In what some describe as a watershed election, voters today are setting the nation's course for the next four years by choosing a president and determining whether his party has the advantage in one or both houses of Congress. (Win McNamee | Pool/Reuters)
Energy issues such as oil production, pipelines, green energy and coal have become central to this year's presidential contest, but -- even at a time of severe weather events such as Hurricane Sandy and last summer's severe drought -- climate change has not emerged as an issue.
U.S. Rep. Todd Akin has tended to focus on military hardware -- including St. Louis-produced Super Hornet and Growler aircraft and Navy shipbuilding -- during his more than a decade on the House Armed Services Committee.
During her six years in the Senate, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has taken aim at waste, fraud and contract abuse at the Pentagon, helping to straighten out problems at Arlington National Cemetery and create a commission to weed out contracting waste.
The third and final presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on Monday evening in Florida will focus on foreign policy issues, with terrorism in Libya, the rise of China and the threat of Iran's nuclear program likely to be discussed.
A feisty, engaged President Barack Obama clashed often with his at times combative GOP opponent Mitt Romney during Tuesday night’s town hall debate on issues ranging from the economy to immigration to Libya.
The town hall forum of tonight's presidental debate presents special challenges for President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. The trick is to empathize with citizen-questioners and challenge opponents without appearing to be overly aggressive.
Fast-moving, combative, and with frequent interruptions by the Democrat. In short, Thursday’s vice presidential debate between Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and Republican Paul Ryan was everything that last week’s first presidential faceoff was not.
Debate Primer: Will the Denver Debate end up being a game-changer in the presidential race or, like many political debates, wind up as a game of previously crafted “zinger” one-liners punctuated by prepared remarks and dueling statistics?
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Todd Akin is launching his harshest attack yet at Sen. Claire McCaskill. A new ad contends the federal stimulus spending “made McCaskill rich.” Her campaign produced documents refuting the allegation, calling it "factually inaccurate.''
Republican National Convention · Akin controversy · military defense · gay rights · Illinois politics · Missouri U.S. Senate race · Climate change · Energy policy
Mitt Romney · Barack Obama · Todd Akin · Jim Talent · Claire McCaskill · Tom Schweich · Roy Blunt · Christopher S. "Kit" Bond · Nathan Gonzales · Rick Santorum
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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.
The world seems eager to learn more about Pope Francis, so learning that he admires St. Philippine Duchesne and her spiritual daughters — Argentinean nuns who have been under Francis' spiritual direction as they live among the poor — adds to understanding.
The celebration in Sikeston will reunite residents of the community which was destroyed in May 2011 when the Army Corps of Engineers opened the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway to alleviate flooding on the Mississippi. Residents are still hoping for a FEMA buyout so they can relocate their village.
The Newman Money Museum at Washington University has a quirky pseudo-robot Ben Franklin in the basement that is essentially a TV screen projected into a plastic shell head.
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.
"Lost Egypt," at the St. Louis Science Center, combines real images shot in Egypt with art and artifacts as well as interactive and family-friendly features and explanations of the science used to uncover the ancient world. The exhibit will run through Sept. 2.
Opera is for snobs. Country music is for rednecks. Everybody loves Chuck Berry now that he's been around for a few decades, but what about Nelly? Why can't we simply respond to what's before us without dragging preconceptions and prejudices into play?
Organizers aren't trying to replace the rib fest, but music lovers will be able to find tangy sustenance as they listen to such greats as Mavis Staples (pictured), Big George Brock, Trombone Shorty, Kim Massie and Marquise Knox take the stage.
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.
Opera is for snobs. Country music is for rednecks. Everybody loves Chuck Berry now that he's been around for a few decades, but what about Nelly? Why can't we simply respond to what's before us without dragging preconceptions and prejudices into play?
You have to know your audience: McDonald's regulars don't need free-range chicken or a certain breed of beef; a second-chance high school needs personally motivated students as opposed to people ordered to attend and low-income Democrats by and large don't want a cigarette tax.
Last week, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura sacrificed his crown as the King of America. He faced an individual decision to play against the best in the nation or the best on the planet. Find out what happened at that world-level tournament.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.