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Controversial politician Todd Akin is in North County to speak at a Republican club's monthly meeting.

He will be speak at Yacovelli's Thursday night at 7:30. The event is open to members of the North St. Louis County Republican Club and they are accepting new members. Akin was a US Congressman for a decade before losing to Senator Claire McCaskill last year.

Akin entered the national spotlight after making claims about pregnancy and legitimate rape.

If you would like to join the North St Louis County Republican Club, dues are $15 per individual or $25 per family. Reach out to the club's treasurer, Edna Ditto at (314) 837-8968. 

Future speakers and topics include:

June 27: Anne Gassel on Common Core Standards

July 25: Sherman Graves on gun control

August 22: Tom Schweich state auditor

Still very little information after a man was shot and killed in north St. Louis this morning.

Police say they found 20-year-old Jermaine Johnson on the street near the city's border with Pine Lawn around 2 AM. Witnesses told officers they heard the gunshots, but did not know much more about the shooting.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Gov. Pat Quinn says he hopes a bill that would kick-start high-volume oil and gas drilling passes "swiftly" through the Illinois House and Senate after a House committee voted to send it to the full House.

The House Executive Committee voted 11-0 Tuesday to approve a measure regulating hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" - the use of high-pressure mixtures of water, sand or gravel and chemicals to crack rock formations deep underground and release oil and natural gas.

Proponents say it's safe and would create jobs in cash-strapped southern Illinois. Quinn has promised to sign the bill.

Opponents worry that fracking could cause air and water pollution and deplete water resources.

They favor a two-year moratorium on the practice, but House and Senate bills calling for a pause have been stalled.