The Gateway

A think tank says improving access to broadband internet could bridge the rural-urban divide. But it is one of many issues the Biden Administration has to tackle with limited time and resources.

Federal aid for live music venues has had mixed results for St. Louis arts organizations. Also, Governor Mike Parsons delivered his State of the State address.

The Missouri vaccination plan categorizes correctional officers as essential. They will be among the first workers to receive the shots. Though inmates are at a high risk of contracting the virus inside dense prison settings, the state plan does not specify when they will be vaccinated.

In parts of eastern Germany, teens are making up a growing percentage of perpetrators of hate crimes. St. Louis Public Radio’s Ryan Delaney traveled to Germany in the fall with support from the Pulitzer Center. He reports several nonprofits are working with educators and students to teach against anti-semitism and far-right extremism.

Some African Americans in the St. Louis region do not trust the coronavirus vaccine because of the country’s history of racism in the healthcare system. Doctors and health officials in the St. Louis area are educating Black patients about the vaccine to build trust.

The intensity of the current split on the St. Louis County Council is affecting the flow of county business. The fiery debate centers on leadership of the seven-person body.

Illinois launched legal marijuana sales a year ago this month. There have been some successes including an increase in tax money for the state and cities. But there have been failures such as a lack of minority ownership.

It's an historic day as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris take the oath of office for President and Vice President of the United States. Also, the St. Louis County Council presses forward with business while the chair position remains contested.

Employees at the St. Louis Aquarium are raising concerns about working conditions during the pandemic. More than a dozen former and current workers have told St. Louis Public Radio that management doesn’t always enforce COVID-19 rules, putting people’s health at risk.

Many were not surprised by last week's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Several groups have been warning for years that hate speech could lead to mob violence. The regional director of the Anti-Defamation League says there is a clear link between the violence and rhetoric from the President.

Even though doses of the coronavirus vaccine have reached hospitals in the region, health care workers in private clinics and urgent care centers are wondering when they will receive the shots to give COVID-19 patients.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines allow employers to require staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine. But there are questions about what happens if a worker refuses. A Washington University law professor discusses considerations for workers and employers as they prepare for the vaccine rollout in Missouri.

The St. Louis Board of Education votes tonight on a plan to close 11 buildings. Parents have been trying to save some of those schools. Also, we’ll hear from a teacher about online learning during a pandemic in her first year as an educator.

Many who watched a mob storm the U.S. Capitol last week noticed the restraint of police. Those images were in stark contrast to the force used against protestors for Black lives. Many history experts say the nation has a long tolerance for white violence and there is a lengthy road to equity ahead.

Many politicians are blaming President Donald Trump for Wednesday's violence in the nation’s capital. Much of the fallout is also centering on Republican Senator Josh Hawley. He was one of the first senators to announce an objection to Joe Biden’s victory in the Presidential election.

Missouri and Illinois members of Congress are using terms like, “ashamed” and “a sad day for our country” to describe the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington. Some politicians want the President removed from office.

It has been an academic year unlike any other because of COVID-19. College students say even when they are on campus, they are missing out on the social life a higher education environment usually provides.

The 2021 session of the Missouri legislature begins tomorrow. Medicaid expansion, COVID-19 liability and increasing the gas tax are some of the issues expected to be up for debate this year at the state capitol.

Illinois election authorities have released absentee and mail-in voting totals from the general election on a county by county basis. Missouri is soon to follow. We examine how election night in November might change voting forever.

The most recent farm bill legalized hemp production nationwide, but left individual states in charge of oversight. As the crop rolls out across the Midwest, some states are seeing more success than others, but overall, farmers remain optimistic.

St. Louis City FC signed its first player, more than two years before the team will take the pitch. But this player will compete only on the screen. And, we take a ride with a passionate model airplane club.

Tik Tok, the social media video platform, might not be the first place you think of for politicians. But some state lawmakers in Missouri and Kansas are using the app to reach a younger audience.

The first piece by The Rep's playwright-in-residence is a compilation of vignettes by nine artists. Regina Taylor says the production addresses pandemic life through monologue and song.

High school seniors are applying to college in uncertain times. They're struggling to market themselves following an academic year without many extracurricular activities and standardized tests because of COVID-19.

Former Iowa Governor and previous Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is President-elect Joe Biden's choice for the cabinet post he held under President Obama. While he was perceived to be the "safe" choice, Midwest farmers from across the political spectrum have major concerns.