News

The U.S. government has approved a $30 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia that the head of a St. Louis area union says was “do or die” for his members.

In this edition of Under the Microscope: the future of nanotechnology ... and political maneuvers mess with Missouri's efforts for a state health insurance exchange. Featuring reporting by St. Louis Public Radio's Veronique LaCapra and KCUR's Elana Gordon.

Regional news from the KBIA newsroom:

• State Senate bill would put limits on political "robo calls"
• Legislation aims to prevent another Mamtek fiasco
• State audit gives MDC "good" rating, but brings disagreement on cost of elk project

A routine state audit has given a rating of “good” to the Missouri Department of Conservation. But as St. Louis Public Radio's Véronique LaCapra reports, the audit did find some problems.

This week: Rootworm is causing a headache for some farmers who thought they already had a fix for that problem. Plus, a university of Missouri study takes a look at the impact economic strains have on middle class families.

A Republican state Representative from southwest Missouri has introduced legislation he says will help prevent another Mamtek from happening in the state.

Regional news from the KBIA newsroom, including:

• New safety rules regulate commercial truck driving
• Missouri Senate attempts to ban driving while texting
• UMKC gets grant to expand urban education studies

Each year, the United Health Foundation ranks states' health. And almost every year, Missouri drops in the rankings. This year, the Show Me State fell from the 39th spot, to 40th. In this week's Health & Wealth update, why we're getting less healthy and what we can do about it. I speak with Thomas McAuliffe, policy analyst with the Missouri Foundation for Health.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is making changes that will limit the amount of time commercial truck drivers can spend on the road.