Rasheen Aldridge

Nearly 100 protesters and activists disrupted a city Board of Aldermen meeting on Friday, calling for immediate changes to the St. Louis City Justice Center, where 18 people in custody have died since 2020.

Jail deaths at the City Justice Center in St. Louis are slightly higher than public safety officials previously shared and much higher than online reports show. But deaths at the CJC so far this year are the lowest they’ve been since 2021.

The two bills lay out access requirements for attorneys, elected officials, clergy and members of the Detention Facilities Oversight Board. Any person who inappropriately denies access could face a $500 fine.

Proponents of the bill said it would relieve poor residents of a financial and mental burden. That's despite a recently released working paper by economists that shows the positive effects of medical debt forgiveness may be limited.

A St. Louis aldermanic committee has given its approval to a bill that would use federal money to pay the medical debt of thousands of St. Louisans.

A Missouri Foundation for Health report finds both planned and unexpected costs of medical care create financial, physical and emotional burdens for the state’s residents.

Mayor Tishaura Jones said she signed the order to allow the Board of Aldermen to move forward on legislation reauthorizing the use of red-light and speed cameras in the city.

“While eminent domain can be scary, ultimately, this use of eminent domain protects existing residents and existing occupied businesses,” the bill’s sponsor said.

Property taxes for senior homeowners in St. Louis will be frozen, thanks to a bill passed Friday by the Board of Aldermen.

In the 18 days of violence between Israel and Hamas that has plunged the region into war, people in the St. Louis area have taken to the streets. At rallies for Israel, people decried the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. But the largest demonstrations in the area have been in support of Palestinians and against the Israeli government’s relentless attacks on Gaza.