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The next chief of police for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department was named Wednesday, one of a slate of four finalists that dwindled to two in recent days.

JERSEYVILLE - A mini-competition between St. Francis and Holy Ghost school members collected an enormous about of bubble gum for the three Children's Hospitals in St. Louis recently. St. Francis collected 209 packs and Holy Ghost 521 packs. The entire school community donated 730 packs and four giant tubs of bubble gum. "We collected so much bubblegum that we are able to deliver to all three children’s hospitals in the St. Louis area!" St. Francis-Holy Ghost officials said. "We are truly blessed to have such an amazingly supportive family."

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by Andy Kroll, ProPublica, and Andrew Perez and Aditi Ramaswami, The Lever

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

Flush with money after receiving the largest-known political advocacy donation in U.S. history, conservative activist Leonard Leo and his associates are spending millions of dollars to influence some of the Supreme Court’s most consequential recent cases, newly released tax documents obtained by ProPublica and The Lever show.

The documents detail how Leo, who helped build the Supreme Court’s conservative majority as an adviser to President Donald Trump, has used a sprawling network of opaque nonprofits to fund groups advocating for ending affirmative action, rolling back anti-discrimination protections and allowing state legislatures unreviewable oversight of federal elections.

The records also show that the Leo-aligned nonprofits paid millions of dollars to for-profit entities connected to Leo.

Leo and one of his top associates did not respond to requests for comment.

The money flowed mostly through so-called dark money groups, which don’t have to disclose their donors. They are required to reveal the recipients of their spending in their annual tax returns, which are released to the public, but often those are also dark money groups or other entities that have minimal disclosure rules.

As ProPublica and The Lever detailed in August, Leo was gifted a $1.6 billion fortune last year by a reclusive manufacturing magnate, Barre Seid. The newly revealed tax documents cover last year, just as Leo was in the process of receiving that enormous donation.

The Supreme Court case involving a Colorado-based website designer who refuses to work for same-sex couples provides a window into Leo’s strategy.

At least six groups funded by Leo’s network have filed briefs supporting the suit, which seeks to overturn Colorado’s anti-discrimination law. The Ethics and Public Policy Center, which records show received $1.9 million from Leo’s network, submitted a brief supporting the web designer. So did Concerned Women for America, which has received at least $565,000 over the past two years from the Leo network, as well as an organization called the Becket Fund, which got $550,000 from a Leo group.

Leo’s network has also been the top funder of the Republican Attorneys General Association, or RAGA, which spends money to elect GOP attorneys general and serves as a policy hub for the state officials. Twenty Republican attorneys general have also filed a brief in support of the case. One Leo group donated $6.5 million to RAGA during the 2022 election cycle, according to the association’s federal filings.

The largest donation by Leo’s network was $71 million given to DonorsTrust, a so-called donor-advised fund that pools money from numerous funders and gives it out to largely conservative and libertarian groups. Past reports have described DonorsTrust as a “dark-money ATM” of the conservative movement.

Another case that Leo groups have sought to influence is Moore v. Harper, which could have sweeping implications for American democracy. The question posed in the case is whether the Constitution affords state legislatures the power to create rules for federal elections without state court oversight or intervention.

The Honest Elections Project, an initiative within another key Leo organization, the 85 Fund, has backed the plaintiff’s case with an amicus brief. The tax documents show that the 85 Fund also donated $400,000 in 2020 to the Public Interest Legal Foundation, an Indianapolis-based conservative legal group that filed a supportive brief in the case.

Thirteen Republican attorneys general filed a brief backing the suit as well.

The Supreme Court is also hearing two cases this term brought by the conservative group Students for Fair Admissions that are challenging universities’ affirmative action policies. The group received $250,000 from the 85 Fund in 2020, the tax records show, more than a third of the total it raised that year.

Speech First, which the records show received $700,000 in 2020-21 from the 85 Fund, filed briefs backing Students for Fair Admissions in both cases. Republican attorneys general, backed by Leo’s network, submitted briefs, too.

The other theme to emerge from the new tax records is the large amount of expenditures going to for-profit entities run by or connected to Leo. The 85 Fund’s largest outside vendor for 2021 was CRC Advisors, a for-profit consulting firm chaired by Leo. The 85 Fund paid CRC Advisors $22 million last year, tax records show.

The largest outside vendor to the Concord Fund, another hub in Leo’s network, was also CRC Advisors, which received nearly $8 million over the course of a year. Concord also paid $500,000 to BH Group, another for-profit firm led by Leo.

There is no prohibition on nonprofits sending business to companies they have connections to, but any deals must be made at a fair market value.

The companies did not immediately respond to questions about the payments.

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The shooting victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The good folks over at Platformer broke the news that Twitter is experimenting with Elon’s desperate attempt to make money: forcing people to “opt-in” to share personal info so they can better target ads. And, yes, there’s a contradiction between “force” and “opt-in.” As everyone already knows, Elon is desperate for revenue, seeing as he […]

(NOTE LANGUAGE) David Bowie’s wife, supermodel Iman, graces the cover of January’s British Vogue and while the rocker died of cancer in 2016, Iman cautions anyone from referring to him as her late husband.…

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Griffin’s income and taxes were reported by ProPublica alongside similar information for hundreds of America’s wealthiest people.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has named Robert Tracy as its next police chief. He joins the department out of Wilmington, Delaware.

ALTON - Sparks Junk Removal & Hauling offer many services and this holiday season they are adding one more. The company is having its First Annual Free Christmas Tree Pick Up on January 3-4. Owner Denise Sparks said it's her way of giving back to the Alton and Godfrey community and thanking them for their loyalty to their business with Sparks Junk Removal & Hauling. She said that all you have to do is put the tree down by the curb and they will come to pick it up on either one of the two days. Customers are advised to schedule their pick-up on the company's website at Sparks Junk Removal & Hauling . While on Riverbender.com's 'Our Daily Show' Denise told host CJ Nasello that she'll have been in business for 30 years this upcoming May. The company offers services such as cleanouts, furniture and appliance removal, and light demolition work. They are now also in the dumpster rental service. Their flagship service is their all-inclusive junk removal. All you have to do is point

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Chase plans to open 10 more branches in the St. Louis area by 2025.

The 2022 Photography Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Exhibition features photographic masterworks from the esteemed photographers who comprise the 2022 class of Hall of Fame Inductees and Awardees.  

The post 2022 Photography Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Exhibition appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum (IPHF) held a juried international photography contest, collecting submissions from talented artists from around the world. Famed sports photographer and 2018 Hall

The post IPHF Photo Contest Exhibition Fall 2022 appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

EDWARDSVILLE - Nearly 700 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students enjoyed a hearty breakfast Sunday night, served by SIUE administrators, faculty and staff. SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple, PhD, and other campus leaders, faculty and staff, gathered to dish out a delicious late-night breakfast spread to students as they fuel up and prepare for finals week. The SIUE community wished students well as they finish the fall 2022 semester. The menu included French toast sticks, scrambled eggs, hash browns, turkey sausage, bacon, fresh fruit, pastries and juice. The Morris University Center, University Housing, Dining Services and Kimmel Student Involvement Center co-sponsored the event. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high-quality education that powerfully transforms the lives of all individuals who seek something greater. A premier metropolitan university, SIUE is creating social and

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Despite Flooding, Contamination ConcernsResidents Celebrated with Local Events By Bob Lindsey 2022 marked a year of change and adjustments in the Florissant Valley area. Better results with COVID vaccines resulted in fewer business restrictions and event cancellations. Residents had to deal with more highway and road construction with the I-270 North Project infrastructure upgrades and […]

The post 2022 Year in Review appeared first on flovalleynews.com.

5 On Your Side compiled a list of those we lost in 2022 in the St. Louis area.

COTTAGE HILLS – Community Hope Center announced today it received a grant for $25,000 from Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., which will be used to purchase fresh produce, lean meats, low-sodium vegetables, soups, and whole grain pastas as well as maintain our fleet of trucks used to pick up food. Paul Militzer, Executive Director said, “This grant from Bayer Fund will be used to increase the choices of healthy food in our guest-choice food pantry. Community Hope Center is committed to providing healthier food options for our guests. CHC’s food pantry features SWAP (Supporting Wellness at Area Pantries), which helps guests find the healthiest foods that are available and provides nutrition information. Because of this Bayer Fund grant, CHC will be able to increase the amount of healthy food including fresh produce, low-sodium soups/mixes, whole grain pastas, lean meats, and dairy. It will also help CHC with the increasing costs of maintaining the

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The Missouri Housing Development Commission has awarded $70 million to the City of St. Louis for six affordable housing projects.

Keystone Construction Co. said work has begun on station’s new 45,000-square-foot headquarters in Maryland Heights. Move will leave only KSDK in St. Louis city.

More than a third of one-time money was converted to cash or transferred to another bank account.