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Jamean Flowers recently re-launched Kidz Play Mobile Crafts & Events in St. Louis to help parents plan sensory-friendly events.

A bald eagle was rescued by the Missouri Department of Conservation after being found unable to fly, only to discover that the bird was simply too fat from consuming raccoon roadkill.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has written to the judge overseeing the prosecution of a woman accused of killing a 12-year-old in a head-on collision, arguing that her $500,000 bond should not be reduced and that she is a danger to the public.

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) co-founder and legendary Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, left, and FPF's first Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy Lauren Harper, right.

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) is excited to welcome its Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy, Lauren Harper.

Last year, FPF announced the creation of the Ellsberg Chair in honor of the legendary whistleblower and FPF co-founder, Daniel Ellsberg, who passed away in June 2023. As the first Ellsberg Chair, Harper’s work will focus on highlighting and fighting the multitude of ways the government keeps secrets — from the press, from the public, and from congressional overseers. Her work will also illuminate how rampant overclassification negatively impacts everything from public health to national security.

Daniel Ellsberg knew better than most that there are too many secrets, and they make us less safe. I’m honored, humbled, and excited to continue the fight against the secrecy system.

“We are so proud to further the legacy of our late co-founder Daniel Ellsberg with this important position,” said FPF Executive Director Trevor Timm. “Dan tirelessly and eloquently fought for secrecy reform for more than 50 years; we are extremely grateful that Lauren Harper will carry the torch in his name.”

Harper joins FPF after a decade fighting excessive government secrecy with Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, the National Security Archive. There she served as public policy director and helped historians, journalists, and the public win the declassification of historically significant government documents. She has extensive experience with the Freedom of Information Act, both as a prolific FOIA requester and former member of the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee, and is an expert on the classification system, the Presidential Records Act, and records management issues. She holds a master’s in public policy and a master’s in Middle Eastern studies, both from the University of Chicago.

“Daniel Ellsberg knew better than most that there are too many secrets, and they make us less safe,” Harper said. “I’m honored, humbled, and excited to continue the fight against the secrecy system. I hope that my work will help more people understand and question the mechanisms of government secrecy, as well as the validity (or lack thereof) of those secrets.”

For more information about the Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy, or if you’d like to interview Lauren Harper for a story, please reach out to media@freedom.press.

Many parents have questions about one vaccine that's not required for public schools in Missouri but is encouraged by the CDC for kids across the country.

From Building Design + Construction:  Driven by emerging AI developments and digital transformation in the business world, university computer science programs are projected to grow by nearly 15% by 2030. These programs serve both the underlying basic computing research, along with applied computing degrees at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Through our design with […]

From NPR:  The Jacoby Arts Center, a staple of Alton for many in the Metro East community, will likely permanently move out of its downtown building at the end of September. Its departure and relocation from the historic building that the arts center has called home for the past 20 years has created a tense […]

From West Newsmagazine:  Approval has been given for a contract with Aspire Construction Services LLC for the construction of backstage improvements at the Chesterfield Amphitheater at a cost of $2.4 million. Last October, the Chesterfield City Council authorized architectural and engineering services to design “back of house” improvements at the amphitheater. Specifically, the project was […]

EDWARDSVILLE - During their regular meeting on Aug. 26, 2024, the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the Woodland School Improvement Plan. Dr. Andy Williams, interim principal of Woodland Elementary School, presented the improvement plan alongside members of the Woodland School Improvement Team. Woodland Elementary School is currently a targeted school, meaning one or more student groups is performing at or below the level of “all students” group in the lowest performing 5% of schools, according to Woodland’s scores on the Illinois Report Card . “The members of this team have worked very hard through the summer months to develop a plan to make us all better educators and to continue the path that we were already on, to shift our focus from teaching to learning for our students,” Williams said. “When we think about our district’s theme of, ‘How Can We?,’ we are committe

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From The St. Louis American:  The Adaptive Sports Complex recently opened in South St. Louis County through a collaborative effort between the St. Louis Cardinals’ charitable foundation Cardinals Care, Gateway Region YMCA, Boniface Foundation, and Miracle League. KAI, an African American owned architecture, engineering, and construction firm, played a crucial role in bringing this unique […]

A man who formerly worked in a Franklin County school district faces felony charges, accused of child sex crimes while employed.

The new CEO called Pretium "uniquely positioned to capitalize on continued sector tailwinds, including emerging trends in health and wellness, food and beverage, and home and personal care."

From Construction Dive:  The U.S. overspends on its transportation infrastructure compared to its international peers, and a team of university researchers wanted to understand why. Their investigation found that lack of DOT staff capacity and a dearth of contractor competition in the market are key drivers of high project costs. State and local governments expended […]

Today's top weather story is the extreme heat, with highs reaching near record levels in the upper 90s to lower-100s, and isolated storms possible overnight, with a chance for thunderstorms continuing into Wednesday.

From St. Louis Post-Dispatch:  A controversial housing development is moving forward after O’Fallon city leaders agreed Thursday to annex a 160-acre property on the city’s western side. The O’Fallon, Missouri, City Council voted 7-3 to approve the annexation request after hearing from several area residents, who shared their concerns that the large-scale development would lead […]

The Ninth Circuit appeals court seems to have figured out the best way to “reform” Section 230: by pretending it doesn’t apply to some stuff that the judges there just randomly decide it doesn’t apply to anymore. At least that’s my reading of the recent ruling against YOLO Technologies. Now, let’s start by making something […]

From Leader Publications:  The city of Arnold announced today, Aug. 26, that it will no longer pursue a controversial road project. “The City of Arnold and the Arnold Retail Corridor (ARC) Transportation Development District are no longer pursuing the Arnold Parkway project,” City Administrator Bryan Richison said in a written statement. “The City and the […]

From Rejournals:  St. Charles, Missouri-based Wiegmann Associates has added Gavin Ryan as Project Engineer and Stephanie Anderson as Project Manager. As Project Manager, Anderson is responsible for providing detailed, cost-effective management of Wiegmann’s mechanical and HVAC system projects to meet client and company goals. Duties include managing subcontractors, coordinating RFI submittals and change orders, managing […]