St. Louis on the Air

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival's producing artistic director Tom Ridgely and Carl Cofield, who's directing "King Lear" with a cast and crew made up entirely of persons of color, join the show.

Jonathan Butterfield of Lutheran High School South shares his takeaways from an unusual school year. The Affton school was one of the few secondary schools in St. Louis to offer five-day-a-week in-person education to its students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Dec. 12, 2019, near the corner of Bates and Virginia in St. Louis’ Carondelet neighborhood, 24-year-old Cortez Bufford died after being shot multiple times by St. Louis police Officer Lucas Roethlisberger. The case, like that night, has remained shrouded in darkness, as investigative journalists Alison Flowers and Sam Stecklow detail in their newly published deep dive.

Andrew Wyatt of the Missouri Botanical Garden discusses what garden researchers know about the Karomia gigas tree species, and the garden’s efforts to prevent its extinction.

Hundreds of Livingston County residents, alongside environmental and farming advocacy groups, recently voiced opposition to a proposed concentrated animal feeding operation coming to the county. The proposal was since rescinded, but some believe the debate over CAFOs in Missouri is just getting started.

An ongoing effort to renew and maintain vacant spaces in several north St. Louis neighborhoods just got a big boost, with the St. Louis Development Corporation last week formalizing a collaboration that will create the St. Louis Community Land Trust.

Our friends at Sauce Magazine explain where you should be dining this month — especially if you’re feeling a bit crabby.

A series of disturbances at the St. Louis City Justice Center earlier this year brought attention to conditions inside the downtown jail. Now, a new lawsuit accuses jail staffers of routinely using chemical agents to punish and harm detainees. And, it says, as punishment, they turn off the water — depriving detainees of both hydration and the ability to flush toilets, sometimes for days.

New research out of Washington University upends the conventional wisdom about immune responses to COVID-19 infections. Its author explains how a previous study misinterpreted key data — and what we can learn from his findings instead.

Ferguson native Keyon Harrold discusses his new role as the creative advisor at Jazz St. Louis, previously known as Jazz at the Bistro, and why jazz purists need to open their eyes to other music genres.

The Legal Roundtable digs into new evidence against former St. Louis police officers charged with beating an undercover colleague, misconduct charges against the St. Louis circuit attorney and more. (Editor's note: During the conversation, we cite a KMOV report that incorrectly states that a judge granted prosecutors the right to call Ashley Marie Ditto to testify. The judge's ruling did not address that.)

In addition to providing underrepresented founders with equity-free funding, the eight-week-long business development program through the University of Missouri-St. Louis connects participants with educational resources and with successful entrepreneurs for mentoring sessions.

A World War II unit that tricked the Nazis with inflatable tanks and elaborate sound effects is being honored in Missouri -- an effort supporters hope will lead to Congressional action. Filmmaker Rick Beyer and soldier's daughter Carolyn Spence Cagle discuss the Ghost Army's legacy.

Valerie Battle Kienzle joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss her fascinating and colorful new book “Ready to Wear: A History of the Footwear and Garment Industries in St. Louis,” recently released by Reedy Press.

Ever since launching the program at Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific in 2014, Rob Henke and Barbara Baumgartner have been passionate leaders of the Washington University Prison Education Project. Dozens of individuals have taken the program’s Wash U-taught courses while incarcerated, and in the past two years, those efforts have started to pay off in the form of earned college degrees.

St. Louis-based art collector Robert Powell discusses his new curated art show in Quincy surveying contemporary Black artists.

“Heartbroken” is the word Missouri state Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch used to sum up what she’s feeling in the wake of the 2021 legislative session. On Tuesday, the Republican from Hallsville learned that legislation she’d hoped would soon open doors for certain nonviolent drug offenders serving decades-long, no-parole terms didn’t make it into the final version of Senate Bill 26.

“Lake Loch Pond Monster,” the creation of independent filmmaker Carolina Diz and actress and creator Brittany Zeinstra, is the winner of this year’s biennial Cinema at Citygarden film competition.

Susan Polgar, the first woman to earn the Chess Grandmaster title by norm and rating, will soon retire from Webster University. She discusses nature vs. nurture, women and chess and her future plans for the championship program she built from scratch

The IpsiHand Upper Extremity Rehabilitation System recently received market authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The device has stroke patients utilize a robotic exoskeleton on their hand and wrist, allowing them to open and close their hand using their minds.

Mike Milton’s new organization will offer diversion from the criminal justice system for an intensive process including both victim and defendant. He and UMSL’s John Nanney explain what inspired it, and how it will work

The “Second Amendment Preservation Act” could cause serious problems for law enforcement, says St. Louis Interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom. He explains his concerns, which include costly fines for police departments that seek to enforce gun laws

Florissant-based novelist Lyndsey Ellis discusses the 16-year journey to bring her novel to publication, and the St. Louis history that provides a backdrop to its plot.

For nearly a decade, the local band FIRE DOG has been writing songs about endangered species. It even released a concept album. Now band leader Mark Pagano has enlisted area elementary school kids to help the band in its fixation — and the kids have crafted some great lyrics. We play some highlights.

Fifty-four years ago this month, three boys went missing in Hannibal, Missouri, and were never seen again. The cold case, situated as it is in the boyhood home of Mark Twain and beloved fictional characters like Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, has been the subject of attention and speculation by everyone from authors to armchair detectives in the decades since.

In this episode, we discuss the science behind Missouri’s many sinkholes and learn how the city of St. Louis was developed upon porous and uncertain terrain.

Sylvester Brown grapples with race and humanity in his new story collection. In this episode, we listen back to his January 2021 conversation about it with host Sarah Fenske.

LynnMarie Alexander’s new book, “The Hill: St. Louis’s Italian American Neighborhood,” is a coffee table-ready compilation of the neighborhood’s history and highlights. We listen back to our conversation with her in this encore episode.

Chesterfield based tech company, Fybr, has installed 275 wireless parking sensors in downtown Kirkwood. Starting this week, residents and visitors will be able to access real time parking availability via the mobile app, Park Kirkwood.

As vice president of sustainability and electrification for Ameren Missouri, Gwen Mizell is juggling more than one big challenge. Climate pledges are great, but how does a major utility company make the shift to clean energy while maintaining reliable and affordable services — and also reckon with the reality that the technology needed to become totally green does not yet exist?

Missouri lawmakers wrapped their special session Friday with some surprising moves — and serious frustration on both sides of the aisle. Jason Hancock of the Missouri Independent gets us up to speed on the bills that made it through — and the surprising alliances that shaped the session.

An Ohio state senator went viral last week after he was caught on camera driving during a Zoom debate on penalties for — you guessed it — distracted driving. But Andrew Brenner is hardly an outlier: Numerous elected officials, including St. Louis aldermen, have been spotted driving while participating in virtual public meetings.

Attorney Bevis Schock discusses how police citing and arresting his client has led to a six-figure bill for St. Louis County -- and changes to county ordinances

Author and punk musician G'Ra Asim discusses his new book and how he feels about moving back to St. Louis, the city he left as a 10-year-old.

After a lengthy hiatus, Circus Flora's big red tent in Grand Center will once again fill with circus tricks and fans next month — and lots of St. Louis talent. With shows running June 4-6, “The St. Lou Revue” promises a focus on hometown performers and plenty of COVID-conscious safety measures, plus some talented canine newcomers from Purina.

On Saturday, Ashley-Ann Davis will offer some words of wisdom to her fellow graduating seniors at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. She’s one of just four students scheduled to speak at the university’s in-person commencement ceremonies. But when it comes to giving life advice, the 22-year-old hasn’t just written a speech — she’s also got a small book to her name.

Pediatric infectious disease physician Dr. Jason Newland of Washington University discusses the FDA's authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for younger teens.

Missouri’s medical marijuana industry is faring well since the first dispensaries opened their doors last October. Today, more than 100,000 patients and caregivers use and purchase medical cannabis in the state.

This week, Missouri Governor Mike Parson joined a growing number of GOP governors in rejecting federal unemployment benefits. Beginning June 12, the state will no longer participate in a half-dozen federal programs designed to aid out-of-work residents during the pandemic, including the $300-per-week supplemental benefits given to unemployed workers.

Two military members share their experience working with FEMA and other agencies to distribute vaccinations at The Dome at America’s Center

Restaurateurs across the region are grappling with staff shortages. Former chef Patrick Tague, who spent about 30 years in the industry, hopes that the demand for workers will lead to a kinder, gentler culture for food service workers, and more jobs with employee benefits like health insurance.

At a time when opinions about critical race theory and inclusive pedagogy are loud and manifold, two experts from Webster University offer a closer look at what critical race theory is — and what to make of the controversy surrounding it.

In late February, Honduran immigrant and longtime Missourian Alex Garcia left the Maplewood church where he'd been living in sanctuary for 1,252 days. He and his wife, Carly, join host Sarah Fenske to discuss their reunited life and remaining challenges ahead.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ sold-out 2021 season moves outdoors for the first time. Among its world premieres: A timely comic opera about parenting in a pandemic

We talk with "Hidden Brain" host Shankar Vedantam, His new book is "Useful Delusions: The Power & Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain."

Last year, COVID-19 restrictions put a damper on festivities. But this year, precautions and vaccines helped return a sense of normalcy to the religious traditions. Producer Lara Hamdan checks in with local Muslims to hear how they are observing Ramadan.

The Webster-Kirkwood Times and the Riverfront Times faced an uncertain future last March. As the coronavirus spread across the U.S., management at both newspapers sought to suspend print editions. Journalists from both organizations share how they battled back from the brink.

Aloha Mischeaux, program director of Revival Runway, shares details about the new collaborative group where local models, photographers and designers mentor refugee students interested in the fashion industry.

Rebecca Rivas' new two-part series looks and how and why Ferguson activists gave up trying to reform local police departments and decided instead to take control of them. They’ve found huge political success in the last five years.

Restaurants across the metro continue to reopen and expand their service as diners return to restaurants. There’s just one problem: They can’t find enough good help. St. Louis Magazine’s George Mahe and Tom Schmidt of Salt + Smoke join us to discuss what's going on.