The Gateway

In the fall of 2023, 540 St. Louis families were selected to receive $500 a month for a year and a half. The guaranteed basic income program, or GBI, aimed to help low-income residents meet basic financial needs. But halfway through the program, a lawsuit temporarily paused the payments. Then other crises hit. The Midwest Newsroom's Naomi Delkamiller reports.

With the cold weather hitting the St. Louis region in the past two weeks, Illinoisans have been using more natural gas to heat their homes. In the last six years, Ameren has been working to renovate its natural gas storage fields to make them more efficient for the company — and, they say, save customers money. St. Louis Public Radio's Will Bauer recently toured one of the fields near Freeburg and has this report.

University of Missouri sociologist Chris Conner has studied and written about conspiracy theories for years. And he says the belief in them is spreading beyond the typical fringe groups — it's our friends and family, too. He shares why so many Americans are adopting even the most extreme-sounding ideas, and how to respond.

The nonprofit organization Feeding America was looking for a better way to distribute billions of pounds of food to food banks each year. It used to use an algorithm to answer that question. It generated a list of food banks based on need, and when a shipment came up, Feeding America called the food bank at the top of the list. But what if a food bank didn't need or want that donation? The answer to that problem is a market economy, of sorts.

Ameren Missouri's new rates for data centers are now in effect. But a consumer advocacy group is asking for a redo. St. Louis Public Radio's Kate Grumke explains the case and the latest updates. Plus, Midwest seniors have two options for Medicare coverage– traditional Medicare through the government, or a private Medicare Advantage plan. While Advantage plans cost less up front, experts say seniors could pay the price with their health.

People with alpha gal syndrome are suddenly unable to eat meat or dairy. It's becoming more and more common in Missouri. In fact – so many people are living with the condition now, some restaurants are adapting their menus to accommodate, as Rebecca Smith reports.

The niche card game was once banned at a downstate Illinois prison, but is back and helping with rehabilitation efforts.

A St. Charles County judge who agreed to resign after being accused of misconduct by the state of Missouri, including for dressing in an Elvis Presley costume while on the bench, appears to have changed his mind. St. Louis on the Air producer Danny Wicentowski has the latest in the case.

Starting today, Missourians can legally bet on sports. St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg reports, it marks the end of a years-long effort to legalize sports betting in the state, one that ultimately came down to a vote of the people.

St. Louis Public Radio's Chad Davis breaks down the end of this trial for the sheriff, and Andrea Henderson spoke with members who hope the ministries of Centennial Christian Church will continue even after it was destroyed in the May tornado. The Gateway will return to your podcast feed Monday, following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Thousands of people across the U.S. recently found blue grocery bags tied to their front door — to be stuffed with food donation items that scouts could come back and collect this past weekend. It's an annual tradition known as Scouting for Food, which started 40 years ago in St. Louis. STLPR's Lacretia Wimbley has this report on the collection, and the impact in the St. Louis region.

Six months after the May 16 tornado, people in North St. Louis are struggling to pick up the pieces of their destroyed homes. And St. Louis Public Radio reporters found that even people who had homeowners' insurance aren't getting what they need to rebuild.

The Allman Brothers Band had a 44-year run that landed the group in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The guitar-playing sons of two of its founders are behind the Allman Betts Family Revival, a tribute group that plays the Factory in Chesterfield after Thanksgiving. As St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin reports, the roots of the tribute lie in a family relationship that needed repair.

St. Louis Boeing machinists returned to work this week after reaching a settlement with the company. They had been on strike since August 4. STLPR's Olivia Mizelle followed the strike for months, and has this report on its settlement and the after-effects.

Towns in the Metro East have seen increased sales tax revenue this year. That's after Illinois started collecting tax on online sales from out-of-state, as STLPR's Will Bauer reports. Plus: The Trump administration has cut National Science Research grants by more than a billion dollars. STLPR's Jonathan Ahl finds Missouri S&T is doing ok with theirs, for now.

St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery heads to trial this week: St. Louis Public Radio's Brian Munoz breaks down the removal effort. Plus: The City of Ferguson has been under a consent decree for almost ten years. The city's consent decree coordinator says her goal is to make sure reforms become deeply embedded in Ferguson's identity. Consent decree coordinator Patricia Washington sat down with St. Louis Public Radio's Chad Davis.

St. Louis Public Schools closed seven of its buildings and relocated nearly two-thousand students six months ago after the deadly May 16 tornado. As weeks turned into months, community members began to wonder whether the schools would ever reopen. St. Louis Public Radio's Hiba Ahmad toured some of the schools and has this report.

St. Louis-area food banks and pantries are being put to the test. The uncertainty surrounding SNAP benefits during the government shutdown along with rising food costs and the ongoing impact of the May 16th tornado are adding extensive pressure to the upcoming busy holiday season. St. Louis Public Radio's Olivia Mizelle reports.

A documentary making its St. Louis debut this weekend takes a familiar format — the rock concert movie — and adds a few unexpected elements. As St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Fentem reports, the film "Matter of Time" uses the genre to introduce audiences to a rare skin disease and the people searching for a cure.

More than nine years have passed since the mobile game Pokémon Go was released, allowing people to spend time outside while playing a video game. And some are still going outside. Finnegan Belleau caught up with a group organizing regular meetups to play the game.

As the government shutdown lingers and the future of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program remains uncertain for two-and-a-half-million people in Missouri and Illinois, the UnGUN Institute in St. Louis is providing free groceries and other essential items to local residents. St. Louis Public Radio's Lacretia Wimbley reports on rising food prices and how the nonprofit's founder partnered with Operation Food Search to meet people's needs.

The new film “Mr. Wonderful” makes its St. Louis premiere on Tuesday at the St. Louis International Film Festival. It's the work of St. Louis-based writer Daniel Blake Smith, who adapted the screenplay from his 2018 novel of the same name. St. Louis Public Radio's Chad Davis spoke with Smith about the film. It features the late Michael Madsen, of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill fame, in one of his final leading roles, playing a fictionalized version of Smith.

St. Louis-area Boeing machinists have been on strike since August 4th. The local union members recently rejected a contract from the company for the fourth time, but it was by the narrowest margin so far: 51% to 49%. St. Louis Public Radio's Olivia Mizelle has been following the strike, and she sat down with STLPR's Brian Moline to discuss where it stands entering month four.

The May 16 tornado left court buildings in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County untouched. But hundreds of people associated with the criminal legal system – attorneys, defendants, judges and court personnel alike – suffered damage to their homes or offices. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann has more on what the aftermath has looked like.

The reduced and delayed November SNAP payments are putting pressure on people who already struggle to make ends meet. It's also challenging private organizations that help people with food insecurity. St. Louis On The Air's Elaine Cha spoke with Kristen Wild, CEO of Operation Food Search, an agency that provides nutrition support in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.

A small Illinois town is rallying for a prominent community member who is currently in ICE detention in Missouri. Plus, Rebecca Smith reports on a tickborne allergy believed to be prevalent here in Missouri.

This morning, two very different deep dives on stories with a lot of legs: STLPR's Brian Munoz talks to Missouri's Attorney General about the latest on the St. Louis sheriff saga, and Kate Grumke goes exploring for native tarantulas.

A horror film isn't a horror film without blood curdling screams, werewolves howling, or zombies munching on human flesh. They sound scarier than they actually are. St. Louis Public Radio's Marissanne Lewis-Thompson shows us how those spooky sounds are brought to life through the invisible world of foley art.

Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri has a new foster care director. Herman Thomas Junior has over 20 years of experience serving vulnerable youth and families and most recently spent a decade at the Family Juvenile Court of St. Louis. Thomas sat down with St. Louis Public Radio's Lacretia Wimbley to discuss how the May 16th tornado impacted foster families and why kids are staying in the system longer than they should.

Missouri Republicans passed a new congressional map last month that seeks to maximize GOP representation in Congress. But as St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports, a looming referendum could derail those plans – even if voters approve the new lines in 2026.

It takes a lot more than a steady stream of sugar to keep a business going for more than a century — though the sweet stuff is the specialty at the General Candy Co. in Tower Grove South.

We now have a little more insight into why the superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools was fired without cause last week: STLPR's Hiba Ahmed reports. Plus, St. Louis on the Air producer Olivia Mizelle speaks with legendary editor Marty Baron ahead of his visit to St. Louis on the state of journalism, and why the free press and democracy go hand-in-hand.

A former worker in the St. Louis sheriff's office is suing Sheriff Alfred Montgomery, alleging she was slandered and fired for testifying in the Missouri attorney general's lawsuit against him: STLPR's Chad Davis has the latest development. Plus, Dara Eskridge recently got a big surprise, when The CEO of Invest STL was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Rising Stars. Eskridge spoke with St. Louis on the Air host Elaine Cha about her organization's work to help rebuild north St. Louis.

It is peak pumpkin season. From pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin pies… the obsession with this orange gourd is enormous…almost as big as the pumpkins raised by a passionate group of Midwestern growers. Harvest Public Media contributor Peter Medlin has their story.

Drones are among a suite of tools used in what's known as precision agriculture — a type of farming that uses technology to more precisely plant crops and treat them for pests and weeds — ultimately using fewer environmentally harmful chemicals and saving farmers money.

Drones are among a suite of tools used in what's known as precision agriculture — a type of farming that uses technology to more precisely plant crops and treat them for pests and weeds — ultimately using fewer environmentally harmful chemicals and saving farmers money.

As large data centers move into the St. Louis region, they will require huge amounts of electricity. Experts say this dynamic is fundamentally changing the electric utility landscape in the U.S. STLPR's Kate Grumke speaks with Harvard Law School's Ari Peskoe about it.

It's been a little over a month since Gov. Mike Kehoe appointed Catherine Hanaway to be Missouri's attorney general, replacing Andrew Baily, who left to work for the FBI. The Republican officeholder is laying out her priorities around fighting crime – and defending the state's abortion laws.

Chuck Berry famously sung for Beethoven to roll over and make way for rock and roll. But coming up on the 100th anniversary of his birth, the SLSO will pay tribute to the St. Louis musical icon in a pair of concerts this weekend. STLPR's Jeremy Goodwin talks to some of the rockers who will be playing with the orchestra.

St. Charles recently put a one-year moratorium on data centers after getting community pushback on a one-billion-dollar proposal. St. Louis residents are expressing their concerns about a data center proposed for the Armory building in Midtown. St. Louis Public Radio's Kavahn Mansouri spoke with Oliver Roberts, co-director of the A-I Collaborative at Washington University, about what residents and policymakers should look for in data center projects.

The Trump administration is promising billions in a bailout for farmers, but will it really solve their economic woes? Harvest Public Media reports.

Missouri has joined over 30 states in banning or limiting the use of cell phones in schools this year. St. Louis Public Radio's Hiba Ahmad worked with student journalists at Rockwood Summit High School to learn how one school has been navigating the transition.

St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery has been indicted on five new federal felony charges related to his order to handcuff then-acting Jail Commissioner Tammy Ross. STLPR's Chad Davis has the latest. Plus, a conversation with St. Louis native John O'Leary about “Soul On Fire,” the new movie about his life.

It's been a little over two weeks since President Donald Trump promoted a highly disputed link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. And reaction remains strong. As St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports, the area's autistic community contends the GOP president is rolling back progress that helped people with the neurological disorder better integrate into society.

Drive down south Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis and you'll notice the vacant St. Alexius Hospital, just south of Cherokee Street. Neighbors say the property has gone downhill quickly in the three years since it closed. St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Fentem reports – people living in the Gravois Park neighborhood want someone to take action and clean up the former medical campus.