St Louis

WASHINGTON — Industry regulators have fined discount brokerage firm Scottrade Inc. $600,000 for allegedly inadequate money laundering controls to detect suspicious transactions.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the brokerage industry's self-policing organization, on Monday announced the civil fine against Scottrade. The St. Louis-based online investing firm did not admit or deny FINRA's allegations.

Like banks, brokerage firms are required to establish anti-money laundering policies, procedures and internal controls.

U.S. officials have voiced concern about the laundering of money through the country's financial system as a way to finance terrorism or other criminal activity.

FINRA said that Scottrade – handling about 150,000 trades daily in 2007 – failed to establish an adequate anti-money laundering program tailored to its online business model. Scottrade's business model and elevated trading volume create an increased risk of identity theft, hacking into accounts and the use of customer accounts to launder money using securities between 2003 and 2008, FINRA said.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band continued their tour on Sunday night with a show in St. Louis. One highlight was Bruce playing "Roll ...

ST. LOUIS — Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been dropped from a group seeking to buy the St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh was to be a limited partner in a group headed by St. Louis Blues chairman Dave Checketts. Checketts said in a statement Wednesday that Limbaugh's participation had become a complication in the group's efforts and the bid will move forward without him.

Checketts said he will have no further comment on the bid process.

Limbaugh's bid ran into opposition within the league Tuesday when Colts owner Jim Irsay vowed to vote against him. Commissioner Roger Goodell said the commentator's "divisive" comments would not be tolerated from any NFL insider.

Limbaugh resigned from ESPN's Sunday night broadcast team in 2003 after he made remarks about Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb that were seen as racially insensitive.

BOSTON — Rush Limbaugh's bid to buy the St. Louis Rams ran into opposition within the NFL on Tuesday, when Colts owner Jim Irsay vowed to vote against him and commissioner Roger Goodell said the conservative commentator's "divisive" comments would not be tolerated from any NFL insider.

"I, myself, couldn't even consider voting for him," Irsay said at an owners meetings. "When there are comments that have been made that are inappropriate, incendiary and insensitive ... our words do damage, and it's something that we don't need."

Limbaugh has long been a hero of conservatives and villain to the left, thriving on his place in the political spectrum while establishing himself as one of the most successful broadcasters in history. But the NFL tries to avoid controversy, as Limbaugh learned in 2003 when he was forced to resign from ESPN's Sunday night football broadcast after saying of Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb: "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well."

Goodell repeatedly distanced the league from Limbaugh's statements on Tuesday, calling them "polarizing comments that we don't think reflect accurately on the NFL or our players."

"I have said many times before that we are all held to a higher standard here," the commissioner said. "I think divisive comments are not what the NFL is all about. I would not want to see those kind of comments from people who are in a responsible position within the NFL. No. Absolutely not."

WASHINGTON — The president of a national railroad employees union has been arrested and charged with bribery.

Edward Rodzwicz, who heads the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, is accused of taking $20,000 in bribes from a St. Louis lawyer. In exchange, prosecutors say Rodzwicz allowed the lawyer to stay on a list of attorneys approved to handle injury cases for union members.

That attorney was supposed to be removed from the list due to alleged ethical violations. But prosecutors say that in exchange for cash payments, Rodzwicz sent a letter allowing the attorney to stay on.

Rodzwicz was arrested Tuesday morning at his home in Avon, Ohio. A criminal complaint was filed against him last week in federal district court in St. Louis.

The St. Louis Cardinals missed their first chance to win the NL Central. Now, they can clinch it on Thursday without even stepping on the diamond.

Houston rookie Bud Norris shut out St. Louis for the second time and the Astros delayed the Cardinals' division championship celebration for at least another day with a 3-0 win on Wednesday night.

The magic number for St. Louis dropped to one when the Cubs lost in Milwaukee before this game ended. But Norris (6-3) pitched six shutout innings and Jose Valverde tossed a scoreless ninth for his 24th save.

"They are one win away from clinching this thing, but we definitely wanted to give them a fight," Norris said. "I think we did."

The Astros ended the fourth and sixth innings with double plays as the Cardinals continued to have problems with Norris. The right-hander won his major league debut in St. Louis on Aug. 2, allowing two hits in seven shutout innings.

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