The top local news with Michael Calhoun and the KMOX news team.

The Supreme Court has declined to put on hold a new Illinois law that would ban high-power semi-automatic weapons. Missouri Congresswoman Ann Wagner is back home for the holiday season and is touting the passage of the defense spending bill. Now two members have quit the board that's supposed to oversee the St. Louis City Justice Center. Labor unions are wading into the Democrats' primary campaign for Congress between incumbent Cori Bush and prosecutor Wesley Bell.

Plus, Raja, the elephant, born at the St. Louis Zoo 30 years ago, will be moving on to the Columbus Zoo to help keep the endangered species going.

The top local news with Michael Calhoun and the KMOX news team.

Brentwood small business owners are fighting back against the City's plans to use eminent domain along Manchester Road. We'll get to keep calling it Busch Stadium. Dubuque, Iowa's Mayor has advice on how to restore River Des Peres in St. Louis. We know about St. Louis City's police shortage; it's also the case in St. Louis County. 

In the news: Archdiocese says no Catholic grade schools will close for now, Blues coach fired, STL County council passes own budget, national recognition for Americorps St. Louis, Sen. Hawley holds up defense authorization act

At a special graduation ceremony over the weekend, the journey was just beginning for some graduates, but the end of one journey for an instructor. After 24 years of instruction and 146 graduations, Sister Carol Schumer is retiring from Fathers & Families Support Center (FFSC). At the December 8th graduation ceremony, the organization paid tribute the to the nun whose curriculum has become a large part of the Family Formation program. FFSC's program is a 6-week boot camp that teaches men how to be responsible, committed fathers. There is also a parenting program for mothers. Debbie Monterrey attended the ceremony and talked to Sister Carol's students, co-workers and admirers

In the news: KMOX legal expert looks at bills to charge women who seek abortions with murder, inmate deaths on rise in Missouri prisons, Winfield HS students killed in hunting accident mourned, St. Louis County Council talks budget tonight, stop weight loss injections and gain back the weight, company given control of troubled downtown lofts doesn't want the job

Lori Curry, founder and Executive Director of Missouri Prison Reform, spoke with KMOX’s Sean Malone about the 113 deaths in Missouri Department of Corrections Institutions so far in 2023, including 47 in our five regional facilities.

In the news: Steve Ehlmann wants to pause implementing regional crime plan, opinions differ on how short SLMPD is from full force, spike in violence against doctors and nurses, Kirkwood PD says car-clouters hard to catch, two Republicans want women who have abortions charged with murder

In the news: violent crime in St. Louis less widespread says crime expert, Kirkwood police warn shoppers of pick-pockets and thieves, Sen. Hawley angry about Senate move to strip radiation money, investigation into slow response to Carlinville funeral home complaint, food bank says demand up but donations down

Total Information AM's Tom Ackerman and Megan Lynch spoke with the man at the center of those conversations. Thomas Abt is the founding director of the Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction (VRC) and an associate research professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland.

In the news: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore says he will run to stay in office, Radiation Exposure Compensation Act stripped from defense bill, MSD has new ED, COVID on the rise in county, marijuana workers want to unionize