feb. 25.

Kansas City, Missouri, police were notified early Nov. 28 of the shooting, which took place in Independence.

The reporting party told police Phillips shot her girlfriend, Murray, three times in the face, according to a court document.

RELATED | Family seeks answers 2 months after Missouri State student found shot to death in Independence

While officers were speaking with the victim, a witness came up to police and said she had video from a Ring device that covers the hall between her apartment and the apartment the victim was in.

The witness told police she heard Phillips and the victim arguing, with Phillips saying he would “take care of it” after mentioning there was a dead person in the backseat of his car, per the court document.

Multiple reports were made to the Independence Police Department on the morning of Nov. 28 by family members of Murray, who were worried she had possibly been shot or was dead.

Because of the circumstances, Independence police entered Murray as a missing person.

The following day, Nov. 29, Independence was notified about a death investigation in Kansas City. Investigators were able to match the description of the deceased to Murray.

Murray’s girlfriend told investigators the night, Nov. 27 into Nov. 28, started with her, her cousin, Murray and Phillips going to multiple family locations, having a good time listening to music and taking shots.

Shortly before 3 a.m., Phillips said he had to abruptly take everyone home.

Phillips dropped off the cousin before heading toward Independence to take Murray home.

When he arrived, the girlfriend got out to open the door for Murray to exit. That’s when Phillips shot Murray.

RELATED | KSHB 41 confirms murder suspect worked for Raytown School District in 2025

The girlfriend told police Phillips said he was told to kill her, and he refused to go to a hospital. She also said Phillips threatened she would be next if she didn’t get back in the car.

Phillips drove the two to their uncle’s residence, where the victim ran inside. Once Phillips left, she called police.

Surveillance video from the intersection of 23rd Street and Liberty in Independence captured the shooting, which happened shortly before 4 a.m. Nov. 28.

A court document stated the footage captured the sound of three gunshots and at least two muzzle flashes from inside the vehicle.

Investigators located the phones of Murray and Phillips in gas station trash receptacles. But through historical cell phone data, investigators were able to determine Phillip’s phone pinged in the area where Murray’s body was located about 90 minutes after the shooting.

Additionally, the neighbor’s Ring video captured Phillips telling a story around 10:15 p.m. Nov. 27 about a gay man who was shot in the face in Florida.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office reports Phillips is not in custody.

As law enforcement continues to work to locate him, anyone with information is urged to call Independence police at 816-325-7300.

Anonymous tips can be called in at 816-474-8477 or submitted online at kccrimestoppers.com.

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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.

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