St. Louis on the Air

St. Louis’ relatively low cost of living is an oft-touted point of pride for the region. But a newly released report by the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, or EHOC, suggests that life in the Gateway City isn’t so affordable for everyone — especially when it comes to paying rent. Compiled by the organization’s community engagement specialist, the report aims to fill an...

The 28th St. Louis International Film Festival returns this week to offer local moviegoers the chance to view international films, documentaries, American indies and shorts over the course of 11 days. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Cinema St. Louis artistic director Chris Clark about some of this year’s highlights. Also joining the discussion are two film directors whose works take a look at issues...

Nurses say that the threat of violence is increasingly part of their jobs, and both hospitals and college instructors are finding ways to help them maintain safety in the face of that danger. This troubling landscape is the focus of a new piece by "5 On Your Side" KSDK reporter Jenna Barnes.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with Mike Isaacson, artistic director and executive producer of the Muny. In addition to the 2020 season, they touch on the Muny’s $100 million capital campaign and recent renovations, as well as local and national musical theater trends.

Ten years ago, a trio of recent law school graduates formed a nonprofit law firm. They called it ArchCity Defenders. And they had a novel idea: wraparound services, not just legal representation, for the people who needed it most. As Michael-John Voss explains it, he and his co-founders, Thomas Harvey and John McAnnar, were inspired by the Jesuit tradition at St. Louis University School of Law. Af...

Most people are knowledgeable about the early accomplishments of Michelangelo, like his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in his 30s. But the artist and architect worked well into his 80s, at a time when the average life expectancy was about 40 to 45 years. The latter part of Michelangelo’s career is the focus of a new book by Washington University Art History Professor William Wallace. It’s titl...

Last month, Tom Townsend died at 60, just two weeks after being diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. It was a devastating blow. Just one year before, Townsend had survived being shot in an attempted carjacking. And he was a much-loved figure in St. Louis. One big reason for that was the organization he founded: Pianos for People. A retired advertising executive, Townsend had devoted w...

Most people are knowledgeable about the early accomplishments of Michelangelo, like his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in his 30s. But the artist and architect worked well into his 80s, at a time when the average life expectancy was about 40 to 45 years. The latter part of Michelangelo’s career is the focus of a new book by Washington University art history professor, William Wallace. It’s tit...

In three weeks, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will formally break ground on Next NGA West, its long-anticipated new headquarters that will be located in north St. Louis. The $1.7 billion construction project is expected to last several years, with a goal of completing much of the campus in 2023. In this segment, Next NGA West Program Director Sue Pollmann joins host Sarah Fenske to g...

In this segment, Sarah Fenske talks with Harriet Tubman impersonator Glynis Brooks about her reaction to the new Tubman biopic and her role as a Tubman impersonator.

Peter Robinson had just turned 30 years old when, as Ronald Reagan’s speechwriter in 1987, he was tasked with crafting what would become one of the world’s most famous presidential speeches. “I spent six years in the Reagan White House and I wrote tens of thousands of words, and nobody remembers anything except six of them — and one of them is ‘mister,’” said Robinson, referring to the memorable “...

Saturday (Nov. 9) will mark 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall that divided Germany from 1961 to 1989. In this episode, we discuss a local dance production being staged this week by Modern American Dance Company, or MADCO, that explores the personal stories behind the Cold War politics of the time. The production, “WallSTORIES,” is choreographed by native Berliner Nejla Yatkin and is a col...

Ron Calzone isn’t a paid lobbyist. He might be better described as an activist. He has strong opinions about politics -- conservative ones. And because of that, he spends a fair amount of time in Jefferson City at the Missouri Capitol, seeking to persuade lawmakers to come around to his point of view. Not everyone likes that, and in 2014, someone filed a complaint against Calzone with the Missouri...

The St. Louis comedy scene is a busy one. Just about any night of the week, you can catch local comedians honing their sets at open-mic night, improvising madly on stage with a troupe of their closest friends or battling each other with wit and good humor as local drunks cheer. For the past three years, a three-day comedy festival has brought those disparate elements together. The Flyover Comedy F...

Host Sarah Fenske talks with St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann about why he supports the exploration of regional governance of St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

In this segment, we learn about the Excelsior Program, which aims to help kids overcome trauma by teaching them meditation, mindfulness, and martial arts.

The first-ever STL Startup Week begins November 1, celebrating a growing entrepreneurial scene in a city once better known for beer and brick. An integral part of St. Louis’ startup scene: women. Host Sarah Fenske discusses the startup culture in St. Louis and local efforts to support women and their businesses.

The holiday season often signals a time when people gather together and aim to impress their friends and loved ones with their cooking skills. And now, home chefs can try some recipes not found in the Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray cookbooks. R.J. Hartbeck and Mary von der Heydt have launched a series of short cookbooks titled “Small Circle,” each showcasing about 10 recipes from noted chefs around...

Sarah Fenske talks with state Sen. Karla May (D-St. Louis) and state Rep. Justin Hill (R-Lake St. Louis) about the recent push for an online sales tax in Missouri and how the issue may be addressed in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 8.

Annie's Hope founder and executive director Becky Byrne joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss the organization’s work to help entire families in their mourning process. Joining the conversation are Riley Mitchell and his father, Brandon. Riley, 10, lost his mother suddenly as a young child and has participated in Annie’s Hope camps and other events.

Host Sarah Fenske will be joined by a panel of legal experts to discuss a variety of recent local and national stories pertaining to the law.

In this St. Louis on the Air episode, Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio correspondent Rachel Lippmann about recent complications in the Board of Freeholders process. We also meet Board of Freeholder member and local business owner Jason Wilson.

Golf carts have long been transcending the fairways, clubs and expensive sporting equipment they evoke. In St. Louis, they’re somewhat synonymous with Soulard, where many residents use the vehicles for everyday purposes around the neighborhood — and the carts have become a common sight in some other St. Louis areas as well.

Growing up in Mexico, Lizett Mata spent a lot of time in early November each year at her father’s grave. He died when she was just seven years old, and Mata and her family would annually bring some of his favorite things to the cemetery to celebrate his and other departed loved ones’ lives. They’d spend the whole day there.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Magazine writer Jeannette Cooperman, who is leaving for a job as a staff writer at the Common Reader, a journal of essays housed at Washington University.