2.21.25

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A message from executive editor Sarah Fenske

Yesterday, the Missouri House approved a bill to return control of the St. Louis police to a board appointed by the governor. That means nothing unless the Senate does the same, but it’s still a worrisome development for city officials.

Lawmakers have suggested we need state control to keep the city safe, but it's hard to see what a board would do differently. For SLM’s ongoing Citizens’ Agenda project with Nine PBS, I got to talk policing with all four mayoral candidates, and never heard anyone suggesting we defund the police, pull back on traffic enforcement (perhaps surprisingly, the city issued 27,000 tickets last year), or rethink policing. That moment seems to have passed in St. Louis, even if lawmakers see political utility in insisting otherwise. Learn about what the mayoral candidates had to say about ensuring public safety below.

Also in today’s edition: Ryan Krull has news on a potentially $6 billion company setting up HQ in STL, Cori Bush has a new gig, and weekend fun is on the way. Here’s hoping the balmy days ahead give you plenty of outdoor time—and maybe even a brass band or a bulldog in a tutu!

Follow me on Bluesky to keep up with the latest. Have a story idea? Reply to this email, or send a message to sfenske@stlmag.com.

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THE 314 PODCAST WITH SARAH FENSKE

Former Gov. Jay Nixon on Missouri's Challenges

How can Missouri curb crime? What is the future of the state's Democratic Party? Jay Nixon shares his ideas on The 314 Podcast. Tune in on Apple Podcasts and Spotify »

5 Things to Do

📺 SNL Trivia at 9 Mile Garden (Fri)

🪩 Hot to Go at Delmar Hall (Sat)

🎵 Adam Wainwright & SLSO at Stifel (Sat)

🎤 Omer Malchin at Holocaust Museum (Sun)

🐶 Purina Pet Parade (Sun)

✉️ Sign up for SLM’s Weekend newsletter for more options.

The city has fewer police, but it's also seen fewer homicides. Photography by Paul Sableman via Flickr

THIS JUST IN

Crime remains a focus, even with better stats

Folks may or may not feel safer in the city these days, but data kept by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department shows a clear pattern citywide: Crime is down. From 2021 to 2024, murders fell from 202 to 150. Aggravated assaults went down by 24 percent, property crimes by 11 percent, and “society” crimes (e.g. drug violations) by 15 percent.

Mayor Tishaura Jones often credits her violence prevention programs and the leadership of Police Commissioner Robert Tracy, who arrived in early 2023. Under Jones’ tenure, the clearance rate for the SLMPD has risen and officers have gotten two raises. Even so, the president of the police union has said 512 officers have left during that time—reflecting nationwide trends.

In interviews with SLM and Nine PBS for the Citizens Agenda, Alderwoman Cara Spencer said that a fully staffed police department is “imperative.” She calls for paying officers at a level that’s regionally competitive. Spencer proposes improving the hiring process and focusing more on day-to-day issues for officers such as ordering shirts and fixing vehicles in their fleet.
Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler echoes these positions. “The number one thing that I hear from police officers,” Butler said, “is that their equipment is not up-to-date.” He too calls for raising officer pay.
Read what all four mayoral candidates had to say about pedestrian safety, holding bad officers accountable, and more in our online story and transcripts of individual interviews. You can also stream the Nine PBS special. —Nicholas Phillips

Read the full story »

St. Louis attorney Al Watkins is guiding a newly formed company to its public debut. Courtesy photo

DEEP DIVE

Evolution Metals aims for big NASDAQ valuation and St. Louis HQ

A soon-to-be publicly traded company valued at $6 billion is headed to St. Louis. On Wednesday, a Missouri-based recycler of lithium-ion batteries as well as three South Korean companies got the OK from the Securities and Exchange Commission to be acquired by, and go public as, Evolution Metals, clearing the way for it to be traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

Attorney Al Watkins, who quarterbacked the process on behalf of Missouri’s Critical Mineral Recovery, called that SEC approval a “big, huge hurdle” that, now cleared, means good things for St. Louis, where Evolution will set up headquarters. A dozen or so members of the company’s transition team are headed here now, Watkins says, the first of scores of executives that he says will work out of St. Louis. “I think I will probably open a bottle of beer sometime later this afternoon,” Watkins said on the morning of the approval.

Since getting its start as an electronics recycler in 1996, CMR has become a leader in what’s called “urban mining,” extracting valuable material from previously used products. CMR extracts key components of old electric vehicles—the first generation of which are at the end of their lives—and recycles them for use in the production of new EVs. (Its Fredericktown plant recently suffered a sizable fire, but the company plans to rebuild.) The three South Korean companies process magnets used in lithium-ion batteries.

The $6 billion valuation comes from SEC filings, which state that 615.8 million shares of common stock will be issued at $10 each. “Watch what happens after it goes live on NASDAQ,” says Watkins. “That will give you an idea of how investors are viewing the value of the company.”

Why It Matters: Evolution’s C-suite setting up here is a welcome reversal of what has been a trend of public companies in St. Louis being acquired by entities located elsewhere, with many of the highest paid positions being relocated to places like Germany (Monsanto) or Belgium (Anheuser-Busch).

What’s Next: Watkins says that Evolution should appear on the exchange in roughly 45 days. “Missouri is for the first time way ahead of the curve,” says Watkins. “Very significant players in the manufacturing world are jumping in to establish a presence in the immediate vicinity. With that comes more people, more high-paying jobs.” —Ryan Krull

Read the full story »

A MESSAGE FROM CARDINALS SPECIAL EVENTS

Celebrate this spring at Busch Stadium – Outdoor fun, food, and activities

Host your social event at Busch Stadium! Enjoy great food and fun activities—on the
field or in unique spaces. Perfect for fundraisers, celebrations, birthdays, and more.

Learn More »

Today's Top Stories

St. Louis Public Schools’ makes Borishade’s promotion to superintendent permanent (stltoday): School board member Emily Hubbard, the lone dissenting vote, said the vote came as a surprise in a closed-door meeting.
AI eases dispatch woes in St. Louis County (KSDK): Beginning in 2023, the county began to use an artificial intelligence assistant for some emergency calls. It now handles 20,000 calls a year, freeing up people for more serious needs.
WashU quietly opens doors to Jewish transfer students (Jewish Light): Around 20 students enrolled in the university through an under-the-radar mid-year transfer program. Some Jewish students looked for “friendlier pastures” after the war in Gaza made some college campuses hotbeds of pro-Palestinian activism.

Red and Black Brass Band struts at Cherokee Street's Brass Band Blowout. Photography by Bailey Elizabeth Rogers

Around Town

☕ THE POLITICAL TEA

The latest bit of local text-message politicking begins innocently enough. “Not selling anything—no donations. We're looking for a few people like you in St. Louis to give opinions about issues,” the communique begins. It’s followed by a link to an “opinion survey,” which after asking a few questions about you and what local issues you think are important, very quickly starts asking how you’d feel if you were told that mayoral candidate Cara Spencer is pals with “greedy developers” or takes a “wait and see” approach on MAGA. What if you heard that “when it comes to crime, keep an eye on Cara Spencer's words AND deeds”? Does that cause serious doubts? The survey is clearly what’s called a push poll, in which a faux-survey is actually meant to manipulate the survey-taker’s opinion. Public opinion research organizations generally take a poor view of the practice. This push poll paints Mayor Tishaura Jones in as rosy a light as it does Spencer in a menacing one. “Some people are ready to give up on the Northside and other neighborhoods in St. Louis. But not Tishaura Jones,” begins one prompt. Oddly, given the poll’s good feelings on the incumbent, it misspells her first name at least three times. Spencer tells SLM she thinks she knows why. “The purpose appears to be to bash me, not really anything more,” she says. Jones’ campaign didn’t respond to a message asking if they know anything about the poll's origins. —R.K.

👀 EYES OF THE NATION

One month after leaving Congress, Cori Bush has unveiled her next move: Co-host of a monthly show, Bowman and Bush, with fellow ousted Squad member Jamaal Bowman (D-New York). Bush wrote on X that the show will “dive deep into what’s really happening in Congress and explore the powerful influence of big money.” The trailer shows Bush camping out on the steps of Congress and calling for ceasefire on Gaza only to face, in her words, “millions and millions of dollars” from pro-Israel groups that “tried to silence me.” Referencing “the corruption, the lobbying, the big money,” Bush says, “We’re here to talk about the big picture, to show you what’s going on in America.” The show will air on Zeteo, a subscription-based digital media outlet launched this month by former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan. A scan of the site open to non-subscribers suggests Bush should fit right in, with contributors including Cynthia Nixon, Greta Thunberg, and Taylor Lorenz, and an anti-Trump, pro-Palestine focus. —S.F.

🎺 THE WEEKEND SCENE

The actual Mardi Gras—the one that takes place on Tuesday—isn’t until March 4, but this weekend, Mardi Gras season officially begins in St. Louis. Let’s face it: One Saturday in Soulard just isn’t enough, no matter how many hurricanes are consumed per capita. On Saturday, the place to be is Cherokee Street, which is hosting a free Mardi Gras Music Crawl from 4–6 p.m. (seven bands at seven venues, including Hop Shop, Whiskey Ring, and ‘Ssippi) followed by the city’s three preeminent brass bands at The Golden Record. Four years ago, the Funky Butt Brass Band, Saint Boogie Brass Band and Red and Black Brass Band first came together for a “battle of the brass bands,” says John Joern of the Cherokee Street CID. “But in the spirit of community we’ve reduced the competitive part and now it’s just a showcase of STL’s favorites.” The Brass Band Blowout begins at 7 p.m.; tickets are $20-25. On Sunday, you’ll want to be in Soulard for the annual Purina Pet Parade, a funny free-for-all of dogs in fancy finery, as well as the odd parrot or pig (yes, really). Bonus: The annual Wiener Dog Derby kicks off at 1:45 p.m. —S.F.