We know that you listen to us on air and check our website for news and information about our region. We hope that you look at our website every day, but we know that's not always possible. So, once a week, on Friday, we will highlight some of the website's top stories.
In the home stretch...
The Missouri Legislature adjourns at 6 p.m. today. Here are some of the highlights — and low lights — of the past week.Look for our coverage wrapping up the session this weekend.
Many Bills On 'Death Watch' As Adjournment Looms
Barring last-minute resurrections before 6 p.m. Friday, several hot issues before the Missouri General Assembly this session are stone cold and legislatively buried. Here are the most likely casualties.
Transfer Bill Revives Ill Will Between Nixon, Some Black Politicians
A long-simmering feud between Gov. Jay Nixon and some black politicians, going back to his days as Missouri’s attorney general, flared up again in Jefferson City this week, fanned by the debate over school transfer legislation.
Missouri House Sends Abortion 72-Hour Waiting Period To Governor
After more than an hour of emotional — and often loud — debate, the Missouri House voted to send to the governor a bill that would triple Missouri’s waiting period for abortions to 72 hours from 24 hours. If approved by Gov. Jay Nixon, the measure would make Missouri only the third state in the nation to mandate a 72-hour wait — and possibly set the stage for a legal challenge.
Give us your educated and innovators
As St. Louis looks to boost economic development by attracting young people, startups and innovative companies, keeping foreign-born students with advanced degrees seems like a no-brainer. If only immigration law would help, rather than hinder, the process.
STEM Degrees In Hand, International Students Face Uncertain Future
For many international students graduating from area universities with science degrees, earning a diploma will be followed by a series of hurdles if they want to live and work in America. Almost a year after a sweeping bipartisan immigration reform package cleared the U.S. Senate and later stalled in the House, plans are being drawn to help keep them in St. Louis. But some, like Yinzi Liu, are not sure that the changes will come fast enough to help her.
Against the odds
Sometimes we come across people who face difficult challenges and try to resolve them in creative and affirming ways.
Racial Taunt Against 12-Year-Old Girl Stirs Concern In Kirkwood
When Antona Smith saw her 12-year-old daughter, Kiden, walk into Kaldi’s in Kirkwood one afternoon last month, she knew right away that something was wrong. Walking home on April 24 from Nipher Middle School along South Kirkwood Road, she was harassed by some teenage boys. She turned this experience into a learning — and teaching — moment in an open letter she wrote to Kirkwood.
Ousted Champion Of STL Teen Artists Looking To Relocate — Or Leave Town
St. Louis artist and activist William Burton has a history of helping teenagers from unstable environments. Now Burton’s own outreach efforts are facing homelessness. For nearly two years, Burton has provided a space for teen artists to work, enjoy mentoring and find respite from their often chaotic lives at 14th Street Artist Community Gallery, 2701 N 14th St. Last week, a difference of opinion between the Burton and the building's owner led to a deadline of the end of May to pack up and go.
Ticket to ride?
Here's a quick cheat sheet about the controversy over Lyft — who the players are, what the relevant laws are and what to expect in the court fight between Lyft and the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission.
The Legal Fight Over Lyft In St. Louis: "Friend With A Car" Or Taxi?
On April 18th, the ride-sharing service Lyft entered the St. Louis market with a party on Cherokee Street. And immediately, it ran into legal trouble.
Let the sunshine in
For the government to be accountable to the public, it has to be transparent. Perhaps nowhere are those twin issues of accountability and transparency more critical than when life -- and death -- are at stake as they are in capital punishment.
Suits Challenge Missouri Over Secrecy About Execution Procedures
Two suits were filed Thursday in Jefferson City challenging Missouri officials for failing to disclose information about the drugs the state uses in lethal injections. The Associated Press and four other news organizations argue that the state's actions prohibit public oversight of the death penalty. A second suit, under the state sunshine law, was filed by Chris McDaniel, a reporter for St. Louis Public Radio, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri. It challenges the state's refusal to disclose information and documents relating to executions.
St. Louis On the Air
This is St. Louis' 250th anniversary, and throughout the year, we'll be looking at the people, places and landmarks that make our city special.
A 100-Year-Old Naked Woman In St. Louis Is Restored To Her Natural Beauty
Climbing to the top of the Compton Hill Water Tower can give an excellent view of the city, but near its base you can find what once was a controversial sight: the 100-year old Naked Truth monument. The statue in Reservoir Park, at South Grand and Shaw, honors three turn-of-the-century German-American journalists.