St. Louis on the Air

Missourians will decide the fate of Amendment 4, which requires constitutional amendments put on the ballot through the initiative petition process to pass in eight out of eight congressional districts. We hear from both sides of the debate on the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air. Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins argues the pro side of Amendment...

Missourians will be deciding on a lot of high-stakes ballot initiatives on Aug. 4. Some of them are attracting passionate debate – and spurring high-dollar ad campaigns. That’s not what’s happening with Amendment 1. Thus far, there’s no organized opposition for the reauthorization of a one-tenth of one percent sales tax that funds soil and water conservation projects and Missouri’s state parks. Mi...

St. Charles County Republicans are engaged in their most competitive GOP primary for county executive in years. On this episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, we explore why the contest between incumbent Steve Ehlmann, former state Sen. Bill Eigel, and former Lake Saint Louis Mayor Jason Law are provoking questions about whether the county’s future growth is sustainable.

Gabe Moskoff fell in love with hip-hop as a teen in Madison, WI and dreamt of going to college on the East Coast where his favorite hip-hop acts are from. He ended up in St. Louis instead to study at Washington University, and his response to an email and access to WashU’s student radio station led to Moskoff becoming Trackstar the DJ:a member of the acclaimed group Run the Jewels who has toured a...

For decades, Kirkwood’s municipal electric department was so successful that it generated millions in profits while funding other government services. Then, a revelation came last fall: the department was in the hole for more than $15 million. Will there be any repercussions for the two highly paid public servants responsible for managing and overseeing the department’s spending? Where did the mas...

Technology has made a lot of things better and more convenient — but somewhere along the way, it’s also made some parts of everyday life a little less satisfying. In this episode, Washington University professor Ian Bogost discusses his new book, “The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life.” Bogost argues modern technology has stripped away many of the small, everyday experiences that onc...

There’s no single way to succeed in the restaurant industry. In June, St. Louisans said goodbye to several beloved eateries — including O’Fashion Donuts — even as they fell in love with fresh concepts like Chico Bueno in the Grove. This month, STLPR’s Jessica Rogen and Abby Llorico talk about the latest openings and closings in the region’s food and dining scenes, their favorite new dishes and how...

Loryn Nalic, chef and co-owner of Balkan Treat Box in St. Louis brought home the Best Chef: Midwest honor at the 2026 James Beard Awards. This recognition marks the first time in nearly a decade that a St. Louis-area chef has won one of the U.S. culinary world’s highest honors. Nalic reflects on the achievement, what it’s taken to get to this point, the importance of preserving cultural traditions...

On July 11, WerQfest returns to the Grove Business District to celebrate Black queer music and culture in St. Louis. The event’s 2026 theme is “Express Yourself,” a spirit that has animated every WerQfest since its debut in 2020. The event was created to give St. Louisans who identify as Black and queer an opportunity to be their authentic selves, fostering community with music, resources, and sho...

On Sunday, July 12, the Missouri History Museum will close its “Mill Creek: Black Metropolis” exhibit, which looks back at the history and community members’ lived experiences of Mill Creek Valley: a neighborhood home to nearly 20,000 people that was erased in 1959 as part of St. Louis' push for urban renewal. In this encore presentation from 2025, we hear from Vivian Gibson, memoirist of “The Las...

Fried chicken ranks among the top five most popular foods in the U.S., beating out apple pie and even outranking hot dogs. This coming Monday is National Fried Chicken Day, dedicated to all things chicken. In this encore presentation, we revisit a conversation with Adrian Miller, the “Soul Food Scholar” and author of the James Beard Award-winning book “Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an America...

A new storytelling initiative called 250Connect is collecting conversations between American strangers in honor of the country’s founding. In St. Louis and cities and across the country, participants will be paired for recorded conversations that will eventually be housed in the Library of Congress. Nearly 10,000 people have already registered ahead of the project’s July 7 start, said StoryCorps f...

On June 9, three immigrants from Collinsville, including two teenagers, were detained by ICE after a traffic stop in central Illinois. The immigrants, who were in the country without legal status, were on their way to work when they were stopped just outside of Morrisonville in Christian County. A new trove of records obtained by St. Louis Public Radio reveals the minute-by-minute breakdown of the...

St. Louis writer Devin O'Shea's debut book "The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis" takes readers inside the mysteries of the Veiled Prophet Society, a group that's maintained influence over St. Louis institutions since its founding in 1878. Today, the group lives on as VP St. Louis. Its leaders are behind the non-profit Celebrate Saint Louis and “Ame...

For many parents in Illinois, time is running out to get the specialized help they need for their young children with developmental disabilities. They are waiting to get their kids into a state program called Early Intervention, which is open only to kids under the age of three. An investigation from the Illinois Answers Project found that Illinois pays providers less than other states, including...

The United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday will go head-to-head in a FIFA World Cup Round of 32 knockout game. And, for many in St. Louis, it means cheering on two countries they can call home. Elvir Kafedzic, founder of the St. Louis Dragons youth soccer club, and his 11-year-old daughter, Emina Kafedzic, a participant in the program, discuss the July 1 match as soccer players and...

In 2006, Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado moved to St. Louis to teach Mexican literature as part of Washington University's Latin American Studies program. Twenty years later, that program has expanded immensely. As Ignacio prepares to leave St. Louis for a new role at Cornell University, we talk with him about his work building WashU's Latin American Studies Program, AI in the classroom, and the importan...

Driver fatalities in Missouri have decreased each year since 2022. But crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists are becoming more deadly — especially in St. Louis. We discuss Trailnet’s State of Our Streets report, which explores the deadliest corridors in the region, the data-backed solutions that can make St. Louis streets less perilous, and recent traffic calming measures. Our panelists inclu...

In this audio essay, STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum asks: “Am I a Missourian?” Prompted by an offhand comment from actress and singer Jennifer Lopez about who gets to claim a place as their own, Rosenbaum reflects on his journey from growing up in the Chicago suburbs to spending more than half his life in Missouri, exploring whether identity is defined by where you're born or by the...

Missouri's Children's Division is overhauling how it investigates child abuse and neglect in an effort to improve retention, reduce burnout and strengthen complex investigations. Director Sarah Smith joins the "The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air" to discuss her restructuring plan, which will have investigators specialize in specific types of cases while creating a new career pat...

Missouri's abortion landscape shifted dramatically after a Jackson County judge struck down many of the state's abortion restrictions, allowing providers like Planned Parenthood to resume offering medication abortions. STLPR reporter Sarah Fentem joins “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” about the legal and political ramifications of that ruling, how it expands access to aborti...

A 30-foot-wide hole caused by a century-old water main tore open beneath I-44 downtown nearly two weeks ago. Though crews are actively filling and stabilizing the area, questions remain. Fletcher Bone, geologist and environmental program specialist with the Missouri Geological Survey, and Bess McCoy with the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District discuss the lead-up to the collapse, Missouri’s geol...

At the start of every decade the Census redraws America's lines of representation. But in 2025, at President Trump's urging, several states — including Missouri — moved to redraw their congressional maps mid-decade. The result is a high-drama scramble that could reshape who controls the U.S. House. We feature the latest episode of STLPR's podcast "Meet Me" — a conversation between host Luis Antoni...

The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners prompted plenty of controversy earlier this month when members pushed a pay boost for command staff. STLPR’s Rachel Lippmann joins “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” to explain how the move prompted opposition from St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer — and renewed discussions about how pay boosts for police require salary increases for fire...

St. Louis’ top officials are working with members of Missouri’s congressional delegation to obtain much-needed funds to rebuild parts of the city that were destroyed by last year’s EF3 tornado. But getting that money will require Congress to act. Sarah Labowitz of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discusses the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief program on “The Politi...