The Gateway
Essential news for the St. Louis region. Every weekday, in about 8 to 10 minutes, you can learn about the top stories of the day, while also hearing longer stories that bring context and humanity to the issues and ideas that affect life in the region. Music by Ryan McNeely of Adult Fur.
Episodes
April 26, 2024 • 9 mins
If backers of an abortion rights initiative turn in enough signatures by May 5, Missourians could be voting to end the state’s ban on the procedure in November. While polling shows some GOP support for the measure, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum reports that it’s up for debate whether the ballot item hurts Republican electoral prospects.
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April 25, 2024 • 9 mins
An article published this month in a national publication put St. Louis in the spotlight—with a dark warning: beware the doom loop. It points to empty office buildings and shuttered restaurants, calling Downtown a “Real Estate Nightmare.” People are talking about it, but what's the conversation missing? Abby Llorico and Economic Development Reporter Eric Schmid discuss the response from the local business community.
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April 24, 2024 • 10 mins
NPR National Political correspondent Sarah McCammon recently released "The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church." It is part memoir and part exploration into the role Evangelicals play in politics. In a conversation with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, McCammon first talked about how her book connected with a wide audience — including people who didn’t grow up Evangelical like her.
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April 23, 2024 • 8 mins
A large number of Missourians and Illinoisans say college is still worth it. That’s according to a new report from the Strada Education Foundation. The State Opportunity Index calculates a positive return on investment score for each state.
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April 22, 2024 • 9 mins
An ancient farming practice is getting a new life. Biochar is gaining traction as a regenerative agriculture practice that could help improve soil and sink carbon. Efforts are underway to introduce more farmers to biochar.
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April 19, 2024 • 9 mins
Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle says one of his first goals as head of the department was to convince officers that the federal consent decree they’re under is a good thing. He is also focused on recruitment of officers and improving community relations.
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April 18, 2024 • 8 mins
A U-S Supreme Court decision last year stripped most federal protections from wetlands. That’s made cooperation between federal, state and local conservation groups more important than ever. A nature preserve along the Illinois River may serve as a template of how to move forward.
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April 17, 2024 • 8 mins
Last year was the deadliest, on record, for people walking in St. Louis County. The data reinforces a reputation that St. Louis is not the safest place to walk or bike. The St. Louis-based nonprofit Trailnet recently released a report that presents key findings about STL’s traffic violence during 2023.
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April 16, 2024 • 9 mins
Over the last two decades, the number of newspapers in the U.S. has dropped by nearly a third. Rural areas have been especially impacted. But newspapers are experimenting with different strategies in an effort to keep local news alive.
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April 15, 2024 • 8 mins
Last fall, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency appointed a federal coordinator to oversee the response to Cahokia Heights’ ongoing sewer and water issues. The inaugural coordinator is EPA scientist Beth Murphy. She’ll leave the position at the end of the month.
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April 12, 2024 • 8 mins
A team of behavioral health clinicians is working to bridge the gap in local policing by helping meet the mental and emotional needs in St. Louis. They’re known in St. Louis as the Purple Shirts.
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April 11, 2024 • 8 mins
Over the last month, Muslims across the world have observed the holy month of Ramadan with fasting, gatherings for meals, community prayer, and intentional giving. And yesterday marked Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan. We hear from with a range of St. Louis area Muslims about the way they’ve experienced Ramadan this year:
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April 10, 2024 • 9 mins
Some property equity firms buy lots of single family homes and rent them out. Ohio based VineBrook Homes is one of the larger companies. Many of its renters claim VineBrook neglects its properties and renters which the firm denies. Now it faces another problem–and is selling hundreds of properties in order to pay off a huge debt.
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April 9, 2024 • 12 mins
Thousands of people yesterday poured into towns, stadiums, fields and even an airplane across Missouri and Illinois to watch the solar eclipse. Totality lasted about 4 minutes but left an emotional impression on many watchers.
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April 8, 2024 • 8 mins
Farmers often rely on herbicides to keep weeds out of their fields. But a startup company in the Midwest has developed a high-tech way to cut weeds down, by using robots.
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April 5, 2024 • 9 mins
The once dominant Missouri fur industry has been declining due to shifting attitudes around the use of fur and increased trade tariffs. But the enduring market is adapting.
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April 4, 2024 • 9 mins
Mike Mills sold over 60 million albums as bassist and songwriter with R.E.M., which emerged from the college-rock scene of the 1980’s to become one of the world’s most successful bands. Now he’s blending genres with his concerto for orchestra and rock band.
Mills and violinist Robert McDuffie will perform it Friday with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, in a program that also includes orchestral interpretations of R.E.M. songs.
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April 3, 2024 • 8 mins
The fur industry has a long history in the state of Missouri, and while it looks different now – it’s still around. Rebecca Smith recently went to the annual Missouri fur auction and brings us this look at fur trapping’s role in the community and in conservation.
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April 2, 2024 • 9 mins
The average age of farmers in the U.S. continues to rise, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new “Census of Ag.” It’s now nearly 60 years old. But there’s also an increase in the number of new farmers. and student membership in the agriculture organization FFA is at an all-time high.
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April 1, 2024 • 10 mins
Gray foxes are found from Central America to Canada. But their numbers are shrinking in parts of the Midwest. Researchers in several states including Illinois are working to find out what’s behind the decline of the gray fox.
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