St. Louis on the Air

On Friday’s “St. Louis on the Air” host Sarah Fenske talks to the newly appointed University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor Kristin Sobolik who joins us for a look at how she plans to lead the university in the challenging months ahead.

In this episode of the talk show, local business owner Rob Connoley, who owns Bulrush in Grand Center, joins host Sarah Fenske and talks about his process of applying for a forgivable loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Also in the discussion is Joe Roberts, director of Webster University’s Entrepreneurship Program. Roberts talks about challenges people have encountered applying for the loans.

With St. Louis area officials extending stay at home orders either indefinitely or until mid May, the curve seems to be reaching its peak. That’s according to Dr. Alex Garza, the chief medical officer at SSM Health and is the commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. Garza, who joins host Sarah Fenske on Friday’s “St. Louis on the Air” talks about predictions regarding COVID-19 hospitalizations reaching its peak as early as April 25, but he cautions it’s not over yet.

For most people, the main ingredients of social distancing and self-quarantine include the walls of one’s dwelling, a solid stash of groceries and a comfy couch. But Mike Clark, who’s the founder of Big Muddy Adventures, isn’t like most people. Since the COVID-19 outbreak started to spread throughout the St. Louis area, Clark left the city for an isolated location on the Mississippi River for a purpose — to raise money for the Gateway Resilience Fund. Big Muddy Adventures is encouraging people to pledge $1, $5 or maybe even $10 to the local COVID-19 relief fund for each day Clark stays put.

Many regular transit riders have taken to heart the push to only use buses and trains right now if absolutely necessary. And, as is the case among other rail and bus systems across the country, Metro Transit ridership and service frequency have both decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the transit agency has taken steps to try to protect its workforce, but some bus drivers and other workers would like to see more action. In this episode of the talk show, Bi-State Development CEO and President Taulby Roach joins host Sarah Fenske to provide the latest updates on the current challenges facing transit workers, riders and leaders.

Following the April 9 shakeup when officers woke up tent residents at 14th and Market Street at 4 a.m. and told them to leave, many have received conflicting messages from police since that day on whether they should vacate the premises. 
 
 On Thursday’s “St. Louis on the Air” host Sarah Fenske joins Alex Cohen, a member of grassroots collective #TentMissionSTL, and talks to him about what’s going on in the tent encampments downtown. During the conversation, Cohen will discuss what #TentMissionSTL is doing to ensure the safety of the homeless population in St. Louis. 
 
 Chico Williams, who stays in one of the tents downtown, will also join the discussion and give a first-hand account of what he’s experienced during the coronavirus outbreak in the city.

Host Sarah Fenske checks in with how doulas have had their practice disrupted due to the coronavirus and their efforts to ensure that their presence remains in hospitals, for the families that wish to have in-person care.

Vivian Gibson's new memoir describes growing up in St. Louis' Mill Creek neighborhood, a black enclave the city razed in 1959 in the name of urban renewal. Gibson discusses her book with host Sarah Fenske and how she became a published author at 71.

On April 8, St. Louis Health Director Dr. Fred Echols brought attention to the fact that, at that point, all 12 people who died of COVID-19 in St. Louis were African American. This echoed what other cities have experienced in treating COVID-19 patients — there are racial disparities in who is more at risk of a COVID-19 diagnosis due to long-standing socioeconomic factors that have disproportionately affected black Americans. In this episode, guests discuss the inequalities brought into stark light by COVID-19. Joining the conversation: Washington University’s Dr. Laurie Punch, who is currently working in Christian Hospital Northeast’s ICU, and Michal Grinstein-Weiss, the director of Washington University’s Social Policy Institute and of the Centene Center for Health Transformation. Grinstein-Weiss recently looked into COVID-19 case counts in ZIP codes across the St. Louis region.

Musicians around the country are having to postpone concerts across various areas in the region due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "St. Louis on the Air" touched base with five area musicians to see how they’re experimenting with reaching audiences in different ways — from dropping new projects while self-isolating to putting on free virtual concerts.

While many are sheltering in place during the COVID-19 outbreak and looking for something to do, some are turning to gardening to pass the time. For National Gardening Day, Missouri Botanical Garden’s Daria Mckelvey joined host Sarah Fenske on Tuesday’s “St. Louis on the Air” to give advice to those wanting to get their start tending to plants.

Candidates Yinka Faleti and Michelle Sherod talked to host Sarah Fenske on Monday's "St. Louis on the Air" about the difficulties of campaigning online and bridging the gap regarding human interaction.

As many people are adjusting to working from home, host Sarah Fenske checked in with some who have long-nailed their at-home routines on Monday's "St. Louis on the Air." Fenske asked two guests about what advice they have for staying productive during this shift from office space to home space.

Heather Taylor with the Ethical Society of Police discussed with host Sarah Fenske on Monday's "St. Louis on the Air" her concerns about St. Louis’s unwillingness to report the number of COVID-19 cases that are first responders.
 
 Also featured in the discussion were callers who expressed concerns about the subject of health and safety among St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers.

Roommates and musicians Benjamin Kosberg and Dominique Burton set out to entertain themselves by performing on the streets of Tower Grove South last week. They didn’t realize that their ensemble would become one of the most anticipated neighborhood shows, as well as a local hit online. Host Sarah Fenske talks to the two founding members of the Red and Black Brass Band about their efforts to entertain self-isolated residents.

SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School Director Gina Jeffries joined host Sarah Fenske on Friday’s “St. Louis on the Air” to discuss how the school is handling all-remote work during the COVID-19 outbreak. Also during the show were listeners' questions and concerns about teaching at home.

On Friday’s “St. Louis on the Air” we talked to Michelle P. King, director of inclusion at Netflix, and author of “The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers Holding Women Back at Work.” The challenges many women face are only exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Also in the discussion was St. Louis Public Radio editor Maria Altman’s essay.

An FX on Hulu limited series focused on Phyllis Schlafly, "Mrs. America," debuts April 15. Schlafly's daughter, Anne Schlafly Cori, says the family was not consulted. She discusses with host Sarah Fenske the Phyllis Schlafly she knew, and her concerns that filmmakers portrayed her mother as a monster.

Host Sarah Fenske talks to "Mrs. America" showrunner Davi Waller on Thursday's "St. Louis on the Air" about the FX on Hulu drama miniseries, which tells the true story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly, played by Cate Blanchett. The conversation also touches on the decades of political history Schlafly and her political adversaries helped shape — and how Waller went about bringing this story to the screen.

On Thursday's "St. Louis on the Air" host Sarah Fenske talked to The Collective Thread co-founder Terri Stipanovich and the nonprofit's goal to produce thousands of cloth masks, or personal protective equipment, for healthcare workers. During the show, Stipanovich discussed how the nonprofit is keeping its staff of primarily immigrant women working during the virus shutdown as it's their only source of income since spouses have been laid off.

Seventy-year-old Patty Prewitt has been busy making masks lately — like many citizen seamstresses working to help combat COVID-19. Prewitt, though, is sewing them for staff at the women’s prison in Vandalia, Missouri, where she’s serving a life sentence for her husband Bill’s 1984 murder. In the three and a half decades since that stormy and violent night in Holden, Missouri, Prewitt has consistently maintained that she is innocent, and that her husband’s death came at the hands of an intruder who also raped her. Prewitt’s case is getting some fresh attention thanks to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Aisha Sultan. She recently released the film “33 and Counting” via the newspaper’s website. The 38-minute documentary digs into the wildly contrasting accounts of the crime as well as what Prewitt and her children and grandchildren have endured — and been fighting for — since her 1985 conviction. In this segment of the talk show, Sultan joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss Prewitt’s story and its particular urgency during a pandemic.

The union that represents thousands of grocery and other retail workers in the St. Louis area — United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 — is asking Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to mandate that customers cover their faces while shopping in retail facilities deemed essential businesses. The union also asks that Parson designate all essential retail workers as temporary first responders, which would give them state-provided protective gear and other benefits. In this episode, host Sarah Fenske talks with the president of the UFCW 655, David Cook, as well as Chris Dean, a local grocery store employee who started the 'Who Are We' movement as a resource and organizing point for essential workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

SLU School of Law's Rob Gatter talked to Sarah Fenske on Tuesday's "St. Louis on the Air" about quarantine procedures and related topics that connect his research on pandemic preparedness. Also in the conversation were questions from callers regarding quarantine procedures.

On Tuesday's "St. Louis on the Air" host Sarah Fenske talked to Carolyn Mueller, author of "Forest Park: A Walk Through History" and zookeper at the Saint Louis Zoo. During the show, Mueller discussed places to visit off the beaten path in Forest Park as well as lesser-known sculptures featured in St. Loius' flagship park.

Host Sarah Fenske talked to St. Louis-baed author Sarah Kendzior Monday about her book “Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America”, which talks about Trump’s rise to power since the 1980s.

On Monday’s “St. Louis on the Air” host Sarah Fenske talked to Sara Baker, policy director for the ACLU, who discussed COVID-19 in jails and prisons and her agency’s attempt at getting the state prison system to take action regarding the safety of inmates during the coronavirus outbreak.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, St. Louis dancer and musician Christian Frommelt had to look for new ways to teach new dancers while keeping safe distance. With video meetings becoming popular on social media after the coronavirus pandemic, Frommelt took to hosting virtual swing dancing lessons on the St. Louis Swing Dance Facebook page. On Friday’s “St. Louis on the Air” host Sarah Fenske talked to Frommelt about the abrupt change to live-streaming dance courses and what the future holds for the St. Louis dance scene. Also during the show, Fenske talked to Frommelt about the history of dance culture in the early 1900s.

Nursing homes are facing challenges to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. On Friday’s “St. Louis on the Air” host Sarah Fenske talks to science and environment reporter Eli Chen about her recent reporting on the challenges facing nursing homes in our region. And during the show, we eavesdropped on a conversation between 98-year-old nursing home resident Jean Hemphill and her granddaughter, Evie Hemphill.

At the St. Louis hospital where Emma Crocker works as a registered nurse, only employees working in areas with confirmed COVID-19 patients, like the emergency room and ICU, were given N95 masks from the hospital’s collection. N95 masks are in short supply across the country, and the hospital wanted to conserve their supply. Yet, Crocker was concerned that she and her colleagues were being exposed to the virus by unknowingly infected patients coming into their outpatient oncology clinic, which is located within the hospital. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Crocker about her push for all hospital health care workers to have access to N95 masks.

Humane Society of Missouri President Kathy Warnick joined host Sarah Fenske on Thursday’s “Saint Louis on the Air” to talk about the organization's unique effort of partnering pets with families who are currently home-bound while still maintaining social distancing.

Host Sarah Fenske talked to Saint Louis Zoo Director Micahel Macek about how the zoo is adjusting to closing its doors to visitors and their #BringTheSTLZooToYou social media updates.

On Thursday’s “St. Louis on the Air” host Sarah Fenske talked to Michael-Jon Voss, co-founder and special projects director with ArchCity Defenders, about a nearly $1.7 million settlement of a class action lawsuit against the City of Ferguson, Missouri. The settlement affects more than 10,000 citizens of the area who were charged fees for the issuance of warrants or for failing to appear for a municipal court date in Ferguson.

All those hypothetical questions we love to debate around issues of privacy, freedom and other civil rights? Many of them feel a lot less theoretical these days. The spread of coronavirus — and restrictions placed by the government on the public and private sectors in response — has given these questions a greater sense of urgency. This conversation focuses on COVID-19’s implications for government power and its limits as expressed in the United States’ founding documents.

In determining the best guidelines for government action during the COVID-19 outbreak, city leaders and officials are looking at how different metros responded during the 1918 flu pandemic. The general consensus is that because St. Louis implemented more extensive quarantine measures, the area had a lower death rate than other cities in the U.S. Chris Naffziger, who writes about history and architecture for St. Louis magazine, says that while city officials managed to prevent the deaths of thousands during the pandemic of 1918 through 1920, St. Louis’ response to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic wasn't quite what we remember.

The new Netflix series explores the remarkable life of St. Louis washerwoman toward hair care magnate Madam C.J. Walker. It paints a rivalry with another St. Louis entrepreneur, one based in part on Annie Malone. Sarah Fenske talks about the true stories of both women's lives with a panel of experts that includes Walker's great-granddaughter, and biographer, A'lelia Bundles.

Every day we report on the number of people who test positive for coronavirus and the number of people who die from it. Behind all of the numbers are personal stories. We talked with the families of Jazmond Dixon and Pete DaPrato. St. Louisan Jazmond Dixon, 31, was the first in the area to die from the coronavirus and Pete DaPrato, 72, of O'Fallon, Missouri, died last week.

On Tuesday's "St. Louis on the Air" host Sarah Fenske talked to two restaurant owners located in The Hill neighborhood. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, many restaurants had to change their dining models to curbside or delivery when they were forced to shut their doors to the public. 
 
 Chris Saracino, the president of the Hill 2000 Neighborhood Association and owner of four restaurants, including Chris' Pancake and Dining and Bartolino's Osteria, talked with Fenske about how his businesses are holding up following the pandemic.
 
 Larry Fuse, a Hill resident and owner of restaurants Lorenzo's Trattoria and Gelato di Riso also joined the show.

Medical ethicists are trained to confront ethical questions in medicine, and the novel coronavirus raises quite a few. For instance, in China and Italy, there have been reports of hospitals being forced to ration care for COVID-19 patients. This form of rationing care and prioritizing treatment is determined by a hospital’s crisis standards of care guidelines. According to Dr. Kimbell Kornu, an assistant professor of health care ethics and palliative medicine at St. Louis University, hospital administrators and clinical ethicists around the U.S. are preparing their guidelines now, looking back to protocols from the SARS outbreak of 2003 and care in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Kornu about these and other ethical considerations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Host Sarah Fenske talked to Reginald Howard, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 788 about the safety procedures Metro Transit has implemented following the coronavirus outbreak. During the show included audio from Ron Klein, the executive director of the St. Louis Metropolitan Taxicab Commission, who talked about what the local taxi business is doing to ensure clean safety practices for riders. Also included were two callers who voiced their own questions and concerns about public transportation during the pandemic.

When Square co-founder Jim McKelvey went looking for role models, he found that entrepreneurs, unlike businessmen, are in short supply. In his new book, “The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time," McKelvey explores how people with big ideas and a lot of bravery can solve big problems and build new companies. In this conversation, McKelvey discusses his book with Sarah Fenske and shares his thoughts on how the coronavirus pandemic could change the status quo.

Host Sarah Fenske talks to Christina Weaver of The Women's Creative and Jordan Bauer of the Instagram account STLouisGram and St. Louis guide and coupon book Experience Booklet to discuss #314Together, a new group aimed to bring local business and customers together again.

Over the past few weeks, local sites of worship have had to recalibrate how they serve their congregations during a time when coming together can do more harm than good. So, many clergy have urged their members to practice their faith at home for the time being, and congregations are adapting to connecting virtually. In this conversation, Sarah Fenske talks with Rev. Matt Miofsky of the Gathering and Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation about how they are approaching at-home services for their congregations.

A homework assignment turned into cash and national recognition for some area high schoolers. Clayton High senior Lila Taylor and Kirkwood High junior Zach Baynham were both among the top winners in C-SPAN’s 2020 StudentCam competition. Taylor’s documentary looked at adult sentences for juveniles in the U.S. prison system, while Baynham explored the contributions of people with intellectual disabilities in the workforce. They join host Sarah Fenske to talk about their projects and what it was like putting together a documentary for the first time.

This time of year typically marks the start of wedding season, with venues, vendors and engaged couples all gearing up for major gatherings. Now, many such celebrations have been cancelled or postponed in light of the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and those working in the event industry are reeling. But when the upheaval of coronavirus eventually settles down — and even in the midst of it all, in some cases — St. Louis remains a great city in which to get hitched. Just ask Carolyn Burke, whose small business aims to make St. Louis a destination for elopement. With courthouses currently closed to nuptials, she’s found a workaround by bringing her officiant credentials and related services straight to wherever couples are located. In this segment, host Sarah Fenske talks with Burke as well as two other locals who have a track record of helping people think outside the box about weddings and other events: Stuart Keating, co-owner of Earthbound Beer; and Rachel McCalla, event director at Third Degree Glass Factory. The conversation touches on local impacts of COVID-19 but especially focused on the creative thinking that was already underway among some local venues and vendors — and may be more attractive than ever as couples look toward what’s next. It also includes comments from Stuart Hultgren and Sara Hasz, a local engaged couple who had planned to get married in early May in Tower Grove Park.

The COVID-19 Regional Response Fund was started two weeks ago to help non-profits hit hard by the novel coronavirus. With backing by the Community Foundation, the fund quickly garnered some major donations. The aim is to help nonprofits dealing with vulnerable populations. It wasn’t long after that a second fund was established, also in tandem with the Community Foundation. The Gateway Resilience Fund was created to help the restaurant and retail industries. Together, the two funds have already raised $1.4 million. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Roo Yawitz, co-creator and advisor to the Gateway Resilience Fund.

Even before the outbreak of COVID-19 caused mass social distancing — keeping friends and family members apart for the sake of their health — many seniors felt isolated, particularly those living in nursing homes and assisted living communities. For those who were already lonely or isolated, things are likely to get worse in the months ahead, as caregivers find themselves overwhelmed and strained, and as social distancing recommendations continue. In this episode, we explore some things friends and family can do to make sure seniors are not only healthy, but also make sure they avoid falling into despair. We also highlight the Circle of Friends program that aims to connect seniors via weekly meetings. Circle of Friends is a collaboration between Community Health in Partnership (CHIPS) and the St. Louis Housing Authority.

How has the coronavirus upended the legal profession? What happens when your right to a speedy trial clashes with the government’s cancellation of jury trials? Can an employer require workers deemed non-essential to show up, or face termination? In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with a panel of legal experts about a variety of issues, including those triggered by the new coronavirus.

There’s no time quite like the present for escaping into someone else’s story for a bit, and even in the technology-crazed 21st century, the written word is still the go-to medium for doing so. Books have a distinctive way of engaging hearts and minds for hours on end, providing everything from comfort and knowledge to intrigue and comic relief. And in the St. Louis region, our local booksellers, librarians and authors are great resources for recommendations of what to read — specifically some top picks for a pandemic. In this segment, LuAnn Locke, owner of Afterwords Books in Edwardsville, Illinois, and Jen Ohzourk, regional manager with St. Louis Public Library, talkwith host Sarah Fenske and fielded listener request and suggestions, too. The conversation also touches on how local bookstores are finding creative ways to continue connecting their customers to great reads and how book lovers can take steps to support those independent retailers.

One month ago, Luz Maria Henriquez began a new job as executive director of the ACLU of Missouri. And the weeks since have made clear there will be no easing into things. The nation is now in an unprecedented period of economic shutdown and enforced social distancing, even as healthcare workers grapple with a terrifying pandemic. In this interview, Sarah Fenske talks with Henriquez about what she sees as the ACLU’s role during these troubled times. In the last week alone, that’s meant advocating for prisoners and voting rights.

Many aspects of everyday life and commerce are grinding to a halt in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the online world remains as frenetic as ever. And while virtual tools and social media platforms provide much-needed connections in these isolating times, they’ve also made it easy for harmful misinformation to spread almost as fast as the coronavirus itself. In this episode of the talk show, we work to combat some of these fake facts. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Michael Kinch, the director of Washington University’s Centers for Research Innovation in Biotechnology and Drug Discovery, and he fields lots of listener calls in addition to Fenske's questions.