On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 , carrying a dog named Laika—the first animal to orbit Earth. Coming just one month after the first artificial satellite, the mission showed how quickly space technology was advancing. It also tested whether a living organism could survive launch and weightlessness, helping prepare the way for human spaceflight. Laika did not survive, and the spacecraft had no system to bring her home. Her flight remains both a landmark in exploration
ALTON — An Alton man faces two felony counts of threatening a public official after police said he made statements about killing politicians and police officers following a disturbance at an Alton City Council meeting Oct. 28, 2026. Daniel L. Mertz, 46, was charged Oct. 30 after the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case, according to the Alton Police Department. On Friday, October 30, 2026, the Madison County State's Attorney's Office reviewed the facts
It seems as though Ben Wang could be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadline reports the actor, who stars in the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,…
For more than a generation, U.S. media academics have warned anybody who’d listen that the death of your local newspaper and the steady consolidation of local TV broadcasters was creating either “news deserts,” or local news that’s mostly just low-quality infotainment and agitprop. Despite claims that the “internet would fix this,” doing quality local journalism […]
Students and parents at McKinley High School in south St. Louis have been organizing against their school's closure and the confusing plans surrounding it.
Begin Again: Wak'a Garden is the second installment in Laumeier’s Begin Again series, honoring the Park’s 50-year history of collaborating with artists and supporting new commissions and exhibitions. The organic, amphitheater-shaped sculpture, built […]
Begin Again: 50 Years and Counting marks Laumeier’s 50th anniversary by celebrating five decades of artist commissions and exhibitions. Featuring hundreds of artists and rarely seen works from Laumeier’s collection, […]
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - An investigation is underway after a man was injured in a shooting early Tuesday in Spanish Lake. The shooting occurred around 5:20 a.m. in the 12000 block of Bellefontaine Road. Officers responded after receiving a call for service for a ShotSpotter activation, according to St. Louis County Police. When officers [...]
A 22-year-old Belleview man died Monday night after his truck struck a fallen tree on Buford Road in Washington County while he was not wearing a seatbelt.
Why isn’t the food better at hospitals? They have all the money in the world. They have a captive audience. The food is edible, but shouldn’t it be more?
Missouri election officials say brisk early voting could push Tuesday’s turnout close to — or beyond — the state record for a nonpresidential election. The benchmark is 2018, when 2,442,306 Missourians cast ballots. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins expects about 55% of the state’s 4.4 million registered voters to participate, spokeswoman Anne Marie Moy said […]
Missouri voters will decide whether to ban most abortions, approve a new congressional map and strengthen protections for citizen-led ballot measures Tuesday, along with choosing representatives in Congress and the state legislature. Before heading to the polls for the Nov. 3 general election, it’s worth taking a few minutes to check your polling location, review […]
American democracy faces one of its biggest stress tests of the modern era, as President Donald Trump’s sprawling campaign for power over elections encounters a firewall of judges, state election workers and voting rights leaders heading into Election Day. A cascade of courtroom losses over the weekend dealt a major blow to the Trump administration’s […]
What will it take to bring damaged and demolished neighborhoods back? We explore why residents are concerned about losing another historically Black community in St. Louis, and what the City says it's doing about it. Plus, how a re-enacted reinterment could help process the post-pandemic world, and a look at what we're watching this election day.
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