Good morning! Here are some of today's starting headlines:
- Missouri Legislative leaders and Gov. Jay Nixon expect to receive population an demographic figures from the U.S. Census Bureau today. The data is important for state lawmakers to start developing new congressional districts. Missouri officials already know the state will drop from nine to eight congressional districts based upon statewide population figures released in December by the Census Bureau. State lawmakers will develop and approve the new boundaries for Missouri just like any other legislation. The Legislature plans hearing on redistricting in the state Capitol and across the state.
- The St. Louis Cardinals say pitcher Adam Wainwright could be lost for the season after being sent back to St. Louis for tests on his injured right elbow. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says "things do not look encouraging" for the runnier-up in Cy Young voting last season.
- Missouri lawmakers are poised to make another run at outlawing some synthetic drugs. Missouri was among more than a dozen states last year that banned a synthetic form of marijuana known as K2, which is a concoction of dried herbs sprayed with chemicals. But before the law even took effect, alternatives were hitting the market that had made slight changes to the synthetic formula and thus got around the new law. Republican Rep. Ward Franz of West Plains is sponsoring legislation this year that would add more synthetic cannabinoids to the outlawed list. The bill also would outlaw a synthetic form of cocaine that is being sold as bath salts in some Missouri stores.
