St. Louis on the Air

For residents of Arrow Senior Living communities, writing a mystery novel together proved to be the perfect pandemic project. A resident co-author and the organization’s editor and archivist discuss the creation of “The Old and the Beautiful.”

Missouri state representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman discusses her controversial new abortion bill, modeled after the one introduced in Texas last year, and why she believes banning abortion empowers women.

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis digs into the region’s recent huge wave of COVID-19 cases and her approach to combating the pandemic. She also opens up about what keeps her going in a job and a field that has been incredibly challenging of late.

Clayton attorney Al Watkins discusses his representation of Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man who became the face of the Jan. 6 insurrection — and how going viral helps his legal advocacy.

Political anger leads to polarization, and that has Washington University professor Betsy Sinclair worried. She explains what's driving the anger, and how it puts the nation's future at risk.

Qui Tran and Jason Sparks, two local restaurant owners, are mentally and physically exhausted from working to stay afloat during the pandemic.

Service along the passenger rail line that runs between St. Louis and Kansas City was reduced by 50% earlier this week due to a lack of funding from the state of Missouri. Amtrak’s Marc Magliari explains what’s going on.

Local providers and organizers are scrambling to keep a pop-up emergency shelter open during freezing temperatures, while they wait on the city to fund one.

After Carlos Restrepo became a U.S. citizen in 2015, he kickstarted his father’s journey to the U.S. Carlos and his father, Luis, discuss their journey to St. Louis and the local support they found along the way.

"The Opposite of Chance" was published 39 years after author Margaret Hermes wrote its first chapters. She explains what took so long, how she overcame the story's complications, and how intense research allowed her to bring characters far different from herself to life.

The need for blood is on the rise, but the Red Cross is seeing fewer first-time donors — and is down to about one day’s worth of reserves. Joe Zydlo digs into what’s causing the shortfall, and how it plays into the organization’s recent response to tornadoes in Missouri and Arkansas.

By utilizing state-of-the-art technology, Wash U researchers hope to develop a better understanding of how rivers may react to future flooding events. Geomorphologist Claire Masteller joins us to discuss her work studying bedrock river erosion.

In this encore of a one-hour special edition, Nina Gilden Seavey discusses her podcast "My Fugitive," which connects the story of anti-war activist Howard Mechanic with that of another fugitive who spent time in St. Louis: James Earl Ray, who was convicted of killing Martin Luther King Jr.

Lawyer and author Areva Martin discusses her book “Awakening: Ladies, Leadership, and the Lies We've Been Told” in this encore episode.

Hampton, a formerly four-lane thoroughfare, now limits traffic to one lane in each direction, with the addition of a center turning lane plus wider parking lanes on the sides. The city has plans for a somewhat similar transformation along Lindell Boulevard by Forest Park.

Michael Politte was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for allegedly murdering his mother as a 14-year-old. Attorneys and advocates explain the growing body of evidence that he’s actually innocent — and Politte tells his story.

Attorneys Mark Smith, Nicole Gorovsky and Connie McFarland-Butler talk about the big legal questions after a deadly tornado in Edwardsville, what Missouri law really says about who has the power to issue mask mandates, litigation against the Gateway Pundit and more.

Kirkwood native (and GQ sex columnist) Sophia Benoit discusses growing up in the St. Louis suburbs, the joys of Twitter and letting go of that bad first boyfriend.

Washington University has previously portrayed co-founder William Greenleaf Eliot as an abolitionist. In a contributed segment from STLPR’s Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, she talks with Wash U student Nkemjika Emenike and professor Iver Bernstein about how Eliot was not an abolitionist. A recent article in the university’s independent student newspaper, “Student Life,” uncovered the details.

Longtime baker and Tony’s pastry chef Helen Fletcher shares tips and tricks for baking cookies in this “St. Louis on the Air” interview.

Jason Struna, a professor who studies warehouse work and distribution centers, describes Amazon work culture and offers insight to the Edwardsville warehouse where 6 workers were killed this month.

As Pale Divine reunites for a show this New Year’s Eve, guitarist Richard Fortus discusses why the beloved St. Louis band broke up, his work as the longtime guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, and why The Psychedelic Furs recorded their most recent album in St. Louis.

Dr. Alex Garza discusses again leading the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force after his deployment in Kuwait and shares lessons he learned overseas.

A new law in St. Louis basically extends the possession rights enjoyed by medical marijuana card holders to everyone. Alderman Bret Narayan explains the bill’s genesis — and why it’s not yet legalization.

Shayn Prapaisilp is a lifelong St. Louisan. But as an Asian American, he’s still regularly asked where he’s “really” from. In this episode, he fires back with his answer.