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A man was shot by another motorist on I-44/55 near downtown St. Louis Monday afternoon, police said. The victim, 38, was treated for a minor gunshot wound.

O'FALLON - A petition has emerged calling for the reconsideration of an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) rule that led to the ban of a freshman O'Fallon student-athlete from his school's cross-country team. The petition, initiated by Madelyn Hindia on October 15, 2024, seeks to draw attention to what the family describes as an unfair IHSA decision affecting their son, Cole Deering. Cole was banned from participating in the team after he unknowingly ran in a 6K charity race to support his sister, an action that violated IHSA regulations prohibiting athletes from participating in outside events. Cole participated in a benefit for a medical center where his sister had been hospitalized with a case of pneumonia. Hindia said the family and Cole were unaware of the implications of the charity race, running outside his normal high school team meets. Hindia said the impact of the ban has been particularly difficult for Cole, who is autistic and has been focusing on his mental health.

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump defended his plans for steep tariffs on Tuesday, arguing economists who say that those higher costs would get passed onto consumers are incorrect and that his proposals would benefit American manufacturing. During an argumentative hour-long interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago, Trump vehemently […]

ALTON — Jay Keeven, a candidate for the 112th District State House of Representatives, is addressing voter concerns as the November election approaches. With just three weeks until Election Day on November 5, Keeven has engaged with constituents about pressing issues such as property taxes, the rising cost of living and much more. Keeven was an Illinois State trooper for 27 years and served for eight-plus years as the Edwardsville Police Chief. He is presently the city administrator for Troy. During his state representative campaign, Keeven said he and his associates have knocked on approximately 15,000 doors, listening to residents. He said first on the minds of most was the high property taxes in Madison County and high grocery prices. "I think things do financially assist individuals, but there is a cost-benefit analysis with everything we do," Keeven said. He emphasized the state's budget, which he noted includes $53 billion, has to be analyzed and trimmed. He said he know

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Two large industrial properties in Wellston, which have spent decades unused and which were once at the center of major scandal involving former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, are now offered for development. The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) of the County of St. Louis, managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership […]

Alberici Corp. has appointed George Franco as chief innovation officer In this role, Franco will foster a culture of creativity and strategic problem-solving, advancing innovation strategies that address today’s construction challenges while positioning Alberici for long-term success in an evolving industry. Franco brings nearly 20 years of experience driving innovation in construction, where he has […]

by Brett Murphy

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

In one of its most direct and sweeping warnings to date, the Biden administration told Israeli government officials on Sunday that if they did not improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza in the next 30 days, the U.S. could reevaluate its military support, which has flowed largely without pause for more than a year.

In a letter to Israel’s ministers of defense and strategic affairs, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said they were writing to “underscore the U.S. government’s deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and seek urgent and sustained actions by your government this month to reverse this trajectory.” The letter was first reported by Israeli media and confirmed Tuesday by the State Department’s top spokesperson.

Last month, ProPublica detailed how the U.S. government’s two foremost authorities on humanitarian assistance — the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department’s refugees bureau — concluded this past spring that Israel had deliberately blocked deliveries of food and medicine into Gaza. Those experts determined that weapons sales should be halted under a U.S. law, known as the Foreign Assistance Act, that requires the government to cut off military aid to a country that is blocking humanitarian efforts.

Blinken rejected their findings and, weeks later, told Congress that the State Department had concluded that Israel was not arbitrarily blocking aid. After the U.S. government raised concerns, the Israelis promised to allow more aid to flow.

Those pledges do not appear to have been met. According to Blinken and Austin’s letter, September was the worst month for relief efforts in the past year. The amount of aid has dropped by more than 50% since the spring. Israelis halted imports to Palestinian civilians, denied or impeded 90% of humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza last month, and imposed onerous new requirements for trucks carrying critical supplies, the letter says.

Children sift through waste at a landfill in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 15, 2024. (Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty Images)

When asked about ProPublica’s previous reporting in September, Blinken told morning news programs he had evaluated input from several sources and made a decision that the Israelis weren’t deliberately blocking the aid. “We found that Israel needed to do a better job on the humanitarian assistance,” he allowed. “We’ve seen improvements since then. It’s still not sufficient.”

The State Department did not respond to ProPublica’s requests for comment Tuesday, but in a press conference, agency spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the letter was the latest effort to pressure the Israelis to address the crisis and that their improvements in the spring did not last. “The levels have not been sustained,” Miller said. “We are going to respond to events as they happen.”

“We know that it’s possible to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” he added.

Annelle Sheline, a former State Department official who resigned in protest earlier this year, said Sunday’s letter is a “clear acknowledgement that the administration knows” the Foreign Assistance Act is being violated. “This,” she added, “renders Israel ineligible to receive American weapons or security assistance.”

Responding to a similar criticism, Miller said, “We believe it’s appropriate to give them another 30 days to cure the problem.”

The humanitarian crisis has reached a critical stage, experts warn. The United Nations and other aid groups have become increasingly vocal about the deteriorating situation ahead of the winter. And an Al Jazeera documentary released in late September showed how Palestinian children had died of malnutrition.

On Monday, an Israeli military unit said it had allowed 30 trucks through a crossing in northern Gaza. “Israel is not preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, with an emphasis on food, into Gaza,” the unit wrote. “Israel will continue to allow the entry of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, while simultaneously destroying Hamas’ military and governance infrastructures.” A spokesperson for the Israeli government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In the letter, Blinken and Austin make several specific demands of the Israelis, including allowing a minimum of 350 trucks per day through the four border crossings and opening up a fifth. They also warned the Israelis to not force civilians to evacuate from northern Gaza to the south.

“Failure to demonstrate a sustained commitment to implementing and maintaining these measures,” they wrote, “may have implications for U.S. policy.”

In addition, they called for a new channel to discuss civilian deaths. “Our engagements to date have not produced the necessary outcomes,” they wrote. At least 42,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli operations since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack last year, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, an agency in the Hamas-controlled government.

Katrina Kelly, 33, died in August at a local hospital days after jail officials found her unresponsive in a cell at the downtown City Justice Center.

by Dr. John Gaal Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature. The […]

GODFREY - The journey to retirement is a long and winding road, much like the winding path that leads to Asbury Village. The 110-acre retirement community is a hidden gem of scenic beauty. Constructed in 1997, the 217 residents affectionately call it “the countryside.” In a safe and serene environment, Asbury Village provides something for everyone. In the peaceful and rural setting, Asbury Village offers a lively, enriching lifestyle that encourages residents to expand their world. One has the freedom to choose their own pace of life after retirement. From wellness classes, Wii bowling, and gardening to outings, ball games, concerts in the park and other local events, there’s an abundance of opportunities for seniors to be as active as they like. While the main focus is to provide an independent vibrant environment, the community offers care to meet a variety of needs, from assisted living to someone that may need short respite associated with a health

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ALTON - During this year’s Vintage Voices performances, three men told the story of Alton Sportsman’s Park. With Jeff Pruett performing as Archibald Daniels, Jim Lieber as A.J. “Doc” Bushong, and Sean B.T. Williams as Bill Gatewood, the three actors shared the story of their characters’ lives and baseball careers. Daniels was a businessman in Alton and an umpire for games between “the Fats and the Leans.” The main nine players on the Fats team weighed a combined total of nearly 2,300 pounds. These games were played at Alton Sportsman’s Park. “Alton, just like St. Louis, had its very own Sportsman’s Park,” said Pruett as Daniels. He explained that the stadium was located near Alton Glass, then relocated to where Alton Plaza is now. Baseball was played at Alton Sportsman’s Park until 1921. A.J. “Doc” Bushong was a dentist and the catcher for the St. Louis Browns. He played a game against

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Two multifamily properties for low-income households and older adults located near Lafayette Square are to be renovated in a $52.7 million project.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is alerting the public to upcoming changes to the driver license testing process that will have local license offices temporarily closed. The new system will provide a direct digital reporting network, and will increase efficiency by sending test results directly to the MO Dept. Of Revenue. The new system will…

The post Missouri Drivers Licenses appeared first on The Big 550 KTRS.

DETROIT (AP) — Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both making pushes to energize key constituencies that their allies worry might be slipping away. The vice president is looking to reach Black men, and the former president is focusing on women. Harris will appear Tuesday at a town hall-style event in Detroit hosted by Charlamagne…

The post Harris zeroes in on Black men, Trump focuses on women as both seek to fire up key voting blocs appeared first on The Big 550 KTRS.

The foundation, led by Lindbergh's grandson, aims to raise $10 million in 10 years to support its focus on sustainable aviation and the upcoming 100th anniversary of the famed New York-to-Paris flight.

Donors can warm hearts this fall and winter when they give blood with the American Red Cross and the City of St. Louis Office of the Comptroller.

Public Services, Vacancy, Facades, Homeowner Assistance, Home Construction, Economic Development, Public Facility Upgrades, and more

Ways to weatherize your home include replacing furnace filters, sealing windows, pipes and chimneys plus having a programable thermometer.

A franchisee is preparing to open its second St. Louis-area location of the gym and exercise-class chain as it plans more local growth.