St. Louis on the Air

St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum goes behind the headlines with Sarah Fenske on several of the biggest developments in the region over the past couple days. Callers join the conversation as well.

Last night, the city of Ferguson elected its first black mayor: Ella Jones. She is also the first woman to hold the position. She talks with host Sarah Fenske about her historic win as well as her concerns and hopes for the north St. Louis County municipality.

Long before protests against police brutality spread to cities across the country, they took place in Ferguson. In this episode, Ferguson activists leading the community in today's protests share their thoughts on the movement now sweeping the globe, and where things stand right here in St. Louis.

Four St. Louis police officers were shot late Monday night after official protests in the city ended over the killing of George Floyd. Two were shot in the leg, one in the arm and one in the foot, said Police Chief John Hayden. He was visibly frustrated as he gave an update on the shootings shortly before 2 a.m. Host Sarah Fenske talks with STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann about the events.

Protests against police brutality have now broken out around the world in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That of course includes St. Louis, Clayton, University City and Ferguson. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss what happened over the weekend locally — and why so many St. Louisans are again taking to the streets.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson has announced a plan to distribute $64 million in federal aid intended to bolster the city’s response to the coronavirus. The plan, which Krewson said she’ll submit to the Board of Aldermen for revisions and approval, includes $2.5 million for contact tracing: to hire 25 people and invest in technology. In this episode of the talk show, host Sarah Fenske is joined by S...

Host Sarah Fenske talks with Big Shark Bicycle Company owner Mike Weiss about why his shop is seeing an increase in bike sales during the COVID-19 crises and talk with Emma Klues of Great Rivers Greenway about her recommendations for specific biking trails and routes to explore while continuing to help limit the spread of the coronavirus

St. Louisan Eric Strand just set a fastest known time with his run across the entire length of the Katy Trail, covering over 240 miles in just three days and 14 hours. Since announcing his plans and setting up a GoFundMe charity page just last week, the Drury Hotels chief operating officer has raised nearly $40,000. It will all go to a foundation fund to help frontline hospitality workers who have...

Imagine orchestrating a virtual telethon in the middle of a pandemic. A host of St. Louis arts organizations led by Opera Theatre St. Louis did just that, with the Arts United STL benefit set to premiere online May 31. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Opera Theatre General Manager Andrew Jorgensen about the financial needs that inspired the event and the difficulties that go into producing such a larg...

Legal Roundtable: Can students sue their universities for not refunding tuition and fees after they were forced to study from home because of the pandemic? Can St. Louis County force the House of Pain gyms to close? What about churches? Legal experts Bill Freivogel, Nicole Gorovsky, and Dave Roland talk with host Sarah Fenske about these issues and more.

As a scholar who works with human remains, Anne Austin had long looked closely at bones. Her training is in osteology and Egyptology, and for many years she worked to expand the world’s knowledge about the health, medicine and disease of past civilizations. But in 2016, her focus suddenly turned from bones to ancient skin— and body art. “As I was doing my research, I accidentally came across this...

It’s not just parents of young children trying to balance caregiving with other responsibilities during this pandemic. People whose loved ones suffer from dementia are also finding themselves under increased stress. Adult day centers are closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Many therapists and other support staff no longer offer in-person visits. And people with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive i...

Gateway Arch National Park Superintendent Mike Ward talks with host Sarah Fenske about his 37-year-long career with the National Park Service. He started working at the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, when he was just a teenager. After eight years of experience, he took on a more supervising role at the Ulysses S. Grant Historic Site in St. Louis. H...

Daily life in the age of the coronavirus is riddled with stressors and stress can lead to increased substance use — as well as the possibility of relapse for those working to stay sober. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Jenny Armbruster of NCADA and also hears from people in long-term recovery as they discuss substance use disorder, relapse and navigating tough conversations in the age of COVID-19.

The 18th Amendment of the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the U.S. Enforcement of the new law started on January 17, 1920. In this encore episode, our panelists dive into St. Louis' rich Prohibition-era history. They describe the time robbers siphoned off 3,000 barrels of whiskey from the Jack Daniels distillery, how Anheuser-Busch survived more than a decade o...

These days, Zoom calls are more likely to inspire grousing than gratitude. Who wants to make uncomfortable eye contact with their boss or professor — and themselves? But Vikki Siddell of St. Charles recently joined a very different Zoom call, one where she got to talk — and perform — in front of celebrities including Daniel Radcliffe, Tina Fey and St. Louis’ own Ellie Kemper. Siddell joins host Sa...

Bring up Adam and Eve in contemporary conversation, and you’ll likely be met with either total skepticism or deep confidence, depending on one’s audience. Diametrically opposed views of the biblical origin story come with the territory of ongoing cultural battles between creationists and evolutionists and the typical right and left. But Washington University’s Dr. S. Joshua Swamidass, who describe...

St. Louis Public Library and St. Louis County Library locations closed to the public earlier this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, both local systems have begun to release some cautious and partial reopening plans. During the closures, the libraries have been quick to assure patrons that they needn’t worry about returning overdue items during the crisis — and will be given plenty of ti...

As day cares set to reopen in the coming weeks, host Sarah Fenske explores how some centers will navigate the ever-so-changing guidelines. Joining are a provider that has remained open to provide care for children of health care and essential workers, and a provider that is set to reopen soon.

As a nine-year-old, John O’Leary nearly died. He was playing in his garage in St. Louis when he accidentally set off an explosion. He was left with third-degree burns covering his entire body — and even had to have his fingers amputated. O’Leary recounted the story of his near-death and ultimate survival in his book “On Fire,” which became a national bestseller. And now he’s back with another book...

A masked violinist has been making music while strolling the streets of Alton. There are rumors that she's a ghost from the Mississippi River and that she hasn’t been seen since the 1918 influenza. She calls herself the Fiddle Assassin, and says her only enemy is the coronavirus. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with the violinist about what it's been like to play for the empty streets of Alton...

More than 260,000 Missourians filed claims showing they were unemployed as of May 2. To Jeff Mazur, the executive director of the tech training nonprofit LaunchCode, the numbers are a wakeup call for workforce training programs, which he believes have failed to keep up with the realities of the modern workplace. Mazur and state Senator Brian Williams (D-Ferguson) will discuss some of the challenge...

In addition to caring for their patients, nurses are often the glue that holds families together during a crisis. That level of care can sometimes lead to compassion fatigue, according to Cindy Lefton, a registered nurse and vice president of organizational consulting at Psychological Associates. As the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on healthcare workers in the region, Lefton talks with host S...

Before COVID-19 spread throughout the St. Louis region, many graduating college seniors had their eyes set on internships and prospective careers. Then the pandemic led many businesses to rescind offers or turn applicants away. Now, many young adults are facing a newly uncertain job market full of unexpected challenges and trends. Host Sarah Fenske talks with John Link, Webster’s director of caree...

After nearly eight weeks of coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders, St. Louis County officially begins to reopen on Monday, May 18 — with a few caveats. Some businesses, like gyms, swimming pools and bars that do not serve food, remain closed. But businesses such as restaurants and hair salons will open at limited capacity. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said reduced capacities, masks and ba...