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In more ways than one, rural hospitals are a lifeline for small towns across America. They’re often the largest employer in town. We count on them to mend broken bones, deliver babies into this world, diagnose illnesses, and perform lifesaving surgeries every day of the week. In many cases, when minutes matter, a rural hospital…

Once in a while – every three or four years, probably – I look down, frown, and think to myself, For goodness’ sake, Matt, get to town and buy yourself some shoes. It’s my athletic shoes that I notice. We grew up calling them tennis shoes, but I doubt I have logged a whole eight…

As the seventh week of the First Regular Session of the 102nd General Assembly comes to an end, the Missouri Senate discussed issues ranging from tax credits, retirement, mental health reform, finance and initiative petitions. On Monday, Feb. 13, 2022, the Local Government and Elections Committee held testimony on Senate Joint Resolutions 2, 10, 17…

There’s no better place to learn about Social Security programs and do business with us than on our redesigned website at SSA.gov. Visitors to SSA.gov will experience a new design to help them find what they need more easily. Here are our top 10 webpages: 1. my Social Security — You can open a personal…

Members of the U.S. Congress should take a look at Missouri’s legislature on how to deal with New York U.S. Rep. George Santos who is facing a number of allegations. Santos campaigned falsely portraying himself as Jewish, that his mother was at the World Trade Center on 9/11 and other claims subsequently proven as false.…

Recently, I traveled to Maui for vacation. If you have visited Maui, you know beauty is not difficult to find. Whether it is kayaking alongside whales, motoring through the mountain, or hanging out on the beach, beauty is abounding! Sometimes, however, we must hunt for beauty. For instance, scootering down the road, looking off to…

During this year’s State of the Union Address, I had hoped to hear President Biden take responsibility for the mess our country is in and lay out a plan to fix things. That didn’t happen. Instead, he told us how great things are going, all thanks to him. I get it—he doesn’t want to focus…

When I was about 12 years old, another little seventh-grader, my first girlfriend, stomped on my heart. Our relationship had been generally contained to the telephone, and it was on my parents’ 1990s landline that she ended things. It was devastating, but then dinner was ready, so I had to move on. One can’t wallow…

The past few weeks have been a busy time for the General Assembly. From budget discussions to health care and education, I am committed to finding solutions that benefit the constituents of the 12th Senatorial District. This week, the Missouri State Capitol saw an influx of people from the great northwest part of our state…

Commit to saving successfully during America Saves Week! This year’s theme is A Financially Confident You. You can increase your financial confidence by building healthy saving habits and taking advantage of resources available to support your financial stability. America Saves Week, which runs from February 27 through March 3, is a great opportunity to learn…