The Gateway

Contractors are slated to demolish hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed by the May 2025 tornado in the coming months. Residents are in for a dusty summer, and experts say neighbors should take precautions to keep their lungs healthy. STLPR's Sarah Fentem reports.

A 29-year-old Florissant man who came to the U.S. when he was four years old is now being deported to Mexico. ICE agents detained Victor López Delara after a traffic stop earlier this year. Now his fiancee and two children are preparing to follow him back to Mexico. St. Louis Public Radio's Chad Davis spoke with López Delara by phone from the Ste. Genevieve County Jail

The Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri says a routine immigration appointment upended his family's life for a year. Reverend Deon Johnson shares how a separation following the appointment affected their children, how Johnson navigated it as an immigrant himself, and why he's choosing to share his story.

The Mississippi River is lined with decades-old levees that sit right on the river bank. But some researchers say those levees are doing a poor job of preventing floods — especially as climate change makes historic flooding events more common and more severe. As St. Louis Public Radio's Katie Grawitch reports, a new setback levee system near Spanish Lake is one of many getting a makeover that will help it guard against flooding.

One year after the tornado that devastated parts of the St. Louis Region, especially north St. Louis, survivors of the storm and people remembering loved ones talk about moving forward. STLPR's Lacretia Wimbley joins a family on their first trip to a garden named in honor of one of the tornado's victims. Plus: Takeaways from the 2026 Missouri Legislative Session

Black homeowners are considering their paths forward after the May 16 tornado, and for many, those plans don't include another home. STLPR looks into how that could impact generations to come. Plus, we look into what the City needs to do to prepare for another storm.

Nearly a year ago, an EF3 tornado tore through neighborhoods and homes in St. Louis. Roofs are still tarped. Windows still boarded. Many families are still displaced and waiting for aid. St. Louis Public Radio's “Meet Me” project invited residents to an open mic to share their stories of that day — and every day since. =

In the immediate aftermath of the May 16 tornado, volunteer groups and nonprofits stepped into the gap left by city leadership. Nearly a year later, the same groups are still picking up the pieces. St. Louis Public Radio's Hiba Ahmad has been following one group's story of recovery in north St. Louis.

The EF3 tornado that ripped through north St. Louis one year ago exposed the city's long history of neglect in the area, which to many people is the driving factor of the city's slow response. St. Louis Public Radio's Andrea Henderson reports many north St. Louis families are worried that long-term displacement will increase vacancies and create population loss.

Since last year's deadly tornado, residents in the impact zone say frustratingly little progress has been made. While St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer has repeatedly blamed chaos at the federal level, St. Louis Public Radio's Kate Grumke and Kavahn Mansouri have been working to understand what happened at the local level.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's IN UNISON chorus this weekend debuts a commission from composer Nathalie Joachim inspired by family dynamics.

The iconic highway Route 66 is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The so-called “Mother Road” went through large stretches of Illinois and Missouri on its two-thousand-mile trek from Chicago to Los Angeles. Historian Andrew Wanko from the Missouri Historical Society recently spoke with St. Louis on the Air host Elaine Cha about the legacy of Route 66 and its origins in Springfield, Missouri.

Community supported agriculture, or C-S-A boxes, first gained popularity in the 90s. It's a way for people to support their local farmers… by paying upfront for produce that's delivered throughout the summer. But today's food system caters to both convenience and choice. As Harvest Public Media's Hope Kirwan reports, that's put pressure on CSA farmers to offer people more buying options.

Research has shown that stable employment after incarceration dramatically reduces the likelihood of someone reoffending. Rebecca Smith brings us the story of one new program that's helping inmates gain valuable and employable skills, as licensed tattoo artists.

Alarm Will Sound has staked out a unique space within the field of new music, sometimes called contemporary classical. A 25th anniversary concert on Tuesday at the Grandel will feature music that reflects many of the artistic twists and turns Alarm Will Sound has taken.

Illinois continues to see high demand for new data centers, increasing the strain on the state's utility grid. State lawmakers are considering legislation to rein in new data center proposals.

With recovery from the May 16 tornado stalling, there is growing demand to direct the full 250 million dollars in Rams settlement funds to the hardest-hit areas of St. Louis. STLPR's Rachel Lippmann breaks down the idea. Plus, Stella Blues bar is poised to reopen, two years after a devastating fire: STLPR's Jessica Rogen introduces us to the group of staff determined to give it back to the community.

STLPR's Sarah Fentem introduces us to Noorishment STL, a group offering STEM workshops that bring hands-on training to high school students. The group's founders want to ensure teens that careers in medicine and engineering are possible.

Artist and educator Carmon Colangelo is retiring this month after 20 years as the founding dean of Washington University's Sam Fox School of Visual Arts and Design. As an innovative print-maker, Colangelo mixes media and combines old and new techniques. A survey show of his work is now on view at the Bruno David Gallery in Clayton. He chats with STLPR's Jeremy Goodwin about his approach.

A south St. Louis shop is hoping to make an old-school photography experience new again. St. Louis Public Radio's Brian Munoz takes you behind the scenes at ‘Analog.'

For the first time in 32 years, Lou Magdits is not on the Rolla City Council. He did not seek re-election after 12 years as Mayor, three terms that followed 20 years representing the city's fourth ward. Madgits sat down with St. Louis Public Radio's Jonathan Ahl to talk about his time in office.

Research shows just 14% of Black students in St. Louis are proficient readers. Literacy organizations like Black Men Read are trying to increase those rates by providing free books and tutorials to students in the area. St. Louis Public Radio's Andrea Henderson takes us into a classroom where Black children get to see people who look like them, encouraging them to read.

Resolutions in several stories we've been following, including over picking a sheriff and a city council member, legislation on income taxes, and a controversial data center project. Plus, why some say the lack of a formal mascot at the University of Illinois is actually harming the campus community.

New restrictions on student loan could hurt students and communities that need professionals like doctors and lawyers the most.

After years of decline in the number of young people picking up smoking, more Gen Z-ers are now turning to cigarettes and other tobacco products. Rebecca Smith takes a look at why.

St. Charles County has developed a reputation as a Republican stronghold over the last two decades. But recent municipal election results point to the fast-growing county becoming more competitive. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports on what the future may hold for St. Charles County politics.

A St. Louis police officer mistakenly called an immigration advocacy hotline to report an arrest, an error advocates say validates immigrants' concerns about local police acting as independent ICE agents. Plus, a conversation with the attorney for the family of a teenager shot and killed by police in 2024: video released this week shows the initial narrative around the shooting was wrong, and the unarmed boy was shot in the back of the head.

It's been more than six weeks since Iranian-American Dorsa Derakshani has had any direct contact with her family in Iran. The Mizzou medical student shares what it's been like to watch the war in her home country from Missouri.

East St. Louis historian and civil rights activist Reginald Petty received an Order of Lincoln award Saturday. That's the state's highest honor for contributions to the betterment of humanity. St. Louis Public Radio Metro East reporter Will Bauer sat down with Petty to discuss his life's work — from voting rights in the 1960s to returning to the Metro East and working with the East St. Louis Historical Society.

STLPR's Jonathan Ahl takes us to a new building in Rolla that's bigger than two football fields is the Protoplex, and it has an equally large goal — to be the center of an effort to bring manufacturing back to rural Missouri.

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.