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After losing reelection in April, former St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says she wants to take a break from politics. It's the first time in the last 20 years that she hasn't held elected office. Talking with STLPR's Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum, Jones reflects on her four years as mayor and the state of Black leadership in St. Louis and around the country.
Cara Spencer will become St. Louis' 48th mayor when she's inaugurated next Tuesday. Spencer, currently the 8th Ward alderwoman, soundly defeated incumbent Mayor Tishaura Jones by 28 points. STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann talk about Tuesday's election results — and Spencer called-in to discuss her victory and next steps.
A combative race for mayor of St. Louis is nearing the end. Voters will decide on April 8 whether to keep incumbent Tishaura Jones in office, or give Eighth Ward alderwoman Cara Spencer the keys to the city. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann takes stock of what was often a bitter and personal campaign so far.
On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, the two finalists to be St. Louis mayor face off in a heated joint appearance. STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann posed questions to St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Alderwoman Cara Spencer on the future of the city — and some of its shorter term concerns.
The 2025 race for St. Louis mayor is officially a rematch. Mayor Tishaura Jones and 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday's St. Louis primary and now will compete head-to-head in the April 8 general election. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann discusses the results of the Tuesday primary and sets the stage for the general election.
Ahead of the April 8 general election, St. Louis voters will go to the polls Tuesday for the primary election. There are four candidates for St. Louis mayor: Tishaura Jones, Cara Spencer, Michael Butler and Andrew Jones. Comptroller and two aldermanic races are also on the ballot. The top two finishers under the city's approval voting system will go on to the general election. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann discusses.
Voters in St. Louis go to the polls tomorrow to vote in primaries for mayor and comptroller. Some will also select their general election candidates for aldermen. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann breaks down the municipal ballot.
Early voting is underway for St. Louis' municipal primary. In addition to the races for the offices of mayor and comptroller, there are competitive primaries to represent the Third and Eleventh Wards at the Board of Aldermen. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann introduces us to the legislative candidates.
By her own admission, Melissa Price Smith never aspired to be in public office. But when it was clear in August that Wesley Bell would be departing as prosecutor to serve in Congress, Price Smith's mindset about vying for an elected position changed. STLPR's Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum talk with Price Smith about her priorities and first days in office on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.
On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum talk with St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith about she wants to reshape the office. Rosenbaum also takes a deeper look into the first few days of the 2025 legislative session. And he also talks with outgoing General Services Administration Administrator Robin Carnahan about what she learned running the expansive federal government agency.
Kelli Dunaway, the outgoing 2nd District St. Louis County Councilwoman, talks to Rachel Lippmann about her five years on the legislative body.
The City of St. Louis has about $250 million from a settlement with the Rams over its relocation to Los Angeles. Unlike money from the American Rescue Plan Act, there's no deadline to spend it. That hasn't stopped competing proposals and disagreements at City Hall. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann breaks down the divisions on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.
We get this question a lot: Why do Missourians vote for progressive ballot items and Republican candidates? On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, we talk with political consultant and split ticket voters themselves to try and get a straight answer. STLPR's Rachel Lippmann joins the show to talk about squabbles over the St. Louis Rams settlement and we also dive into a proposal for publicly financing St. Louis County elections.
On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum talks with UMSL's Anita Manion about the 2024 election results in Missouri. GOP candidates won up and down the ballot. But abortion rights backers won a seismic victory with the passage of Amendment 3. Also joining the program is STLPR's Sarah Kellogg, Rachel Lippmann and Will Bauer.
A proposed 3% fee on short-term rental rates on the November ballot would help fund affordable housing in St. Louis. St. Louis Public Radio reporter Rachel Lippmann talks about Proposition S, as well as several other propositions city voters will see on the ballot on Election Day.
In addition to federal and statewide races, voters in St. Louis will cast their ballots on three changes to the city charter. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann will break them down. Plus, Chuck Berry did much to define what rock n' roll sounds like. But a new tribute project shows that his songs can translate to any genre. St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin shows how you never can tell how far a good song will go.
When she arrived in St. Louis on September 9th, Ashley Johnson became the first woman to be the special agent in charge of the FBI's St. Louis field office. Johnson told St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann that her previous postings taught her to value the people working for her.
On Wednesday afternoon, supporters of Marcellus Williams were relieved. A deal reached with prosecutors meant he would not be executed for a 1998 murder they believed he did not commit. But the deal fell apart in less than 24 hours. That means Williams could be executed on September 24th. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann and Jonathan Ahl lay out the legal twists and turns in the case.
When a Ferguson police officer shot and killed Michael Brown ten years ago, it brought policing in the city under scrutiny - and federal oversight. A familiar face is now in charge of the path forward. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann has this profile Troy Doyle.
The 6th District, which covers south St. Louis County, is the only one with a contested Republican primary. Incumbent Ernie Trakas, who is seeking his third term, has a GOP opponent for the first time – attorney Michael Archer. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann has more from both candidates.
Some Democratic voters in St. Louis County will go to the polls in August to choose their candidates to run for a seat on an often-fractious County Council. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann has more from the women running to represent the Second and Fourth Council Districts.
Staffing at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department dropped by about a third since 2014. There's a backlog of DNA samples linked to homicides, and the homicide squad grappled for resources as murders in the city spiked. Our investigation with APM Reports and The Marshall Project has found that one reason police failed to solve more than 1,000 homicides in the city over the last 10 years is a lack of resources. Tom Scheck with APM Reports, spent a lot of time digging into the finances of the SLMPD's homicide squad. He spoke to St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann about the findings.
We've been reporting this week on the difficulty the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department had with solving homicides between 2014 and 2023. Reporting by St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports and the Marshall Project found that the department kept detectives in the unit even after a supervisor claimed they repeatedly failed to perform basic investigative tasks. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann has more of the investigation's finding.
Over about the past decade, roughly 1,900 homicides were committed in St. Louis. Of that number, more than 1,000 cases remain unsolved. St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports and the Marshall Project undertook a multi-year investigation that shows that while there's been an improvement in the number of cleared cases in the last two years, St. Louis police have failed to clear many homicides. Shoddy detective work, lack of resources and eroding community trust are the main reasons. STLPR's Rachel Lippmann and APM Reports' Tom Scheck discuss this investigation.
There were more than 1,900 murders in St. Louis between 2014 and 2023, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has failed to solve more than 1,000 of them. That means thousands of family members and friends do not have answers from police about the violent death of their loved ones. Rachel Lippmann has the story, part of an investigation into the city's homicide clearance rates by St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports and the Marshall Project.
Mayor Tishaura Jones says she has set the city of St. Louis on a course to be “safer, stronger and healthier” than it is today. Jones highlighted accomplishments at her State of the City speech last Tuesday. She also launched her re-election bid last week. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann joins the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air to discuss this news.
Missouri's 2024 session is over. And in some respects, the divides between Missouri Republicans, especially in the Senate, were more noteworthy than the things that were actually passed. STLPR's Sarah Kellogg joins The Politically Speaking Hour to talk about what passed — and why the supermajority era may be coming to an end. Later in the show, STLPR's Rachel Lippmann discussed St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones' State of the City address.
2023 was a year of change in St. Louis politics as Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigned from an office in turmoil and the Board of Aldermen was cut in half. STLPR journalists Jason Rosenbaum, Brian Munoz, Will Bauer, Rachel Lippmann and Sarah Kellogg break down the top political stories of the year.
St. Louis Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she joined St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to discuss her first few months in office. Velazquez represents the city's 6th Ward, which takes in Compton Heights, Compton Hill, Shaw, Tower Grove South and portions of Dutchtown. She was first elected to her post in 2023, and became the first Latina ever to serve on the Board of Aldermen.
St. Louis Alderman Rasheen Aldridge joins STLPR's Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum to talk about his transition into aldermanic life. The 14th Ward Democrat previously served as a state representative for the 78th District House seat — and now has more opportunities to make a policy impact after departing from a chamber where Democrats are in the superminority.
In a sudden announcement on Tuesday, Kim Gardner resigned from her elected position as St. Louis circuit attorney — effective immediately. Her resignation came two weeks before she'd initially planned to step down. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann explains what happened and what comes next.
St. Louis Public Radio correspondents Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann discuss the results of yesterday's municipal elections, where most St. Louis-area voters backed proposals to apply a local sales tax to recreational marijuana. St. Louis voters also elected a new 14-member Board of Aldermen.
Amid the torrent of news this week, the biggest story was the ongoing controversy embroiling St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner that stems from a St. Louis man causing a crash that seriously injured a 17-year-old girl who was visiting from out of town. Missouri's Attorney General is attempting to use a legal procedure to remove her from office and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says Gardner has lost the trust of the people. Gardner says she's not fully to blame and that calls for her to step down are political stunts that undermine the will of the people. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann discusses this story.
This week, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office has been making its case to overturn the conviction of Lamar Johnson. Johnson has spent the last 28 years serving a life sentence for murder – and was sent there by the same prosecutor's office that's now working to exonerate him. St. Louis Public Radio justice reporter Rachel Lippmann breaks down the case, and the story behind what one attorney has called a "historic moment in this court."
Two schools remain closed in St. Louis in the aftermath of Monday's deadly shooting. Some attention has turned to the shooter, and the weapon he used in carrying out this attack, which left two dead, a health teacher and a 15-year-old student. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann talks about the latest information.
St. Louis remains in mourning as details of yesterday's school shooting further reveal the trauma experienced by students, staff and their families. In this episode, we talk with STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann about the latest news involving this tragedy, and we open the segment with the sounds and voices of a vigil held for the victims on Monday night.
STLPR correspondents Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann, and UMSL political scientist Anita Manion, dig into the results from Missouri's primary elections and share insight on what's likely in store for the general election in November.
St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Sarah Kellogg and Rachel Lippmann break down the results of Tuesday's primary. And the trio takes stock in a span of time that included a lot of wild moments, everything from a former governor's attempted comeback to a controversy around the Ying Yang Twins' suspicious endorsement of Mark McCloskey
St. Louis County Councilwoman Rita Days talks about her bid for a full four-year term with St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum. Days is being challenged in the 1st County Council District Democratic PRIMARY
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann about his re-election campaign — and how he would approach the powerful post if he's elected a full four-year term.
When Lt. Col. Rochelle Jones retired from the St. Louis police department last month, she was the highest-ranking Black woman in the department's history. STLPR's Rachel Lippmann talks with Jones about her 39-year-career: how she rose through the ranks and about some of the opportunities and challenges she faced along the way.
St. Louis' political world was turned upside down over the past week or so when three key officials were indicted on bribery charges. STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum talks with Rachel Lippmann and Kavahn Mansouri about what these legal proceedings mean for both politics and legislating in the city (and St. Louis County).
STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann breaks down last night's State of the City address, in which St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones vowed to invest $150 million in federal funds in the city's north side, promised a 3% raise and $1 million in paid family leave for city employees, and announced that alley pickup for recycling should resume in May.
On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann welcome Alderman Brandon Bosley to the program.
On this edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Rachel Lippmann and Jenny Simeone welcome St. Louis Alderman Jeffrey Boyd to the program for the first time.
On this edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann welcome former St. Louis Alderman Jimmie Matthews to the program.
On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann welcome St. Louis Republican mayoral candidate Andrew Jones to the show for the first time.
On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann welcome back St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones to the show.
On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann welcome mayoral candidate Andy Karandzieff to the program.
On this edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann welcome St. Louis School Board member Bill Haas to the program.