St. Louis on the Air

Missouri Independent reporter Rebecca Rivas provides the latest on sweeping legislation that recently gained preliminary approval in the Missouri Senate. It would crack down on protesters — and give new rights to cops accused of misconduct.

Andrew J. Theising discusses the new book he edited for the Florissant Valley Historical Society, which provides a close look at slavery in the north county St. Louis suburb.

For many of us, mastering muting, unmuting and other basics of virtual work and schooling has proved to be more than enough of a challenge on top of everything else this past year. But St. Louisan Susanne Evens and her team of translators around the world have been busy in recent months tackling a different challenge: how to make large-scale international gatherings possible, and still understanda...

The four contenders for mayor of St. Louis discussed crime prevention, the COVID-19 pandemic and transportation funding in one of the last virtual showdowns before the March 2 primary election.

St. Louis County Library director Kristen Sorth discusses the center's "GrandPad" initiative, where they aim to distribute about 1,500 tablets as part of their ongoing Digital Equity Initiative.

Advocates are celebrating a new law that will end wealth-based pre-trial detention in Illinois. With Governor J.B. Pritzker's signature yesterday, the state becomes the first in the country to eliminate cash bail.

A newly launched community of 50 tiny, transitional homes, located at Jefferson and Martin Luther King Drive in St. Louis, is now nearly at capacity. We talk with Tom Mangogna of the Magdala Foundation, which is operating the village, and with tiny-home resident Florine McBride. She moved in just a couple weeks ago with her emotional control cat, Logan.

As the pandemic drags on and many people settle further into a more virtual world, others are in their 11th month of continually interacting with members of the public and risking their own health to help keep people supplied with food and other necessities. In this episode, we hear from several of those workers.

Mayor Krewson recently signed a bill mandating more electric vehicle charging stations in the city. Linda Little, assistant director of the Electrical Industry Training Center, explains how the St. Louis company helped standardize the charging process nationally ten years ago.

The New York-based conceptual artist explains his project "A Counting," which aims to create a "sound portrait" of St. Louis.

The artist Le’Ponds is known for her dreamy, almost haunting songs. The St. Louis-based singer-songwriter and guitarist tells us about her musical journey and latest projects.

Advocates for St. Louis' homeless population explain how they came together in a two-week blitz to get people out of the cold -- and the political backdrop that made such efforts necessary.

About four miles south of the Gateway Arch, right near the riverfront in south St. Louis, sits a hospital with a long and troubled history — and what its new leaders hope will be a much brighter future. Best known for being the location of the only documented exorcism in the United States, the hospital is now benefiting from a new vision for serving the community that surrounds it.

A new report from the Riverfront Times puts the disparity in stark contrast: While Missouri inmates on average spend less than four years in prison, some of the state’s nonviolent drug offenders are still serving decades-long, no-parole terms. In this segment, host Sarah Fenske talks with the RFT's Danny Wicentowski and Republican state Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch. We also hear from two men who rece...

Pablo Sobron, the founder and CEO of Impossible Sensing, explains how his Cherokee Street-based startup is aiding in the work of the Perseverance rover touching down this week on Mars -- and his bigger plans for future Mars' missions.

In this episode we hear from two struggling tenants at the Fountains at Carondelet as well as Lee Camp, an attorney with ArchCity Defenders. Kennard Williams, a lead organizer with Action St. Louis and active member of the St. Louis Housing Defense Collective, joins host Sarah Fenske throughout the discussion, and also interacts with callers.

The St. Louis County Library's Tap In Center seeks to provide a safe space for people who need assistance in resolving warrants, meeting with an attorney, learning their case status or applying for a public defender.

Scores of St. Louis residents are traveling to rural Missouri counties to get vaccinated. Reporter Kayla Drake discusses the issues surrounding these road trips.

After Walter Parks started researching his musical and cultural roots in southeast Georgia, he found a treasure trove of material in the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center. The library had preserved early field recordings of homesteaders in the Okefenokee Swamp region, where Parks remembers camping and exploring as a kid. In this conversation, the writer, guitarist and vocalist joins ho...

The "We Live Here" team delves into their latest Farm Dreams & Toxic Dust episode, and what the rest of the season on environmental racism has to offer.

Abra McField, the CEO and founder of St. Louis based Abra Kadabra Hair & Healing, has noticed a surge in clients dealing with hair loss since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Susan Van de Riet is the owner of St. Louis Native Plants, a landscape consulting and design company that helps locals figure out the ideal way to grow a garden in their yard. She recently designed a native garden plan with the local chapter of Wild Ones Natural Landscapers. It’s time and budget friendly and totally free to download.

Journalist Masuma Ahuja discusses her new book, which compiles diary excerpts from 30 teenaged girls in 27 countries. She explains why she sees hope in even the most challenging stories.

In the middle of winter’s coldest month, we make time to celebrate love. Valentine’s Day is Sunday. What better way to get in the mood than to listen to some love songs?

As the new executive director of Medical Students for Choice, St. Louisan Pamela Merritt works with medical student groups across the globe to ensure they have access to training in abortion. She discusses those efforts and her perhaps surprising assertion that "abortion is winning."