The Gateway

New York native Jack Lane co-founded theater company Stages St. Louis in 1987. In recent years he's turned to a second career, producing shows on Broadway and London's West End. STLPR's Jeremy Goodwin talks with Lane about branching out from Missouri to Broadway and beyond.

The St. Louis Civilian Oversight Board can no longer review police complaints, but longtime board member Ciera Simril said it's not over yet and encourages the state board to engage with city residents.

The results are in following Tuesday's municipal elections in Missouri: we have some highlights. Plus, the Illinois Ag Director makes the case for a change in fuel to help prices at the pump and the state's corn farmers.

Despite efforts from the community, a Columbia, Missouri, man detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been deported to the Netherlands. Addison Zanger went to the city of Utrecht to see how Owen Ramsingh is adjusting to his new home.

A group of Bonne Terre artists have spent the last year learning how to draw and paint for a gallery exhibition and a mural -- projects that can live outside the prison walls.

Late last month, St. Louis finally started demolishing tornado-damaged homes. That was 10 months after the deadly storm. St. Louis Public Radio's Kate Grumke reports on why it's taken so long to just get started.

Missouri's 2026 election cycle got a jolt last week when longtime Republican Congressman Sam Graves announced his retirement. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports that the Northwest Missouri Republican's departure could tell us a lot about Democratic strength during the midterm elections – depending on which congressional map is used for the contest.

Missouri legislators are debating several bills that could change the way people use the internet. It's a tricky balance for the Republican-controlled legislature, as the bills introduce more protections for minors but could also allow for more government regulation of internet spaces.

Missouri's black bears are just now waking up from their long hibernation. The animal once thought extinct in Missouri is back and thriving, in part due to decades of effort by state workers.

After a year in the position, interim St. Louis Development Corporation CEO Otis Williams says developers have a more predictable process when it comes to building in St. Louis. He speaks with STLPR's Kavahn Mansouri about his hopes moving forward.

The Angel Band Project brings music therapy to women who've experienced sexual violence. Participants help heal by writing and recording original songs.

Six years ago this month, an EF-3 tornado cut a 60-mile path across Nashville, Tennessee and surrounding counties. Among the hardest-hit areas was North Nashville. Like north St. Louis, it is the historic heart of the city's Black community. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann recently traveled to Tennessee to find out the lessons St. Louis leaders can learn from Nashville's recovery.

A new Washington University School of Medicine study examines how the app, uMAT-R, improves recovery outcomes for people with a substance use disorder lacking stable housing. STLPR's Marissanne Lewis-Thompson digs in to why it's working.

An exhibition of rarely seen photos now on view at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis highlights the story of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, two women whose lifelong romance fueled their artistic collaboration.

There are eight weeks remaining in the 2026 Missouri Legislative Session. After a week off, lawmakers are returning to Jefferson City today to a hefty to-do list, including passing this year's state budget. STLPR Statehouse and Politics reporter Sarah Kellogg breaks down what could happen during the second half of the session.

This week marks 10 months since a deadly tornado tore through parts of St. Louis. As the region enters what has recently been the busiest months for tornadoes, St. Louis's Emergency Management Agency, which leads disaster response and helps prepare the city in case of emergencies, remains underfunded and understaffed. St. Louis Public Radio's Hiba Ahmad breaks down how long the funding issues have been in place and what the future looks like for the agency.

Local breweries are now getting into the THC business by creating hemp sodas and seltzers that can result in a marijuana-like high. But, due to a congressional ban, these products — and potentially the entire industry — now have an expiration date.

The County Council's passage of a resolution opposing any “merger, re-entry, consolidation, or structural reunification of the City of St. Louis with St. Louis County now or in the foreseeable future” came the same day County Executive Sam Page announced a push for public input on the widely discussed plan. Plus, St. Louis singer, songwriter and dancer Jordan Ward has become a rising R&B star in recent years. He took time away from his world tour to sit down with STLPR's Chad Davis to talk about his introspective new album.

As the St. Louis County Justice Center awaits a follow-up visit after failing an inspection last year, a former guard is speaking up about the apathetic culture among some nurses and staff. St. Louis Public Radio's Lacretia Wimbley reports.

Tomorrow is primary election day in Illinois. Illinoisans have contested races for U-S Senate, Governor and some local U-S House seats. St. Louis Public Radio Metro East reporter Will Bauer breaks it all down.

Diving in to the (latest) pitch to merge St. Louis to dig out of a financial pit, to eliminate the income tax in Missouri, and the big game for St. Louis University Basketball. Plus, a conversation with comedian Samantha Bee ahead of her local show.

The city recently learned the Federal Emergency Management Agency won't reimburse for the cost of demolishing most vacant buildings destroyed during the May 16 tornado, leaving the future of the buildings and the north city neighborhoods in limbo. But STLPR's Kavahn Mansouri reports, the vacant buildings in the path of the tornado are just the most recent chapter in the city's long history of vacancy issues.

A Syracuse University researcher says new ICE agreements spreading across Missouri will shift immigration enforcement onto local police — with possible consequences for towns and taxpayers.

East-West Gateway, the bi-state area's council of governments, kicked off an initiative to create a common vision for the St. Louis region. They'll do that by creating a regional alignment plan they hope will create a framework that helps leaders from different sectors, like government, the arts and non-profits, work together. St. Louis Public Radio's Kavahn Mansouri spoke with Jim Wild, executive director of East West Gateway, about what the plan might look like in practice.

Cities and suburbs may not be connected to the region's farms, but they are seeing a growth in FFA chapters.

St. Louis drinkers love Stag – the historic lager with roots in Belleville. But some distributors have recently told bar owners they will soon be out of kegs of the beloved beer. St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Fentem reports on the future of Stag, and whether the pints being enjoyed this year could be the last.

In the past few years, video gaming machines have become a controversial public policy and political issue in Missouri. The devices, also known as video lottery terminals or VLTs, resemble slot machines in casinos and can be found in gas stations, convenience stores and fraternal organizations all over Missouri. And while state lawmakers are divided about whether they should be legal or not, a federal judge's ruling is prompting state and local officials to get them removed.

Protein is having its moment in the spotlight. Companies are adding more protein-enhanced products to their lineups as demand grows. The new federal dietary guidelines unveiled earlier this year also put the nutrient front and center. Harvest Public Media's Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval reports on whether Americans actually need more protein.

The increasing cost of electricity and gas has replaced eggs as inflation's poster child. Doing something about it will likely fall on state governments.

More than 1,600 plants and animals are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. And out of all of those, only one is a moss. St. Louis Public Radio's Kate Grumke reports on a new effort to protect these tiny plants that are often overlooked, but are very important.

All month long, people have been observing the achievements of Black Americans and historical events as the country celebrates Black History Month. The observance began 100 years ago as Negro History Week and has since expanded. It continues in St. Louis and nationwide despite recent efforts by the Trump Administration to erase the accomplishments of African Americans in libraries, museums and other places. STLPR's Andrea Henderson spoke with local students and educators about the importance of illuminating this history for the next century and beyond.

Mental health hotlines can be particularly valuable in rural areas, where there may not be any therapists or social workers close by. That includes 9-8-8, the national suicide and crisis lifeline. It launched less than four years ago and has already responded to nearly 20 million contacts. But support for 9-8-8 is stronger in some states than in others. Harvest Public Media's Michael Marks reports.

The Missouri Republican Party is riding an unprecedented wave of success into the 2026 election cycle. But the party's leaders acknowledge that in this midterm election with critical ballot initiatives they are facing some serious national headwinds. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum has this report from the recent Missouri GOP Lincoln Days in Springfield.

Four Republican candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to challenge two-term Governor JB Pritzker in November. They face an uphill battle against a billionaire Democrat in a state that has shifted more and more blue over the past decade.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is making an AI tool to identify plants with technology we might more commonly use in space. Plus: it's hard to keep an independent book store open these days, especially in a small town, but a new shop in Rolla is hoping community – and cocktails – will make it work.

The Missouri Historical Society is making a new commitment to continue telling African American stories – this Black History Month, and beyond. Lyah LeFlore-Ituen is the society's new director of its African American History Initiative. She spoke with St. Louis Public Radio's Andrea Henderson at the Missouri History Museum about how the initiative will connect all communities to Black History to ignite city pride.

The documentary, ‘My Mama Joe, Hope & Help' follows the story of JoeAnna Caldwell and her family of caregivers after she's diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. STLPR's Marissanne Lewis-Thompson spoke with Herb Caldwell – the film's producer and JoeAnna's son – about the film, why education around the disease matters, and the moment he noticed a change.

A recently-opened exhibit called “Hey, There's The Arch!” at the Old Courthouse downtown showcases logos and symbols featuring the monument. It's part of the 60th anniversary of the Arch. St. Louis Public Radio's Abby Llorico explores how the Arch's two legs and 630 feet have come to stand for an entire region.

A major voice in the St. Louis blues and jazz community has left the stage. Marsha Evans, whose voice could be heard for decades in the region, has died. She was 75. As St. Louis Public Radio's Chad Davis reports, musicians and friends remember Evans for her contributions to the local music scene and beyond.

Governor Mike Kehoe wants to eliminate Missouri's income tax. It was a major part of his state of the state address, and Republican lawmakers largely support the plan. Tax experts, though, have questions.

Alpha-gal syndrome — which is spread by tick bites — affects nearly half a million Americans, according to federal data. For farmers, who are in close contact with livestock every day, the allergy can be especially challenging.

US Department of Agriculture Climate Hubs across the country aim to better understand how climate change affects agriculture and forestry, and help people adapt. But the future of these hubs is uncertain, including the one that serves Missouri and Illinois.

A Florissant man set a new world record by identifying 35 pro wrestling theme songs in one minute.

International artists and musicians have long seen the U.S. and the Midwest as a place to share their work and build their careers. But for many foreign creatives, just getting here has become harder, more expensive, and fraught with fear.

International artists and musicians have long seen the U.S. and the Midwest as a place to share their work and build their careers. But for many foreign creatives, just getting here has become harder, more expensive, and fraught with fear.