Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Larry Conners Slams KMOV Settlement Offer, Files Injunction Alleging Contract Violation

Update below: Fired KMOV-TV (Channel 4) anchor Larry Conners says that his former bosses are blocking him from earning a living to support his family with a "baffling" settlement offer that he cannot accept. Conners -- who lost his job last month after writing a controversial Facebook post -- spil ... More >>

Larry Conners Talks KMOV-TV Firing, Defends IRS Facebook Post, Journalistic Integrity

Yesterday, KMOV-TV (Channel 4) fired veteran news anchor Larry Conners, one week after he wrote a controversial Facebook post pondering whether the IRS had targeted him in response to a tough interview he did with President Obama in 2012. In the announcement of his termination, KMOV said he violat ... More >>

Larry Conners Out At KMOV-TV, President Cites Importance of "Journalistic Standards"

Update below: Larry Conners is out at KMOV-TV (Channel 4). So says Mark Pimentel, KMOV's president and general manager, in an announcement on the station's website published this afternoon. The news comes just one week after Conners made controversial comments on his Facebook page speculating whet ... More >>

KMOV-TV's Larry Conners Says IRS May Have Been Targeting Him For Years (UPDATE)

Yesterday, KMOV-TV (Channel 4)'s Larry Conners made quite a splash when he speculated on his Facebook page whether the Internal Revenue Service may have targeted him in response to his interview with Barack Obama last year. Our original coverage is below. Since his post got national attention, Conne ... More >>

Rep. Casey Guernsey: Gun Control Is Not Constitutional Even if Barack Obama Says It Is

As we've reported, Missouri lawmakers are aggressively pushing forward with their effort to make it illegal to enforce any federal firearm laws in the state with a proposal that Republican supporters say is a bold statement against gun control. Critics say it's an absurd, unconstitutional move to ba ... More >>

Thieves' Bazaar: Hospitals, doctors and dealers have made Medicare the nation's sweetest crime. The feds are now trying to shutter the door.

Mo. Attorney General to Republicans: Enough "Foolishness" on Contraception Coverage

In a scathing rebuke of conservative lawmakers, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster today called on Republicans to end their continued bickering over contraception coverage outlined in the federal Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. "The Republicans' attempt to deny contraceptive coverage to ... More >>

Rep. Paul Fitzwater Likens Federal Health Care Coverage Expansion to Feeding "Zoo Animals"

Buried in a CBS St. Louis story on the local impact of the Federal Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is a rather bizarre quote from Representative Paul Fitzwater (R-Potosi) which is coming under fire. Fitzwater was being interviewed about a study finding that says 525,000 Missourians will be eligi ... More >>

Republican Rep. Keith Frederick Introduces Bill to Make Obamacare Illegal in Missouri

Missouri Republicans have come up with many different ways to express their disdain for President Barack Obama and his health care plan. Notably, GOP leaders are continuing to fight the mandatory coverage of contraception as outlined in federal health-care policy. But this week, one House Republic ... More >>

Missouri Catholic Conference on Anti-Abortion Bill, Rape Victims: "Those Are Difficult Cases"

One of the more controversial proposals at the Missouri legislature this year is a GOP bill that would allow doctors to refuse to perform procedures that "violate his or her conscience or principles." Critics, like Planned Parenthood, say this is "denial of care" legislation that could prevent rape ... More >>

Answers to the Riverfront Times 2012 News Quiz

In January Riverfront Times published its annual "News Challenge" -- 78 multiple-choice questions testing how well readers paid attention to current events over the past twelve months. Within a week, more than 100 of you submitted your answers to us. A few weeks later a dozen readers e-mailed a simi ... More >>

Catholic Bishops Slam Birth Control Ruling: "Pray for the Protection of Religious Liberty"

The Catholic bishops of Missouri are praying that the legal fight against federal health care mandates for birth control coverage is not over. "We now call upon all people of good will to pray for the protection of religious liberty and for defense of the First Amendment freedoms we all hold dear, ... More >>

Contraception: Tim Jones Still Fighting Birth Control Mandate After Ruling, Cites Free Speech

Should employers and insurers in Missouri be allowed to deny coverage of birth control if it violates their religious beliefs? A federal judge, as we reported earlier this week, ruled that they cannot be exempt -- in a decision overturning a Missouri law that directly contradicted President Barack O ... More >>

Birth Control: Court Overturns Missouri Law Allowing Moral, Religious Coverage Exemptions

Last week, we reported on a GOP proposal in Missouri that would give doctors the right not to perform procedures that go against their moral beliefs -- such as abortions. Meanwhile, a federal judge has struck down a Republican proposal with a similar theme that became law last year; this now over ... More >>

The Ten Biggest Concert Buzzkills: An Illustrated Guide

By Dave Herrera As vastly different as our tastes are when it comes to music, there's one thing we can all agree on, and that's our distaste for and subsequent amusement/bemusement/resentment with certain individuals who insist on behaving badly at shows. You know who we're talking about. The Talke ... More >>

Ask a Mexican: Are Mexicans not as Catholic as they're cracked up to be?

Domino's Pizza Founder Believes Contraception Is "Gravely Immoral," Sues Federal Government

It's like national pizza chains don't want our business these days. Following President Barack Obama's reelection in November, Papa John's chief executive John Schnatter threatened to cut employee hours to dodge offering health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or, "O ... More >>

Schadenfreude Overdose: National Restaurants Anti-"Obamacare" Policies Hurt Business

Last month, following the reelection of President Barack Obama, Gut Check examined five national restaurant chains sticking to anti-"Obamacare" policies. Papa John's chief executive John Schnatter threatened to raise pizza prices and cut employee hours to part-time to side-step paying for health ins ... More >>

Eighth Circuit Lets Local Business Owner Violate Obamacare Pending Appeal

As we reported last month, Frank O'Brien -- the devoutly Catholic owner of an industrial business in Forest Park Southeast -- believes Obamacare will make him betray his faith by providing his employees insurance that will cover contraception, so he sued the federal government. Yesterday, the Eighth ... More >>

Missourians File Petition With White House to Secede From Union

Missouri has joined a growing list of states petitioning the federal government for secession in the wake of President Obama's reelection. Residents in at least 20 states have posted petitions on the White House's "We the People" website. "We the People" allows anyone to suggest a policy initiativ ... More >>

GOP State Senator Rob Schaaf on Missouri's Obamacare Deadline: "Deadline Schmedline."

November 16, folks. That's the deadline for Missouri to decide whether our state government will set up the "insurance exchange" required by the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare), or whether the feds will swoop in and set it up for us. It's only one week away, so Daily RFT called Republican sta ... More >>

With Akin Out, Here Are 5 Wackos to Watch in Missouri Politics

What's Daily RFT gonna do without Todd Akin in the Senate? After breathing a sigh of relief for our state's integrity, we've gotta admit we'll miss the man who has given us so much in mortifying entertainment, from "legitimate rape" to "at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God" to the p ... More >>

[VIDEO] HILARIOUS Presidential Race Parody from STL's Anastasis Films

John Pa and Matt Seilback of Anastasis Films have done bleeding heart St. Louis pride. They've done a truly badass campaign ad. And now they're back at us with a hilarious political parody in cartoon form!

Relax, Liberals. Akin's "Dog" Comment is Not Offensive.

In slavish devotion to the "Todd-Akin-says-offensive-things" narrative, news blogs are blowing up with the comment that the Congressman made about incumbent Senator Claire McCaskill at a Springfield fundraiser on Saturday: "She goes to Washington, D.C., it's a little bit like one of t ... More >>

Ed Martin Won't Meet With Editorial Boards: A Rare (and Probably Smart) Move

So far this year, most candidates for statewide office have made the pilgrimage. They've stepped into the inner sanctums of the Post-Dispatch and The Kansas City Star. They pow-wowed with the editorial boards, fielded uncomfortable questions, asked for a kiss on the forehead.&nbs ... More >>

Republican State House Candidate Called Out for Support of Marijuana Legalization [UPDATE]

Update: We just heard back from Chairman of the Boone County Republican Central Committee C. Bruce Cornett. Meet Mitch Richards. He's the crazy young Republican candidate for the 47th House District in Columbia. He's pro-gun, he's pro-life, he thinks big government should butt out. But he also has ... More >>

15 Presidential Debate Dinner Ideas Inspired By Obama and Romney Campaign Spending

Last week Politico broke down information from a recent review of Federal Election Commission reports detailing Mitt Romney and Barack Obama's campaign spending. It contains everything from office supplies and gas expenses to which hotels and restaurants the respective campaigns patronize most often ... More >>

Why Did A Federal Judge Throw Out a St. Louis Catholic's Challenge to "Obamacare"? FAQs

Got questions about a federal judge's dismissal of a local Catholic's lawsuit against "Obamacare"? Daily RFT's got answers! Q: So, who sued who?Frank O'Brien and his company, O'Brien Industrial Holdings (near South Kingshighway and I-44) sued our federal government last March. Q: Why?

Who's the "Imposter"? Chris Koster or Nonprofit Behind Attack Ad?

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster cannot be trusted. That's the gist of a television ad entitled "The Imposter" that began airing last week across the state. See also: Missouri Democrats Unhappy With Koster's Brief Over Health CareEd Martin Pledges to Thwart Obamacare From His "First Minute in ... More >>

A Brief History of the Universe According to Representative Todd Akin

Daily RFT was tickled by New Yorker's recent timeline of "A Conservative History of the United States". St. Louis' own Phyllis Schlafly got a thoughtful shout-out for bashing airing her concerns about high-efficiency light bulbs: 2011: Fluorescent bulbs cause epilepsy: "...broken C.F.L. bulbs alle ... More >>

The Convention That Could Have Been: What if STL Had Hosted the DNC?

If life in St. Louis is better than it was four years ago, it still ain't got nothin' on the summer of 1916--the last time we hosted the Democratic National Convention. You might remember that in 2010, St. Louis was a finalist to host the convention that brought 35,000 people to Charlotte, NC this ... More >>

Guns Blazin' n' Insults Flyin', GOP Candidates Wrap Up "Victory Tour" in STL County

We didn't find Abby Wambach amid the stacks of GOP yard signs, but 300 or so STL-area Republicans were on hand to celebrate their slate and revel in partisan glory... however premature.

Ed Martin's Pledge to Thwart Obamacare From His "First Minute in Office": Will It Resonate?

Tea Party darling and GOP candidate for attorney general Ed Martin just released this new TV spot, which begins: "Almost 30 states filed lawsuits to stop Obamacare. Not Missouri. Our attorney general sat it out." That's technically true, but slightly misleading.

ObamaCare Upheld? Gut Check's Chowing Down on Our Favorite Gut Busters

Gut Check rejoiced at this morning's news that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. ObamaCare. Of course, we already have health care, but we know that unemployment is only one terrible blog post away (this one, perhaps), and we suffer from a debilitating preexisting con ... More >>

Tea Party Princess: Victoria Jackson went from the big leagues of comedy to the rabid right of modern politics

The Unconventional Campaign of Mike Carter, Lieutenant Governor Candidate

​In 2008, Mike Carter ran in the Democratic primary for Missouri lieutenant governor and voted in the Republican primary for president. He likes the idea of government being run as a business but doesn't like the idea of privatizing certain government duties. He thinks there are "serious problems" ... More >>

State Senator Jane Cunningham Hints at Death Panels, Blocks Bill for Insurance Exchanges

​State Senator Jane Cunningham (R - Chesterfield) assures Daily RFT that she is not the "black helicopter type." Still, when reading House Bill 609 that would set up a health insurance exchange in Missouri, she came across language that reminded her of the "death panels" critics of federal health ... More >>

John Brunner Officially Enters U.S. Senate Race

Albert SamahaJohn Brunner's anti-establishment credentials make him a formidable candidate in the GOP Senate primary.​ Updated 11:30 a.m. to show that FEC guidelines do not make a distinction between money spent from contributions and money spent out of pocket when it comes to campaign disclosure ... More >>

Ask a Mexican: Is Mexico a Tea Party paradise?

Rematch for Ed Martin and Russ Carnahan?

Carnahan v. Martin: Once more with feeling?​Ed Martin announced today that he's running for Congress in Missouri's newly reconfigured 2nd Congressional District. Last November, the Republican with strong ties to the Tea Party lost a close race against incumbent Democrat Russ Carnahan for the 3rd C ... More >>

Missouri Democratic Party Calls on Peter Kinder to Reimburse Tax Payers for Lavish Hotel Stays

Peter Kinder appearing in a 2010 interview about his lawsuit to stop "Obamacare."​If you didn't see yesterday's article on Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, stop what your doing and give it a read. Post-Dispatch reporter Jake Wagman provides a text-book example on how to nail a double-tal ... More >>

Survey Sez: Missouri "Sharply Divided" on Health Care Reform

Missouri is still divided on Obamacare.Courtesy of Minnesotamajority.org​ Almost a full year after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. health care reform, a.k.a Obamacare) into law, Missouri remains sharply divided on its merits, according to a new survey from a local ... More >>

Ed Martin Maintains Online Presence, Rhetoric

​Ed Martin is not going away. But really, did you think he would? After barely losing his bid for Congress, the Republican from Missouri's Third District launched a new website this week to focus on two efforts near and dear: killing the federal health care overhaul and monitoring local elections. ... More >>

Happy First-Day-of-Visible-Effects-of-the-Health-Care-Bill Day!

image via​Friends, think back to the darkness of six long months--plus one day--ago. Yes, that was the day before the Affordable Care Act, that damned health care reform bill we'd been hearing about and arguing over for seemingly ever, was passed. A new dawn, guys. Well, now that we've all fo ... More >>

Patriot Dame: Dana Loesch, Tea Party co-founder and rising star of conservative talk radio, reporting for duty!