St. Louis on the Air

In this episode of the talk show, both Strayed and local actor Michelle Hand join us to discuss the upcoming St. Louis premiere and its particular resonances during the challenging COVID-19 era.

St. Louis University Sociology Professor Elizabeth Chiarello outlines ways the state should spend the $450 million it will get from a lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of addictive opioid painkillers.

The cherished community gathering place and watering hole is closing at the end of this month, with husband-and-wife owners Sherri Lucas and Bob Putnam convinced it’s time to begin a new chapter in their lives.

Recent changes to NCAA's regulation on name, image and likeness has allowed for athletes across the nation to capitalize on the new publicity. One Mizzou football player shares how he has made a name for himself.

The new hour-long episode of "In Their Words," set to premiere on Nine PBS at 7 p.m. July 27, features everyone from Berry's widow and children to musician Keith Richards St. Louis developer Joe Edwards.

Fresh off her first year as an undergrad at Oklahoma City University, Scott impressed Blue Strawberry owner Jim Dolan with her performance at an open mic night earlier this summer. On July 29, she's putting on a full show.

Matthew Mahaffey, St. Louis district defender for the Missouri State Public Defender, explains how problems at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office are affecting his clients — and harming Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's reform agenda.

The Rev. C.T. Vivian was a confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. and a man who played a pivotal role in desegregating lunch counters, buses and beaches. In this encore presentation of our March 2021 conversation with him, co-author Steve Fiffer discusses Vivian's legacy and his early years in Boonville, Missouri, and Macomb, Illinois.

Abolitionist newspaper editor Elijah Lovejoy became the first American journalist slain for his work when he was murdered by a pro-slavery mob in 1837 Alton. In this encore presentation of an April 2021 conversation, we talk with journalist Ken Ellingwood about Lovejoy's life and times.

Illinois begins winding down its eviction moratorium on Aug. 1. Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois, shares resources residents can tap into for financial and housing assistance.

The Missouri Explorers program was crafted to celebrate the Show Me State's bicentennial — and encourages residents and tourists alike to travel by offering a series of challenges. Karen Meirink of Explore St. Louis shares some highlights.

Matt Meacham of Illinois Humanities delves into two exhibitions currently touring the state: the Smithsonian's “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” and the “Illinois Freedom Project.”

Tennessee Williams lived in St. Louis longer than anywhere else -- and the city exerted a powerful hold on his imagination. Washington University professor Henry I. Schvey discusses that sometimes toxic relationship and his new book about Williams, "Blue Song"

St. Louis on the Air checks in with representatives from the Factory in Chesterfield and Maryland Heights' St. Louis Music Park — and local musician and talent booker John Henry shares his sense of what this means for the region's music scene.

Naomi Shihab Nye went to Central Elementary School in Ferguson and Wash U is welcoming her with with a virtual homecoming on Saturday.

Benjamin Hochman, sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, shares his take on the Cardinals run in the MLB season so far and whether the team may decide to trade players before the deadline on July 30.

Missouri drivers will soon have to start paying a higher gas tax. It’s been called an overdue increase needed to repair crumbling roads and bridges. But others think it's an unfair tax on the population.

Harman Moseley has seen plenty of evolution in the film exhibition industry since he got his start in it in August 1977. But he calls the onslaught of streaming services and a global pandemic, combined, a paradigm shift.

Biogen’s new Alzheimer's drug is controversial — but it’s still in demand.

St. Louis-based filmmakers joined St. Louis on the Air to talk about their newest film "Liberty", which was shot in in south St. Louis and Troy, Illinois.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's latest clean energy plan would phase out coal-burning plants by 2035. Environmentalists are optimistic, but some city leaders are skeptical.

The new documentary "Rural Children in Crisis: Access to Missouri Oral Care" highlights disparities in dental care for children in rural Missouri — and what needs to be done to prevent young kids from experiencing tooth decay.

Guest host Rod Milam explores an exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Garden called "Grafting the Grape: American Grapevine Rootstock in Missouri and the World."

Guest host Rod Milam talks with Isabelle Heidbreder, the executive director of Alliance Française de St. Louis in advance of Bastille Day.

Communications specialist Brianne Zwiener with the Jefferson County Health Department delves into how the county is navigating the pandemic.

Stray Rescue's director of operations, Andrea Wilkey, shares some advice for pandemic pet owners to prevent their return to area shelters.

On June 12, Larry Giles passed away at the age of 73, after a struggle with leukemia. He was known as decent, honest and tough. On top of that, Giles was, as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently put it, “the man who saved St. Louis.” In this episode, STLPR's Shula Neuman talks with two of his friends and colleagues.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jonathan Ahl talks with Emma Klues of Great Rivers Greenway and Trailnet's Kevin Hahn about some of their favorite trails. Listeners share their suggestions, too.

The brainchild of Walter Parks and his wife, Margo, the July 16 event just behind their backyard promises both traditional and modern interpretations of 17th- and 18th-century European music and dance. A wide range of artists are adding their talents to the bill.

Of the 24 people who participated in a phase 2 clinical trial involving nitrous oxide breathing treatments, 17 saw improvements. In this episode, we hear from one of them and also talk to co-investigator Dr. Charles Conway of Washington University.

New research: Male dragonflies are adapting to hotter temperatures by developing less colorful wings but that may make it difficult for them to mate.

Attorney Kevin Carnie Jr. of the Simon Law Firm discusses Lombardo v. City of St. Louis. The U.S. Supreme Court revived the lawsuit against the St. Louis Police, forcing the 8th circuit to take another look at the legal standard for excessive force.

Missouri American Water Director Timothy Ganz discusses how high demand for water impacts the Missouri River, immediate and long-term threats to the river, and what it takes to produce clean drinking water from a waterway with such high turbidity levels.

Comedian Ophira Eisenberg discusses the end of her NPR show and her upcoming set in St. Louis, while local comedian Yale Hollander provides perspective on the local comedy scene.

St. Louis County Councilwoman Rita Heard Days joins host Sarah Fenske in remembrance of her friend and predecessor, and 18-year-old resident Marquis Govan adds his perspective, too.

The podcast “Poetry for All” aims to make poetry more accessible for both longtime lovers of the medium and those who haven't read a poem since high school.

The St. Louis-based food journalist explains how she conceived and launched her acclaimed PBS show, what's holding up its third season, and why Missouri wine gets an unfair rap

Women of color hold just 4% of C-suite jobs in the U.S. In this special encore presentation of the talk show, we listen back as three St. Louis women who’ve defied the odds share stories of the challenges they faced, and how they rose to the top.

In this special encore presentation, we listen back to our April conversation with poet, lawyer and advocate Reginald Dwayne Betts. Twenty-five years ago, he saw his entire life trajectory change in the space of 30 minutes. In what he has since described as “a moment of insanity,” Betts, then a 16-year-old high school junior, carjacked a man. He would serve eight years in prison for the crime.

Since the untimely death of her son Danyé Dion Jones in October 2018, Ferguson activist Melissa McKinnies has been on a quest to learn more about what happened to the 24-year-old. McKinnies’ journey is the focus of a new podcast from iHeartRadio.

After staring in the new documentary "The Sleepless Unrest," paranormal investigator Richel Stratton shares her ghost stories and what it was like to investigate the infamous house that inspired "The Conjuring."

Rudi Keller, the deputy editor of the Missouri Independent, recaps the end of Missouri's special session — and the resolution involving Missouri’s Medicaid program. https://bit.ly/3h9zDq2

Danny Ludeman went from running a huge brokerage to trying to stop prison recidivism. He explains what he's learned in his 5 years and how he hopes some long-awaited data could fuel major expansion

St. Louis Pandemic Task Force leader Dr. Alex Garza discusses his upcoming four-month-long deployment to Kuwait, and pandemic matters currently impacting the St. Louis region.

The Legal Roundtable discusses how a former restaurant server ended up on the hook for an $80,000 jury verdict, as well as other legal matters in the news.

SLUCare Pediatrician Dr. Kenneth Haller shares what he’s learned about approaching vaccine hesitancy by working with his clients.

Two historians discuss Ninian Edwards' significance to the history of Illinois amid the ongoing efforts in Edwardsville to remove a statue of the city’s namesake.

Congresswoman Cori Bush's new bill is called the People’s Response Act. It’s a $10 billion package aimed at putting community organizations, social workers and nurses on the front lines of the nation’s mental health crisis — and scaling back the role of law enforcement. She explains why.

Mark Rank of Washington University's Brown School argues that most Americans have an incorrect view of who is poor, and what causes their poverty. He explains what the data says, and what that says about us as a nation

On the heels of the final day of the women’s competition, our Metro East report joins host Sarah Fenske with an update on the results and what this major downtown event meant for the St. Louis region.