Iâve spent the last two days totally engrossed in Caroline Fraserâs new nonfiction Murderland, which posits that thereâs a link between the lead poisoning that plagued the Pacific Northwest in the 1960s and â70s and the many serial killers who got their start there. Itâs a fascinating thesis, perhaps even more so if you care about St. Louis, which has endured not just lead but radioactive contamination from our own government. What price have we paid for that exposure? Read more in SLMâs interview with Fraser, or catch the author tonight at the St. Louis County Library.
If youâd rather talk Trump than Ted Bundy, Ryan Krull has just the scoop for you. We also have the latest on the county executiveâs fast-growing ask for Rams settlement funds and a eulogy for a true St. Louis original. Rest in peace, Vladimir Noskov.
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The Muny's artistic director and executive producer reflects on the recent Tony win and how being an out-of-towner shapes his view of St. Louis. Listen on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, and YouTube »
The Trump brothers (far left and far right) are behind Trump Mobile, a venture with St. Louis ties. Screenshot
THIS JUST IN
Trump Mobile touts St. Louis-based call center
The Trump Organization announced yesterday that itâs getting in the wireless phone service, and that the call center for the new Trump Mobile is based right here in St. Louis. âYou're not calling up call centers in Bangladeshâdo it right out of St. Louis, Missouri,â Eric Trump told Fox Business.
Trump Mobile leans heavily into the presidential motif, offering service for $47.45 per month. Naturally, the T1 phone is gold-plated. But what exactly it means by a call center remains unclear. The Trump Organization says that subscribers to âThe 47 Planâ will enjoy perks like telehealth and roadside assistance services, and an agent with the company tells SLM that the St. Louis call center will handle the latter. The service is offered through Drive America, a company with a motorist assistance arm in an office park in the shadow of the old Chesterfield Mall. The Trumps have stated the call center will employ 250 people; itâs not clear whether those are new jobs or existing ones.
A spokesman with Trump Mobile told SLM he was swamped and did not return emailed questions. A message left with Driven Solutions, the outfit in that Chesterfield office park, referred us back to that swamped spokesman as well.
Trump Mobile is whatâs called a mobile virtual network operator. MVNOs buy space on the infrastructure of big carriers like AT&T or Verizon. Ryan Reynolds' Mint Mobile, the most well-known of these niche outfits, was bought by T-Mobile last year. Trump Mobile's rollout did seem to suffer some logistics issues, though none that seemingly have anything to do with our fair city. âRyan Krull
The people who plan meetings are having a big meeting in St. Louis this week. Photography by Sekondtry
DEEP DIVE
St. Louis welcomes a major convention, hoping for a multiplier effect
More than 2,000 professionals from the meeting and event industry will descend on St. Louis this week for Meeting Professionals Internationalâs 2025 World Education Congress, which kicks off Wednesday and runs through Friday.
But the conference wonât be just another series of meetings. Instead, the city will serve as a living classroom for planners from across the country, with local neighborhoods, venues, and cultural institutions woven into the programming.
Why It Matters: Rather than staying put in convention halls, attendees will explore places including Busch Stadium, Union Station, Grand Center, and others for immersive sessions designed to highlight what the city has to offer industry professionals. The goal is to not only showcase the future of event planning, but to position St. Louis as a capable host for major events and conventions in the years to come.
âThis is the largest events and events trade association in the world,â says Jennifer Poindexter, director of Meet St. Louis, the convention services department of Explore St. Louis. âWith that, 50 percent of the attendees will be meeting professionals who will have the opportunity to directly book meetings and conventions in St. Louis. For us, itâs important that we show the best of St. Louis and engage them in the full St. Louis experience.â
Whatâs Next: The conference gets underway Wednesday evening with a celebration on the field of Busch Stadium. Thursdayâs itinerary features a late-night party at The Pageant, where industry pros can dance and network with colleagues. The festivities wrap Friday with a miniature version of Music at the Intersection in Grand Center, complete with local food, drinks, and live music.
In between, locally focused activations will further tell the story of St. Louis as a host city. Event organizers call these activities âlearning journeys.â They include a session focused on women in business at Energizer Park, a session on the science of happiness hosted by WashU, a session on âThe Power of Playâ hosted by City Museum, and the role of events in Black history hosted by the Missouri History Museum. Attendees will also have an opportunity to assist with tornado relief efforts while packing supply kits in conjunction with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. âMike Miller
Unbeatable prices at Slumberlandâs Sunset Hills location
Great furniture, even better prices. Visit Slumberland Sunset Hills and discover amazing deals on recliners, sofas, mattresses, and moreâright in your neighborhood. Donât miss their exclusive sales and in-store giveaways now through July 6!
City will pay $505K to settle with former police chief whose wife was killed by falling concrete (stltoday): Roughly half the settlement will go to former Police Chief Joe Mokwa and half to his lawyers, after his wife of 25 years was killed by a 3,000-pound piece of concrete that fell on Forest Park Parkway.
Teen is killed at short-term rental hosting a party downtown (Fox2Now): A fight between two groups of people outside a short-term rental on Washington Avenue ended with shots being fired and people struck by a fleeing vehicle.
MO Republican says special interests killed bill to help child sex abuse survivors (Missouri Independent): The bill would have extended the statute of limitations 10 years, to age 41, allowing more people to sue over the abuse they suffered as children.
Vladimir Noskov, a.k.a. The Mad Russian (and later The Mad Ukrainian), died last month. Courtesy photo
Around Town
đ AS THE COUNTY TURNS
The St. Louis County Council hasnât yet discussed County Executive Sam Page's recommendation that $3 million from its portion of Rams settlement funds go towards the countyâs animal shelter for capital improvements, program development, and various operational costs. But on Friday, Page sent another letter requesting a whole lot more from that same fundâ$17.8 millionâfor exam rooms, larger kennels, as well as other items mentioned in the previous letter. In this letter, Page writes, âCaring for these animals is necessary and the right thing to do. Proper kennel spacing creates additional room to allow for humane housing and quarantine space, a critical need for the shelter. This spacing, among other identified improvements, will keep the County on track to obtain and maintain our state license.â However, as the letter acknowledges, the construction facilitated by the funds wouldnât begin until 2026. The shelter has thrice failed inspections to maintain its state license, and is currently operating without one. Itâs set to be inspected again on June 30. Councilman Dennis Hancock says, âBefore we give them a dime, they need to pass inspection first.â Hancock believes that based on inspection reports, the shelter has the funds it needs to pass inspection. âWeâve had management issues in the Department of Public Health for some time now,â he says. âGabrielle Lindemann
It occasionally pays to have medical professionals in elected office, if for no other reason than when someone faints at a political rally, they might be nearby to adroitly handle the situation. Thatâs exactly what happened this past weekend at the No Kings protest in St. Louis County, when heat conspired with the vigorous exercise of First Amendment rights to cause a woman to need medical assistance. County Executive Sam Page was luckily on the scene. A medical doctor before he entered politicsâas well as somewhat controversially during his time in officeâPage tended to the woman until paramedics arrived. âShe was alert pretty quickly by the time the paramedic came and never completely lost consciousness,â Page says. âShe went home with her husband. Very nice lady.â Says Page spokesman Doug Moore of his boss: âGood to see him putting that medical school training to use.â âR.K.
đ„ RIP
Friends and frenemies alike will gather at Popâs Blue Moon this Saturday to remember Vladimir Noskovâformer DJ, gonzo journalist, and regular on The Howard Stern Show. Noskov, 63, took his own life in his Cherokee Street apartment on May 6 while suffering from lung cancer. âTowards the end, he needed around-the-clock care,â recalls his old friend Bill Streeter. âBut he just refused any help.â That orneriness was quintessentially Noskov, who was known as The Mad Russian for his confrontational interviews with public figures. He asked presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, âWho is worse, Jews or Mexicans?â before shouting that Buchanan was a Nazi. He asked Second Lady Marilyn Quayle, âHaving Dan Quayle as your husband, donât you think youâd be better off as a single parent?â (âThatâs one of the most ugly things Iâve ever heard,â she responded.) Howard Stern favorably compared Noskov to his longtime sidekick Stuttering John. âHeâs got some funny stuff,â he told his listeners in 1992. âQuite frankly, Iâll probably hire him instead of John. Iâm going to get The Mad Russian.â Noskovâs wide-ranging life included a long stint as a taxi driver, being a regular on the famously unhinged St. Louis public access TV show World Wide Magazine, and having a falling out with KDHX management long before it was cool. He also managed to rebrand himself as The Mad Ukrainian, a tribute to his actual heritage, in the years before he died, and even Stern decided to allow it. More on Noskovâs complicated lifeâand sudden deathâin our online story. âS.F.
