The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously blocked newly enacted Republican-backed congressional districts from being used in November’s midterm elections, ruling that voters must first approve the map in a statewide referendum. The ruling marks a rare setback for Republicans in a national redistricting battle.  The GOP had aimed to use Missouri’s new congressional map to help them win an additional seat and hold onto its slim House...

Excavation work will begin over the next two weeks on a site where the Trump administration plans to build a tall memorial arch in Washington, D.C., a project that faces a lawsuit from opponents who argue the project will disrupt nearby historic sight lines. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Thursday that work would start on the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, which will be located on...

A Republican candidate for the Missouri state House is facing federal drug charges after newly unsealed court documents revealed an alleged plot to frame his political opponent by planting cocaine and prescription pills in her purse. Thomas Christopher Ross, 37, made his initial court appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Springfield, where he faced one count of conspiracy to distribute a...