St. Louis on the Air

The International Institute of St. Louis is overwhelmed trying to resettle more than 300 Afghan refugees and turning to other nonprofits for help.

Lydia Caesar has found a home in the St. Louis music scene. Her new EP tells listeners not to settle or sacrifice themselves in relationships, but to strive for something monumental.

The head of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force discusses the latest regional trends, the Missouri attorney beneral’s fight against mask mandates and whether the omicron variant could be a cause for optimism.

Librarians Jennifer Alexander of St. Louis County Library and Kathy Condon Boettcher of St. Louis Public Library share their favorite books released in 2021.

For choral conductor Maria Ellis and her students, convening historic Sumner High’s first choir in decades has proved to be a challenging task — but also full of reward. We check in with the choir as it prepares for a winter concert.

In the new Netflix documentary “Procession,” six survivors of sex abuse by Catholic priests process their trauma by using drama therapy techniques. Filmmaker and Mizzou Professor Robert Greene joins the show alongside one of the survivors.

Grammy Award-winning rapper Murphy Lee discusses his rise to fame as a St. Lunatic, his new journey as an independent artist and why he wants fans to reach out and text him.

Tomáseen Foley’s “A Celtic Christmas,” now in its 26th year, is making its first-ever St. Louis stop Dec. 13 — and two locals have big roles. They join us in anticipation of the big evening.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson discusses the road to St. Louis’ settlement over the Rams’ departure, why an expansion team was never in the mix, and his thoughts on how to spend the money.

Percy Menzies, founder of Assisted Recovery Centers of America, and Ben Westhoff, author of “Fentanyl, Inc.” discuss how fentanyl is fueling record-high overdose deaths and what we can do to help people affected by it.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Tony Messenger discusses his first book, which expands on his columns about debtors prisons and the fight to reform the court fees and fines that trap Americans in a cycle of poverty

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

After attending Clayton High School, comedian Jo Firestone went to college and then to New York City, where she’s lived for more than a decade. But one of her current gigs, as a writer, producer and co-star in a hit TV show, puts her back in the Midwest in a fictional version of Marquette, Michigan.

It’s been 40 years since the first official HIV/AIDS case was diagnosed in the U.S. But researchers now know the 40-year mark is likely an incomplete understanding of the disease’s beginnings.

St. Louis has $41 million in sales tax revenue that could be used to build a north-south MetroLink expansion. But is that what the city’s public transit system needs? Transit scholar Kate Lowe and community members weigh in.

Shopping local can make a big difference for the region, as the Federal Reserve’s Bill Rodgers explains. He’s joined by Debra Hunter, co-owner of Provisions St. Louis, and St. Louisans sharing their favorite local spots.

Approximately 50 St. Louis families lose their homes to tax foreclosure each year, even though they owe on average just a few thousand dollars. Abdul Abdullah talks about a new fund that aims to help those families stay in their homes and keep the tax collector at bay.

St. Louis author Beth Bacon discusses her new book “Helping Our World Get Well: COVID Vaccines,” the art of a good children’s book and how to talk to kids about complicated topics.

Alden Global Capital wants to buy the company that owns the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. An investigative reporter and the president of the union that represents Post-Dispatch staffers discuss what that could mean for the daily — and St. Louis.

More than 45 years after her death, St. Louis native and entertainer Josephine Baker is receiving France’s highest honor: induction into the Panthéon. We talk with Lionel Cuillé of Washington University and Lois Conley of the Griot Museum of Black History about Baker’s life and legacy.

Opera star Christine Brewer discusses the cabaret show she debuts this weekend in St. Louis, how she was pushed to become a performer and what makes her nervous even after all these years singing in public.

Tom Zoellner's new book, "The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America," is a journey into the uneasy soul of the nation: What unites us, what divides us, and what lies in the middle of the cities of the coasts.

Matthew Stock and Sid Sivakumar started out talking crossword puzzles and became fast friends. Now, a puzzle they co-wrote has been published in the New York Times. They discuss the joy of puzzle making with host Sarah Fenske.

Fewer than 20 American red wolves live in the wild throughout the U.S., all in a refuge in North Carolina. Two Missouri-born wolves were flown there last month to join the population, providing a critical source of new genetic diversity.

In this one-hour special edition, Nina Gilden Seavey discusses her podcast "My Fugitive," which connects the story of anti-war activist Howard Mechanic with that of another fugitive who spent time in St. Louis: James Earl Ray, who was convicted of killing Martin Luther King Jr.

The Legal Roundtable discusses the latest in the litigation over the Rams’ departure from St. Louis, the Missouri Democratic Party’s attempt to fight unionization of its employees and the surprisingly short sentence given to a former police officer accused of beating an undercover colleague.

The building that began as St. Liborius Catholic Church has housed one of St. Louis’ coolest underground spots: Sk8 Liborious. Two of its owners discuss how they turned the deconsecrated church into a skate haven — and their plans to turn it into an official arts center.

Minnesota Public Radio is suing St. Louis police over their refusal to release clearance status information for homicides, information sought by St. Louis Public Radio in collaboration with APM Reports. STLPR Justice Correspondent Rachel Lippmann discusses the suit — and what families of crime victims say about getting information from the department.

Food Outreach provides nutritious meals to people living with cancer or HIV. Now the nonprofit is piloting a project to help veterans with uncontrolled diabetes. Executive Director Julie Lock explains the impetus.

Two members of Midwest Avengers explain what’s kept the hip-hop rock band together for nearly 30 years — and how they navigated a world that wasn’t quite ready for their music.

Jamey Stegmaier, co-founder of St. Louis-based Stonemaier Games, discusses the art of designing a hit board game and while tabletop games will never go out of style in a digital age.

The futuristic, sustainability-focused legacy of the late American architect Buckminster Fuller lives on, including in the St. Louis region. Hundreds of people stopped by SIUE’s Fuller Dome last week to take a spin in a replica of Fuller’s 1933-built Dymaxion Car.

A new nonprofit is doing big things in small spaces. Pocketparks’ founder explains how, and why, she’s taking vacant lots in St. Louis and transforming them into community spaces.

The Brickline Greenway aims to connect the Gateway Arch to Forest Park and Fairground Park to Tower Grove Park with pedestrian and bike paths. Great Rivers Greenway discusses how two recent federal grants will fuel the ambitious plan to connect 17 city neighborhoods.

More than 30,000 property deeds in St. Louis include language that excludes Black people and those of certain religions from buying the homes. STLPR reporter Corinne Ruff and historian Colin Gordon talk about the two-part investigation on the topic.

Washington University researchers find cognitive decline is linked to having too little or too much sleep. Dr. Brendan Lucey discusses how the data untangles the complicated relationship between sleep, Alzheimer’s and cognitive function and gives advice on better sleep.

Two St. Louis County corrections officers were brutally attacked by inmates in recent weeks. Attorney Elad Gross describes the attacks as acting jail director Scott Anders explains what he’s doing to prevent them from happening again.

Colin O'Brien's quest for a date made him an internet sensation earlier this year. And now, he has some news, as he explains in this episode.

Author Lisa Napoli discusses her book “Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie” and the early days of NPR with Sarah Fenske before a live audience at St. Louis Jewish Book Festival.

North St. Louis neighborhoods get help tackling big problems with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative. Attorney Peter Hoffman and neighborhood advocate Tonnie Glispie-Smith discuss the progress they’ve seen and the grant that will allow program expansion.

The co-founders of Airly Foods explain how they invented a snack cracker that actually takes carbon out of the air, how they’re already seeing demand from grocers across the U.S., and how they hope to be a “lighthouse brand.”

Missouri is a local control state, so COVID policies in schools vary statewide. Margie Vandeven, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, discusses the options available to schools and how to keep kids in the classroom.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Molly Wilson to seek a deeper understanding of vaccine hesitancy — and the possibilities for breaking through it. She discusses how public health officials might persuade parents as they weigh vaccinating their kids.

Cori Bush's "no" vote on the infrastructure bill went against the votes of many of her democratic colleagues. St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum digests the vote and its implications.

Service dogs can make a big difference for veterans suffering from PTSD. Nicole Lanahan of Got Your Six Support Dogs discusses her organization’s work, and Navy veteran Andy Canning shares how his dog Arkum helps him and his family.

Spire’s Nov. 4 email about its STL Pipeline sparked alarm. UMSL economist Lea Kosnik says higher energy bills are a concern for this winter but residents shouldn’t be too concerned about the pipeline closing. Carondelet Mechanical owner Jesse Irwin, whose phone has been blowing up with people hoping to switch to electric heat, also joins the conversation.

Harry Truman’s grandson, Clifton Daniel, portrays the late president in a one-man show, “Give 'em Hell, Harry!” Daniel talks about his grandfather and this weekend’s performance in Rolla.

Metro Transit plans to suspend six MetroBus routes and reduce the frequency of service along 31 others later this month in response to an ongoing operator shortage. Local Metro operator union rep Catina Wilson and rider Mitch Eagles join the talk show to share their concerns and ideas for a way forward.

Conventional wisdom holds that leaves are changing colors later than they used to due to climate change. But Susanne Renner, an honorary professor of biology at Washington University, says that’s not true — and explains what her research shows about fall foliage.

Military historian John C. McManus of Missouri S&T is the author of the new book “Island Infernos.” It explores the U.S. Army’s Pacific War during World War II. McManus joins guest host Jeremy D. Goodwin.