St. Louis on the Air

Pediatrician Dr. Jason Newland explains why kids older than 12 years old should get vaccinated and answers lingering questions parents may have about these shots.

Cathy “MamaCat” Daniels, a community volunteer, activist and founder of the nonprofit PotBangerz, reflects on her years serving the St. Louis community.

ArchCity Defenders attorney Lee Camp discusses delays (and successes) in getting rental assistance to residents in need.

On August 10, 1821, Missouri became the 24th state — the first located west of the Mississippi River, and the 12th to allow slavery. Listen as two historians go over its history.

A new version of "The Glass Menagerie" opens next week at one of the St. Louis apartment buildings that inspired it. Its director and the artistic director of the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis discuss the challenges, and excitement, surrounding the site-specific production

St. Louis Children’s Hospital is home to one of only four family pet centers in the world where families can bring their pet into the hospital to visit a patient. Hear how it impacts young patients and their worried parents in this encore discussion.

In Missouri’s own bicentennial year, Missouri Folk Arts’ staff shared 200 stories over the course of 52 weeks about folk and traditional arts in the Show-Me State.

Pickleball has seen explosive growth in the St. Louis metro. In this encore edition of "St. Louis on the Air,' certified instructor Mike Chapin explained how he brought the first permanent courts here and why demand shows no signs of lessening.

Listen to highlights of host Sarah Fenske's conversation with the extremely talented one-woman orchestra, Syna So Pro.

Have A Cow Cattle Company and Urban Farm Store opened in St. Louis’ Gate District in January. It’s a restaurant and a farm – with a mission. We talked with owner Steve St. Pierre then and we bring you an encore of that conversation.

In this encore conversation that aired in January, we talk with Jacque Knight, chair of St. Louis' Community Mobility Committee. She shared how the group is focusing its efforts and what local residents can do to amplify its work.

St. Louis-based band Foxing discuss their music journey and the release of their latest album, “Draw Down the Moon,” ahead of their first performance at the Pageant.

St. Louis’ first intentional encampment for homeless people provides an alternative for residents of the impromptu Interco Plaza encampment downtown.

The $210 million City Foundry STL project in Midtown is preparing to open its doors to the public for the first time. The developers share details on the redevelopment project's inspiration, construction complications and top-notch Food Hall

Science Coach executive director Jill Malcom delves into what the program has to offer science teachers and sixth through 12th graders in St. Louis and across the country. Elijah Jones shares how he went from doing experiments in his front yard to getting a full-ride scholarship to study chemistry.

Golden Rice could be a game changer for nations with high rates Vitamin A deficiency. Don MacKenzie of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center explains why, and what it took to gain regulatory approval in the Philippines

Farmer Lorenzo Powell is one of 207 Black Missouri farmers. As he continues the legacy of his family farm into its sixth generation, we follow his journey and how he is waiting for a response to the injunction against debt relief from the American Rescue Plan.

Restoration House STL provides age-appropriate mentoring and services for young adults aged 18 to 25.

Dr. Travis Arndt highlights what the Animal Medical Center of Mid-America's new Integrated Veterinary Pain Management Center has to offer — including chiropractic care, underwater treadmills, platelet-rich plasma therapy and more.

St. Louis County Public Health Director Dr. Faisal Khan alleged that he endured racist slurs and physical abuse at the July 27 County Council meeting focused on the county's new mask mandate. He discusses those allegations and why he stands by his letter

Some St. Louis restaurants are now saying they want only vaccinated patrons to dine indoors — and some are demanding proof. Two restaurateurs explain how that’s going.

Washington University Sociology Professor Jake Rosenfeld discusses why you're paid what you're paid -- and the answers may surprise you. This conversation first aired in April 2021.

We listen back to this conversation from April 2021 with Dan Martin about his daily doodling of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Weatherbird.

Fourteen songs comprise Son Volt’s 10th studio album, which drops Friday. Its title comes from the names of vintage amplifiers — and also points to the album's blend of genres and return to “more melodic, uptempo, upbeat type songs,” Farrar tells host Sarah Fenske.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones discusses why she went around the Board of Aldermen to kickstart eviction relief, highlighted actions in her first few months as mayor and shared her next priorities

Public health experts believe vaccine hesitancy and refusal are largely to blame for the proliferance of the delta variant and that coronavirus infection rates will continue to increase if vaccination rates remain stagnant.

The St. Louis native, who just published two new novellas, specializes in LGBTQ-themed fiction. He discusses the craft of writing and his new book's St. Louis roots

The Legal Roundtable discusses why the MO Attorney General's bid to block mask mandates in St. Louis is likely doomed -- and also digs into problems at the office of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner

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.