St. Louis on the Air

Opera Theatre of St. Louis is on a mission to introduce opera to younger audiences. This year they connected with third grade students from Jefferson Elementary in the Normandy Schools Collaborative to write an original libretto that they’ll perform Tuesday night. Opera Theatre of St. Louis teaching artist Valerie Smith and Normandy Schools Collaborative’s fine arts director Suzanne Palmer discuss their collaboration along with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

On November 9, Bobby Bostic walked out of the Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City. Outside the gates, he embraced retired judge Evelyn Baker, who in 1997 sentenced Bostic to an astonishing prison term: 241 years. Without a chance for parole, the sentence effectively doomed Bostic to death behind bars. But that’s not what happened. After his release on November 9, Bostic discusses the path of his unlikely freedom, which included a reunion, and forgiveness, for the judge who sentenced him to more than two centuries’ imprisonment.

Seventeen years after killing a Kirkwood Police officer, Kevin Johnson has been given a date with the executioner. He’s scheduled to die by lethal injection Nov. 29. Now he’s making what’s likely his final plea to avoid execution. The special prosecutor on his case now wants the Missouri Supreme Court to put a halt to his death sentence. Analyzing the case is our Legal Roundtable of expert attorneys: Mark Smith, a former associate vice chancellor and Dean at Washington University; Erin Lueker, previously a public defender for St. Louis County and a prosecuting attorney for the state of Missouri; and Erin Banks, former St. Louis City Counselor.

Andy Taylor, son of Enterprise Holdings founder Jack Taylor, talks about ‘Jack Taylor: The Enterprise’ documentary and his father’s life and legacy.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Marva Robinson discusses how to navigate complex family dynamics and hot button topics that may come up during gatherings this holiday season.

Elon Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter has users of the social media platform bracing for the app’s downfall. In St. Louis, activists and journalists that have been heavy users of Twitter since the police shooting death of Michael Brown, Jr. are concerned about the future of the app and the potential loss of how everyday people could lose power in social movements. Action St. Louis co-founder and executive director Kayla Reed and New York Times bestselling author Sarah Kendzior discuss how Twitter has shaped the narrative about St. Louis, the Ferguson uprising, and the ways social media impacts policy.

Megan Green was sworn in as St. Louis Board of Aldermen President on Friday. She joins us today to discuss her priorities and agenda for the next five months she will serve in the position.

Roughly a year after a landmark settlement over the St. Louis Rams’ departure to Los Angeles, the parties involved in the lawsuit still haven’t agreed how to split up more than $500 million. STLPR Political Correspondent Jason Rosenbaum discusses what's next including an idea to place the funds into something resembling an endowment — an idea that’s gotten a mixed reaction from policymakers.

A new report from the Freedom Community Center compiles data from a year of bail hearings, which it describes as “the front door to the criminal punishment system.” In April, Freedom Community Center released its first six-month report, finding that judges in the 22nd Circuit Court opted to deny release for 57% of. The full report, released today, evaluated more than 1,000 bail hearings over the course of a full year: It found judges reject bond in 62% of cases. Freedom Community Center Operations Manager Patrick Sullivan discusses the new report, and shares his insight on the impact “no bail” rulings have on the people forced to wait for trial behind bars.

A Missouri woman who was denied an abortion prompted an unprecedented federal investigation into whether a hospital violated the law by failing to provide her medical care. Farmer’s story was first told by reporter Susan Szuch of Springfield News-Leader, who discusses the case alongside attorney Michelle Banker, the director of reproductive rights and health litigation at the National Women’s Law Center, and who represents Farmer.

In the early 1970s, Chol Soo Lee, a Korean American immigrant, was falsely convicted for a San Francisco Chinatown murder and later sentenced to death. Activists led by a Korean American journalist and college students initiated a pan-Asian American movement to exonerate Lee. This largely unknown piece of history is the focus of the 2022 documentary film “Free Chol Soo Lee.” Liz Lenivy, attorney and Gateway Korea Foundation board member, joins the show to talk about the one-night screening in St. Louis.

Wednesday marked a milestone for St. Louis’ soccer fans, as thousands packed CityPark, the newest stadium in St. Louis and home to the latest MLS expansion team, which begins play in February. STLPR's Jeremy D. Goodwin and Wayne Pratt discuss CityPark's debut that featured an international exhibition.

In 1973, just a few years after coming out as gay, Patrick Haggerty and his band Lavender Country recorded their self-titled album. It would take more than 40 years for music lovers, and a record label, to rediscover “Lavender Country,” and for it to be recognized as the first openly gay country album. But it was a second country musician, St. Louis songwriter Jack Grelle, who helped propel him back into the spotlight he deserved. Grelle joins the show to remember Patrick Haggerty, who passed away in October after a stroke.

STLPR correspondent Jason Rosenbaum discusses Senator-elect Eric Schmitt's official foray into the world of federal policymaking.

Researchers are still learning and discovering what happens after someone has COVID-19 and what recovery looks like. Lasting effects of the viral infection are dubbed ‘long COVID’ by those experiencing mysterious conditions that linger well after harsh coughs subdue and fevers lower. Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, clinical epidemiologist at the VA St. Louis Health Care System and Washington University’s School of Medicine, discusses his latest long COVID research.

St. Louis filmmaker David Kirkman, co-founder of the Black Speculative Arts Movement Reynaldo Anderson, and multi-disciplinary creative Dacia Polk discuss the rising interest in Afrofuturism and why St. Louis is uniquely positioned to be a hub of Afrofuturist creativity.

Smidley’s new album, "Here Comes The Devil" is Foxing vocalist Conor Murphy’s first solo album since his 2017 self-titled debut. It was released on Friday. He discusses the album, its influences and what Smidley allows him to explore outside of his work with Foxing.

ProPublica Local Reporting Network and the Kansas City Beacon released a new investigation into Missouri employment centers for disabled adults. Employees of these centers, or ‘sheltered workshops,’ are paid $4 an hour on average. The author of the report Madison Hopkins discusses why Missouri workshops have such low success rates and why state officials refuse to change the program.

Seven years ago, the Department of Justice called out St. Louis County police for detaining people without a warrant. Now, a federal appeals court says that system is “fraught” with constitutional risk. So, why do local police keep doing it? Maureen Hanlon, the Lead Attorney for Civil Rights Litigation at ArchCity Defenders, discusses the case, and the various ways the federal appeals court attacked the “wanteds” system — even while upholding its legality.

In the summer of 2020, several St. Louis women took to social media to share serious allegations about safety at restaurants, bars and a tattoo parlor in the city’s Grove neighborhood. Sam Hunerlach later founded St. Louis Against Sexual Assault to help train local bars and restaurants on how to prevent sexual harrassment and assault and make their establishments safe for patrons and staff.

There are almost 25,000 vacant houses, commercial buildings and land plots in St. Louis, and about 60% are privately owned. Some nuisance properties can be a blight on communities.. STLPR reporter Chad Davis talks about how neighborhood associations have been trying to acquire them or compel owners to fix them.

In the past four decades, smaller-brained birds have been shrinking, but a Wash U study finds that’s less true of their bigger-brained counterparts. We revisit Sarah Fenske's February 2022 conversation with study co-author Justin Baldwin about what’s driving the changes, as well as his passion for birds both as a researcher and bird watcher.

Martin L. Mathews, the co-founder of the Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club in St. Louis, died this week at 97. Matthews spoke with former host Sarah Fenske in 2020. We re-visit this conversation to honor his memory.

St. Louis poet and journalist Jacqui Germain’s debut full-length poetry collection, “Bittering the Wound,” takes readers back to the tear gas-choked nights of the Ferguson protests. Germain was there in 2014 — marching with others down West Florissant in the aftermath of the death of Michael Brown. She discusses her new collection, and, what it means to write “to” Ferguson, instead of “about” it.

Eldritch horror is a genre of fiction inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, among other authors, in the early 20th century. Unlike the genre’s forefathers, however, today’s Eldritch authors — like St. Louis creator Marie Enger — shed underlying themes of xenophobia and racism for modern stories that are inclusive.

Bob McCullough stood out among prosecutors nationally for his success getting the death penalty for defendants he prosecuted. He’s been out of office since 2019 but three of the 23 people he sent to death row are scheduled for execution in coming months. Ryan Krull has a deep dive into Bob McCullough’s legacy published this week in the Riverfront Times. It is part of a series exploring the death penalty in St. Louis County called “Shadow of Death” sponsored by River City Journalism Fund.

Dive into the results of the November 8 election with St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum and UMSML political science professor Anita Manion. They recap all the dramatic campaign developments, from Eric Schmitt to legal cannabis to Sam Page. We also hear from newly elected Board of Aldermen President Megan Green, who discussed her win on Tuesday and the challenges facing the city's government.

From 1976 to 2007, thousands of bands performed at Mississippi Nights on Laclede’s Landing. AC/DC played their ninth American concert there in 1977. Nirvana performed its only St. Louis concert at the music club in 1991. Local bands such as the Urge, Pale Divine and Uncle Tupelo were there too. We talk with Stacy and Garrett Enloe who have written the new book, “Mississippi Nights: A History of The Music Club in St. Louis.”

At Literary Death Match, writers compete in a competitive, humor-centric reading series. After more than 500 such events across the country (and the world), the event finally makes its way to St. Louis November 10. Creator Adrian Todd Zuniga and author Deborah Jackson-Taffa discuss Literary Death Match’s origins and mission.

One of the most audacious protests in St. Louis history is the inspiration behind a new play chronicling the efforts of the activist group ACTION — which in 1972 sent members to infiltrate the Veiled Prophet ball. That operation, which dramatically unveiled that year’s Veiled Prophet, is among the subjects of the play “Action,” opening November 11. Director Kathryn Bentley and actor Miles Brenton discuss bringing the dramatic true stories of “Action” to life.

Antisemitic rhetoric and violence is on the rise. The Anti-Defamation League tracks antisemitic incidents in the U.S. ranging from graffiti to assault and it have reported that incidents have been on the rise and climbing since 2016. Now they’re at the highest level since the ADL started tracking in the 1970s. Arts and culture senior reporter Jeremy D. Goodwin talks with Helen Turner, director of education at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, to talk about the museum's redesign and reopening to the public as well as the importance of sharing the stories and history of the Holocaust and its connection to St. Louis and its citizens.

Nartana Premachandra’s parents founded Dances of India in St. Louis in 1977. Forty-five years later, the dance company is one of the oldest classical Indian dance groups in the country. Premachandra and Dances of India Co-Director Theckla Mehta discuss this year’s annual performance and the Hindu mythology that inspires their dances.

Death is scary, uncomfortable, and expensive. More families are looking for alternatives to the conventional method of being buried in a casket and looking toward more cost effective and eco-friendly options. Tim Johnson of Foundation Cremation and Gracie Griffin of Bellefontaine Cemetery discuss these alternatives and the conversations they’re having with families as they lay their loved ones to rest.

Arkadin Cinema opened in St. Louis’ Bevo Mill neighborhood in June 2020. Other local theaters were closing during the pandemic — but not Arkadin. The microcinema has grown a cult following with its monthly Drinkolas Cage events. Co-owners Keith Watson and Sarah Baraba talk about their big plans for the future, and we bring you the sounds of last month’s Drinkolas Cage event.

On November 8, voters in Missouri will face Amendment 5, which asks them: “Shall the Missouri National Guard currently under the Missouri Department of Public Safety be its own department, known as the Missouri Department of the National Guard, which shall be required to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of Missourians?” Its supporters include former Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Steve Danner. One opponent is St. Louis Democratic Representative Peter Merideth, who worries that the amendment is creating a new mission statement for the organization.

In 1989, the groundbreaking musical “Some of my best friends are” hit the St Louis theater scene, becoming the first example of queer culture being openly depicted on a St. Louis stage. More than 30 years later, on October 20, much of the original cast reunited for a one-night reunion performance. The play’s writer and co-creator, Joan Lipkin, reflects on the legacy of the production, and what connections she draws between the play’s world of 1989 and today. We also listen to clips of the musical’s songs “Hoosier Boy” and “There’s a judge in my bedroom,” and we hear from Rodney Wilson, who attended the play as an audience member in 1989 and 2022.

With her new documentary, “Education, Interrupted,” Aisha Sultan encourages audiences to reflect on the ways the coronavirus pandemic radically disrupted learning and children’s development. The film is featured in this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival.

Voters in Missouri and Illinois go to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots. We spoke with STLPR journalists Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about the major races and issues.

No county in Missouri has sent more people to the executioner than St. Louis County. Eighteen men sentenced through the county circuit since 1976 have been given the ultimate punishment. Another six people currently sit on death row. Kevin Johnson is among them, and, on November 29, he is scheduled for execution. In his first-ever interview with a reporter, he spoke with the RFT's Monica Obradovic, who shares what she learned from Johnson in what may be his final months alive. - Executive Editor at Euclid Media Group Sarah Fenske also returns to the show to discuss "Shadow of Death," a series of investigative stories exploring Missouri's death penalty, and to introduce the River City Journalism Fund.

What was once an empty lot, Love Bank Park on Cherokee Street has been an active gathering place for the community for years. Now, the park is undergoing a community led redevelopment. Cherokee community members join St. Louis on the Air to discuss the reasons for the redevelopment, as well as Cherokee Community Improvement District vice chair Kaveh Razani. We also address the question of whether this redevelopment contributes to gentrification in St. Louis.

Scott Joplin — popularly known as the “King of Ragtime”— lived at 2658 A Morgan Street 120 years ago. Plenty has changed since then: Morgan Street was renamed Delmar and the modest apartment and adjacent buildings were transformed into the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site. Since 1991, the museum exhibits have kept Joplin’s music and legacy alive. Cookie Jordan, site administrator at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, dives into Joplin’s time in St. Louis, his experience being a musician in America at the turn of the century, and the many discoveries still left to unearth about this legend of music.

Halloween conjures images of ghouls, goblins, ghosts and other spooky creatures. Every year it’s inevitable that you’ll see a child, or adult, dressed up as a witch complete with a broom and pointy hat. But for Jade Moore, the owner of Sincerely, the Craft, mysticism is more than a trend — it’s a connection to heritage.

As a Halloween treat, historical interpreter and Kirkwood resident Anne Williams gives a powerful performance of “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Producer Avery Rogers accompanies Williams’ performance with chilling sound design that is sure to send shivers down your spine.

Beginning Tuesday, Planned Parenthood will take over the former Tri-Rivers Family Planning center in Rolla. The Title X health center will offer contraceptives, pregnancy tests and other reproductive health services to residents throughout Missouri. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Colleen McNicholas and nurse practitioner Hailey Kramer discuss their hopes for the new center.

Two schools remain closed in St. Louis in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly shooting. Some attention has turned to the shooter, and the weapon he used in carrying out this attack, which left two dead, a health teacher and a 15-year-old student. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann talks about the latest information.

The Tabernacle Church is more than a church. In 2014, leaders there created the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation, which went on to purchase dozens of vacant properties around the JeffVanderLou neighborhood in north St. Louis. Andre Alexander, the church’s lead pastor and president of the non-profit, discusses combining faith and community development, and, what a $1.5 million rehab of a former elementary school will bring to the neighborhood.

Toxic masculinity can be described easily: Destructive emotions, misogynistic comments and views, avoiding vulnerability. But what could healthy masculinity look like? ‘UnMasc: A Storytelling Event’ will feature experiences and reflections by 10 men as they take a step back to evaluate moments in their lives in front of an audience. Bryant Antione of The Village PATH and James Meinert of Undo Bias Consulting preview the event and discuss how they are learning to detoxify what it means to “be a man.”

In one of several high-profile lawsuits targeting the Biden administration, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt contends that Dr. Anthony Fauci and other government officials worked with social media companies to suppress misinformation about COVID-19 — and in a ruling last week a federal judge approved depositions of the physician and others, including former White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Attorneys Nicole Gorovsky, Connie McFarland-Butler and Bevis Schock tackle the case, and several more, during our Legal Roundtable.

St. Louis remains in mourning as details of yesterday’s school shooting further reveal the trauma experienced by students, staff and their families. In this episode, we talk with STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann about the latest news involving this tragedy, and we open the segment with the sounds and voices of a vigil held for the victims on Monday night.

Clinical psychologist Marva Robinson shares tools and resources for people dealing with trauma from the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shooting.