MOScout Daily Update: Avery Kick-Off - MGC Meeting - Ad Buying in a Streaming Age - KC Fights Absenteeism - Billy’s Story and more…
Quick Friday update…
Avery Kick-off
I zipped by Jim Avery’s kick-off last night. He’s one of several folks running to replace Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman in Senate 22.
It was an impressive affair… hundreds of folks, food, a cash bar, table of swag, and live music. Most impressive of all: I barely knew anyone. It was a crowd of regular folks. That’s a great sign at a kick-off. I always think it’s trouble for a campaign when a kick-off is full of lobbyists. Yes, you need those checks eventually, but the kick-off should show some real community support.
· General consultant Sophia Shore posted a short clip of the event here.
And
Among the few pols at the event were Sen. Nick Schroer and former Sen. Bill Eigel, signaling that Avery is the Freedom Caucus favorite in the primary.
· Shore is also managing Eigel’s St. Charles County Executive race in addition to her stable of state senate candidates.
Driving the Day: Sport Betting Licenses
Missourinet reports that the Gaming Commission will “award the two untethered licenses” for sports betting at their meeting this morning.
The Missouri Gaming Commission heard arguments Wednesday from three companies – DraftKings, FanDuel, and Circa – which are vying for the two “untethered” licenses. An untethered license refers to sportsbooks not affiliated with a casino or a professional sports team.
2026 Watch: Streaming Complicates Ad Buying
This chart from Bloomberg News shows the changing TV habits of Americans…
This had made reaching those viewers much more complicated. Read Billy McBeath’s essay on it here. 58% of voters split their viewing between traditional TV and streaming apps…
· For live sports, 50% watch on both legacy TV and streaming.
· For news, 67% use both sources.
· YouTube is the most-watched streaming app across these states and is especially effective at reaching late deciders — 27% of voters who made up their minds in the final days before an election turned to YouTube for information
The takeaway: audiences are spread out across multiple services, and no single buy can reach them all.
KC RFP To Fight Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism from school is a significant risk factor for students’ involvement in violent events, whether as victims or perpetrators. Recently, schools nationwide have faced alarmingly high absenteeism rates This RFP aims to award funds to a local school district that will develop and administer streamlined referral systems to collect names, contact information, and parental consent of students who are chronically absent or otherwise considered high-risk for exposure to violence…. The system will allow the school district to send a monthly list of qualifying students to the KCHD [Kansas City Health Department]. The KCHD Violence Prevention Team will then reach out to offer services.
Billy’s Story
NYTimes reports on Billy Long’s short tenure in at the IRS. Mr. Long began to lose his grip on a job that he had held for barely a month. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had already ousted one White House-installed I.R.S. commissioner this year. He would soon orchestrate the removal of another, culminating in the agency having its seventh leader since January.
· At the center of Mr. Bessent’s concerns was the fact that Mr. Long had been trying to put together an independent plan for the I.R.S. without informing the Treasury Department, according to five people familiar with the matter.
White House Warns on FIFA Slush Funding
From Politico… Andrew Giuiani, White House 2026 FIFA Taskforce head, in a sit-down interview with West Wing Playbook at the Department of Homeland Security, is making clear that the money is for local law enforcement for things like police overtime and security equipment for the World Cup.
“This is not going to be a slush fund that a leftist politician can use for whatever they’d like. This is going to be for our local law enforcement. It passed through Congress clear, cut and dry,” said Giuliani, adding that the taskforce plans to present to the host committees a plan for how they can submit receipts for reimbursement. “We are making sure that we trust but verify.”
Lobbyist Registrations
Nick Knoth added Transfr, Inc.
Adam Rapert deleted Safer St. Louis, LLC.
John Gamble deleted Missouri Future, LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
Teamsters Local Union No 688 Political Action Committee - $7,907 from International Brotherhood of Teamsters Missouri PAC- Federal Committee.
Access MO - $5,230 from Wendy Roemer (Seattle, WA).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Rodger Reedy, and Jason Norton.