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ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The FIFA World Cup soccer semi-finals will be on FOX 2 at noon Tuesday, with a match between Argentina vs. Croatia.  You can watch Studio STL at noon on KPLR 11.  Check out the program schedule by clicking here. The Associated Press reports that momentum is building behind Messi's push to cap his career with the [...]

The dog suffered burns to the face.

Third Way Think Tank

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A coalition of nearly 40 press freedom, civil liberties and other organizations led by Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) has urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to advance the PRESS Act to a vote before Congress adjourns.

The bipartisan act, which unanimously passed the House in September, is a "shield" bill that would protect journalists from surveillance or compelled disclosure of source materials except in emergency situations.

“The PRESS Act would be the most important press freedom legislation to pass Congress in modern history. It would finally allow journalists to do their jobs without being spied on or threatened with arrest for not burning their sources,” said FPF advocacy director Seth Stern.

The Senate must act soon to pass the PRESS Act before its session ends in the next few weeks.

“Sen. Schumer could be a hero to all journalists by making sure this bill gets a vote before the end of the year,” Stern said.

The coalition signed on to the letter includes heavyweights like the ACLU, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Electronic Frontier Foundation, PEN America and many more. You can read the full letter and see all its signatories below.

Stern said this chance may not come again for many years. “We believe the PRESS Act has a real chance at passing, and it would finally put an end to the reporter surveillance scandals that have plagued all recent presidential administrations — but only if Schumer acts quickly,” Stern added.

FPF founding board member, actor and activist John Cusack, authored an op-ed in support of the PRESS Act, arguing that “we cannot allow the government to surveil journalists and expose sources … if we expect journalists to expose corruption, speak truth to power and print what the powerful don’t want printed.”

The coalition letter follows a separate letter from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on behalf of 15 major news organizations including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR and CNN. Schumer himself is among the many elected officials, both Democrat and Republican, who have in the past supported shield legislation. Forty-nine states have recognized reporter’s privileges, leaving the federal government as the outlier.

Please contact FPF advocacy director Seth Stern for more information. He can be reached at seth@freedom.press.

Webster University says that Karen Elizabeth Noonan, 20, and Patricia Mary Coyle, 20 were returning from a fall semester abroad at the Vienna campus.

A shopper at a local Schnucks store has claimed the first of four $100,000 top prizes in the Missouri Lottery's Red Hot Cash scratchers game.

One of the four finalists to be the next St. Louis police chief has withdrawn from consideration. Melron Kelly, currently deputy chief of the Columbia, South Carolina, police department has withdrawn his name from the process, WIS-TV reported Sunday. Now second in command at the Columbia department, he began his career in law enforcement in 1999. "Officials in contact with Kelly said after consultation with his family and trusted advisors, Kelly realized that there is much work still to be done…

For the second time in recent months, a high-profile St. Louis software startup has made a round of layoffs. The latest reductions impacts a range of different roles at the company.

The federal trial for Amber Waterman, 42, the woman charged in the deadly kidnapping of a pregnant Arkansas woman, has been postponed.

The St. Louis-based health system is developing a new outpatient center in southern St. Charles County.

A $145 million, 30-story apartment tower proposed for one of the last open lots overlooking Forest Park in the Central West End could receive tax incentives under a plan being considered. The area's alderwoman previously opposed incentives, but documents say the developers are making a $1.3 million "community benefit contribution."

It's going to be a very merry Christmas for a Missouri Lottery player and her family after claiming a $50,000 prize from a recent Powerball drawing.

CARROLLTON - Several individuals in Greene County were charged with a range of crimes including grooming, battery, drug-related charges, and more over the past few weeks, according to the most recent Greene County Jail Booking Report. Harley D. Angel, 19, of Carrollton, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, grooming, indecent solicitation of a child, and unlawful restraint. He was arrested by the Carrollton Police Department on Nov. 30 and has since been released on bond. Justin M. Rochester, 20, of Jacksonville, was charged with reckless driving, speeding 35+ miles per hour over the limit, driving on a revoked/suspended license, illegal possession/transportation of cannabis by a driver, and a vehicle equipment requirement violation. He was arrested by the Scott County Sheriff on Dec. 3 and has since been released on bond. Rachel A. Roberts, 38, of Greenfield, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on a revoked/suspended

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Life in the Hazelwood School District just got potentially more complicated for its nearly 17,000 students and their families. That’s because, in a memo released Monday, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance is recommending that the Hazelwood Board of Education ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to test all district properties for radioactive contamination. The district is home to 3 high schools, 6 middle schools, and 13 grade schools, plus several ancillary service providers.

JERSEYVILLE - An East Alton man is wanted for shoplifting over $300 worth of items from the Jerseyville Walmart, while a Jerseyville man is wanted for failing to register as a sex offender in Jersey County, according to recent court filings. Both individuals currently have warrants out for their arrest. Donald G. Gibson, 36, of East Alton, allegedly stole a 27-inch HP all-in-one desktop PC, one Mossy Oak heated seat, one soundbar, and miscellaneous toys from the Jerseyville Walmart on Dec. 2. The items had a total value of more than $300. Gibson was charged with a Class 3 felony and a warrant has been filed for his arrest. His bail is set at $20,000. Brandon T. Scheldt, 25, of Jerseyville, was charged with failing to register as a sex offender with the Jersey County Sheriff’s Department three days after changing his employment status in Jersey County. Scheldt was also charged with a Class 3 felony and a warrant is out for his arrest as well, with bail set at $20,000.

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ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Holiday light displays continue to be popular this time of year. This one is the World of Illumination in the parking lot of Six Flags. There are two million animated lights that are synchronized to music. The theme is Cosmic Sleigh Ride and give you an "out of this world" look [...]

Every once in a while I find myself browsing through old photos for one reason or another, and occasionally I find a good one that never got its day in the sun. Today's photo is the original of a Milky Way panorama that didn't get used because it was too distorted to correct properly (though ...continue reading "Lunchtime Photo"

Melron Kelly this weekend removed himself from consideration as one of four finalists to be St. Louis’ next police chief, according to a Columbia, South Carolina, news outlet.

After a tangled three-and-a-half-month run, the modern Asian/dim sum restaurant is now for sale.

There are superstars, and then there's Janet Jackson. The global icon took to social media to announce a new North American tour kicking off in the spring, with a stop in St. Louis. The "Together Again" tour is Jackson's first in four years and celebrates several milestones for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.