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Well, we can go ahead and erase “perhaps” from this not-all-that-prescient-actually-given-the-circumstances headline: DOJ Issues Perhaps The Last Law Enforcement Investigation Report We’ll See For The Next Four Years It was inevitable. Trump’s DOJ kicked the Civil Rights Division to the curb faster than Trump cycled through Attorneys General during his first term. Trump promised the […]

GRAFTON - Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and the City of Grafton has several events planned for their “Grafton is for Lovers” promotion. On the weekend of Feb. 14, 2025, residents of the Riverbend and beyond are invited to Grafton for a weekend of meals, deals and specials. Dan Ebbing, president of the Grafton Chamber of Commerce, said that the community has come together to sponsor several promotions and bring people into Grafton to celebrate the holiday. “Valentine’s Day is on a Friday this year, folks, so you need to come to Grafton,” he said. “We have a whole list of activities and programs that the different businesses are doing.” As of this writing, there are a few hotels and Airbnbs in Grafton that still have availability for Valentine’s Day weekend, including Grafton Inn, Grafton Getaway Guesthouse, Acres Inn, GoGo-May’s Cherry on Top, Divine Guesthouse, Heaven’s Gate Guesthouse and Reubel

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for FBI director nominee Kash Patel. Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) opposes Patel’s confirmation — as should anyone who values press freedom.

Patel has threatened to turn the government into a weapon of revenge against opponents of President Donald Trump, including journalists. In a 2023 podcast interview, Patel threatened to “come after the people in the media” and target them “criminally or civilly.” When he realized his remarks could jeopardize his confirmation, Patel later claimed that they apply only to journalists who “broke the law.”

The following statement can be attributed to Caitlin Vogus, senior adviser for advocacy at FPF:

“Kash Patel’s confirmation as FBI director would be a new low for the agency when it comes to press freedom and First Amendment rights, and that’s saying something. Senators who vote for Patel’s confirmation will be to blame if and when he supersizes the FBI’s sordid history of targeting journalists, protesters, academics, and activists.

Patel’s claim that he'll only target lawbreaking journalists is cold comfort given his potential boss’s interpretation of 'the law.' Every corrupt politician and authoritarian regime claims the journalists they retaliate against broke the law or aren’t really journalists. Under a Patel/Trump FBI, allegations that journalism and whistleblowing are crimes in and of themselves will likely serve as pretext to punish those who expose government secrets and hold officials to account.”

Under recent administrations, both Democratic and Republican, the FBI has repeatedly surveilled journalists seeking to reveal their sources, including through secret legal demands to phone and email providers. Under the first Trump administration, the FBI conducted an unprecedented number of media investigations in an attempt to “crack down” on leaks to the press.

Historically, the FBI has egregiously abused press freedom by, for instance, digging up dirt on reporters and publishers for reporting on government secrets, accusing Black publishers of acts of sedition during World War II for writing about discrimination in the U.S., and impersonating journalists and documentary filmmakers.

Please contact us if you would like further comment.

A man, 35, from Freeburg died when he was hit by an SUV on Tuesday night on Route 13, the Illinois State Police said.

GRANITE CITY – A convicted felon from Granite City faces several new felony charges related to weapons and drugs discovered during a traffic stop. Kenneth R. Nicol, 42, listed as homeless out of Granite City, was charged with the following: Armed violence (Class X felony) Unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender (Class X felony) Possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (Class 1 felony) Unlawful possession of a stolen firearm (Class 2 felony) Felon in possession of a weapon (Class 3 felony) Felon in possession of a weapon (Class 3 felony) Felon in possession of a weapon (Class 3 felony) Unlawful possession of methamphetamine (Class 3 felony) On Jan. 16, 2025, Nicol was allegedly found in possession of multiple firearms, including a Sig Sauer 1911 .45 caliber handgun, a Rami 9mm handgun, and a Taurus 9mm handgun. According to descriptions of the charges in this case, the Rami 9mm handgun had been stolen. Nicol’s

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A significant number of General Services Administration leases are set to expire during President Trump's second term in the White House. Here's St. Louis' exposure to potential cost-cutting efforts.

A Metro East grocery store is getting a complete remodel.

A Republican lawmaker from Sedalia has once again begun his push to allow some students to enroll in schools outside the district where they live. For the fifth year in a row on Wednesday, the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee debated an open enrollment bill sponsored by state Rep. Brad Pollitt.  As he introduced […]

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s latest actions included an offer to buy out a large swath of the federal workforce, and an order narrowing medical options for transgender children, and some transgender adults. Millions of government employees received an email Tuesday evening instructing them to reply with the word “resign” by Feb. 6 for a […]

In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin listed the critical programs – VAWA funding, veterans’ support, early education programs – that were throw n into chaos by the OMB memo that put a hold on federal funding WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor last night, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) denounced the Trump Administration’s decision to issue an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of trillions of dollars of Federal financial assistance,” which caused mass confusion about the funding and operations of hundreds of government-funded programs ranging from Medicaid, to Head Start, to Violence Against Women Act grants. Shortly before the federal funding freeze began, U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. Alikhan, who was confirmed under Durbin’s tenure as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, temporarily blocked the move by the Trum

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Kaiser employs 30 office workers and 120 IBEW Local 1 electricians and communication technicians.

Stifel Financial Corp. reported nearly $5 billion in revenue in 2024, becoming the best year in the company's 135-year history.

Timothy Fox, 58, was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Bill Eigel, former state senator from Weldon Spring and unsuccessful candidate for governor, had nothing but praise for former Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, Gov. Mike Kehoe’s choice for GOP chairman.

Missouri’s two largest electric utilities want the state’s permission to charge customers for natural gas power plants before they’re completed. Both Evergy and Ameren Missouri asked the Missouri House Utilities Committee on Wednesday to support legislation that would allow them to charge customers for natural, or methane, gas power plants even before they’re completed, saying the state needs more electrical power. Because Ameren, Evergy and other Missouri electric companies are monopolies,…

Earlier this month, a local delegation visited the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on a fact-finding mission.

Three puppies from the Humane Society of Missouri will be participating in this year's Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.