Should the 5,600-page tax code be revamped? Nearly every lawmaker says yes, but a disagreement about whether tax reform should be “revenue-neutral” – that is, not increasing overall taxes – has blocked a deal this year between the White House and Republicans in Congress.
Even though President Barack Obama’s new budget tosses some bones to deficit hawks in an effort to loosen the debt deadlock, congressional Republicans gave few indications that it they would be willing to compromise on his demand for revenue hikes.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., says he continues to support the overall aim of the sequester cuts to reduce federal spending. But he stopped by a St. Louis meat-producing plant Monday to highlight his efforts to tweak the mandated across-the-board cuts so they don't affect certain federal workers.
As the Senate conducted a "vote-a-rama" on the budget resolution Friday, both of Missouri’s senators – Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Roy Blunt – were engaged in the rapid-fire amendments, with markedly different levels of enthusiasm for the process.
Missouri GOP lawmakers said they were glad that President Barack Obama reached out to them in meetings on Capitol Hill this week but weren't sure if his "charm offensive" will produce tangible results. Immigration reform seemed to be a possible area for compromise.
Sen. Claire McCaskill revealed Tuesday that she's one of the moderates who talked with President Barack Obama about budget issues. She's optimistic about long-term budget reforms but says the $85 billion in sequester cuts appear likely to stay -- but might be re-targeted.
While area governments, hospitals and universities expect sequestration to require some reductions in programs financed by the federal government, some local research institutions say they are waiting to hear which specific programs will be cut.
The Senate failed Thursday to advance either the Democratic or the GOP alternate plans to replace the sequester, which goes into effect Friday. Earlier, there was plenty of posturing on Capitol Hill but no progress on reaching a deal to avert the across-the-board cuts.
No one wants it to happen. Absolutely no one wants to take the blame for it. And there are plenty of options to avoid it. But sequestration – the harsh spending provision inserted into a deficit-reduction law in 2011 to scare Congress into agreeing on more rational approach – is about to strike in three days.
Details are still lacking as officials in Washington continue to spar over the "sequester'' budget cuts to go into effect on Friday, unless a deal is cut. President Barack Obama’s administration released figures Sunday showing a state-by-state breakdown of the $85 billion in cuts.
Roy Blunt · Claire McCaskill · Dick Durbin · Barack Obama · Ann Wagner · Roy Blunt · William Lacy Clay · John Boehner · Jay Nixon · Ann Wagner
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Author M.M. Costantin, who has lived near the Loop for more than 40 years, compiled a photo book that shows Delmar when it was bustling, when it was dangerous and when it came back to life.
They arrived four years ago as fifth-graders, behind in their work and not used to rigorous classes, but they've advanced rapidly and have a strong academic grounding for high school.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
This year’s 13th Shakespeare Festival production is a lucky one for local orchestra ensemble “The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra," chosen to compose the music for "Twelfth Night."
“We speak in old language in a new witty way with contemporary feel,” Sean Curran said about the OTSL production of "Pirates of Penzance," which is set in the 1870s. Much of the Gilbert and Sullivan satire, however, focuses on still-relevant human foibles, government officials’ ineptitude and opera excesses.
The feeling is openness, with soaring, airy spaces planned for easy and logical circulation and planned to reveal art not only to its best advantage but also appropriately and respectfully. Still, the building is notable more for its architectural reticence than its audacity.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Twenty winners will split a million dollars and a wide array of professional services after this year's Arch Grants competition. Victors will also see one-on-one business mentoring in their prize package. The diverse group includes everything from biotech concerns to fashion enterprises.
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
The Academy of Science-St. Louis hosts tours of EarthDance, an organic farm, and the Monsanto Agronomics and Breeding Facility May 21-22. The workshop is meant to prompt discussion and answer questions about these two competing philosophies of food production.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Vernon Bowman's challenge to Monsanto Co.'s patent on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds was billed as a David vs. Goliath contest. Goliath won and won big. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Indiana soybean farmer had violated Monsanto's patent on its genetically engineered soybean seeds.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
Paying professors less, increasing online courses and raising class size might make the bill cheaper, but the value of the degree will be less, as well. It's not that there are no solutions, but the easy ones create their own problems.
When the Civil War broke out, Grant rejoined the military. He may not have liked it, but it was what he was good at: fighting. The battle that cemented his reputation began 150 years ago yesterday.
Democracy is our answer to perhaps our most difficult ethical problem: How do we ethically protect the social cooperation that makes our society strong, while respecting the rights of individuals to pursue vastly divergent visions of the good life and deeply conflicting moral and political beliefs?
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.