SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois House just passed a measure that is a depressing sign of the times to those of us who are still holding out in the newspaper profession.

The bill, SB291, changes Illinois law that currently requires that…

A group that wants Kirkwood to ban smoking in indoor public places today said it is close to reaching its goal of 1,100 signatures on petitions that could lead to an initiative election in November on the matter.

With very…

Flooding in University City

A committee of the St. Louis County Council will hold a meeting at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on flooding problems in University City. Council Chairwoman Hazel Erby hopes the session would be a catalyst to get something done about…

WASHINGTON — According to sources, a key House panel tomorrow likely will deliver good news to Boeing and the St. Louis workforce when it advances legislation to purchase more F/A-18 Super Hornets for the Navy.

Congressional approval of military aircraft used to be a rather…

Joe Biden

UPDATED … WASHINGTON — In case you hadn’t noticed, the Obama administration is setting in motion a pro-stimulus PR blitz this week to defend against skeptics and spell out plans to create or save another 600,000 jobs in the next 100 days.

The White House put…

Mississippi River

WASHINGTON — A lot has been made about the Obama administration’s environmental initiatives and plans for a bulked-up EPA budget spending a third more next year on protecting air, water and land.

But are Midwestern states getting what they need to attack…

UPDATED  WASHINGTON — It looks that way, and environmentalists are worried after seeing today what White House Office of Management and Budget analysts are writing internally about the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposals.

Some of the OMB remarks that can be found at Regulations.gov sound a…

Next stop — Chicago?

ST. LOUIS — As the region struggles with cutbacks in local transit routes, could a long-distance option be on the table?

The Associated Press reports today that Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill are meeting privately today…

Specter

(UPDATED) WASHINGTON — The bombshell announcement by Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter this morning that he will switch affiliation from Republican to Democrat could give Democrats the firepower to make major shifts in health-care, the environment and other weighty issues in the months ahead.

If Minnesota Democrat…

Sen. Bond

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s decision to release the so-called “torture memos” last week detailing waterboarding and other interrogation techniques generated a torrent of rebukes from his critics, some more informed than others.

In the category of knowing something about intelligence…