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U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill joins Politically Speaking to talk about her quest for a third term in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate contests.

The Missouri Democrat was first elected to the Senate in 2006. Before that, McCaskill served as Missouri’s auditor, Jackson County prosecutor and a member of the Missouri House of Representatives.

This time around, McCaskill is squaring off against Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican who is emphasizing his conservative bonafides — and his endorsements from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Friday’s edition of Politically Speaking looks at three different storylines to watch as candidates and campaigns ramp up for the November election.

The first one that St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies tackle is how U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is meeting with Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s latest pick for the U.S. Supreme Court. Both sides of the political spectrum are pressuring McCaskill, which comes as she runs against GOP Attorney General Josh Hawley.

As the expensive and competitive Senate race between McCaskill and Hawley continues, unidentified money is flowing into ballot initiatives — including a bid to raise Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 an hour. A group called the Sixteen Thirty Fund has given nearly a million dollars to that initiative — and has refused to say where its money comes from.

Meanwhile, the GOP nominee for state auditor, Saundra McDowell, is facing questions about whether she’s qualified to run for the statewide office. The Kansas City Star wrote this week about how legal scholars wonder if McDowell has lived in Missouri long enough to be auditor. McDowell said in a statement that she believes qualifies.

With a growing lack of transparency clouding money’s influence on politics around the United States, a new film digs into the issue by zooming in on one state in particular: Montana.

"We Live Here" producer/host Tim Lloyd provides an update on the Missouri Supreme Court's ruling in favor of Latasha Johnson's landlord.

Host Don Marsh talks with STLPR's Ashley Lisenby and the Southern Illinoisan's Molly Parker about the impact of the situation on residents of East St. Louis.

Mitch Margo, the Missouri Valley Conference’s general counsel, discusses the implications of the law when it comes to employees exercising their right to protest.

Contrary to any stuffy misconceptions, opera isn’t something one simply observes or sits through – especially not an opera like Kurt Weill's 1949 “Lost in the Stars.”

When Stephanie Lummus first entered nonprofit legal work, she didn’t expect that her efforts to represent homeless people and help them exit poverty would so often revolve around child support.

Black Pride St. Louis President Randy Rafter and Center for Black Equity President/CEO Earl Fowlkes discuss the intersectionality between black and queer identities.

Alicia and Josh Davis are farmers (and both are, by training, engineers) on a plot they call Green Finned Hippy Farm, near Pocohontas, Illinois.

They started life together, and their farming ambition, aquaponically raising ("green," finned) Tilapia fish. That was 2010. Today their rural 18 acres support hens in pasture, their family of three (son Bean was born there), organic veggie beds, and herds of goats and of the endangered heirloom American Mulefoot Hog.

Resourceful and determined, Josh and Alicia are figuring out farming as they go - helped by the Internet and their family-farming heritage. Innovations like their chicken truck and egg-washing apparatus continue to sprout, making their hard work more efficient. Farm events like Goat Yoga, Sips & Snuggles Baby Goat Happy Hour, and the truly sacramental Swine and Dine are growing their network of customers and friends.

Where there are now is inspiring. Where they aspire to be in 10 years, Josh sums up: "I envision a community where we're Their Farmer, like someone is Their Doctor." Alicia adds: "Our hog program is a conservation effort. We selectively breed to produce excellent genetics. Our hope is that by humanely bringing this animal back to the table, we can remove it from the critically endangered list."

Having this Earthworms conversation - and reading Josh and Alicia's blogs - I am in awe. These beautiful humans are working so hard to preserve and restore both a species of fellow living creature, and an essential way of life. Enjoy their story - and try their food!

Music: Washboard Suzie, played live at KDHX by Zydeco Crawdaddies

THANKS to Anna Holland, Earthworms engineer

Related Earthworms Conversations: Slow Money: Woody Tasch on Investing in Food and Soil (July 2018)

Fungus Farming for Food & Fun (February 2018)

A Climatic Ode to Seed Savers (November 2016)

Alpacas of Troy: Sustainable Farming on the Hoof (July 2016)

Urban Agriculture Guide: New Tool for City Farmers (June 2016)

The Easy Chicken: Fowl Fun Comes to YOU (December 2017)

Conspiracy theories are nothing new – but they are in the news a lot these days, and they seem to particularly plague the digital age.

Comedians Max Price, Tina Dybal and Duke Taylor discuss the diversity within St. Louis and how that plays out in their performances.

GOP St. Louis County executive nominee Paul Berry III joins the Politically Speaking podcast to discuss his campaign to be one of the region’s top elected officials.

Berry won a two-way GOP primary last week for the county executive’s office. He’ll square off against incumbent St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger in November, along with several third-party candidates.

The former Missouri secretary of state's book is titled "Outside the Wire: Ten Lessons I’ve Learned in Everyday Courage."

Sauce Magazine's Catherine Klene and Heather Hughes talk about new restaurants and shops on their radar this month.

Sharon Person, professor of English at St. Louis Community College, shares the history behind Bellerive Country Club and its name.

St. Louis Public Radio newscaster/reporter Wayne Pratt, who toured Bellerive in advance of the tournament, discusses his observations.

Mike DeCola, general chairman of the 100th PGA Championship, talks about what goes into putting together such a large event as well as the championship-making final three holes.

Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon returns to Politically Speaking to discuss a multitude of issues, including the state of St. Louis’ education system and the challenges of gubernatorial leadership.

Nixon served as governor from 2009 to 2017. He is one of only four men (Mel Carnahan, John Ashcroft and Warren Hearnes) to be elected to two consecutive terms as Missouri’s chief executive. He also was elected to four terms as attorney general and to a Jefferson County-based Senate seat.

Wesley Bell is an attorney, municipal-court prosecutor and Ferguson city-council member. Soon he’ll become St. Louis County’s first African-American prosecutor.