Politics

Missouri’s GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin is facing a wave of criticism for comments he made during an interview about pregnancies caused by rape.

When you think about enemies of free speech in Asia, North Korea comes to mind as the biggest villain. 

South Korea, on the other hand, has a robust democracy and a thriving economy. It’s perhaps the most wired country in the world, with the highest number of broadband connections per capita and an internet penetration approaching 90 percent.

Every year, politicians descend on the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia to attend the Governor’s Ham Breakfast and woo voters – and almost every year someone says something controversial. And this year was no exception.

Congressman Todd Akin, the GOP nominee for the U-S Senate, was talking with reporters about his opposition to spending hikes for food stamps and other programs in the federal Farm Bill when he was asked what he thought about school lunch programs:

State officials say exports by Missouri businesses rose by 6 percent in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2011.

A state House member from southwest Missouri says he'll seek a recount after a narrow loss in his Republican primary election.

Election results certified in Greene County this week show incumbent Thomas Long losing to challenger Jeff Messenger by 28 votes in the Aug. 7 primary. Long told the Springfield News-Leader on Wednesday he'll ask to have the ballots in the 130th House District counted again.

Missouri law allows candidates to request recounts if they lose by less than 1 percent of the total vote.

In the high-profile race for U.S. Senate in Missouri, incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill is seizing on this year’s drought to win support among rural voters. 

Speaking at the historic Soulard Farmers Market, Senator McCaskill laid in to her opponent in the November election—Republican Congressman Todd Akin—for his opposition the Senate version of the federal farm bill, which includes disaster assistance for farmers reeling from this year’s record drought.

Were it not for Republicans like Todd Akin, McCaskill says that relief would be on its way to farmers and ranchers.