News

Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill has drafted a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking that an investigation be launched into recent allegations of price fixing of gasoline by U.S. oil refiners.

The letter, a release states, comes after a report in the Kansas City Star "analyzed the ballooning profit margin by oil refiners in recent months."

Updated at 2:52 p.m.:

Republican Ann Wagner, who previously announced an exploratory committee for congress, made it official today.

Wagner will run in the Second Congressional District, making her announcement following Akin's official word earlier today.

Akin Expected to Announce Challenge to McCaskill Today

Missouri Congressman Todd Akin may soon be joining the Republican race to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill next year. Akin is expected to announce his Senate candidacy today at a news conference in Creve Coeur.

The St. Louis restaurant company Panera says its experiment to open several "pay-what-you-want nonprofit restaurants" has been a huge success.

Customers at these special facilities order like normal, but the cashiers simply suggest payment amounts - what customers actually put into the donation box is up to them.

Panera founder and chairman Ronald Shaich says nearly 80 percent of customers pay the full prices or more.

A new report says Missouri's unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point in about two years.

The state Department of Economic Development says April's jobless rate was 8.9 percent, down two-tenths of a point from March. That's the state's lowest unemployment rate since March 2009.

Monday's monthly report also shows a net gain of 2,500 nonfarm jobs in Missouri last month. The agency says the biggest growth came in construction, manufacturing and retail trade.