U.S. Congress

St. Louis Teens Win Healthy Schools Campaign Cooking Contest, Advance to Nationals in D.C.

Yesterday Beaumont Career and Technical Education High School (801 North Eleventh Street; 314-231-3720) in downtown St. Louis hosted Cooking up Change, a national health-focused student cooking competition presented by Chicago-based nonprofit Healthy Schools Campaign. In order to participate in the ... More >>

St. Louis High Schools Compete Tomorrow in Healthy Schools Campaign Cooking Contest

On Tuesday, March 12, Beaumont Career and Technical Education High School (801 North 11th Street; 314-231-3720) in downtown St. Louis plays host to Cooking up Change, a national health-focused student cooking competition managed by Chicago-based non-profit Healthy Schools Campaign. High-school culin ... More >>

Photos: Senator Roy Blunt Promotes Mental Health Plan, Irritated By Gun Control Questions

Late Friday afternoon, Senator Roy Blunt held a press conference at the Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Center in St. Louis to promote his plan to improve mental health treatment across the country. The time is right, he told reporters, since people want concrete actions taken in response to the ... More >>

Six Employment Options for Todd Akin

Yesterday the 113th U.S. Congress convened, and Todd Akin was officially out of a job. Ann Wagner now occupies the seat he abandoned in his ill-fated bid for the Senate. There have been rumors that Akin is planning to use his free time to write a book. The subject of said book is up in the air -- b ... More >>

Akin $270K in Debt from Failed Senate Bid

The Federal Election Commission released its post-general election report yesterday. All the giddy spending of election season has settled into the cold, harsh reality of paying for it all. Especially if you lost. It's as though post-Christmas gloom has come three weeks early! The news is especial ... More >>

VIDEO: Makin' Akin Out of Bacon

Granted, it's the day before Election Day, so there can't possibly be much more to be said about any of the candidates, least of all U.S. Representative Todd Akin, our very own U.S. Senate hopeful, who has pretty much said everything there is to be said about Todd Akin all on his own. Still, Daily ... More >>

Newt Gingrich: "When McCaskill Says She Hates Coal, She's Saying She Hates Missourians"

We have a fresh dispatch from Bullsh*t Mountain this morning, courtesy of Newt Gingrich. The former Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is in western Missouri this week, appearing at fundraisers and rallies with Todd Akin in the final days of his campaign. In the last month of ... More >>

Debates Got You Bored? 7 Badass Feats of Strength from Politicians

As the general election approaches, candidates try harder than ever to court voters (except not really in Missouri). If you're like Daily RFT, you've grown weary of the debates and heated verbal sparring. Back in ye olde days, when brains fell short, candidates seeking public office courted the publ ... More >>

17 Missouri Women Who Could Kick Todd Akin's Ass

Or, Why You Shouldn't Be Ashamed to Be a Female Voter in Missouri It's become pretty clear over the past few weeks that Todd Akin hates women. Oh, he hasn't said that in so many words -- which is actually pretty surprising since he doesn't seem to care much about the possibility of offending his fe ... More >>

Grumpy Old Mensch: Fine performances increase The Value of Names at New Jewish Theatre

USPS Begins Budget Cuts in Springfield and Cape Girardeau

​The Springfield and Cape Girardeau mail processing centers will be consolidated this year by the United States Postal Service, at a cost of 136 positions combined. Some of those jobs may be transferred to the Kansas City and Downtown St. Louis Sorting and Processing Facilities, which are assuming ... More >>

Missouri Polls Shows Gingrich Leading, Brunner Rising, and Randles Edging Spence

​ With the presidential primary campaign circus coming to Missouri both next week (for the election that doesn't count) and next month (for the official caucus), we're likely to soon see a serious spike in the number of polls about us. Which means it's is a good time for some Horse Race talk. Publ ... More >>

Ed Martin To Run for ... Something

​Republican Ed Martin has kiboshed his plans to run for Congress, because the Missouri Attorney General's job seems more appealing. Or more attainable, maybe. Martin has previously announced his intentions for Congressional seats in Missouri's 2nd and 3rd districts, as well as one in the U.S. Sena ... More >>

As Obama Attacks Congress, McCaskill Becomes Vulnerable

An interesting political article in today's New York Times pinpoints incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill as a potential casualty this November if President Obama continues to campaign on an anti-Congress platform. Experts say the oft-deadlocked Congress of last year is a fair target for President Obama ... More >>

Did Todd Akin Trick People Into Thinking Paul Ryan Endorsed Him?

Rep. Ryan supports Rep. Akin's (above) "principled approach to fiscal responsibility" but hasn't officially endorsed him.​There was a bit of confusion late last week over whether U.S. Congressman/GOP Golden Boy Paul Ryan officially endorsed Congressman Todd Akin in his campaign to unseat Senator C ... More >>

Steve Tilley Drops Out of Race for Lieutenant Governor

Tilley, the 2012 lieutenant governor frontrunner dropped out of the race yesterday.​It's been a rough few weeks for Missouri Speaker of the House Steve Tilley. In mid-October he disclosed that he and his wife of eighteen years, Kellie, were divorcing. Then in early November, with the proceedings ... More >>

Ten Musicians Who Support Occupy Wall Street

Adbusters​"Occupy Wall Street" started out as a 1,000-person mid-September protest in a New York City park against, among other things, financial disparity and corporate influence. Since that time that protest has grown into a nationwide movement, spurring on the creation of "Occupy" spinoffs ... 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 >>

Peter Kinder: The American Spectator Profile

We really just wanted an excuse to run this picture again: ladies and gentlemen, we give you Peter Kinder and Tammy Chapman.​Back in the '90s, The American Spectator famously introduced America to an Arkansas woman named Paula Jones -- and it was President Bill Clinton's attempts to fend off J ... More >>

(Unofficial) Senate Candidate John Brunner Could Shake Up GOP Primary

When will John Brunner officially enter the Senate race?​St. Louis businessman John Brunner's political advisor John Hancock says that Brunner will announce his candidacy for Claire McCaskill's U.S. Senate seat "soon." It seems like Brunner has been on the verge of entering the race for months n ... More >>

Jack Danforth for Governor Facebook Page Illustrates Waning Support for Peter Kinder

243 Facebook users have found their Kinder alternative: former U.S. Sentor John "Jack" Danforth​The search for the Peter Kinder Alternative has unofficially begun. Last Thursday, a "Draft Jack- Danforth for Governor 2012" Facebook page popped up. John "Jack" Danforth, of course, is the moderate ... More >>

Peter Kinder: This Weekend, You Can Meet Him in St. Louis

Peter Kinder is making his first public appearance in St. Louis this weekend -- but we expect he'll be avoiding Verlin's (and the entire Metro East).​Embattled Lt. Governor Peter Kinder -- suddenly more famous for his brief appearance at a bar known for its pantsless parties and alleged wooing of ... More >>

Smart Girls Invade St. Louis -- Teaching Conservatives to "Fight Like a Girl"

Jennifer DeJournett conducts the VOICES of Conservative Women's Presidential straw poll, won by Michele Bachmann.​Sarah Palin was not present at the third annual Smart Girl Summit, which took place last Friday and Saturday at the Crowne Plaza downtown (not, as was reported by The Daily Beast, ... More >>

Claire McCaskill Third Most Vulnerable Senator, Washington Post Says

Claire McCaskill: Vulnerable, but not because her challengers are so awesome or anything.​So Todd Akin is a smug know-it-all convinced that only those with his political beliefs are capable of respect for the Almighty. And so what if Sarah Steelman's campaign thinks 100 x 1,000 = 10,000?Never mind ... More >>

Blagojevich "Stunned" by Conviction; Former Illinois Governor Guilty on 17 Charges

​Our long, national bad-hair day is over. This afternoon a federal jury in Chicago convicted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich of 17 counts of wire fraud, attempted extortion, bribery, extortion conspiracy and bribery conspiracy during his time in office, including a plot to sell the U.S. S ... More >>

The U.S. Government Runs on Free Snacks -- So How Does Missouri Stack Up?

image viaHow things get done in Congress. (At least in the office of Representative Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, which sports of model of the Capitol building made from boxes of Peeps.)​In any office, no one is more likely to get visitors than the person who keeps a candy jar on his or her de ... More >>

Race Trumps Politics in Missouri Redistricting

Nasheed: Black before Democrat.​Yesterday the Missouri Legislature overrode Governor Jay Nixon's veto of a redistricting map that eliminates the district of Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan. In securing the override, the Republican-controlled Legislature needed the votes of four Democrats. The ... More >>

Planned Parenthood President Visits for Rally to Oppose Funding Cuts

​Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to deny Planned Parenthood federal dollars in the form of Title X funds. Title X, signed into law in 1972, grants clinics money to perform cancer screenings and routine sexual health procedures on low-income women.Pro-choice forces are galvanizi ... More >>

The 2010 RFT News Challenge

Ed Martin Concedes -- But Not Before Taking Swipes at Election Process

Martin concedes even while continuing to suggest the election was stolen. ​Six days after the election, Ed Martin has conceded that he does not have enough votes to win the Third District race for U.S. Congress. The Republican challenger phoned incumbent Congressman Russ Carnahan this morning to c ... More >>

Claire McCaskill: Will 'Absolutely' Seek Another Term in 2012

image viaStand by your man.​Missouri's junior senator, Democrat Claire McCaskill, who won her seat in 2006 by beating out Republican incumbent Jim Talent, says that she will "absolutely" run to keep her Senate seat in the 2012 election, reports the St. Louis Beacon. Now that Republicans ... More >>

Voting Maps Show Political Divide in Missouri; St. Louis and Kansas City vs. Everyone Else

If you need anymore convincing that the people of St. Louis and Kansas City have nothing in common -- politically -- with their fellow Missourians, consider these election results....In the race for U.S. Senate, Democrat Robin Carnahan won only three regions in Missouri: Kansas City, St. Louis and S ... More >>

McDonald's Franchise Owners Make Employees Fat, Give Voting Advice

image via​McDonald's franchise owners might want to review how to deal with employees. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, a court has ordered a McDonald's owner to pay $17,500 to a former manager as compensation for making him fat. The Associated Press reports that the manager worked for the store for 12 ... More >>

William Upski Wimsatt, Author of Please Don't Bomb the Suburbs, Talks Tea Party and Missouri's Progressive Potential

Image viaWilliam Upski Wimsatt​In 1994, a 21-year-old graffiti artist from the southside of Chicago named William Upski Wimsatt published Bomb the Suburbs, an introspective, non-fiction account of race, politics, art and social change during hip-hop's golden era.Almost two decades later, Upski -- ... More >>

Jeff Smith Moves From Prison to Halfway House

Smith: Once step closer to freedom.​Former state Senator Jeff Smith has been released from federal prison in Kentucky and into a halfway house. Smith was sentenced to 12 months in prison last November after admitting he lied to federal investigators over mailers his campaign sent out in 2004 when ... More >>

Happy Birthday, Missouri!

image via​Today marks the 189th anniversary of Missouri's statehood. It's not really an auspicious number, so there aren't many celebrations going on. The closest one appears to be a concert at the First Missouri State Capitol Historical Site in St. Charles at 7 p.m. We were going to complain ... More >>

Iron Man 2 will lead to 3 and probably 4, but that doesn't mean it's good

A Q&A With State Rep. Mark Parkinson, Supporter of an Arizona-style Immigration Law for Missouri

Image viaMark Parkinson: "95 percent of my constituents wanted me to get tough on illegal immigration"​Last week, Daily RFT reported on HB 2449, a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives that would stiffen penalties for people who "harbor" undocumented immigrants in Missouri and make ... More >>

Party Crashers: Readers take digs at Cynthia Davis and Dana Loesh, want to dig up Native American artifacts

St. Louis Judges Discuss Bail Bond Misconduct Today; Investigation of Mary Catherine Moran and Bob Block Bail Bonds Continues

Image viaThe city's bail bond system is under review​Four judges from St. Louis' 22nd Judicial Circuit Court will meet at noon today to discuss alleged wrongdoing by Mary Catherine Moran, a former court official, and the city's largest bail bond agency.Presiding judge David Dowd appointed a panel ... More >>

Martin Scorsese's head trip Shutter Island is the good kind of insane

Mo. State Senators Think They're in D.C., Argue Federal Budget, Health Care Reform

Mr. Schmitt goes to Washington, err Jefferson City.​Attention State Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale): The Missouri Capitol may look like the U.S. Capitol. (Indeed, the building in Jefferson City is modeled after the one in Washington D.C.) But let us remind you of one little thing: You're a state ... More >>

New York Times Analyzes McGwire's 'Roids Reveal Strategy, Finds it Sound

​If one were a professional baseball player, and if one used performance-enhancing drugs, and if one was evasive about it under questioning from members of the United States Congress, and if one were to come clean five years later after being hired as a hitting coach for one's former team, one wou ... More >>

Sen. Kit Bond Steals the Show on The Daily Show

Longtime Missouri Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond, a stalwart Republican, has said more than a few things in his lengthy political career to draw the comedic wrath of Daily Show host Jon Stewart. In April, for instance, he claimed that punishing those responsible for Bush-era torture policies was som ... More >>

What the Post-Dispatch Missed About Milton "Skip" Ohlsen

Ohlsen's mug shot as it appears in an arrest report from March 2008 when police in Ladue found him in possession of a stolen .40 caliber Glock handgun. ​If you didn't see it yesterday, the Post-Dispatch ran a front-page article on Milton "Skip" Ohlsen, the man behind a federal probe into state Sen ... More >>

Ohlsen's Former Wife Testified that He Was Behind "Voters for Truth", Used Multiple Aliases

Jeff Smith​The former wife of Milton "Skip" Ohlsen testified last year that her ex-husband operated Voters for Truth, the political committee at the center of a federal probe into state Senator Jeff Smith (D - St. Louis) and state Rep. Steve Brown (D - Clayton).  Smith and Brown are reportedl ... More >>

Janet Napolitano’s Sorry Service in Arizona Makes Her a Terrible Choice for Homeland Security Secretary

THIS LAND IS THEIR LAND

A tiny Indian tribe pitches a plan for a downtown St. Louis casino, but city officials aren't betting on the idea

Letters to the Editor

Hightower Power

Radio gadfly and author Jim Hightower discusses his talk show, the fate of the populist movement and the perils of the middle of the road