Daily Brief: Sunday, August 16, 2026

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

Jedda “Ms. Dupree” Jones of ‘The Tom Joyner Morning Show’ dies at 73

Jedda Jones, the comedienne, radio personality and creator of the popular “Ms. Dupree” character from The Tom Joyner Morning Show, has passed away. She was 73. Her cause of death has not yet been… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Project: Safe Halloween brings trick-or-treating fun to northside kids” (Oct 2008)

Mattel honors Whitney Houston with signature Barbie

Mattel is paying tribute to superstar Whitney Houston with a new Barbie doll. The company introduced the Whitney Houston Barbie Signature Doll on Sunday, August 9. Capturing her iconic look from… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “New Anti-McCaskill Ad Racist?” (Oct 2006)

Bailey Hensgens places eighth at the Worlds in the high jump

Rising senior Bailey Hensgens of Incarnate Word Academy advanced to the finals of the high jump and placed eighth at the World U20 Championships in Oregon. Hensgens was the top American performer in… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Protester strips downtown to bring attention to animal mistreatment” (Nov 2005)

Suited for success

In just a few days, Ivan Wilson will pack up his dorm room essentials and move into Washington University as a freshman with dreams of becoming a lawyer. Alongside his books, laptop and bedding will… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Post-Dispatch Endorses Reed, Southside Journal Goes with Shrewsbury” (Feb 2007)

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