St. Louis on the Air

A series of workshops that referenced reports of sexual abuse at an orphanage run by a Missouri charity has been canceled by the International Conference on Missions. ICOM’s decision came as thousands of attendees headed to its annual convention this week in St. Louis. Producer Danny Wicentowski talks about what led to the cancellation and why the move drew outrage from activists and former suppor...

Released to little fanfare in 2003, the quirky Christmas comedy “Elf” is now a holiday classic. It’s the story of a man raised as an elf in Santa’s workshop who travels to New York to meet his long, lost father. Comedian Andy Richter played a small role in the film, and he’s now written, along with Aaron Caro, “Elf Unwrapped: Beyond the Scenes of a Christmas Classic.” Richter talks about the book...

After more than four decades in journalism, Fred Ehrlich is retiring as St. Louis Public Radio’s politics editor. Ehrlich reflects on his career that took him from the Belleville News-Democrat to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and, eventually, to STLPR. Ehrlich shares what he’s valued about mentoring young journalists and how he's managed to stay calm through some of the most chaotic moments in Misso...

St. Louis author Amanda Schoepp learned about her great grandparents’ murder-suicide from her granddad when she was 13 years old. Her new memoir “We Don’t Talk About That” explores how silence around the tragedy led to five generations of family trauma and the healing that came from stories her relatives shared as she did research for the book.

Founded in 1976, the Dances of India dance company knows how to stage a show around a theme. Past productions have been inspired by Italian opera, ancient Indian epics and a 16th century Mughal emperor. This year’s show focuses on a figure closer to home: Mark Twain. The American writer and humorist visited India in 1896. Nartana Premachandra’s original dance-theater production “From the Mississip...

Edward Drew was 19 when he left his home in St. Louis to fight in the Vietnam War. Drew is one of several Black veterans featured in "Brothers in Blood," a documentary screening this Saturday as part of the 2026 St. Louis International Film Festival. Drew joins the film’s director Joseph Puleo for a conversation about the Black experience during the war, why veterans are still struggling to tell t...

For years, Mary Engelbreit’s work was defined by cheery, bright colors of “children and butterflies.” But when Michael Brown Jr. was killed by police in 2014, she felt a call to be more political in her work. “I didn't really care if I lost followers at that point,” she said. “I wanted to express what I was feeling in my art.” In this episode, the iconic St. Louis illustrator discusses how her wor...

Free 4 All Music Showcase returns to Grand Center with 100 bands across several venues on Saturday, Nov. 7. St. Louis Public Radio will host performances from noon to 7 pm. Hear from some of the musicians hitting the stage in STLPR’s Community Room including Umami, Jack Grelle, Rachel Bouzier and more.

Years before becoming an actor in films like “American History X” and “Don’t Be a Menace,” Guy Torry was a kid growing up in St. Louis. As a student at Southeast Missouri State University, Torry held impromptu comedy slams in dorm breakrooms. In the mid-90s, Torry created the weekly showcase Phat Tuesdays to give Black comics a platform when many were not welcome at white comedy clubs in Hollywood...

St. Louis’ Chinese food is so good, Eric “Remrod” Mayes had to make a documentary about it. Premiering this weekend, the 40-minute documentary “Half Order” began as a search for the city’s best fried rice. As the project evolved, Mayes said it became something more profound — and turned into an exploration of the distinct connections between Chinese takeout and Black culture in St. Louis. In this...

For decades, volunteers and donor churches in Missouri supported the Niños de México orphanage in Mexico. One year ago this month, on November 12, 2025, Niños closed abruptly after an independent investigation found many years of sexual abuse. In September, “Jane Doe,” a 23-year-old woman in Mexico sued the Missouri charity’s former leaders over the abuse she suffered as a child. In this encore ed...

A blue wave crashed across Missouri on Tuesday. Democrats picked up 16 seats in the Missouri House and two seats in the Missouri Senate — their strongest legislative election performance of the 21st century. In the St. Louis area, Democrat Fred Wellman did what many thought was impossible when he defeated longtime Republican incumbent Ann Wagner. Missourians also rejected an abortion ban by a wide...

With his production “Brothers of Affliction,” St. Louis playwright Paris Crayton III aims to create a space where actors and audience members can embrace vulnerability. The play deals with themes of Black brotherhood, inherited trauma and mental health — and it includes therapist-led conversations after every performance. We talk with Crayton about his mental health journey, how his work is influe...

More than a year after the devastating May 16 tornado tore through north St. Louis, neighborhoods are still grappling with the damage and uncertainty of what comes next. In the Academy neighborhood, hundreds of damaged homes have been demolished, leaving vacant lots where houses and longtime community landmarks once stood. In this episode, with STLPR reporter Kavahn Mansouri about his reporting on...

Consider your dinner plans made. STLPR digital editor Jessica Rogan, “The Gateway” host Abby Llorico and “St. Louis on the Air” host Elaine Cha share new restaurant openings they are excited for and reminisce about restaurants that have closed.

St. Louis-based author and marketing executive Aaron Perlut discusses his new book, “The Death of Compromise.” Perlut argues that America has lost the ability to disagree without viewing the other side as the enemy. The book traces his own journey as a political centrist, examines how compromise fell out of favor in American politics and considers whether there’s a path forward.

The St. Louis region is days away from knowing the results of the 2026 midterm elections. In this pre-election edition of “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air,” our reporters examine what’s at stake for both major political parties in Missouri and Illinois.

In 1876, St. Louisans voted to split the city from the county. That decision, which came to be known as the Great Divorce, has had many consequences. It’s also been fodder for moves for and against unification over the last 150 years. In this episode, we listen to highlights from an in-person event from STLPR’s “Meet Me” team about the current state of the regional split.

Missouri voters will see a long list of judges up for retention on their ballots for the Nov. 3 general election. Need more information before you’re ready to fill out that part of the ballot? STLPR reporter Will Bauer has you covered. He shares details from this year’s Missouri judges voter guide as well as highlights from his recent conversation about retention elections with two St. Louis area...

A $4.2 million settlement was reached on Wednesday in a bizarre case that originated after a rookie St. Louis police officer drove his SUV into the storefront of a popular gay bar. The 2023 incident ended with both of the bar’s co-owners in handcuffs, but the case took several twists and turns before the trial began. On this Legal Roundtable edition of the show a panel of expert attorneys react to...

A recent study of autism diagnoses found a notable increase since 2016 — but only among women. The study’s lead author, St. Louis University psychiatrist Dr. Erick Messias, analyzed more than 170,000 medical records for new insights into the condition. In this episode, we hear from Messias and Lyla Novakowski, owner of We Rock the Spectrum, a children’s sensory gym in Fenton. They discuss the chal...

Missouri Botanical Garden is gearing up for Halloween with programs and blog posts about the relationship between witchcraft and plants. Missouri Botanical Garden’s Peter H. Raven Library director Holly Hubenschmidt and associate scientist Wendy Applequist share lore, history and practical uses of plants associated with witches.

Published more than 180 years ago, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” endures. The poem tells the story of the narrator’s descent into madness as they deal with the grief of losing their beloved Lenore. In this encore episode, we listen to historical interpreter Anne Williams’ recording of “The Raven,” featuring original sound design by producer Avery Rogers.

Halloween decorations can harm local wildlife and end up in a landfill, but it doesn’t have to be that way. St. Louis sustainability content creator Alyssa Barber shares ways to decorate with the environment in mind — while having more fun in the process.

Missouri voters go to the polls on November 3, and there are a number of consequential matters on the ballot. When it comes to how those issues are worded – that is, what voters will see at the ballot box – that’s not necessarily so clear. STLPR’s politics team unpacked amendment and proposition language at our Voter Guide Live event held in late September in St. Louis Public Radio’s Community Roo...