The St. Louis ‘Mysterious Fog’: NewsNation’s Probe, NRC Records & Voices They Can’t Ignore

For years, St. Louis residents from the former Pruitt-Igoe neighborhood have talked about a mysterious fog rolling through their streets—kids running through it, parents shutting windows, and an unforgettable smell that stuck to skin and the roof of your mouth. Now a NewsNation investigation revisits a Cold War-era program and asks the question everyone still has: what was in that spray, why was it done, and who knew?

In this video, we unpack the reporting, the history, and the human impact. We revisit the period when the U.S. Army acknowledged dispersing zinc cadmium sulfide to model how agents might travel in a potential attack—tests linked to “large area coverage” trials across parts of the U.S. and Canada. We also look at what an NRC (National Research Council) review actually said: at sufficiently high exposures, repeated contact with zinc cadmium sulfide could pose risks (kidneys, bones, lungs), while also noting missing or classified records that limited a full assessment. That gap is exactly why so many residents still want transparency.

I also share a personal memory many will recognize: the mosquito-control fog trucks that rolled through neighborhoods in the ’80s and ’90s—how the cloud looked, how it smelled, what it felt like, and why some families closed their windows while others didn’t think twice. Different program, same uneasy question: how much were communities told, and what choices did they have?

This conversation goes deeper than headlines. It’s about informed consent, environmental health, public trust, and record-keeping—and how communities weigh official statements against lived experience. We also touch on perspectives around race, income, and proximity—why dense, lower-income neighborhoods often carried a heavier burden of government “testing,” and why residents and veterans alike describe a sense of betrayal when answers arrive late or not at all.

What we break down inside:

-The NewsNation reporting: what was confirmed, what remains unclear, and why documents matter

-Cold War context: why cities like St. Louis were selected (population density, terrain, river proximity)

-NRC findings vs. missing data: what the 1997 review did—and could not—conclude

-Community voices & health concerns: patterns residents describe and what they want now (apology, access, studies)

-The accountability puzzle: declassification efforts, independent reviews, and what “transparency” must look like today

Whether you grew up with fog trucks or you’re hearing this story for the first time, this is a vital discussion about public health and government responsibility. Watch, listen, and tell us below: What would real transparency look like to you—and what should come next for the communities still asking?

#stlouis #newsnation #pruittigoe #mysteriousfog #governmenttesting #coldwar #zinccadmiumsulfide #nrc #environmentalhealth #environmentaljustice #publichealth #openrecords #declassified #transparency #communityvoices #midwestnews #urbanhistory #cadmium #airquality #toxicology #healthinvestigation #documentary #longform #trendingnews #viralnews #investigativereporting #veterans #erinbrockovich #accountability #cityhistory #blackhistory #lowincomecommunities #consent #ethics #cultureandpolicy #whatsintheair #newsanalysis

Join this channel to get access to perks:

Click Here To Donate To 2 STRONG

✅Cashapp: $2strongpodcast

✅Business Inquiries: 2strongpodcast@gmail.com

We also have a P.O. Box

Fair Media

P.O. Box 1195

Granger, Indiana, 46530