St. Louis on the Air

Host Don Marsh explores alternative forms of voting with David Kimball, professor and Graduate Director of Political Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Some methods include ranked choice, proportional and cumulative voting.

Dogs are often regarded as “man’s best friend,” but to many, they can be so much more. “Superpower Dogs,” a new IMAX film which opens Friday and plays through July at the St. Louis Science Center, shows working dogs all over the world and the ways they are vital – from search and rescue to protecting endangered wildlife.

Host Don Marsh talks with political reporter Jason Rosenbaum in advance of legislators' spring break. Fights over abortion, transportation and finances lie ahead.

March 14 is celebrated nationally as Pi Day in honor of the mathematical constant π. But in St. Louis, the local community acknowledges another aspect of the 314 numerical value – the city itself. For years, locals – especially in the black community – have embraced showing pride for St. Louis through informal gatherings or St. Louis-themed parties and supporting local businesses.

To hear Kitty Ratcliffe tell it, the America’s Center Convention Center in downtown St. Louis has had a good run since it first opened in 1977 – and since it grew bigger with the addition of the Dome in 1995. But now, the president of Explore St. Louis says, the 42-year-old complex needs some major attention – to the tune of $175 million in upgrades and expansion.

Seven years ago, writer and community activist Sylvester Brown founded the Sweet Potato Project in north St. Louis to promote urban farming and provide entrepreneurial skills to underserved youth. Brown’s involvement in the project has now led to his newly released book “When We Listen: Recognizing The Potential of Urban Youth.” He talks with host Don Marsh about his vision for engaging area young...

When “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” opens its 2019 North American tour at the Fabulous Fox Theatre Tuesday evening , it will be a bit of a homecoming for stage producer Paul Blake. Blake, who joined host Don Marsh on Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air, spent 22 years as executive producer at the Muny.

A study released this week by the National Institutes of Health indicates that nearly one-third of Americans between the ages of 10 and 12 “screened positive for suicide risk in emergency department settings.” Meanwhile, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have been studying even younger children who think and talk about suicide – and their most recent findings refute some conv...

Host Don Marsh discuses a variety of local efforts underway to attract and retain newcomers to the St. Louis region.

Even as an especially wintry winter continues to make itself known across the St. Louis region, spring is more and more on residents’ minds – and will finally be here, at least officially, in less than two weeks. Along with warmer temperatures the new season brings renewed focus on gardening and yardwork. Representatives from the St. Louis Audubon Society, Shaw Nature Reserve and the Missouri Depa...

Host Don Marsh discusses local efforts underway to attract and retain newcomers to the region – and also delve into how transplants can take advantage of the innovation community in St. Louis.

Ninety years ago, daring air races across the U.S. routinely attracted crowds that would dwarf attendance at spectacles such as the Super Bowl today. “I’m talking about a half million people – paying customers – during the Great Depression coming out to watch races over the course of a weekend,” Keith O’Brien said during Friday’s St. Louis on the Air. “An additional half million would watch for fr...

Earlier this week, the local union representing educators who serve in St. Louis Public Schools began arbitration relating to its claims about pay discrepancy within the district. Host Don Marsh led a conversation in light of that news, touching on challenges surrounding teacher compensation as well as other matters.

Host Don Marsh talks with St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger about the state of the county and recent news concerning the region.

Retired astronaut and U.S. Air Force officer Catherine “Cady” Coleman is among very few people who have lived in space. But during a visit to St. Louis last month, she came across as equally excited about life on earth – especially because of her interactions with some accomplished high school students. Thursday’s "St. Louis on the Air" included a conversation with Coleman as well as comments from...

A 2018 study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition showed that a St. Louisan who earns minimum wage would have to work 81 hours per week in order to afford a modest apartment. That reality is part of what Esther Shin describes as a "national affordable-housing challenge" stretching from San Francisco to New York City.

Host Don Marsh discusses the results of the St. Louis primary election in which race for president of the Board of Aldermen is the most high profile.

Roughly 850,000 people are facing food insecurity in the state of Missouri alone – and that includes about 220,000 kids. Representatives from Food Outreach, Operation Food Search and the St. Louis Area Foodbank discuss the issue and their distinctive efforts to address it.

Mardi Gras one of St. Louis’ biggest events, but it’s even bigger in cities across the county and world. The holiday dates back to the middle ages and has evolved over time. Host Don Marsh explores Mardi Gras festivities here in St. Louis and Brazil, where the holiday is referred to as Carnival.

Many average Americans aren’t seeing the kinds of refunds they expected in the wake of President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – instead, it’s wealthier people that are tending to see larger refunds. That’s according to Lance Weiss, a certified public accountant and partner with SFW Partners, LLC in St. Louis.

Host Don Marsh talks about some of the latest additions to the St. Louis region’s food-and-beverage community with Sauce Magazine managing editor Catherine Klene and staff writer Matt Sorrell.

At a United Methodist Church conference in St. Louis, delegates from around the world narrowly voted to uphold a ban on same-sex weddings and on ordaining LGBTQ clergy. We talk with STLPR reporter Shahla Farzan about the conference and with two Methodists about the decision.

Host Don Marsh talks with two St. Louisans directly impacted by adoption – and by the Missouri Adoptee Rights Act, which thousands of people have taken advantage of since the legislation passed in 2016. Patti Naumann is a lineal descendant of a deceased Missouri adoptee, and Jason Reckamp is an adoptee who recently connected with his birth parents after many years of searching.

Taulby Roach, who started as CEO and president of Bi-State Development about two months ago, discusses the state of public transit in the St. Louis region.

St. Louis on the Air’s latest Sound Bites segment with Sauce Magazine explores how local chocolatiers create confections ranging from truffles and sauces to classic chocolate bars – and what makes them different from mass-produced chocolates from companies such as Mars and Hershey’s.