News

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) is warning citizens to beware of several threats to those seeking to invest their savings.

Carnahan says one such threat is called affinity fraud, which is used to target church congregations, senior centers and social networking websites.

The state of Illinois has four new laws that Gov. Pat Quinn says will help crack down on substance abuse.

Quinn signed the following measures into law today:

Gov. Jay Nixon says legislation changing the date of Missouri's 2012 presidential primary will be on the agenda for a planned special session in September.

Nixon announced this week he plans to order the House and Senate back to Jefferson City to overhaul the state's business incentives.

Lovers of St. Louis Public Radio and classical music may have learned something new on Cityscape today from St. Louis fiddler Justin Branum and guitarist Gary Hunt: the difference between a violin and a fiddle?  "You don't spill beer on a violin," they explained.

Illinois' board of education says a former top federal prosecutor will head a probe it has launched into spending by East St. Louis' cash-strapped public school system.

Friday's announcement of the probe comes as the 7,500-student district is under state control and beset by questions about its paying millions on consultants and conventions.

The state board says the probe will be headed by A. Courtney Cox, southern Illinois' former U.S. attorney. His firm will be paid up to $100,000 a year to do the investigation, at the district's expense.