St. Louis on the Air

Black men face unique challenges in their everyday lives, and they often struggle to find mental health professionals who understand those challenges on a personal level. Psychotherapist Fred Williams and licensed behavioral analyst Bryant Antoine discuss how they use therapy and group sessions to support the mental health of their peers.

In 1994, the first LGBT History Month – then called Gay History Month – was celebrated with backing from prominent LGBT advocacy groups. Rodney Wilson founded the commemorative month while finishing grad school at University of Missouri-St. Louis. He also made another mark on history that year as the first openly gay K-12 teacher in Missouri. On the 30th anniversary of LGBT History Month, Wilson sat down with Danny Wicentowski to reflect on his impact as a history teacher in Missouri and abroad.

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Lucas Kunce is facing the challenging task of upending Republican Sen. Josh Hawley in a state that’s become GOP-dominated. Kunce is making a strong bid. He’s been raising money at a feverish clip since entering the U.S. Senate race in 2023, and Hawley is taking Kunce’s effort to oust him seriously, as seen with a flurry of negative television ads and confrontations.

Liz Ziegler, former Missouri Ethics Commission executive director, lays out Missouri’s campaign finance system rules. Ziegler also answers listener questions about campaign contribution limits as well as some of its limitations of the commission.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s about-face on right to work is seen by some as a welcome shift toward pro-labor policy — and by others as election year pandering. In this episode, St. Louis and Missouri based union representatives share their thoughts on the U.S. Senate race in Missouri ahead of the Nov. 5 election..

Chris Dunn became a free man after spending 34 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. In a wide-ranging interview, Chris recounts his long, frustrating journey through the justice system and how that system fought to hold him in prison — even after gaining the support of multiple judges and prosecutors. Chris was released July 30. He is joined by his wife, Kira Dunn, who stood by his side over decades, and who first met him while writing a magazine article about his case in 1999.

STLPR reporter Lacretia Wimbley shares what she learned from her conversation with St. Louis Public Schools acting Superintendent Millicent Borishade including addressing criticism on the district's hiring practices, transportation woes, enrollment and budget.

NPR’s Next Gen Radio Project was in St. Louis last week. The five-day digital journalism and audio training project’s goal is to find, coach, and train public media's next generation. STLPR Visuals Editor Brian Munoz and Senior Environmental Reporter Kate Grumke discuss the experience of working with the emerging journalists, and we feature some of the non-narrated stories that are centered on the idea of “home.”

Ken Page holds a special place among the pantheon of entertainers who have both hailed from St. Louis and who’ve chosen to call the city home. Page died Monday at the age of 70. We hear Page’s hit roles including in “Cats” and “The Wiz,” and as the voice of Oogie Boogie in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” We also listen back to Page when he was a guest on this show in 2019, after receiving the Arts and Education Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Muny’s Mike Isaacson also shares his memories. Page performed in more than 45 Muny productions.

In 1992, Lâm Flamenco opened a Vietnamese restaurant, Truc Lam. The restaurant’s long operation, as well as the dramatic journey its owner took to get to St. Louis, have made it “a fixture of the Tower Grove South neighborhood,” according to food writer Ileana Martinez, who profiled Lâm Flamenco in the latest issue of Sauce Magazine. Martinez shares her impressions from the restaurant's menu, and owner, about what it takes to run a restaurant for more than three decades.

Producer Miya Norfleet shares stories Black women recently shared about their experiences as professionals in various workplaces.

The St. Louis Zoo is part of a team of conservationists that have done what few scientists have ever accomplished: successfully reintroduce an extinct species back to the wild. Zoological manager Kayla Garcia shares how the Patula snail went extinct and was brought back to life in their native South Pacific Island of Moorea.

Much of Missouri’s natural wetlands no longer exist. They were destroyed by agriculture and urban development which is a problem because wetlands filter contaminants and excess nutrients in water. Artificial floating wetlands are becoming a promising alternative that mimic the real thing on a smaller scale. Producer Ulaa Kuziez went to St. Charles County to check out how a new floating wetland installed by the Missouri Department of Conservation helps improve water quality.

The STL Welcome Kit has tools to help you understand the history, culture and ins and outs of St. Louis. STLPR Engagement Editor Lara Hamdan curates articles that explain St. Louis and recommend events and places to explore. Lara discusses the project and previews the STL Welcome Party, a free event from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, that's a resource fair for residents new to the St. Louis metro area, and a great way to learn more about the community.

Missouri has a diverse offering of delicious cuisines from indigenous peoples to German immigrants and descendants of enslaved Africans. Because of Missouri’s unique climate, cattle and crops, traditional dishes have a special twist that you can only find within the state — 70 of those recipes are shared in a new cookbook “Missouri Comfort: Recipes, Places, and Food Traditions in the Show-Me State.” Co-authors Mathew Unger and Porcshe Moran-Murphy share the process behind their collaborative cookbook and some of their favorite recipes.

In 2023 GoDaddy Venture Forward found that Black women make up the fastest growing demographic group to turn to entrepreneurship, but the motivation for many stems from seeking psychologically safe work environments. Jennifer Drake is the organizer behind Black Women at Work, an event meant to connect and support Black women and provide ways to survive and thrive in the workplace.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell says that Marcellus Williams’ execution on Tuesday showcases two things: That prosecutors should rethink the utility of the death penalty and that a 2021 state law allowing them to try and vacate convictions may need to be changed. Bell discussed the legal twists and turns of Williams’ case.

2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year Briana Morales was in seventh-grade when she had a teacher who changed her life: by instilling a love of writing, a sense of hope — and by inspiring her to become a teacher herself. We hear that story and learn how Briana has impacted her own students’ lives.

Missouri's cannabis industry is still contending with groups hoping to exploit the state's social-equity cannabis program. Missouri Independent cannabis reporter Rebecca Rivas has tracked this story across the country. She shares her findings about the way "predatory contracts" are being used -- and who is benefiting from them.

Members of the St. Lunatics are suing Nelly because they say they weren’t credited or paid for work on the 2000 album “Country Grammar.” The HBO show “Chimp Crazy” showed a St. Louis nurse admitting she lied in federal court. Mission Taco Joint is changing its name to Session Taco after a lawsuit from the maker of Mission-branded tortillas. Those were some of the issues discussed on our monthly Legal Roundtable with attorneys Nicole Gorovsky, Javad Khazaeli and Bevis Schock. The attorneys also discussed this week’s execution of Marcellus Williams, the case of a Honduran national who killed a St. Louis police officer while driving drunk on Sunday, and more.

Journalist Jake Adelstein is known for his reporting on Japanese organized crime and the Yakuza, which inspired a recent HBO series "Tokyo Vice." But this Missouri native's new project, as the host and producer of "Night Shift," tells a story close to his hometown of Columbia -- and to a story that Adelstein's father played a key role in. Jake discusses the podcast, his father's involvement, and why this case still sticks with him decades later.

The Riverfront Times was sold to an undisclosed buyer in May, but the secret may be out. STLPR’s Jessica Rogen reports that an LLC in Texas appears to be the new owner. The investigation involved digging into incorporation documents, lawsuit filings and more — all of which points to RSC Ventures, a company that’s leveraging the RFT’s online reputation to fund a link-farming business involving OnlyFans creators and camgirls.

Bob Putnam, co-owner of the iconic St. Louis artist’s haven the Way Out Club, passed away August 26, 2024. His wife and fellow Way Out Club owner Sherri “Danger” Lucas shares memories of Putnam, who was beloved as a friend, mentor and dedicated supporter of local arts.

Prescription drug monitoring programs — a technology originally designed for law enforcement — have been used by health care systems to combat the opioid crisis since the early 2000s. In her new book “Policing Patients,” St. Louis University Associate Professor Liz Chiarello speaks to the technology’s effects on overdose rates and patient outcomes. She also sheds light on the tool’s effect on doctors, pharmacists, and law enforcement; and what this has meant for patient care.

This past Thursday, producer Danny Wicentowski joined our show to discuss how VP St. Louis has ousted the central figure and namesake of the secret society that runs St. Louis’ Fourth of July Parade — the Veiled Prophet. This episode of STLPR’s podcast “We Live Here” takes a deep dive on the history of the Veiled Prophet and explores how it’s connected to the Ferguson uprising.

Despite not having the most money or the flashiest social media strategy, state Sen. Denny Hoskins emerged as the winner of the crowded GOP primary for secretary of state. Hoskins has a proposal that is alarming elections officials — to hand count ballots. St. Louis County election directors Eric Fey and Rick Stream join the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air to discuss why they think that’s a bad idea.

Neither Missouri or Illinois are competitive in this year’s election cycle. But residents in both states are contributing time and money to campaigns. In this episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, we hear from voters and political consultants in both states about why they’re still involved in presidential politics.

St. Louis County native Gabe Fleisher started a politics newsletter when he was nine years old. Now, the recent Georgetown University graduate has nearly 50,000 people subscribed to his “Wake Up to Politics” newsletter on Substack. Fleisher joins the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air to talk about the evolution of his journalism — and what he’s paying attention to in the home stretch of the presidential race.

After Brad Edwards and his family experienced a massive tragedy — twins lost to stillbirth — he decided to create an opportunity to train dads to better support mothers and be advocates for their birth partners. Edwards’ loss was the catalyst to developing Dads to Doulas which will welcome its first cohort Oct. 2024, an initiative under the media platform Dear Fathers which focuses on Black fatherhood and mental health. Edwards shares what Dads to Doulas training will entail and why it’s important for more men to learn the ins and outs of prenatal and postpartum stages.

The Veiled Prophet is gone. According to VP St. Louis, the central figure and namesake of the secret society that runs St. Louis' Fourth of July parade “is no longer part” of the group that once bore his name. In a rare public interview, VP St. Louis Chief Operating Officer Michael Ruwitch said the decision to remove the Veiled Prophet was made “for reasons.” He insisted that “VP is just letters.” St. Louis on the Air producer Danny Wicentowski unpacks the news, and what it means for the 146-year-old club.

Children of immigrants often face heritage language loss. In this encore episode, we hear from St. Louis parents and community members who are taking practical steps to maintain linguistic and cultural connection across generations.

Female rappers are dominating the charts, including St. Louis’ very own Diamond Smith — better known by her stage name Big Boss Vette. The writer and rapper behind hits like “Snatched” and “Pretty Girls Walk” reflects on her St. Louis roots, her fast-growing career and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Producer Miya Norfleet shares reflections for artists and attendees of this year’s Music at the Intersection Festival hosted in Grand Center.

The "How to Destroy Everything" podcast is back after a long break with new episodes, continuing the strange, twisting tale of the late St. Louis attorney Richard Jacobs. Listen back to our 2023 interview with creators Danny Jacbos and Darren Grodsky, who describe their growing investigation into the ways Jacobs, Danny’s father, controlled and terrorized the people in his life. We also hear an update about the next episode, and what the series creators have been doing since 2023.

Do speed humps help curb reckless driving? Crown Candy Kitchen owner Andy Karandzieff says he’s seen a marked improvement in driver behavior at the intersection near his restaurant in Old North St. Louis. He joins Elaine Cha and 14th Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge to talk about traffic violence, what it takes to get speed humps installed, and what else needs to happen to improve the safety of our region’s roadways.

Sam Altman wants to be careful about not overhyping Thursday’s release of the newest model of ChatGPT. But that’s not stopping the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI from celebrating OpenAI o1 as a new artificial intelligence model that can reason and solve complex problems. Altman grew up in St. Louis and was back in his hometown speaking at his alma mater, John Burroughs. Altman discusses his St. Louis upbringing, the origins, emergence and uses of AI, along with the newest version of ChatGPT.

St. Louis summers are infamously hot and humid. But this year saw a combination of much hotter, more humid and drier days. Matt Beitscher, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service-St. Louis, and Trent Ford, Illinois’ State Climatologist speak to what’s causing extreme weather events in the Midwest region, and what is challenging about keeping vulnerable people safe.

Leticia Seitz is the owner of Arte Rojo STL and broadcaster behind Conectando Raices Radio. She joined “St. Louis on the Air” to discuss the importance of providing a way for people of Mexican descent living abroad to stay connected to their heritage as well as sharing her culture with those who are interested in learning more about Mexico. She also shares what’s planned for Fiesta Mexicana, a local celebration that commemorates Mexican Independence Day.

St. Louis took over the airwaves and the hip-hop Billboard charts in the early 2000s, and helping lead the charge was Walnut Park native Howard Bailey, Jr. — better known as Chingy. He’s bringing those nostalgic hits and newer works to the Music at the Intersection stage Saturday, Sept. 14.

The St. Louis initiative Dance the Vote is using the arts to get people to register to vote ahead of the November general election. Ahead of this Saturday’s Dance the Vote event at the Missouri History Museum, cofounder Joan Lipkin and youth activist Precious Barry discuss the importance of fostering civic engagement among young people before they hit voting age, disability voting rights and efforts to increase voter turnout in the St. Louis area.

A Missouri Supreme Court order this week ended days of legal drama surrounding an amendment to legalize abortion in Missouri. St. Louis Public Radio politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum breaks down the legal developments and political ramifications, and what happens if voters approve Amendment 3 on November 5.

Sam Goodwin’s recreational trip to Syria took a terrifying turn when he was wrongfully accused of espionage and detained for nine weeks in 2019. While stuck on the inside of the country’s notoriously lethal prison system, his family in St. Louis worked relentlessly to secure his release. The story of his captivity, and the international network of people who helped him get out, is detailed in his new book, “Saving Sam: The True Story of an American’s Disappearance in Syria and His Family’s Extraordinary Fight to Bring Him Home.”

The BBC is turning its lens toward St. Louis. The Arts Hour on Tour will showcase the city’s talent on Tuesday night at the Touhill Performing Arts Center; and the flagship daily news program, Newshour, broadcast from STLPR’s studios on Monday. Newshour anchor James Menendez discusses the BBC’s reporting in St. Louis which included stories on efforts to legalize abortion and a trip to a rodeo in Defiance, Missouri.

Illinois has joined a slew of states and cities looking to redesign their flags. The Illinois Flag Commission — made up of political appointees and representatives from the state archives, state museum and state superintendent — will accept ideas online or by mail until Oct. 18.

Fifty years after his death, Bruce Lee’s status as one of the world’s most influential martial artists endures through his work as an actor and his philosophical teachings. In the 2020 book “Be Water, My Friend,” Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee speaks to principles that guided her father’s life as well as her own. In this encore episode, she talks with Elaine Cha about the book and her father's teachings.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will square off in their first presidential debate on Tuesday. St. Louis has a rich history of hosting such events. Washington University hosted presidential or vice presidential debates in 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2016. Longtime St. Louis journalist Jo Mannies discusses this history on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, and we hear from WashU Chancellor Emeritus Mark Wrighton as well as notable moments from those debates.

St. Louis County Councilman Dennis Hancock recently faced scrutiny after he sought to hire his stepdaughter as his assistant. The Missouri Constitution prohibits nepotism and it’s been frowned upon throughout American history. In this episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum speaks with historian Cassandra Good about the tradition and controversy around nepotism in American politics.

Jamaa Birth Village founder Okunsola Amadou became Missouri's first Black certified professional midwife in 2019. She shares her unlikely life story, from a childhood in Texas and Ferguson, to becoming a water priestess in Ghana, to returning to Ferguson just in time to experience the uprising over Michael Brown’s killing in 2014. She spoke with producer Danny Wicentowski about her decision to return to Ferguson to build her dream birth center.

The digitization and curation team from the National Museum of African American History and Culture are helping families and institutions preserve Black history in the St. Louis region. Doretha Williams, director of the Digitization and Curation Center at the Smithsonian Institute and April Brown, director of Internship Management & HR Solutions at Cardinal Ritter College Prep discuss the importance of maintaining personal and community histories and how folks can participate

The HBO series "Chimp Crazy" has brought international attention to U.S. roadside zoos that offer exotic animal encounters. It also brought renewed attention to Missouri resident Tonia Haddix, who kidnapped a chimpanzee named Tonka in 2021 and lied about his death in court. PETA lawyer Brittany Peet shares insights on “Chimp Crazy” and the legal issues that Haddix now faces. Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation executive director Bob Baker also joins the conversation to discuss how Missouri exotic animal laws have allowed facilities like Haddix’s to sell chimpanzees in the entertainment industry and the exotic pet trade.