Politics

Gov. Jay Nixon has appointed a former Republican state lawmaker to the Missouri Veterans' Commission.

Chuck Wooten is a World War II veteran from Nixa who served five terms in the Missouri House.

The commission provides information to veterans and their families about their rights and helps them obtain state and federal benefits. It also oversees skilled nursing facilities for veterans and veteran cemeteries.

Nixon announced Wooten's appointment Wednesday. If confirmed by the state Senate, he would serve until November 2015.

Today's Topics:

Sale of KMIZ to UM Curator

Cameras in Holmes Courtroom

Head of CNN Resigns

NBC's Olympic Coverage

Lehrer Out at New Yorker

Updated 4:33 p.m. with reporting by KCUR's Elana Gordon.

Missouri’s Supreme Court has effectively overturned state caps on non-economic damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice cases.  The court ruled today in favor of Deborah Watts, who filed suit against Cox Medical Centers in Springfield for injuries her son suffered at birth in 2006.

The Missouri Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the authority of the state auditor to write financial summaries for ballot initiatives.

Primary candidates vying for a house seat in Columbia’s 44th and 47th districts are getting ready for primary elections now just a week away.

Republican businessman Dave Spence has kicked in more money in his quest to become Missouri governor.