St. Louis on the Air

Many COVID-19 patients report both physical and psychological problems after leaving the hospital. Their experience is referred to as “post intensive care syndrome.” Now a new University of Missouri-St. Louis psychosocial rehabilitation group aims to help adults aged 50 and older as they deal with the syndrome and the overall recovery process. In this episode, we learn about why such a group is necessary from clinical geropsychologist Ann Steffen, a professor of psychological sciences at UMSL.

This November, the Missouri legislature is asking voters statewide to consider a constitutional amendment to repeal the one they approved two years ago. Clean Missouri's campaign manager explains the arguments against repeal.

Outlets that spur creativity can help draw people out of the mental staleness brought upon by recurring daily routines. Music is Brianna Brown’s saving grace. Her stage name is Be.Be, and the R&B and soul singer wants to spread awareness about music’s impact on mental health.

We re-connect with our friends at Sauce Magazine to hear about what new food and drink establishments to check out in the area. Joining the conversation are Meera Nagarajan and Heather Hughes Huff, art director and managing editor, respectively.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch education reporter Blythe Bernhard put the school re-opening situation in stark terms in a story last week: “No public school in St. Louis city or county will open five days a week to all students this fall,” she wrote. “No private school is likely to open 100% online.” In this interview, Bernhard talks about why some private schools are seeing rising enrollment for the fall semester and why private institutions are offering more in-person learning than their public counterparts.

A year ago, high school student Dakota Warren could often be found in the backyard of biologist Patty Parker, catching birds in an effort to get blood samples. When she wasn’t in Parker’s yard, she was busy in Parker’s lab at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, conducting DNA research with those samples. This summer, Warren planned to return to Parker’s lab, but then the pandemic hit. And like most people with any plans for 2020, Parker and her teenage interns had to rethink theirs.

A rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases has postponed St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's season again. However, that hasn’t stopped the musicians from continuing to serenade community members. SLSO musicians are traveling to different neighborhoods to play music for residents during the pandemic. These aren’t anything like a regular Powell Hall performance — there aren’t any fancy clothes, balcony seats or rehearsals involved. Just musical connection.

Missouri 1st Congressional District nominee Cori Bush has been a protest leader, a single mom, a pastor and a nurse. Now she’s likely headed to Washington D.C. In this episode, Bush joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about her goals for office and what she sees as the biggest challenges ahead.

Both the Crime Bill signed by Missouri Governor Parson in July and the crime-focused special session now underway in Jefferson City could lead to longer sentences for Missouri defendants. Two experts share concerns about the state's "tough on crime" direction.

America's entertainment industry has St. Louis to thank for the creativity fueling some of the most wildly popular shows out there these days. And that includes the Smith sisters: Mariah, Rachel Colleen and Lauren Ashley Smith. On top of other pursuits, the three of them have now combined forces to host their new SiriusXM initiative "Smith Sisters Live,” a six-week pop culture show. They join host Sarah Fenske to talk about how their St. Louis roots have impacted their outlooks on life and career paths.

Tuesday’s primary election in Missouri saw many incumbents hold onto their seats — and one major upset. St. Louis Public Radio correspondent Jason Rosenbaum discusses Cori Bush’s remarkable victory over incumbent U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, as well as the passage of Missouri Amendment 2, which makes Missouri the 38th state to expand Medicaid.

We check in with Tony Simokaitis, scoreboard director for the St. Louis Cardinals. His job is to create that faux-crowd energy in an empty ballpark — if the team ever gets back on the field. Seven Cardinals players and six staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. Sports writer Derrick Goold gives us the latest on that.

Calvin Davis became very ill in late March, and was diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly after. After being admitted to the hospital on April 9, he spent 76 days there and more than 90 days away from home as he battled the coronavirus. For much of that time, he was on a ventilator. In this interview, we hear the incredible story of one family’s battle against the coronavirus and the intensive recovery process that they are still dealing with, weeks later.

Consultants who work closely with conservative billionaire Rex Sinquefield have gathered enough signatures to force a vote on the privatization of St. Louis Lambert International Airport this November. If voters say yes to the plan, the city would basically be required to lease the airport to a private company by next summer. One argument for doing that is that it could help pay down the airport’s half a billion dollar debt. St. Louis Public Radio reporter Corinne Ruff recently dug into that claim.

Author Gloria Shur Bilchik spent 18 months observing the St. Louis County Board of Elections. She discusses “Election Insiders: Behind the Scenes With the People Who Make Your Vote Count” with host Sarah Fenske.

This month marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted U.S. women the right to vote. But the fight for women’s suffrage was a long one, starting many decades prior to that celebratory day in 1920. And St. Louis women were among some of the earliest suffragists around the country. In this segment, host Sarah Fenske talks with local curator Katie Moon and scholar Elizabeth Eikmann.

“Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask" author Jon Pessah discusses Yogi Berra’s remarkable life, including his early years on the Hill, his baseball career and the racial slurs he faced as an Italian in the 1940s.

Missouri’s Aug. 4 primary has snuck up fast during a year when the U.S. presidential election is looming large amid a global pandemic. But plenty of key local races will be decided in the heavily Democratic St. Louis region — and voters throughout the state will determine whether Missouri expands Medicaid coverage, joining the 37 other states that have opted to do so in conjunction with the Affordable Care Act. If passed, Amendment 2 (the Medicaid Expansion Initiative) would effectively expand Medicaid eligibility to include adults between the ages of 19 and 65 whose income is at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. As of 2020, that amounts to $17,608 for an individual and $36,156 for a household of four.

Contemporary citizen journalists can find a lot of common ground with a trailblazer who was active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Ida B. Wells. Motivated by false narratives and the downplaying of abuse of Black Americans of her day, Wells chronicled the stories of those impacted by lynchings and riots. Wells’ quantitative work pioneered the way for data journalism and inspired her great-granddaughter Michelle Duster to dedicate her life to countering false narratives.

In “Ordinarily Extraordinary: Love and Anger, Life and Death, Hope and Inspiration,” Patrick P. Long reflects on the moments of doubt, stress and anxiety that come with a spouse’s cancer battle. In this episode, he talks with host Sarah Fenske about his memoir and how despite a devastating loss, he developed the belief that nothing in life is insurmountable.

All too often, artistic expression proves inaccessible to everyday people, a kind of luxury out of reach for those struggling to make ends meet. Katherine Dunham understood this reality when she first turned her attention to East St. Louis in the 1960s. And so does Leverne Backstrom, one of a handful of dedicated community members still carrying on the world-renowned dancer and choreographer’s legacy there today.

Attorneys Mark Smith, Nicole Gorovsky and Dave Roland dig into the legal matters of the month, including the criminal charges filed against two personal injury attorneys and an allegation of "extortion" St. Louis County has made against a local attorney.

St. Louis native and comedian Nikki Glaser explains how her living situation, which involved a move back home to live with her parents, is actually fueling her creativity.

The Muny's artistic director and executive producer shares highlights for this summer's virtual variety hours — a star-studded mix of never-before-aired clips from past Muny shows, cast reunion sing-alongs, and song and dance performances by Muny artists.

For Jaylon Muchison, speech has paid off in a big way. The recent Belleville West High School graduate recently netted $22,500 from Optimist International’s 2020 Oratorical World Championship — winning his regional and state rounds before claiming the international title. That money will make a huge difference as the 18-year-old heads to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this fall. He plans to pursue a double major in acting and communications.

An increase of COVID-19 cases in the region has caused the St. Louis Sports Medicine COVID-19 Task Force, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and the City of St. Louis Department of Health to initiate a hold on all youth sport games and scrimmages. The move has some pediatricians frustrated that the focus has been on youth sports, rather than congregations in bars and restaurants.

Aircraft hijackings have been rare in recent years. But a half century ago, they were a frequent occurrence. Between 1967 and 1972, 130 commercial airplanes were hijacked in the U.S. alone. That’s according to a newly launched podcast that dives deep into a hijacking in which St. Louis Lambert International Airport plays a starring role. The 10-part series, “American Skyjacker: The Final Flight of Martin McNally," is hosted and co-produced by St. Louis-based journalist Danny Wicentowski. In this segment, host Sarah Fenske talks with Wicentowski about the drama that took place that day, and what went into turning the saga into a podcast series.

On her good days, 51-year-old Sharon Morrow is out the door pretty early, helping to get food and water to homeless St. Louisans. And for Morrow, who is disabled and also a breast cancer survivor, April 14, 2019, started out as one of those days where she felt healthy enough to do the work. But as St. Louis police officers began arresting a man outside City Hall that afternoon, she started filming. Soon, Morrow herself would be arrested — and in a lawsuit filed last Friday, the ACLU of Missouri alleges it was retaliation for her First Amendment activities.

Last month, St. Louis University launched its interdisciplinary WATER Institute. Director Amanda Cox and Administrative Director Rachel Rimmerman join host Sarah Fenske to explain what it's focused on and describe some important water-related research already underway.

A new local literacy-based children's show dubbed as “the modern, hip-hop Mr. Rogers experience” aims to highlight Black authors and Black protagonists. Four pilot episodes of the Believe Project include appearances by local authors, literacy vignettes of children reciting their favorite books or poems, and creative learning activities for children associated with the featured books.

The four Democratic candidates running for St. Louis County Executive face off in an hour-long debate. Nine Network, 5 On Your Side and St. Louis Public Radio partnered to host the hour-long St. Louis County Executive Democratic Primary Debate between incumbent Sam Page and his challengers: Jake Zimmerman, Mark Mantovani and Jamie Tolliver. The candidates took questions from Casey Nolen, Jason Rosenbaum and Ruth Ezell. Topics included challenges presented by the coronavirus, gun violence, mass transit and economic development. Republican candidates Paul Berry III and Ed Golterman are vying for their party’s nomination.

Author A.J. Baime joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss his new book, "Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America’s Soul." The book explores how Truman shocked the media, the political polling experts and his opponents by winning election to the seat he'd inherited three years before with the death of Franklin Roosevelt.

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis has added a new component to its exhibition of the work of Derek Fordjour: a "microprogram" called After Shelter. The museum is asking patrons to share their oral reflections on Fordjour's art and the pandemic, with the audio to be archived with the national nonprofit StoryCorps. Chief Curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi joined host Sarah Fenske to explain the idea behind the audio project and how it fits with the themes in Fordjour's work. We also played some of the museum patrons' reflections.

Aloni Benson found himself on the frontlines in Ferguson in 2014, calling for change after a police officer killed Michael Brown Jr. But protesting wasn't enough. Two years later, Benson became an officer with the St. Louis County Police Department. St. Louis Public Radio’s Marissanne Lewis-Thompson talks with him and his wife Khalia about his decision to become a cop, raising a black son, and what it’s like being a police officer assigned to protests.

Vernon Mitchell Jr. was an undergrad at the University of Missouri-Columbia, intent on heading next to medical school, when he enrolled in a course on the Black freedom movement — and soon decided to become a historian instead. “It changed everything for me,” Mitchell recalls about the class, taught by Mizzou’s Carol Anderson. And one moment, and person, stood out to Mitchell as his professor introduced her students to key figures and events within the civil rights movement: the Reverend C.T. Vivian, a Missouri native described by the New York Times as a “field general” for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The footage of Vivian confronting law enforcement in 1965 on the steps of a Selma courthouse has remained seared in Mitchell’s consciousness ever since. Mitchell, who is now a faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis, joins host Sarah Fenske to remember the life and legacy of Vivian. He passed away Friday at the age of 95 — mere hours before a fellow civil rights legend, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, 80, also died.

As the St. Louis Cardinals start their 2020 season with a home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates this Friday, a burst of brightly colored familiarity will return to downtown. But not the tens of thousands of fans that typically fill Busch Stadium. As the Redbirds’ devoted fans gather instead (and hopefully in socially distant ways) around TVs and other devices to take in the abbreviated, 60-game season, conditions inside the stadium will be a whole new ballgame. In this conversation, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about the upcoming season. They discuss some of the biggest changes — and the big remaining questions — associated with this year’s play, as well as the strength of the year’s roster.

When one thinks of “the island life,” sentiments of a tropical ocean breeze, easygoing lifestyle and good food likely come to mind. And that is very much part of the experience. But with the good, comes the bad — and Zahra Spencer and Telie Woods saw the worst of it. They are the owners of Jerk Soul, a Caribbean carryout restaurant on Cherokee Street. Sauce Magazine detailed Spencer’s and Woods’ harrowing story of opening their first restaurant — despite hurricanes, transatlantic moves and barely knowing one another in its July issue. Guest host Jeremy D. Goodwin talks with with Spencer and Woods for our monthly Sound Bites segment alongside Sauce Magazine managing editor Heather Hughes Huff.

Guest host Jeremy D. Goodwin talks with singer-songwriter-actor Tre G about navigating “the new normal” as a performer and finding his place in an ongoing movement towards racial equity. Recently, he organized WerQfest to do just that. The digital festival was geared toward celebrating Black queer art and community.

Hospitals in St. Louis are seeing more children and teens showing up for self-harm during the pandemic, according to emergency medicine pediatrician Dr. Rachel Charney of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. In this interview, she talks about what is leading to the increase in these cases, as well as potential warning signs that parents and caregivers can look for.

The St. Louis Art Museum has extended because of the pandemic the stay of “Millet and Modern Art: From Van Gogh to Dalí” through September. The curators say the exhibition acknowledges the contributions of a largely forgotten artist who was instrumental in the birth of modern art: 19th-century French painter Jean-François Millet. Millet’s work features landscapes, nudes and other work that inspired other artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet. In an encore of this conversation aired February 20, 2020, host Sarah Fenske talks with Simon Kelly, curator of modern and contemporary art at the St. Louis Art Museum.

In April 1968, Jane Elliott was a third grade teacher in the small town of Riceville, Iowa. On the day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, she felt compelled to shift her lesson plans. She decided to teach her young white students about discrimination by telling the children that brown-eyed people were superior to their blue-eyed peers. She watched as the students turned on each other. Then, the next day, she reversed the script. The exercise highlighted the arbitrary and irrational basis of prejudice, an issue that Americans continue to grapple with more than five decades later. This is an encore of a conversation we first aired September 9. 2019

We have an encore of discussion from December 6, 2019. The Mississippi River has been integral to life in the St. Louis region for hundreds of years — from Native Americans who occupied areas in and around Cahokia Mounds to the later arrival of Europeans. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Andrew Wanko, public historian for the Missouri Historical Society and author of the new book, “Great River City: How the Mississippi Shaped St. Louis.” David Lobbig, curator of environmental life at the Missouri Historical Society, also joined the conversation. He is the content lead on the Missouri History Museum’s newest exhibit, “Mighty Mississippi,” which is open at the museum until June 2021.

We have an encore of a discussion from May 11, 2020. Walter Johnson’s book reframes American history so that St. Louis sits at the center. No more looking at the nation as if it’s that New Yorker cartoon where everything important happened in New York City or Los Angeles, and the vast middle was mere flyover country. In Johnson’s telling, the St. Louis story is the American story — and it’s a messy, often ugly, one. The book is titled “The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States.”

In late June, when a customer at Herbie’s restaurant in Clayton tested positive for the coronavirus, owner Aaron Teitelbaum immediately closed the business and told employees to get tested to see if they were infected. Teitelbaum expected to wait a few days for his employees’ results to come back. But almost three weeks later, many were still waiting. In this episode, we hear from Teitelbaum, as well as the incident commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, Dr. Alex Garza. Garza describes why it’s taken so long for many COVID-19 test results to be delivered and what hospital admissions data says about how the coronavirus is spreading through the region.

Less than two years ago, the staff behind Flourish St. Louis set a daring goal: eliminate racial disparity and infant mortality by 2033. They called it their organization’s “North Star,” or main purpose. The drive to reach that goal was reignited when the organization earlier this month received the 2020 Launchcode Moonshot Inclusion award for its approach to improving the health of Black moms and babies. Kendra Copanas is the executive director of Generate Health, the center that provides staff support and coordination for Flourish community-wide effort. Mia Daugherty is a member of the Flourish Community Leaders Cabinet. Copanas and Daugherty join guest host Jonathan Ahl to share the experiences of the people the organization serves and the work that’s led them to this point.

Darryl Diggs Jr. and Howard Fields III, the founders of Black Males in Education St. Louis, talk about how their platform helps educators of color connect, find mentorship and advocate for more Black voices in the classrooms. Diggs and Fields received the 2020 Launchcode Moonshot Challenge award. Diggs is the principal at Hardin Middle School in the City of St. Charles School District, and Fields is the assistant superintendent at Kirkwood School District.

Vanika Spencer and Sapna Bhakta are St. Louis transplants, but they’ve made the city their home and are doing their part to shine a light on everything it has to offer. They are the duo behind the Cocoa and Cumin Concert Series. For the past couple of years, Spencer and Bhakta have hosted concerts right from their south St. Louis apartments. The smaller space offers the opportunity for people to connect with the artists in an intimate way, and vice versa. Their goal is to showcase local musicians of color. They join producer Lara Hamdan to talk about the series' growth and what future events will look like.

Health and education leaders in St. Louis County and the city recently released a set of guidelines for schools to use as they decide how to conduct in-person learning in the fall. The list includes things like staggered lunch times, protocols for health screenings upon entry, and guidance on mask usage for students and teachers. In this episode, we talk with Superintendent Art McCoy of the Jennings School District to get his perspective on reopening. We also hear from several parents, including a mother who started the organization, Bridge 2 Hope – St. Louis, in order to elevate parent voices in conversations about education, particularly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

As the Black Lives Matter movement draws attention around the world to long-entrenched racial injustices of the present day, the past looms large as well. Reckoning with United States history seems critical to any contemporary progress on everything from housing disparities to mass incarceration. Guest host Rachel Lippmann hosts a conversation with educators and historians focused on rethinking the teaching of history. The show will delve into how curriculums have evolved in the past — and still need to change going forward.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration said that it planned to enforce a rule that international students must take in-person classes to be in the country on student visas. That’s even though COVID-19 has many universities adjusting plans for the fall semester. Some are going online-only. Others plan to only partially reopen their campuses. And up to 1 million students could be affected. Joining host Sarah Fenske to talk about what this decision means for students enrolled in local colleges, and for those colleges, is Jim Hacking. He is an attorney who specializes in immigration law. Also joining the conversation was Mark Kamimura-Jiménez. He is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis. The segment includes comments from Victor Butinier, an international PhD student at Washington University that would have to go back to France if classes go entirely online.