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.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Missouri couldn’t force a Cape Girardeau man suspected of drunken driving to submit to a blood alcohol test without obtaining a search warrant.
Historic Supreme Court cases, like last year’s health-care decision and this year’s same-sex marriage cases, raise fundamental and enduring questions about the proper role of the court in interpreting the Constitution and influencing social change.
After the first of two days of legal arguments on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, the betting line hasn’t changed: The Supreme Court likely will look for a way to avoid a broad ruling recognizing or rejecting gay marriage but will likely strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
During Tuesday's oral arguments, U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared to lean toward Monsanto's position in a closely watched case involving an Indiana farmer who contends that the company's patent protection on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds does not extend indefinitely.
Questioning by U.S. Supreme Court justices during oral arguments in a Missouri case on Wednesday suggested that the court seems unlikely to give blanket approval to routine police-ordered blood sampling without a warrant. However, justices' statements indicated that the court might allow such testing under certain circumstances.
The chances are that the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down the federal law discriminating against couples in same-sex marriages without giving gay marriage the kind of constitutional imprimatur that would require the entire nation to adopt it.
The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a Chicago prosecutor's attempt to revive Illinois' restrictive eavesdropping law making it illegal to audiotape police stops in public. That leaves standing an appeals court ruling that the law probably violated the First Amendment.
The Fourth Amendment’s protection extends only to searches and seizures deemed to be “unreasonable.” But that adjective has generated a surfeit of debate. And now the high court will look at the reasonability of drug-sniffing dogs.
A court with a more liberal majority would be likely to put an end to the kind of conservative activism that led to Citizens United, but whether it would have the force of the Warren Court is questionable. Chances remain slim, however, that Justice Kennedy or Scalia would step down.
Law crime · Affordable Care Act · Politics · Fourth Amendment · Social Issues · gay rights · immigration · Gay marriage · Beacon Roundtable · Human Interest
Michael Wolff · Greg Magarian · Bruce La Pierre · Joel Goldstein · John Roberts · Vernon Hugh Bowman · Mary Ziegler · Antonin Scalia · Dick Durbin · David Roland
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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.