St. Louis on the Air

Irish folk singer Seth Staton Watkins discusses finding success on TikTok, why everyone can relate to Irish culture, and the special guest who will join him on stage at his first ever in-real-life-concert on St. Patrick’s Day.

One of Cortex’s first tenants in the early aughts, Stereotaxis has now moved to a new headquarters in downtown St. Louis. CEO David Fischel explains why he bet big on the surgical device maker and why the former home of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat makes sense for its future growth.

Washington University is conducting a study to look at the psychiatric toll of divorce in children. We talk to the researcher leading the effort. By studying participants’ brains — and hair follicles — they can see how divorce might affect childrens’ stress levels.

In September 2020, a St. Louis couple took a trip to Lake Centralia in Illinois for a weekend getaway. When they arrived, their dog Zeus jumped in the lake and lapped up the crystal-clear water. The dog died after exhibiting textbook symptoms of toxic algae poisoning. Harvest Public Media reporter Dana Cronin explains why toxic algae is a growing concern, and why Missouri and Illinois don’t regula...

Angela Staehling, an artist based in Wildwood, scored a deal for a book titled “How to Pet a Cat.” It’s available now at retailers across the U.S. She shares the idea behind it and a few petting techniques, including how not to pet.

Community resistance has stalled the $900,000 project to establish St. Louis’ first city-funded intentional encampment. The project’s sponsor, St. Patrick Center, talks about what’s next.

Since the 2014 Maidan Revolution, Ukrainians have become experts at combating Russian disinformation. UMSL Professor Lara Zwarun shares what Ukrainians today are getting right — and how they’re winning hearts and minds around the world.

“Kidz Klub” splices together low-budget children's movies into something new and darkly funny. Hear from the co-founder of the artist collective Everything Is Terrible! about what he calls an “assault on all your senses.” The one-night only event is at Off Broadway this Friday.

Maria Ellis has her choir students rehearsing some 90s classics, like “No Diggity,” for their upcoming Black History Month performance. And, she hopes to take them to Carnegie Hall to perform next year.

At exactly 2 p.m. around the world on March 13, theater lovers will take part in a production of “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit.” St. Lou Fringe Festival President Matthew Kerns explains why — and what makes the play so unique.

At 92, Shirley Norris manages projects worth millions of dollars at the Missouri Department of Transportation. Norris shares her secrets of longevity and tells tales from her nearly half-century of work for the agency.

After nearly 15 years at KSDK, Casey Nolen is leaving St. Louis for WUSA. He discusses his work as a “backpack journalist,” his journey from Missouri’s Bootheel to Mizzou and how he fell in love with coworker Abby Llorico.

There’s an 18-year gap in life expectancy between Clayton and north St. Louis. Jason Purnell of BJC Healthcare discusses the health care system’s plan to narrow that gap by partnering with community organizations and focusing on healthy food access, financial investment and maternal health.

Last fall, Missouri inked a no-bid contract worth more than $30 million with a Texas company. Despite the company's promise to send the state hundreds of healthcare workers, there were many no-shows — and the costs for services were high. Missouri Independent reporter Tessa Weinberg digs into the story.

A brochure Mario Coronado’s uncle found for the Best Healthcare Institute led Coronado to the free summer school program — and his job as a pharmacist. Institute co-founder Steven Player of BJC Healthcare joins Coronado to discuss how the program prepares minority high school students for future studies in pharmacy and other health care fields.

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation’s new exhibition “Assembly Required” asks visitors to engage with, construct, deconstruct and even step on art. Curatorial Associate Heather Alexis Smith gives a preview of the show ahead of its opening day on March 4.

Javad Khazaeli represents a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel swept up in the mass arrests that followed St. Louis Police’s “kettling” tactics in 2017. He explains his shock that the city is appealing a recent appeals court verdict — and who he thinks is really driving the city’s strategy.

Eureka native Matt Jordan talks about making a name for himself in the country-rock genre and going against the grain by emphasizing his Midwestern roots.

The nonprofit organization Forest ReLeaf has distributed tens of thousands of free trees around St. Louis. Executive director Meridith McAvoy Perkins explains how it’s removing barriers to make it easier for underserved neighborhoods to plant and sustain more trees.

Since 2006, Fontbonne University has sought to record oral histories from survivors of the Bosnian War. Now the Bosnian Memory Project has a new name, a permanent home and an expanded mission. Director Adna Karamehic-Oates and Srebrenica massacre survivor Behedin Piric discuss the importance of preserving this history.

Monica Butler says gospel music history is being lost. To salvage it, she wants to open a gospel music hall of fame on the site of a historic Central West End church. She discusses her inspiration for the project and her reaction when fire broke out in the church last fall.

In the past four decades, smaller-brained birds have been shrinking, but a Wash U study finds that’s less true of their bigger-brained counterparts. Study co-author Justin Baldwin shares what’s driving the changes, as well as his passion for birds both as a researcher and bird watcher.

After Glenda Seim, 81, became the victim of a Nigerian scam artist, she herself victimized others. Seim was sentenced in federal court yesterday after pleading to two felonies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry and journalist Ryan Krull discuss online scams and the heartbreaking details in Seim’s case.

The Agave pelona is nearly extinct, thanks to its extremely limited native habitat and threats from humans. One is in bloom now at the Missouri Botanical Garden, offering a once-in-decades opportunity to shore up the species’ future.

The Legal Roundtable discusses how companies could face liability over their employees’ actions — even when the employees aren’t on the clock. The panel also digs into a new lawsuit against the state’s administration of federal SNAP benefits and lawsuits challenging Missouri’s new gun law.