South Carolina’s playoff hopes are still in play, with a crucial matchup against No. 24 Missouri looming this weekend. However, the Tigers may be facing a major setback, as star quarterback Brady Cook—who’s racked up an impressive 8,291 career passing yards and 46 touchdowns—is currently listed as doubtful after suffering an injury. Missouri’s offense has leaned heavily on Cook’s impact and playmaking, making his potential absence a game-changer.

Further compounding Missouri’s challenge is the loss of their backup QB, Sam Horn. The redshirt sophomore was once a top Gamecock target and a four-star prospect known for his chemistry with Travis Hunter in high school. Now, with both Cook and Horn unavailable, Missouri will look to veteran transfer Drew Pyne. Pyne, who previously played at Notre Dame and Arizona State, has career stats of 2,921 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While he has experience, his performance has been inconsistent, leading to a backup role over recent seasons. This situation puts Missouri in a vulnerable spot, one that seems to favor the Gamecocks.

For South Carolina, this game is a pivotal step in their quest for a playoff path. Though the playoff is far from guaranteed, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor currently gives South Carolina a 27% chance to make it if they win out—a prediction that fluctuated this week. The app lays out a scenario where, should the Gamecocks keep their momentum and continue winning, they could finish 11th, potentially setting up a first-round clash with Penn State. While only a prediction, it’s a tantalizing possibility for Gamecock fans eager to see their team break into the national spotlight.

According to ESPN, South Carolina has a 70% chance to win on Saturday, and a victory here would fuel their playoff hopes, however uncertain. For Shane Beamer’s squad, this is more than just another game—it’s a chance to keep those postseason dreams alive and showcase South Carolina as a rising contender.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3)—Pharmacies across the Show-Me-State are shutting down, creating a growing gap in access to essential medications.

Across the U.S., pharmacies are closing their doors, and Missourians already feel the impact.

“People are frustrated and, you know, not understanding what’s happening behind the counter, that takes that takes a lot out of you, and creates some burnout” said, Erica Mahn a pharmacist at Alps Pharmacy in Springfield.

She warns that the future of the profession is at risk, and if this trend continues, the Pharmacist shortage will only worsen over the next few years.

“Pharmacy schools are seeing a lower enrollment, and I think a lot of that does have to do with COVID, and all the times and things we saw during COVID, pharmacists had to take a lot on their shoulders…”

Because of the issue, many pharmacies across the Ozarks are closing early or shortening their weekly hours. Some are even closing down on weekends.

“Several stores just down the street the last three days haven’t had a pharmacist. So they’ve been closed. So I have had frustrated patients in here at our counter trying to figure out how they get their medications.”

But this isn’t the only issue. Another southwest Missouri pharmacist says the middlemen are “killing community pharmacies.”

One problem is that pharmacy benefit managers force small business owners to buy drugs at prices much higher than any reimbursement. This means the pharmacy loses money when you buy the drug from them.

The latest example of a business closing is Evans Pharmacy. Citizens Memorial Hospital recently bought two Evan Pharmacy locations in Bolivar and Buffalo. The Bolivar location will close on November 26. Patient prescriptions will be transferred to Stephens Pharmacy at Citizens Memorial.

“We want to continue to keep those customers that the Bolivar community has been serving over at Evans. We don’t want them to be forced to go anywhere else. We want to continue to provide that kind of service for them.”

The University of Pittsburgh tracks pharmacy closings and shows that 40 pharmacies have closed in the Springfield area within the last 10 years.

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Two former Missouri officers were charged in separate, unconnected cases in federal court this week over allegations that they illegally searched women’s phones during traffic stops to obtain intimate, explicit images found on the devices.

Julian Alcala, 29, who was employed as an officer with the city of Florissant, is charged with 20 counts of deprivation of rights and a count of destroying records in a federal investigation, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Thursday.

The deprivation of rights specifically refers to being free from unreasonable search and seizure, established in the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

According to the federal indictment, Alcala would take women’s phones during traffic stops in order to confirm their insurance coverage or vehicle registration. But Alcala searched their phones for nude images and took photos on his own personal phone, the indictment said.

In one case, Alcala allegedly texted himself a video and deleted evidence of the text.

Alcala is accused of doing this to 20 women between Feb. 6 and May 18 of this year.

The Florissant Police Department said in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday that it was completely unaware of the alleged behavior. Alcala had passed a “meticulous and thorough background investigation” during the hiring process and the department had not received a complaint about him in the 11 months of his employment.

“We are disgusted at this behavior, which is a complete betrayal of the values we uphold and in no way reflects the professionalism and integrity of our dedicated officers,” the department said. “We recognize the gravity of this breach of trust and its impact on our community.”

Alcala resigned in June after the Florissant Police Department was contacted by the FBI regarding an investigation into him, according to the department statement.

Civil lawsuits have also been filed against Alcala and the city, including one which echoes an allegation made by federal prosecutors. A lawsuit filed in the same district court last month alleges that Alcala sent himself a private video made by a couple having sex.

The Jane Doe was pulled over in February, where Alcala allegedly took her phone back to his vehicle when she presented the insurance information that she stored on the device. The lawsuit said that she noticed “there was a deleted text message” from the time of the stop.

Alcala sent himself the video, deleted the message “in an effort to hide his tracks,” the suit said. He’s also accused of obtaining a nude photo from her phone in the same stop.

Attorney Bevis Schock is representing six people in civil litigation against Alcala in the city. He told NBC News affiliate KSDK that his clients are “real nice, normal people who do what police officers say.”

“The way this started was, the FBI called the victims,” Schock said. “And each victim said, ‘Well I got pulled over and he took my phone back.’”

Court records show a warrant was issued for Alcala on Wednesday but it’s unclear if he is in custody. He has not yet made an appearance in court and does not have an attorney listed.

NBC News was unable to find contact information for Alcala using public records in an effort to reach him for comment on the case. An attorney representing the city of Florissant in a civil lawsuit in the case did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A similar, but unconnected, case was filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office on Tuesday against a former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper.

David McKnight, 39, was indicted in the same federal court on nine counts of deprivation of rights and one count of destroying records. Federal prosecutors allege that he illegally searched the phones of nine women between September 2023 and August 2024 while working for the highway patrol.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, McKnight used his own phone to take pictures of nude images on the women’s phones after they gave him the devices to show their insurance or identification information. Most of the women were pulled over for traffic stops, the office said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety told NBC News that records show McKnight surrendered his state peace officer license, “which means he can never work as a Missouri law enforcement officer again.”

The federal prosecutor’s office told NBC News that McKnight and Alcala’s cases are not connected. It’s unclear if either of the men are in custody.

A public defender assigned to McKnight’s case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Ashley Johnson, special-agent-in-charge of the FBI St. Louis Division, told people not to hesitate to report uncomfortable encounters with officers. Both cases were investigated by the FBI, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release.

“If you feel your civil rights have been violated, contact the FBI,” Johnson said. “Investigating criminal conduct by a law enforcement officer is among our top priorities.”