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I have a post all teed up about Why Kamala Lost, but I can't quite pull the trigger on publishing it. Here's why: This is not the Democratic (popular vote) winning margin each year. It's the change from the previous election. For example, Joe Biden won by 4.5% in 2020 and Kamala Harris lost by ...continue reading "Why Kamala lost: A confession"

Welcome to This Day in History! Today, we take a moment to reflect on some significant events that have shaped our world on November 23rd and 24th throughout the years. One of the most notable events that occurred on this day is the Great Blizzard of 1888, which wreaked havoc across the eastern United States. This catastrophic storm, which began on March 11 and continued through March 14, 1888, was one of the most severe blizzards in American history. However, on November 23, 1888, the effects of the storm were still being felt as communities worked to recover from the devastation. The blizzard resulted in over 400 fatalities and left thousands stranded, highlighting the vulnerability of urban areas to extreme weather events. It also prompted advancements in meteorology and weather forecasting, as the nation sought to better prepare for such disasters in the future. Fast forward to 1963, on this day, the iconic British television series Doctor Who made its debut on the BBC. The

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ST. LOUIS - On Friday, a City of St. Louis judge allowed the St. Louis Development Corporation’s (SLDC) Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) to condemn and take possession of the Railway Exchange Building and adjacent parking garage through eminent domain. The Railway Exchange Building encompasses two city blocks on Locust, North 6th, Pine and North 7th Streets. The next step requires a hearing with a judge and commissioners to determine the value of the property. Appraisers selected by LCRA set the price for $5.3 million. LCRA will ask to purchase the property at the current appraised price. The next court date is pending. LCRA is hopeful to receive final determination of value before the end of the year, and aims to pay that value and take possession of the property shortly after. About St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is the independent economic development agency serving the City of St. Louis, Missouri. I

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EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Humane Society will host a Pawsgiving to give all their shelter dogs a turkey feast. The Pawsgiving will be livestreamed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 2024, on the Metro East Humane Society Facebook page . Turkey meals will be donated by Pup Kitchen , and the humane society is asking for $25 donations to sponsor pets and contribute to their cause. “I love dogs, and to think about dogs not having homes is, to me, terribly sad,” said Marc Fussell, owner of Pup Kitchen. “It’s a part of life, unfortunately. But if we can do something to make the dogs happy for one day, I think that’s a good cause.” MEHS noted that the Thanksgiving meal is like giving the dogs “a taste of being home for the holidays.” They have approximately 40 dogs in their care right now. Pup Kitchen will be donating several pounds of food for the dogs’ meal. An Edwardsville-based business, Pup Kitchen makes human-grade, holistic,

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A new BLM plan for western Colorado makes a priority of helium production, worrying environmentalists.

Plant of the Week: Native New England Aster St. Louis Master Gardeners Horticulture Answer Service: Monday through Thursday from 9 am. to 2:30 pm Now thru January 1st at Missouri Botanical Garden: Holiday Flower and Train Show. Garden admission is free to St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. … Continue reading This Week in Gardening & Nature →

Legislation would roll back labor law exemptions enabling Major League Baseball to skirt federal wage and hour laws at the expense of unionized minor league players WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Fair Ball Act , which would roll back the current broad exemption from federal wage and hour laws for Minor League Baseball players provided by the inaptly named Save America’s Pastime Act (SAPA) and replace it with a narrowly tailored exemption that would only apply if the players are being compensated pursuant to the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). If the players are not covered by a CBA, then they would have the same federal wage protections as all other workers. In 2018, Major League Baseball (MLB) successfully lobbied for SAPA in order to shield itself from a class-action lawsuit, which alleged that MLB and its teams violated federal and state wage and hour

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EUREKA, Mo. – Police in Eureka are searching for a bank robbery suspect. The robbery happened just before 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning at the Commerce Bank on East 5th Street. Police say a man entered the bank, demanded money from tellers, and then took off going north with an undisclosed amount of case. The suspect [...]

SPRINGFIELD - Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment, with four times the average number occurring. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on Thanksgiving Day alone, an estimated 1,610 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments in 2022, reflecting a 399 percent increase over the daily average. Cooking causes over half (52%) of all reported home fires and nearly two of every five (36%) home fire injuries, and it is a leading cause of home fire deaths (17%). Ranges and cook-tops account for almost three out of every five home fires reported involving cooking, with ovens accounting for 13% of those fires. “Kitchens are the heart and soul of many homes and that is even more true during Thanksgiving,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera . “Things can get hectic as people scramble to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner. Please, set timers to help remind yourself of items that are cooking

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with the attorneys general of Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio, led a bipartisan coalition of 46 attorneys general calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to improve its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) and close an unmonitored loophole that bad actors exploit to access the U.S. telephone network. “Robocalls cost consumers time and money and violate their privacy, and the FCC provides critical federal protections that enhance state efforts to address the problem,” Raoul said. “I am urging the FCC to improve its Robocall Mitigation Database to increase accountability as we all work to reduce the illegal and intrusive robocalls that plague the people of Illinois and around the country.” Telecommunications providers must register on the FCC’s database to operate as voice service providers in the United States. However, since it went live in 2021, the RMD has done little to prevent bad actors

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) voted to pass the bipartisan Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act . This package includes many provisions that are priorities for veterans and veterans service organizations (VSOs), such as support for home- and community-based care, improvements to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational and employment programs and assistance for homeless veterans. The legislation is anchored by the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act which will enable veterans to remain at home, age safely in place and avoid or delay admission to nursing homes and other costly institutional settings of care. “When our veterans step up to serve our country, we make a promise to take care of them when they come home,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “This week, we honored that promise by passing the single largest expansion of VA long-term care services in decades. This comprehensiv

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O’FALLON — New and expectant moms and their families will be treated to a holiday baby shower of educational resources about pregnancy, newborns, child safety and more when HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Women and Infants Center hosts “Bundles for Babies” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, in the main lobby, 1 St. Elizabeth’s Blvd., O’Fallon. “Becoming a parent is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming,” said Amanda Schaefer, MSN, RN, nurse manager of the Women and Infants Center. “We are proud to partner with the community in sponsoring this one-stop shop of services offered by our team and local organizations for moms, moms-to-be and families.” Women and Infants Center staff and providers will be on hand to educate attendees about lactation services, including St. Clair County’s only milk dispensary; safe sleep practices for babies; car seat safety; pain management options such

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GRAFTON - At the recent Grafton Country Music Festival, the owner of 3rd Chute Bar & Grill reflected on her experience working with the Grafton community. Chastity Niemeyer, who bought 3rd Chute from her in-laws two years ago, shared her excitement to be involved in Grafton’s business community. She noted that the business owners often work together to put on events like the Country Music Festival, and she expressed her appreciation for the Chamber of Commerce, fellow entrepreneurs and the residents of Grafton for their continued support. “I’ve always worked here, but two years ago I took over, and I got to know a lot more of the business owners and I work with all of them,” Niemeyer shared. “The Grafton Pub and I go back and forth all the time, helping each other out. The community is just growing and growing. The events that they’re putting together are amazing.” Located at 220 W. Main Street in Grafton, 3rd Chute is known for it

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SPRINGFIELD - Teachers looking for new ways to engage and empower their students now have a playbook to use as they adopt a “coaching” mindset. A new book about “Coaching in the Classroom” aims to expand educators’ view on teaching beyond the restrictions of standardized testing. Author Linda Hopper, Ph.D., said she began with a career in business coaching and consulting before shifting gears to become a teacher, finding her prior experience relevant in her new role. “I went into the classroom - that was a second career for me - to see how I could implement coaching into a classroom,” Hopper said on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . “My goal was always to figure out how to bring it so every single teacher could do it in their classroom.” Hopper doesn’t buy into the “one-size-fits-all” approach of centering education around standardized testing, instead giving students the tools they need for life

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ST. LOUIS – A teenager is fighting for his life after being shot while in a car traveling on a highway in South St. Louis City Saturday night. Police say they responded to a shooting that occurred on Interstate 55 near the construction zone around 10:30 p.m. The driver of the vehicle told the dispatcher [...]

Several community organizations across the St. Louis area are offering free holiday meals to those in need.