St. Louis Public Radio

Updated 4:42 p.m. with additional layoffs and information.

One of the world's largest coal producers, St. Louis-based Arch Coal, says it will lay off about 750 workers in the Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia coalfields.

It's the latest setback for an industry struggling for market share as utilities switch to cleaner and cheaper alternatives.

The school superintendent in East St. Louis says some teachers used "inappropriate strategies and techniques" to inflate students scores on standardized achievement tests.

District 189 Superintendent Arthur Culver told the Belleville News-Democrat's editorial board on Wednesday that elementary test scores will likely drop this year. Culver didn't call the teachers' actions cheating and he didn't cite any schools by name. He also didn't describe or give examples of the questionable methods the teachers allegedly used.

Updated 3:22 p.m. with information from press conference.

The man who has headed the Illinois National Guard for the past five years is stepping down from that post to consider running as a Democrat for an open congressional seat.

Adjutant General William Enyart submitted his resignation Thursday and was replaced by Gov. Pat Quinn for the time being by Maj. Gen. Dennis Celletti. Celletti is the assistant adjutant general for the Army.

Updated 12:34 p.m. with link to full report and information about 2010 data.

Black motorists are stopped by Missouri law officers at an increasingly disproportionate rate.

An annual report released Friday by the attorney general found black drivers were 72 percent more likely than white motorists to be pulled over in 2011. Black drivers were stopped 2.5 times more often than Hispanic drivers.

Updated 4:04 p.m. with Diehl's comments.

The Missouri Supreme Court has released its judgment on a challenge to the recent redistricting of the state's new Congressional districts. 

The Court has upheld the new districts, finally providing certainty for candidates in the August primary elections.