St. Louis on the Air

Kayla Reed shares what she saw at the City Justice Center and the Medium Security Institution, better known as the Workhouse — and what she hopes city leaders will do with those observations.

Polling suggests that attitudes and misunderstandings among political conservatives and people with limited health care coverage may pose the biggest challenges to mass vaccination.

Rex Sinquefield has had an outsized influence on the St. Louis region — whether he’s pushing a city-county merger or turning the Central West End into a world capital of chess. And for most of that time, fellow St. Louisan Devin Thomas O’Shea has been watching to see what the libertarian billionaire’s next moves might be.

St. Louis has voted new leaders into key offices from county executive to mayor to congresswoman. So what should be on the area's to-do list? UMSL professor Anita Manion and listeners shared their agendas for a transformed region.

After receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, some people are reporting heavier menstrual cycles and more cramping. To date, there are no published scientific studies about a possible link, but researchers are looking into it.

The lager has a long history in St. Louis — and despite its low-key image, experts say it’s surprisingly difficult to make well. Two local brewers discuss the lager’s local roots, and highlight some new favorites.

Missouri Independent editor-in-chief Jason Hancock explains what’s happening in the Missouri legislature. The discussion delves into various topics, including the expulsion of one of its members, and debates about the rights of transgender youth and critical race theory.

Missouri Botanical Garden ecologist Adam Smith studied the island's deforestation and found that all of Madagascar's rainforests could disappear by 2080. Botanist Jeannie Raharimampionona explains how MoBot's protected sites in Madagascar aim to combat this prediction.

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. Journalist Ken Ellingwood discusses his life and times.

For the Reverend Michelle Higgins, pastoral work shares deep ties with social justice activism. The self described “protestor who has become a pastor” is the first Black woman to permanently lead the congregation at Saint John’s Church (the Beloved Community) in north St. Louis.

Twenty-five years ago, Reginald Dwayne Betts saw his entire life trajectory change in the space of 30 minutes. In what he has since described as “a moment of insanity,” Betts, then a 16-year-old high school junior, carjacked a man. He would serve eight years in prison for the crime.

The Field House Museum's "Momentous Milestones" exhibit highlights the history of the oldest privately-owned residential home in St. Louis.

For several decades, one of the most persistent theories of Cahokia's collapse has blamed self-inflicted ecological disaster. Geoarchaeologist Caitlin Rankin explains how her research debunks that theory.

Earlier this year, the Sierra Club released “The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges,” a report grading 50 utility companies across the U.S. on their transition from coal to clean energy. Ameren Missouri is among them, and received a D.

The latest exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum, “Nubia: Treasures of Ancient Africa,” offers new ways of understanding Nubia’s history and contemporary relevance.

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is introducing legislation that would directly fund local governments disproportionately impacted by climate change. The Green New Deal for Cities would authorize $1 trillion in spending over the next four years.

STLPR's Jonathan Ahl explores the political fallout from a mask mandate and other coronavirus-related restrictions in Rolla.

Missouri Independent editor-in-chief Jason Hancock explains what’s happening in the Missouri legislature. The discussion involves the ongoing snafu around unemployment overpayments, Rep. Rick Roeber, Rush Limbaugh and more.

The podcast's creator, Aaron Doerr, has released six episodes just in the past two months, featuring local bands ranging from Middle Class Fashion to Mathias & The Pirates. More conversations and tunes drop every other Tuesday.

Michael Kinch's new book, "“The Price of Health: The Modern Pharmaceutical Enterprise and the Betrayal of a History of Care," digs into the many factors leading to exorbitant drug prices. He discusses what he found, and what it would take to address them.

In 2017, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson was elected the city’s top executive, making her the first woman to win the job. Four years later, she’s set to retire, marking an end to 24 years in public service.

Chabon, who is this week receiving the 2020 St. Louis Literary Award, discusses his successes, his struggles and how the joy of good sentences continues to sustain him.

For 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, the St. Louis Crisis Nursery welcomes children in need of care due to factors like homelessness, illness or extreme parental stress. Its clinical worker explains how it assists those families -- and how the pandemic affected its work.

Sauce Magazine's Meera Nagarajan highlights six new food and drink establishments in the region.

First hired by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1980, Martin has been drawing the beloved Weatherbird character for 35 years now. He’s the sixth artist to carry on the legacy since the cartoon first appeared in the February 11, 1901, edition of the newspaper.