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Trevor Daley will be sentenced April 20.

EAST ALTON — The East Alton Fire Department responded Friday afternoon, April 10, 2026, to a shed fire in the 100 block of Ohio Street, where the shed was fully involved, and a neighboring fence had melted. Firefighters arrived to find the shed on fire and moved quickly to get the blaze under control. The shed was a total loss. Wood River and Roxana fire departments were called in for mutual aid. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was unknown.

The Black Crowes are headed out on tour with country rock band Whiskey Myers this year, and ahead of the trek, the two bands have teamed up to record a cover of…

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Dear Friend of Press Freedom,

This week saw President Donald Trump threatening journalists with bogus prosecutions and his administration bringing charges against another whistleblower. But the federal government is far from the only bad actor when it comes to press freedom these days. Read on for more.

Whistleblower prosecution has nothing to do with national security

Courtney Williams, a former Army employee, has been charged under the Espionage Act for blowing the whistle to journalist Seth Harp on sexual harassment and discrimination she experienced and witnessed. Harp cited Williams as a source in his 2025 book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel,” and an article in Politico Magazine.

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern said, “The notion that an administration that casually posts genocide threats during its illegal wars is worried about national security risks from whistleblowers who expose sexual harassment is absurd.”

• Read our statement

DOJ wants to scrap the Presidential Records Act

FPF Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy Lauren Harper wrote for The Intercept about a bogus legal opinion that the PRA — the Watergate-era law establishing that presidents’ records are public property — is unconstitutional.

The Justice Department, Harper writes, “is effectively claiming that the presidency has private ownership over the American story.” You can use our action center to tell Congress to speak out against this attack on transparency.

• Take action

No kings in DC, no compliance in LA

The Los Angeles Police Department obstructed, threatened, and arrested journalists covering the third round of “No Kings” protests — violating a federal injunction.

Watch FPF Deputy Director of Advocacy Adam Rose — who was on the ground in LA that day — explain what he witnessed. And if you’re a journalist who faced a press freedom violation, contact our U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, which is documenting the violence in LA.

And speaking of injunctions officers violated left and right, Rose has another video about an appellate ruling upholding a similar court order against the Department of Homeland Security for its press freedom violations. There’s plenty more to see on our YouTube channel.

• Watch more

The Republican about-face on Qatari media funding

A few years ago, then-Sen. Marco Rubio and his colleagues successfully urged the first Trump administration to force Al Jazeera to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

But the second Trump administration, in which Rubio serves as secretary of state, is putting its weight behind Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery, even though the deal is financed, in part, by a Qatari sovereign wealth fund. Stern wrote about how the reversal shows that past fearmongering over foreign investment in media, including Al Jazeera and TikTok, had nothing to do with the supposed security risks and everything to do with controlling the narrative.

• Read more

Judge tells Pentagon to stop censoring journalists again. Think they’ll listen this time?

Federal Judge Paul Friedman entered an order yesterday compelling the Pentagon to comply with his prior prohibition on enforcing its unconstitutional press policy.

Stern said in a statement that, although we appreciate Friedman granting The New York Times’ motion to compel, “at this point, any court order that responds to the administration’s blatant lawlessness with anything less than sanctions, contempt of court findings, and attorney disciplinary referrals is a disappointment.”

• Read more

Sources aren’t safe when surveillance is for sale

Government agencies frequently evade the Fourth Amendment with the “data broker loophole” — using taxpayer dollars to buy sensitive, personal data about Americans and others from private data brokers.

FPF Senior Advocacy Adviser Caitlin Vogus explains that the use of data brokers for immigration enforcement has shown just how invasive this surveillance can be and how the government could use this purchased spy power to target journalists and their sources.

• Read more

Trump’s threat to jail reporters deserves bipartisan condemnation

On Monday, Trump threatened to jail unnamed journalists if they do not reveal their sources for reporting about the mission to rescue airmen shot down in Iran. (Later in the week, he bizarrely threatened CNN with prosecution over completely accurate reporting).

Stern said in a statement, “Some of the most important news stories in American history have come from confidential sources, including stories that have brought down corrupt presidents. That’s why Trump is so obsessed with leaks.”

• Read more

So-called ‘antifa’ prosecutions endanger the First Amendment and the press

We joined Defending Rights & Dissent and the National Lawyers Guild for a conversation about the Prairieland case in Texas, which the Trump administration is touting as its first successful domestic terrorism prosecution of “antifa.”

The defendants’ possession of anarchist zines was repeatedly touted as evidence of … something or other, even though the zines had nothing whatsoever to do with any alleged crimes any of them were accused of committing. That’s concerning to everyone who depends on the First Amendment, including the press.

• Watch the discussion

What we're reading Using AI safely as a journalist FPF digital security team

Check out our digital security team’s three-part series to help journalists better understand risks of using artificial intelligence and set boundaries around which AI systems and tools make sense to use, adjust, or avoid.

Israel kills 3 journalists in Gaza and Lebanon in one day; CPJ calls for international action Committee to Protect Journalists

This isn’t just a tragedy. It’s a pattern enabled by impunity — and by U.S. political and military backing.

The infrastructure nobody told you about Backstory & Strategy

A new FBI budget request would give NSPM-7 real teeth. Journalists who report on matters arguably fitting within the nebulous scope of the presidential memorandum on domestic terrorism should take note.

Cherry Hill school district targets citizen with ludicrous lawsuit over public records New Jersey Monitor

The district thinks a journalist filing 14 Freedom of Information Act requests in a year is a reason to sue to ban him from filing any more. Wait until they find out how many FOIAs FPF files.

Zechariah West was 17 when he was charged as an adult with second-degree murder, attempted robbery and armed criminal action in the death of Tayvion Whitby, 16, of St. Louis.

The Missouri Board of Education will vote on Frontier STEM Academy, which is sponsored by St. Louis University and plans to open in 2027.

MARYVILLE - A newly constructed roundabout at the intersection of Illinois Route 162 and Keebler Road opened to traffic on April 9, 2026, in Maryville, Illinois, following more than a decade of planning that local and state leaders pursued after a fatal crash at the site. The Village of Maryville announced the opening, saying the project was developed in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Transportation, neighboring communities, Juneau Associates, Inc., P.C., Engineering Firm, and

ST. LOUIS — The Loop Trolley will begin its 2026 season on Thursday, April 30, offering free rides along Delmar Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue through late October. The trolley will run Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., serving 10 stops between the University City Library and the Missouri History Museum in Forest [...]

District 1 officers are investigation a shooting that injured two 18-year-old males injured on April 9, 2026 in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

The post Two 18-year-olds Shot in Mount Pleasant appeared first on St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

ST. LOUIS -- Principia prep star Quentin Coleman sits down with Fox 2 Sports' Jordan Williams to talk all things Illinois. The O'Fallon, Ill. native made his decision last week as the Illini were playing in the final four. 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Flags across St. Louis and at law enforcement agencies statewide will be lowered Monday to honor St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Gregory T. Triplett, who died in the line of duty. Gov. Mike Kehoe ordered U.S. and Missouri flags to fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset April 13, the day [...]

On February 1, 2026, just before 2:30am, District 4 officers responded to the 300 block of N. 9th St. for a shooting.

The post UPDATE: Victim Identified, Charges Issued Against Homicide Suspect Located Through Crime Center Cameras appeared first on St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Right here on FOX 2, you’ll get the chance to catch the Cardinals hosting the Boston Red Socks, Saturday at 6:15 p.m. without the need for a subscription or streaming service. 

MADISON COUNTY, IL. - The Madison County Regional Superintendent, Dr. Robert W. Werden, along with Mannie Jackson and Dr. Ed Hightower, are pleased to announce the winners of the Alma Irene Aitch Scholarship for Madison County, Illinois high school seniors. This award is given in the amount of $1,000 to 11 graduating seniors from across Madison County who displayed high academic achievement, personal drive, success, and excellence in their four-year high school careers. The Aitch Scholarship

First, some of the good news: certain AI models—currently Anthropic’s Mythos, but surely others are well on their way if they haven’t already arrived—turn out to be really good at finding cybersecurity vulnerabilities. As Anthropic itself reported: During our testing, we found that Mythos Preview is capable of identifying and then exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in […]

WASHINGTON — Spikes in energy prices caused by the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran drove up inflation for Americans in March, according to the latest consumer price index figures released Friday. Costs jumped 0.9% in March compared to the previous month — that’s up from the 0.3% increase in February.  Prices for all items together, including food, […]