WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after the Senate failed to pass legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline:

“For more than six years, the Obama administration and Senate Democrats have played politics with American jobs and our nation’s energy security by blocking and delaying this common-sense, shovel-ready project. The Keystone XL Pipeline would create tens of thousands of jobs and decrease our nation’s heavy reliance on unstable foreign sources of oil – without costing taxpayers a dime.

“As I’ve long said, more American energy means more American jobs. I am ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help American families right now. It’s disappointing that Senate Democrats chose once again not to join us in these efforts today.”

A recent American Petroleum Institute/IHS study found that under pro-energy development policies, more than 955,000 job opportunities would be created by 2020 and almost 1.3 million by 2030.

RACHEL D’ORO, Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — American Indian and Alaska Native children are exposed to violence at rates higher than any other social group in the nation, according to a new report that urges creation of a new Native American affairs office, additional federal funding and other measures to combat the problem.

A U.S. Department of Justice advisory committee released the report Tuesday that reflects information gathered at public hearings across the country in 2013 and 2014.

Based on the public input and research, the committee assessed the effects of violence on tribal youth and came up with an action plan.

Committee co-chair and former U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota said during a teleconference that the report’s goal is to be a catalyst for action

LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York prosecutor says the nation is facing an “absolute epidemic of debt collection abuse practices” so widespread that even one of the FBI’s top officials got a call.

Prosecutor Preet Bharara made the comment as he announced the arrest Tuesday of seven members of a Norcross, Georgia, debt collection agency.

He said the defendants were “ruthlessly persistent” as they threatened people with imminent arrest unless they paid debts they sometimes didn’t even owe.

He said the firm bullied people in all 50 states from 2009 through April, collecting more than $4 million from over 6,000 victims.

The company was shut down after the Federal Trade Commission brought a civil action against it. But FBI official Richard Frankel said the workers just opened another company under a different name.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A business owner, two pastors, a community activist and a police detective are among the 16 people appointed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to an independent panel tasked with helping the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson heal after the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Nixon introduced the nine black and seven white members of the Ferguson Commission Tuesday in St. Louis. The commission was created to study the underlying social and economic conditions underscored by unrest following the early August shooting of Brown, who was black, by Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, who is white. It will make recommendations in a report due by September 2015.

The shooting prompted sometimes-violent demonstrations along with peaceful protests.

A St. Louis County grand jury is considering possible criminal charges against Wilson.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Projected budget shortfalls in Kansas have some Republican legislators weighing proposals to backtrack on tax-cutting policies championed by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.

But House Appropriations Committee chairman and Wichita Republican Gene Suellentrop said Tuesday that such measures should be a last resort.

Brownback and the Republican-dominated Legislature must close shortfalls in the current and next state budgets totaling more than $714 million after lawmakers open their annual session in January.

Legislators aggressively cut personal income taxes at Brownback’s urging in 2012 and 2013 to stimulate the economy.

Overland Park Republican Sen. Jim Denning said he wants to “smooth out” tax cuts lawmakers already have promised for the future.

He also proposed taking away part of an exemption from personal income taxes granted to the owners of 191,000 businesses.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri’s unemployment has dropped slightly to its lowest rate since June 2008.

The state Department of Economic Development released data Tuesday showing the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped from 6.3 percent in September to 5.9 percent in October.

Seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment grew by 2,400 jobs in October and the financial sector employed 1,500 additional people.

Missouri has added more than 48,000 nonfarm jobs in the past year.

The 3 million seasonally adjusted civilian labor force grew by more than 10,000 people in October. The labor force counts people with jobs and those who are on unemployment but looking for work.

ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — As local authorities in Missouri near the end of their investigation into the Ferguson shooting, a separate federal review of the police department could hold the potential for longer-lasting change.

A county grand jury is expected to announce its findings soon in the Aug. 9 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer.

Separately, the Justice Department is investigating the practices of the police department, looking for problems in how officers in the predominantly white department interact with the majority-black community.

Whether or not officer Darren Wilson faces criminal prosecution, the civil rights investigation is expected to continue and could dictate changes in how officers carry out fundamental tasks.

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is launching a new free app for its popular Groups feature that gives users a chance to create and interact on the website with communities based on shared interests such as hobbies, geography or culture.

Facebook Inc. has been trying to expand its presence on people’s mobile devices by creating — and charging for — apps such as Messenger, Paper, Instagram and WhatsApp. But it won’t require people to use the stand-alone app to use Facebook Groups. They will still be able to access Groups through the Facebook app or on the website.

More than 700 million of Facebook’s 1.35 billion members use Groups, according to the company. People use the groups to plan holiday dinners, for example, or to discuss hobbies, health issues or other shared interests.