Daily Brief: Thursday, September 17, 2026

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

Missouri congressman urged leniency for Ponzi schemer who hired longtime consultant

Weeks before a federal judge in St. Louis sentenced Siddharth Jawahar to 11 years in prison for running a $35 million Ponzi scheme, he hired a prominent Missouri political consulting firm to help… — Missouri Independent

From struggling student to school leader

Long before Dr. Demetrius Adams became the principal of Hazelwood West High School, he was a student struggling to read and wondering whether he could keep up with his classmates. Adams had an… — St. Louis American

This Week’s Photos: September 17th, 2026

This week’s photo gallery highlights Dr. Demetrius Adams, an Excellence in Education honoree at the St. Louis American Foundation’s upcoming Salute to Excellence in Education gala. We also capture… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Irene, Maida and Mike — a Tale of Delusion, Promise and Possibility” (Nov 2008)

AFL-CIO backs Amendment 6

The Missouri AFL-CIO has endorsed Amendment 6, a citizen-led measure on the Nov. 3 ballot that would strengthen protections for Missouri’s initiative and referendum process. The measure would make… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Hubbard Fights Back Against Hypocritical Attacks” (Jul 2008)

Tacos and Tequila brings throwback hits and festival fun to O’Fallon

Hip-hop nostalgia took over CarShield Field as Social House’s Tacos and Tequila Music Festival brought fans together in O’Fallon for a day of music, food and celebration. From sunny afternoon sets to… — St. Louis American

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

Media personality Timothy “Buc Wild” Joseph dies at 47

Timothy “Buc Wild” Joseph, the former HOT 97 personality best known as co-host of the “Star & Buc Wild” radio show, has died. He was 47. His longtime friend and former co-host Star announced Joseph’s… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Irene, Maida and Mike — a Tale of Delusion, Promise and Possibility” (Nov 2008)

United Way launches annual campaign

United Way of Greater St. Louis launched its annual Community Campaign on Tuesday, seeking donations and volunteers to support programs across its 16-county service area in Missouri and Illinois. The… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Could Jay have done more for Obama?” (Nov 2008)

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