Daily Brief: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

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

Eric Schmitt bungles accusation against former special counsel Jack Smith in heated hearing

WASHINGTON — Former special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday defended before a U.S. Senate panel his past investigations of President Donald Trump’s possession of classified documents and alleged role… — Missouri Independent

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

Eric Schmitt’s Hawks-Hawkeyes blunder and the politician he’s become

On Monday, Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt showed he still knows how old-fashioned politics works. He helped pass a college sports bill he spent months negotiating with Democrats Maria Cantwell and Chris… — Missouri Independent

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

Missouri judge hears challenge to Boone County charter school expansion

A Cole County Circuit Court judge will decide whether to strike down a 2024 law allowing charter schools in Boone County, a case that could further define Missouri’s constitutional ban on special… — Missouri Independent

📼 From the PubDef archive: “GOP Slams "Disgraced Democrats"” (Jan 2008)

Trump thwarted in hunt for rare noncitizen voters as midterms near

Five weeks before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s sprawling effort to identify and remove noncitizen voters hasn’t produced the kind of large purges that could meaningfully affect the midterm… — Missouri Independent

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Tear Down the San Luis for a Parking Lot on Lindell?” (Mar 2008)

Supreme Court allows expanded citizenship checks

The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted restrictions on the Trump administration’s expanded federal voter citizenship database, allowing it to be used while a legal challenge continues. The Trump… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “VIDEO: McCaskill on Equal Pay” (Apr 2008)

Sidney Starr says she’s ‘too famous for jail’

Reality star Sidney Starr is asking a Georgia judge to release her on bond, arguing that her celebrity status is making jail unsafe for her. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the former… — St. Louis American

📼 From the PubDef archive: “Ed Begley, Jr. coming to STL to teach green living” (Oct 2008)

RAC cuts staff, CEO position as state audit continues

The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis is cutting staff, eliminating its president and CEO position and changing how it administers millions of dollars in grants to artists and arts organizations.… — St. Louis American

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