Kristofor Husted

With a looming so-called fiscal cliff and a split of control in Congress, President Barack Obama and federal legislators are under pressure to come to a quick solution. But Missouri’s senators have taken sides over a tax hike in the President’s plan.

When it comes to solving the fiscal cliff problem, the biggest disagreement between Republicans and Democrats in Congress deals with raising the tax rate on the wealthiest Americans. Missouri’s two senators have fallen in line with their parties and sit in opposite corners on the issue.

With the election in the rearview mirror, the national parties have spent the last week poring through the results and voter demographic data. Turns out women, young people and Latino voters matter a lot in a presidential race.

Here in Missouri, the results for the U.S. Senate race displayed some similarities.

Missouri’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.9 percent in October, according to new data from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. That’s one full point below the national average of 7.9 percent.

U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler held on to the U.S. 4th District in what turned out to be a fairly decisive victory over Democrat Teresa Hensley.

Republican incumbent Vicky Hartzler defeated her Democratic challenger Teresa Hensley with 63 percent of the votes. Hensley, a Cass County prosecutor, earned 35.5 percent.

KBIA’s Kristofor Husted interviews Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is challenging Rep. Todd Akin to keep her seat in the U.S. Senate in the November 6 election.

In the interview (which took place before McCaskill’s mother died), the senator talks about the difference between her and Akin when it comes to women’s issues including equal pay for women and access to emergency contraception. She talks about what she would say to women who have backed Akin after his controversial comment on pregnancy and rape. McCaskill also discusses her plan to make sure small business continues to grow in the state and her stance on keeping federal loans and grants available to students who depend on them.

By most accounts, Missouri is a pink state.

Not red. Not blue. Pink.

But, when thousands of small business owners in Missouri were asked which candidate was more supportive of small business, 35 percent chose President Barack Obama, 24 percent picked Gov. Mitt Romney, and 41 percent said they were unsure. (That’s from a recent George Washington University and Thumbtack poll.)

Countdown to Election Day is upon us.

And while business development continues to surge as a hot topic this campaign season, the expired farm bill seems to have disappeared off candidates' radars completely. Harvest Public Media’s Amy Mayer has this report on just how much candidates are talking farm policy...in farm country.

By most accounts, Missouri is a pink state.

Not red. Not blue. Pink.

When it comes to the business of food, there’s a rivalry around every corner. You’ve got fights for prime farmland, wars over water use, even buying food at the grocery store has its competition with household bills encroaching on family budgets for the shopping list.

KBIA’s Kristofor Husted interviews Missouri state Rep. Jason Kander, who is challenging Republican Shane Schoeller for the secretary of state office in the November 6 election.

In the interview, Kander talks about how he would help build up small business in Missouri by making registration information and services more easily available and accessible. He also discusses his big difference from Schoeller when it comes to combating election fraud, namely campaign finance reform and ethics reform. Kander says his time in the Missouri House and in the Army conducting anti-corruption investigations gives him a strong foundation to fight election fraud. And – with what’s been a hot issue for the current secretary of state, Robin Carnahan – Kander addresses his ideas on the importance of clear ballot language. 

Check back every day as we continue to film interviews with Missouri candidates ahead of the 2012 election.

Flip on the TV, boot up the computer or switch on the radio and you’re destined to hear about a recall of tainted food – often due to E. coli or salmonella.