St. Louis on the Air

There’s an 18-year gap in life expectancy between Clayton and north St. Louis. Jason Purnell of BJC Healthcare discusses the health care system’s plan to narrow that gap by partnering with community organizations and focusing on healthy food access, financial investment and maternal health.

Last fall, Missouri inked a no-bid contract worth more than $30 million with a Texas company. Despite the company's promise to send the state hundreds of healthcare workers, there were many no-shows — and the costs for services were high. Missouri Independent reporter Tessa Weinberg digs into the story.

A brochure Mario Coronado’s uncle found for the Best Healthcare Institute led Coronado to the free summer school program — and his job as a pharmacist. Institute co-founder Steven Player of BJC Healthcare joins Coronado to discuss how the program prepares minority high school students for future studies in pharmacy and other health care fields.

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation’s new exhibition “Assembly Required” asks visitors to engage with, construct, deconstruct and even step on art. Curatorial Associate Heather Alexis Smith gives a preview of the show ahead of its opening day on March 4.

Javad Khazaeli represents a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel swept up in the mass arrests that followed St. Louis Police’s “kettling” tactics in 2017. He explains his shock that the city is appealing a recent appeals court verdict — and who he thinks is really driving the city’s strategy.

Eureka native Matt Jordan talks about making a name for himself in the country-rock genre and going against the grain by emphasizing his Midwestern roots.

The nonprofit organization Forest ReLeaf has distributed tens of thousands of free trees around St. Louis. Executive director Meridith McAvoy Perkins explains how it’s removing barriers to make it easier for underserved neighborhoods to plant and sustain more trees.

Since 2006, Fontbonne University has sought to record oral histories from survivors of the Bosnian War. Now the Bosnian Memory Project has a new name, a permanent home and an expanded mission. Director Adna Karamehic-Oates and Srebrenica massacre survivor Behedin Piric discuss the importance of preserving this history.

Monica Butler says gospel music history is being lost. To salvage it, she wants to open a gospel music hall of fame on the site of a historic Central West End church. She discusses her inspiration for the project and her reaction when fire broke out in the church last fall.

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. Study co-author Justin Baldwin shares what’s driving the changes, as well as his passion for birds both as a researcher and bird watcher.

After Glenda Seim, 81, became the victim of a Nigerian scam artist, she herself victimized others. Seim was sentenced in federal court yesterday after pleading to two felonies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry and journalist Ryan Krull discuss online scams and the heartbreaking details in Seim’s case.

The Agave pelona is nearly extinct, thanks to its extremely limited native habitat and threats from humans. One is in bloom now at the Missouri Botanical Garden, offering a once-in-decades opportunity to shore up the species’ future.

The Legal Roundtable discusses how companies could face liability over their employees’ actions — even when the employees aren’t on the clock. The panel also digs into a new lawsuit against the state’s administration of federal SNAP benefits and lawsuits challenging Missouri’s new gun law.

As COVID-19 cases drop in the St. Louis region and across the U.S., researchers are wasting no time in the development of vaccines for other emerging diseases. SLU researcher Dr. Sarah George discusses vaccines in the works now and answers listener questions about antibodies, boosters and public health precautions.

Pam Hupp is now a suspect in three murders (and has been convicted of one). Defense attorney Joel Schwartz discusses the long road to exonerate his client Russ Faria and bring attention to the O’Fallon, Missouri, woman now charged with killing Faria’s wife.

St. Louis-area pedestrian deaths increased in 2021 from the prior year. And while car crashes with injuries slightly decreased, that’s no reason to celebrate — 2020 saw record-high numbers. Trailnet’s Sam McCrory discusses a new study outlining the problem and offering possible solutions.

Kim Daniel waited 10 years to get housing through her Section 8 voucher. Eventually, her voucher was approved in her ideal neighborhood, but a surprise health issue left her disabled — and almost cost her the housing she waited so long for.

Since 2014, Humans of St. Louis has crafted approximately 3,500 portraits of St. Louisans. Now, highlights are compiled in a book. Co-author Lindy Drew and poet Pacia Elaine Anderson explain how it came together.

Collecting the hair of prominent people was once a thriving hobby. Historian Keith Beutler of Missouri Baptist University explains how that hobby hit a fever pitch with George Washington — and continues today.

Ever wondered about who lived in your house — and what they did? An expert from the Missouri History Museum details how to research your home’s history, while locals who unearthed details about their house share their stories.

After a bout with COVID, St. Louis musician Kevin Buckley had to get out of the house. He traveled to one of the largest springs in the country — in the heart of Missouri’s Ozarks. That’s where he drew inspiration for his new debut solo album, “Big Spring.”

“That’s What She Said” has become a biannual hit in Champaign, Illinois, bringing a cast of local women together to tell their stories in a one-night-only event. Producer/director Jenny Pratt explains why she’s bringing the show to St. Louis and discusses the process with cast member Rhoda Banks.

Researchers at WashU are studying how psychedelics like psilocybin can be used therapeutically. They discuss its uses — and its limits — during what they say is a “renaissance” of research into the impact of psychedelic drugs.

Travel writer Dean Klinkenberg is convinced St. Louis is missing out by not having a marina within its borders. He discusses how a modest marina could withstand floods — and why the fear of barge traffic shouldn’t be enough to torpedo the idea.

Valencia Miller, a.k.a. Miss V, learned to tattoo from two tattoo legends in Hawaii. Now, as the first Black woman to open a tattoo shop in St. Louis, she’s brought her talents to Lafayette Square.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch journalist Josh Renaud heard gasps from across the newsroom when Missouri Gov. Mike Parson publicly accused him of being a hacker. The ordeal has caused anxiety and sleepless nights. Now that prosecutors have declined to file criminal charges, Renaud is telling his side of the story.

Jon and Willie McMiller went from rehabbing homes in their native north St. Louis County to filming a pilot for HGTV. They talk about their hopes to land an HGTV series, the breakout family member in My Flipping Family and what their show could do for St. Louis.

In the half-century between the Louisiana Purchase and the Emancipation Proclamation, approximately 400 enslaved people sued for their freedom at the St. Louis courthouse. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge David Mason and attorney Paul Venker discuss how that history has now led to a memorial bearing the names of the people suing.

Republican infighting in the Missouri Senate means there's still no approved congressional map. It’s caused hours of debate, a filibuster and many, many late nights. STLPR statehouse reporter Sarah Kellogg explains why this is taking place. She also discusses the House-approved supplemental budget bill and a resolution to make changes to the state’s ballot initiative process.

In the last week, two temporary safe haven shelters closed their doors — leaving homeless people outside during frigid weather. Volunteers and providers are calling on St. Louis officials to create more shelter capacity to prevent deaths.

In the middle of winter’s coldest month, we make time to celebrate love. What better way to get in the mood than to listen to some love songs? In this episode, area songwriters share the best love songs they’ve written, as well as their all time favorites.

Filmmaker Rick Beyer discusses the work of the Ghost Army in World War II, which used subterfuge to fight the Nazis. He also explains how efforts in Missouri helped lead to a congressional medal for the unit’s 1,100 veterans.

Two Mizzou researchers detail how the Clean Water Act has fallen short — and offer specific policy solutions to clean up the “nonpoint source pollution” that escapes its regulations. They believe those changes would significantly improve the quality of U.S. lakes, rivers, wetlands and coastal areas.

Felipe Zapata credits his time in St. Louis for helping his work as the botanical adviser for “Encanto.” The native of Colombia earned his Ph.D. at UMSL and studied at the Missouri Botanical Garden. He called his time working on the film “amazing.”

Pauline Lee went from figure skating in the Olympics for Taiwan to teaching at SLU. She and UMSL Anthropology Professor Susan Brownell discuss the 2022 Beijing Games.

David Cross discusses his new standup comedy special, his work on “Station Eleven,” why “Arrested Development” is indisputably done and how he got over his negative feelings about St. Louis.

After the January death of firefighter Ben Polson, St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson talks about renewed efforts to rate the structural integrity of vacant buildings — and whether more vacant homes should be torn down.

Sauce Magazine Executive Editor Meera Nagarajan explains why Peruvian fine dining, a sweet shop and a wine bar top this month’s hit list — and shares good news for lovers of vegan tacos.

Michael Politte was convicted of killing his mother as a teen, but has always insisted he didn’t do it. His sister Melonie and attorney Megan Crane discuss the news of his favorable decision from the parole board — and what comes next in his quest for exoneration.

The STL Reentry Collective is on a mission to reimagine how people adapt to life after prison. The organizers, formerly incarcerated individuals themselves, are focused on addressing the trauma they say often lands people back in prison.

Wash U law professor Neil Richards discusses how knowledge is power, and what that means for our privacy as tech companies and governments seek to surveil us. He also shares where he sees hope even with privacy’s continued erosion in the digital age.

Atlantic contributor Ian Bogost discusses why Wordle is such a hit, what that tells us about the moment we live in, and the importance games play in society. He also explains how his background as a video game designer fits into his new role as director of Wash U’s film and media studies program.

Rare earth minerals — the commodities used to manufacture everything from smartphones to missile systems to electric vehicles — are in high demand. Missouri State Geologist Joe Gillman discusses the search for critical minerals in the Midwest.

In sixth grade, Emma Lembke couldn’t wait for permission to explore social media. But by high school, she found herself disgusted with her apps. Now she and other teens are building a movement for change.

St. Louis officials abruptly canceled plans to fund a low-barrier shelter with Bridge of Hope in January. The nonprofit’s executive director discusses how that decision came as a shock, and whether she’s willing to work with the city again.

Rabbi Daniel Bogard and Wash U Law Professor John Inazu share their thoughts on recent comments by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who said he’d only hire a health director who shared his “Christian values.”

Rabbi Daniel Bogard and Wash U Law Professor John Inazu share their thoughts on recent comments by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who said he’d only hire a health director who shared his “Christian values.”

"Chicago," "Jersey Boys" and "King Lear" received the most nominations from the St. Louis Theater Circle. The Muny and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis received 27 nominations each. Local theater critics Gerry Kowarsky and Tina Farmer discussed the state of the local theater scene and how the group is changing its acting categories.

Katie Gatewood was removed from her job as a councilwoman in O’Fallon, Missouri, after digging into the now former police chief’s past in Texas. Gatewood’s attorney Dave Roland shares why he believes the council violated her constitutional rights.

Journalist Kelly Bauer discusses her investigation into the Center for COVID Control, a testing company that reaped $155 million from the federal government from 300 sites across the U.S., including four in St. Louis. Bauer’s investigation found that the company mishandled both COVID-19 tests and personal data.