The Gateway

Sunday afternoon, President Joe Biden announced he’s ending his campaign for a second term. We talked to local lawmakers, party leaders, and voters about how they’re feeling, and their plans moving forward.

Plus, eight Republicans are running to become Missouri’s next Secretary of State. St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg breaks down the race and explains what has so many people throwing their hats in the ring.

The new artistic director of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis says the theater needs to be a place where all St. Louisans feel welcome. Kate Bergstrom joins The Rep after a financial crisis led its leaders to cut last season short. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy Goodwin asked her about the theater’s future.

The 6th District, which covers south St. Louis County, is the only one with a contested Republican primary. Incumbent Ernie Trakas, who is seeking his third term, has a GOP opponent for the first time – attorney Michael Archer. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann has more from both candidates.

Some Democratic voters in St. Louis County will go to the polls in August to choose their candidates to run for a seat on an often-fractious County Council. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann has more from the women running to represent the Second and Fourth Council Districts.

A good cup of coffee in the morning can be eye opening. For one St. Louis organization, that’s the mission – putting money from coffee sales toward sending local kids on international travel experiences to broaden their horizons. St. Louis Public Radio's Abby Llorico has the story of Show Me The World.

The Republican National Convention begins today – after an attempt on the life of their presumed presidential candidate, Donald Trump. How our local lawmakers are responding to the events of the weekend and preparing for the week ahead. And: a onetime member of the Hollywood paparazzi who relocated to St. Louis has published a novel based on the everyday lives of his new neighbors. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy Goodwin gets the view of St. Louis from a relative newcomer.

Illinois Republicans are preparing to head to Milwaukee for next week’s Republican National Convention where they’ll nominate Donald Trump to be the party’s official nominee for president. The state party now appears to be in lockstep with their presidential pick even though Trump has twice lost Illinois. And intense in-fighting recently cost the Illinois G-O-P’s leader his job. As Alex Degman reports, the next week will likely feature some tough discussions on where the Illinois Republican Party hopes to go.

When a child enters the foster care system, the primary goal is to place them with a family member. But when the foster child has significant behavioral or mental health conditions, they are placed in a residential facility with staff trained in specialized treatment. In Iowa and Missouri, there is ample space for boys in those centers, but not for girls. The Midwest Newsroom’s Kristofor Husted reports.

Summer break can be the hungriest time of the year for children who rely on free and reduced lunch at school. For years the US Department of Agriculture has offered funding for on-site meals. This year the USDA also rolled out a new program called SUN Bucks… to provide eligible families $120 per child for groceries over the summer months. But as Harvest Public Media’s Anna Pope reports, 13 states opted out of the program -- leaving almost 10 million children without the food benefit.

Missouri’s child welfare system has struggled to perform essential functions over the years. But after hiring more staff and making other changes in recent years, state officials say fewer foster kids are languishing in the system. St. Louis Public Radio’s Lacretia Wimbley spoke with one woman who spent more than 10 years as a foster kid in Missouri, and reports on what officials are doing to better outcomes for children in the system.