Julie Bierach

• Attorneys for Rod Blagojevich are asking a judge to throw out secret wiretap recordings made of the former Illinois governor in 2008, claiming there are gaps in the tapes. Defense attorneys say the gaps may contain context needed to understand the conversations. In their motion filed early today, they asked a judge to prevent jurors from hearing any wiretaps. Blagojevich faces an April 20 retrial on 23 charges, including that the impeached governor tried to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat.
• Andrew N.

• The Missouri House has given first-round approval to legislation that would return control of the St. Louis Police Department to the city. The department has been under state control since the Civil War. Last year, the bill fell 12 votes short of first-round approval, but this year it passed overwhelmingly, with more than 75 percent of lawmakers voting yes. Supporters added a new argument this year: that it doesn't make sense to subsidize the St. Louis Police Department while having to cut the state budget in other areas.

• According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, officials at the John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis say that despite recent sterilization problems, the hospital is safe. Officials say the biggest problem now is a crisis in confidence. Last June, the hospital sent letters to more than 1,800 veterans who were potentially exposed to HIV and hepatitis due to faulty sterilization in its dental clinic. And on Feb.

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill is calling President Obama's budget a starting point to begin the conversation between Democrats and Republicans.

The Democratic senator says she is anxious to see the Republicans' budget plan in the House. But McCaskill is also criticizing the GOP for focusing on the discretionary domestic budget, which, she says, is only 18 percent of the budget.

• St. Louis Cardinal's manager Tony La Russa says first baseman Albert Pujols and his representatives are being pressured by the players' union during contract negotiations. Pujols is eligible to become a free agent after the World Series and has set a deadline for 11 a.m. CST today to reach an agreement on a new deal. Pujols has vowed to cut off negotiations once he arrives at spring training. La Russa said Tuesday he thinks the three-time National League MVP is being pushed to set a new standard with his contract.