St. Louis on the Air

The floodwaters may be gone, but residents in the St. Louis region are still picking up the pieces after historic flooding in late July. In the weeks since, hundreds of flood victims were forced to wait hours at overcrowded aid centers. Now, more help is on the way: This week, teams from FEMA canvassed areas that were hit hard by extreme weather. STLPR reporter Jeremy Goodwin shares his observatio...

August 15 marks the one year anniversary of Zamzama Safi’s escape from Afghanistan. The former translator for U.S. forces discusses her new life in St. Peters, Missouri, and her continued worry for her family still living in Afghanistan.

People in the St. Louis region are still reeling from the effects of flash flooding last week. In this episode, we hear from those affected. Also, Kayla Reed of Action St. Louis speaks to the lessons learned from the disaster and how best to provide support to those still recovering from flood damage.

For years, residents in University City believed a $190 million development wouldn’t force them to sell their homes through eminent domain. But in June, that’s exactly what developer Larry Chapman requested from the city council. Now, residents like Nichole Angieri are wondering if their homes are next. Bob’s Seafood founder Bob Mepham also joins the show to discuss how the same developer used emi...

The study of ancient Egypt flourished in the late 1880s as archaeologists and historians sought to study the artifacts and tombs left behind. These early Egyptologists gathered in hotels to discuss what they found, creating “small, ephemeral communities,” writes Missouri University of Science and Technology history professor Kate Sheppard, who discusses her research and new book, “Tea on the Terra...

STLPR correspondents Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann, and UMSL political scientist Anita Manion, dig into the results from Missouri’s primary elections and share insight on what’s likely in store for the general election in November.

St. Louis broke the record for the most rainfall ever recorded in a single day in the city on July 26. One person died. Hundreds of people, including Hazelwood resident Camila Cage, were rescued by first responders Tuesday morning. Cage joined St. Louis on the Air to discuss what she experienced as the waters rose. Also, St. Louis Public Radio reporter Sarah Fentem provided an update on the effect...

Two local anti-abortion advocates heralded the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. But they say their work isn’t done even though abortions are illegal in almost all instances in Missouri. This conversation follows one earlier in the week with two abortion rights supporters. Editor’s Note: The guests claimed that “contraceptives can cause what’s called abortifacients,” a drug th...

The ability to read is fundamental to learning in all school subjects and every aspect of life. However, Missouri’s kids are ranked below 19 other states in fourth grade reading level. State Sen. Jill Schupp joined St. Louis on the Air to discuss what she and her fellow women State Senators are doing to support students that are struggling in reading, as well as a new children’s book she co-author...

Adil Qaisar is ready for take-off. On July 30, the local comedian and the Terminal 5 comedy tour lands in St. Louis, bringing a diverse set of comics and backgrounds to the stage. Qaisar discusses his approach to comedy, the difference between being “a comedian who is Muslim” and “a Muslim comedian,” and more.

St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent and Politically Speaking podcast host Jason Rosenbaum breaks down the issues and challenges facing candidates in the upcoming Senate primary, as well as the race for the next St. Louis County Executive.

On this month’s Legal Roundtable, attorneys Eric Banks, Brenda Talent and Sarah Swatosh tackle three fresh rulings from 8th Circuit Court of Appeals that all concern the ways “qualified immunity” can protect government officials from being sued. The attorneys also dig into the impact of Missouri’s abortion laws, the new (and fiercely disputed) Homer G. Phillips hospital, and more. Sarah Fenske ret...

St. Louis-based DJ Alexis Tucci is in high demand throughout the country, her house music DJing has drawn a strong fanbase in the LGBTQ community. Tucci, a mother of two, Tucci talks about her career of nearly three decades — and what keeps her in St. Louis.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion rights organizers in St. Louis are working hard to disrupt the momentum of the anti-abortion movement. In this episode, Kennedy Moore from Pro-Choice Missouri and Brianna Chandler from WashU discuss how the reproductive freedom movement, abolition, climate justice, and trans rights are all enmeshed and how their work aim...

Ten years after the first “Fluffy GRL summit,” Ebbi Nichole’s Fluffy GRL Movement continues to uplift body positivity... and having fun while doing it. Nichol discusses her founding of the movement, the rampant “miseducation” around body sizes, and next month’s “GRL Weekend” and pool party in St. Louis.

Tacos La Jefa is in St. Louis' Dutchtown neighborhood. The family restaurant was the subject of a recent episode of St. Louis Public Radio's podcast, "We Live Here Auténtico!" The podcast focuses on Latino culture and identity in St. Louis and beyond. This story begins with the matriarch of the Amezcua family, Heriberta Amezcua, also known as La Jefa, “the boss."

St. Louis was once home to two Major League Baseball teams. The St. Louis Browns signed Hank Thompson and Willard Brown in July 1947 making them the third and fourth Black American baseball players to cross the color barrier. This also made the St. Louis Browns the first MLB team to field two Black athletes. Historian and author Ed Wheatley joins St. Louis on the Air to share what this moment mean...

Delmar Divine is the brainchild of Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and philanthropist Maxine Clark. Occupying the site of the old St. Luke’s Hospital just north of Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis’ West End neighborhood, the project is Clark’s way to bridge the “Delmar Divide.” Delmar Divine Executive Director Jorge Riopedre and CEO/Founder of SoulFisher Ministries Shawntelle Fisher discuss how the effort...

Like pollinators attracted to a flower, St. Louisans swarmed the Missouri Botanical Garden this week to smell "Luna," a 31-pound, six-foot corpse flower with a rare, rancid bloom. STLPR reporter Kate Grumpke was on the scene of the smells, and she reports what she experienced there.

SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital nurses say their departments are regularly understaffed and that hospital management has not done enough to address their concerns. National Nurses United union steward and SSM Health RN Sarah DeWilde and her recently retired colleague, RN Rita Reed, share how management can better support their work.

A serial sexual harasser spent five years preying on coworkers in the St. Louis County Jail before his firing earlier this year. That’s just one component of an ongoing investigation by Riverfront Times staff writer Ryan Krull, who discusses the overlapping scandals at the embattled jail.

From the dead of night to the early morning, Reverend Kenneth McKoy leads teams of pastors through dark St. Louis’ streets, seeking out people struggling with addiction, mental illness and homelessness. A new documentary, “Night Life,” tells his story. McKoy and the film's director, Seth Ferranti, discuss his ministry and the film before its July 17 premiere at the St. Louis International Film Fes...

Even in 2022, many people in rural areas have little to no access to high speed broadband. Missouri S&T Assistant Professor Casey Canfield shares details from her research into the needs, risks and costs of connecting rural areas with internet speeds that city residents take for granted.

On Tuesday, Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood in the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, faced the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing on the impact of"Post-Roe America." McNicholas discusses the hearing and shares her eyewitness view of the end of abortion rights in Missouri.

High levels of lead in the Midwest puts all residents, especially children, at risk. Missouri Independent reporter Allison Kite shares details from an ongoing investigation into the causes and risks of high lead levels in the Midwest.