St. Louis on the Air

STLPR Statehouse Correspondent Sarah Kellogg discusses how the state’s 2022 legislative session ended Friday with a congressional map — and how bickering over that map derailed many red-meat Republican priorities.

When Joanna Busby realized she couldn’t find formula for her 3.5-month-old son, she started a Facebook “formula swap” group that’s grown to 900-plus members in the St. Louis region. As the national shortage continues, Busby shares what she and other parents are doing to keep their kids fed.

The Globe Building’s new “sensitive compartmented information facility” brings new opportunities to St. Louis-based geospatial intelligence firms that require a classified environment to conduct business. Geospatial intelligence and national security expert Keith Masback shares what the facility brings to the region.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis Artistic Director James Robinson is at the helm of both “Awakenings” and “Harvey Milk,” two operas readying for world premieres within a week of each other. Robinson discusses both shows, the source material they draw upon and his work bringing “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” from its St. Louis debut to the Met.

"We Live Here Auténtico!” is an outgrowth of two separate podcasts: "We Live Here" and "Auténtico!" Co-hosts Gabriela Ramirez-Arellano and Alejandro Santiago joined the show.

Three members of the former “Cassilly crew” share behind-the-scenes tales about this St. Louis treasure and swap stories about the visionary who made it all possible: Bob Cassilly.

Unlike pricey club sports, New Dimensions is free and offers soccer and life skills training for kids who need it. Co-founder Tom Michler shares what he’s learned about the myriad benefits of unstructured play — and the magic of building community with families from all over the world.

Unlike pricey club sports, New Dimensions is free and offers soccer and life skills training for kids who need it. Co-founder Tom Michler shares what he’s learned about the myriad benefits of unstructured play — and the magic of building community with families from all over the world.

Cellist Jody Redhage Ferber’s new concert series brings top musicians to a Kirkwood hiking trail, with small combos on six different stages playing music inspired by the wildlife around them (and even echoing their calls). Ferber explains what inspired her vision — and how she hopes it can bring a new audience to classical music.

For the past three years, Missouri lawmakers have introduced legislation that targets trans youth. A bill making headway in the current session would prevent trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams. Two moms of transgender kids discuss how they mobilized to speak out against the bill — and how it would affect their children.

Cellist Jody Redhage Ferber’s new concert series brings top musicians to a Kirkwood hiking trail, with small combos on six different stages playing music inspired by the wildlife around them (and even echoing their calls). Ferber explains what inspired her vision — and how she hopes it can bring a new audience to classical music.

Jason Sommer discusses his new book, “Shmuel’s Bridge,” and the story it tells of his 2001 trip to Eastern Europe with his Holocaust survivor father, Jay. The men retraced the final journey of Jason’s uncle Shmuel, who was shot by German guards after making a desperate bid to flee the cattle car transporting to Auschwitz.

St. Louis singer-songwriter Joanna Serenko discusses how she went from being a finalist on “The Voice” to releasing her debut album — and her plans to travel the country in a van after she gets her nursing degree.

About eight people experiencing homelessness are living in tents in south St. Louis along the River Des Peres. Some members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen want to make that illegal — to pitch tents in public right of ways. 12th Ward Alderman Bill Stephens shares why he’s asking his colleagues to hit the pause button.

Wash U professor John Hendrix explains how doodling during a sermon led to his new graphic novel, how it was inspired by both his Christian faith and his doubt, and why it took 10 years to bring it to book form.

St. Charles is putting $350 million into a new riverfront development. They hope to attract younger people and more tourists, and say the Riverwalk project will “redefine the city.” Mayor Dan Borgmeyer discusses his vision for the riverfront and speaks to some criticisms of it.

Construction firms are grappling with labor shortages across the country. St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Companies discusses how it’s found success by targeting younger workers, women, and minorities — and finding ways to retain them.

Missouri’s “trigger law” goes into effect if Roe v. Wade is repealed — and could have a big impact on residents. The law would eliminate most abortion access, and law professor Marcia McCormick explains how it could also affect contraception and fertility.

Nikki Glaser has spent more than two years living in her hometown, St. Louis. A new reality show on E! documents her move back as she reconnects with old friends and hangs out with her parents, Julie and EJ. Stick around to the end for a few extra bonus minutes of talking with Nikki and EJ!

Samantha Rudolph, founder and CEO of Babyation, explains why she and her husband gave St. Louis a chance, how they were able to bring their manufacturing here, and the challenges they encountered while taking the Babyation breast pump from concept to market.

After the success of her podcast “Dr. Death,” medical journalist Laura Biel dove into the case of a St. Louis-area woman named Sarah Delashmit, who left a trail of fraud and heartbreak going back decades. Biel discusses what she uncovered, and her new podcast chronicling the bizarre case, “Sympathy Pains.”

Kaleidoscope art is a serious venture. Artists and collectors Mike and Donna Thibodeau of St. Charles discuss the kaleidoscope exhibit on display at the Foundry Art Centre and the international expo that comes to Westport Plaza later this month.

STLPR’s Greg Munteanu discusses the station’s Give STL Day campaign, which aims to raise money for window decals to stop bird strikes on its building in Grand Center. Ken Buchholz, director of the Audubon Center at Riverlands, shares his perspective on the importance of protecting migratory birds.

The director of Wash U’s Sleep Medicine Center discusses his new study on sleep apnea and driving behavior, takes questions from listeners and explains why it’s important not to let sleep problems go untreated.

The city offered a last-minute “pause” on eviction plans for a homeless encampment on the Mississippi River, but still forced two smaller camps nearby to move on Monday. Producer Danny Wicentowski shares the latest from the scene, including a morning protest.

The red Solo Cup, Gatorade sport bottle, Harry’s Razor and many more common household products were designed in St. Louis. Metaphase Design Group founder and CEO Bryce Rutter’s 30-year-old company has quietly been working with some of the most recognizable companies in the world, and he joined the show to share the stories behind his company’s success.

St. Louis has gone without alleyway recycling for nearly a year, but Mayor Tishaura Jones promises it's coming back this May. Earthday365 Program Director Bob Henkel gives a refresher course on what to toss in your bin — and where it goes after that.

St. Louis has a recent history of heartbreak with its football teams, first losing the NFL’s Rams, then the XFL’s Battlehawks – but this weekend, the St. Louis Slam opens its first home game in what could very well be the latest in a string of championship seasons. Running back Taylor Hay joins the show to talk about the return of this all-women tackle football team.

Missouri teachers rank 50th in the nation in starting pay. They’re begging lawmakers to approve a salary increase but that hasn’t happened since 2006. In this episode, three Missouri teachers educators talk about how the state’s low teaching salaries affect their personal lives, their classrooms and their plans for the future.

St. Louis will see its first plant-based restaurant week May 1-7. Caryn Dugan, a.k.a. “STL Veg Girl,” discusses why she decided to launch the event, and why veganism shouldn’t be anxiety-inducing.

Residents of four St. Louis encampments are now packing up their belongings in anticipation of a May 2 eviction. Residents say they would rather stay in the camps than go to temporary shelters — and question the timing of the city’s notice to vacate. Unhoused STL Founder Ramona Curtis shares her concerns, along with two camp residents.

Acclaimed author Arundhati Roy discusses why she’s always felt a kinship to the Mississippi River, why she was eager to visit Ferguson, what drives her activism and what keeps her from despair. Roy is in St. Louis to receive the 2022 St. Louis Literary Award from St. Louis University.

On this month’s Legal Roundtable, attorneys Booker T. Shaw, Mary Anne Sedey and Bill Freivogel discuss the legal settlements Sen. Steve Roberts Jr. entered with two women who accused him of sexual assault, former Gov. Eric Greitens’ child custody case, race-related strikes on potential jurors and more.

A report by the Center for Policing Equity provides public safety recommendations to St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and the St. Louis police. Co-author Hans Menos discusses t5he state of St. Louis policing — and where the city can go from here.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones hopes to devote 60% of the city’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds into a historic north city investment. She discusses her deep ties to north St. Louis, the opposition she faces from some members of the Board of Aldermen and her plans for the city’s troubled Justice Center.

Residents of the former town of Centreville, Illinois, (now Cahokia Heights) have for decades dealt with flooding and sewage overflows. A scientist, a lawyer and a resident working to address the longstanding problems describe where things are at — and what it will take to bring relief.

Thomas Jefferson’s complex history is now being acknowledged with interpretive panels in front of the Missouri History Museum’s sculpture of the third president. Jody Sowell of the Missouri Historical Museum and history professor Priscilla Dowden-White discuss why the time was right to add context to the 1913 statue — and what we can take from Jefferson’s story.

In this encore episode, Professor Rachel Greenwald Smith discusses her provocative new book of essays “On Compromise: Art, Politics, and the Fate of an American Ideal,” how she handles strange bedfellows and how her free-wheeling childhood left her wanting more.

For years, Missouri was known for its problem dog breeders. In this encore episode, advocates explain what changed after legislation cracked down on the industry — and where they still see room for improvement in the Show Me State.

St. Louis developer Green Street’s $160 million redevelopment of the historic Armory building in Midtown seeks to erase St. Louis Woodworks, which faces eviction in less than a month from its home of 20 years. St. Louis Woodworks owner Steve Rothschild says the developer has gone too far. The developer says only that it will “continue to abide by the rulings of the courts."

Bonnie Bence came to running late in life, but she has made up for lost time. She’s now completed 31 marathons, including her 15th Boston Marathon this week at age 77. She shares what she’s learned in the nearly two decades she’s ran marathons.

Men who have sex with men face restrictions for donating blood, including a three-month celibacy period. One Midwestern blood donation organization is hoping to change the regulations. Pete Vox of ImpactLife explains the historic reasons for the prohibition and what he sees as a common-sense alternative.

STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann breaks down last night's State of the City address, in which St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones vowed to invest $150 million in federal funds in the city’s north side, promised a 3% raise and $1 million in paid family leave for city employees, and announced that alley pickup for recycling should resume in May.

For nearly 20 years, Greg Johnson has pastored Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. Recently, the PCA attempted to ban clergy like him for identifying as gay. It failed, but another attempt is likely at the 2022 general assembly. Johnson shares his story and why he thinks evangelical churches need to shift their tone towards the LGBTQ community.

Katherine Alexander discusses how she turned to the art of pysanky after leaving her career in music education — and found both a creative outlet and a big following on Tik Tok. She’s now using Ukrainian Easter eggs to raise money for Ukraine.

St. Louis Earth Day Festival is back in Forest Park after a two-year hiatus. Jess Watson, the executive director of earthday365, and Sierra Club partner Leah Clyburn give a preview of the event and discuss what environmental justice looks like for the St. Louis region.

Dream Builders 4 Equity has pioneered a new workforce development model in St. Louis over the last six years. CEO Michael Woods and the nonprofit’s mentees share how the organization runs a successful workforce development model for area youth.

Jamey Stegmaier, co-founder of St. Louis-based Stonemaier Games, discusses the art of designing a hit board game and why tabletop games will never go out of style — even in a digital age. This episode originally aired on Nov. 19, 2021.

In this encore episode, Jean Ponzi of the Missouri Botanical Garden explains how fogging for mosquitoes has grave consequences for our ecosystem — and how we can make ourselves less attractive to these pests without harming the environment.

Citizen scientists are helping biologists monitor our region's bee populations through the Shutterbee initiative. In this encore episode, Nicole Miller-Struttmann talks about how Shutterbee works and the critical roles bees play in our ecosystem.