Daily Brief: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

St. Louis news worth your time today — curated by PubDef, with receipts from the archive. Click through for the full stories.

Missouri lawmakers fight utility bid to bypass competition on new power lines

Electric companies in the Midwest say new large scale powerlines are needed to get more energy onto the grid to serve big power consumers such as artificial intelligence data centers. Now, the… — Missouri Independent

Brennan Center report predicts mass voter challenges likely in midterm elections

WASHINGTON — Mass voter challenges are likely to occur in the 2026 midterm elections, the Brennan Center for Justice warned Tuesday, with the potential to “undermine the democratic process.”… — Missouri Independent

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Coalition Vows to Fight Attack on Affirmative Action” (Apr 2008)

Family crisis inspires student’s mental health mission 

The conversation with her mother lasted only a few minutes. But for Kyra Wagner, it changed the trajectory of her life. During the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wagner learned that one of her… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Lame Duck Gov makes a few appointments” (Nov 2008)

Webster University professor honored by counseling association

Dr. Claire Martin, an assistant professor in Webster University’s counseling department, has received the Ohana Award from the Counselors for Social Justice, a division of the American Counseling… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Lame Duck Gov makes a few appointments” (Nov 2008)

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