St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann round up some of the week’s biggest developments in the 2018 elections.
One of the topics Rosenbaum and Lippmann take a look at this week is President Donald Trump’s aluminum and steel tariffs — and how they may affect Missouri’s U.S. Senate contest.
Trump has contended that the tariffs will end up helping domestic steel and aluminum production — and get other countries to agree to new trade deals. But both Republicans and Democrats contend the move is hurting agricultural commodities, especially after countries like China retaliated.
That’s one of the reasons why both U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., have spoken out against the tariffs. McCaskill’s GOP opponent, Attorney General Josh Hawley, has said he supports the president’s goal of using tariffs to get better trade deals.
And in our weekly election-analysis feature, Lippmann and Rosenbaum take a closer look at Proposition B — which would raise Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023. This push to raise the wage floor took hold recently in St. Louis and Kansas City — and may have a good chance of passing statewide if organized opposition doesn’t emerge before November.
Follow Jason on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Rachel on Twitter: @rlippmann
Music: “Jack the Lion” by Harvey Danger
