St. Louis on the Air

Grammy-nominated jazz singer Somi Kakoma has spent almost seven years turning the story of South African singer Miriam Makeba into a musical. She discusses its world premiere in St. Louis — and plans for Off Broadway.

Downtown St. Louis has been hard-hit during the pandemic, with office workers replaced by troublemakers on many evenings. Aldermen Jack Coatar and James Page discuss the issues facing the neighborhood and Mayor Tishaura Jones’ plan to tackle them.

In her timely essay for Washington University’s Common Reader, longtime St. Louis journalist Jeannette Cooperman explores the often surreal contrasts between “our quiet, lamp-lit private life” and “the shadows outside our window” in the contemporary world. She shares excerpts and reflections with producer Evie Hemphill in this episode.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis DEI Accelerator program wrapped up its inaugural cohort earlier this year. In this encore from May, we listen to two participants who thrived as part of the program.

During WWII, 1,100 men formed the "Ghost Army." Their job was to deceive enemy troops — and they did. We listen to this encore from May 2021. The effort is now just 15 U.S. senators away from approval.

Sports writer Joan Niesen goes deep on baseball’s steroid era in her podcast, Crushed.” Her conversation with Sarah Fenske originally aired on April 9, 2021.

In this encore episode, the chef and co-owner of Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria reflects on a decade of sobriety and what it took to achieve that milestone.

In this encore presentation, author Tom Vanderbilt talks about his new book, "Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning," which highlights his year-long experience tackling new skills.

The acclaimed comic joins us to discuss his return to touring and the ongoing enthusiasm for his groundbreaking podcast.

Ever wonder what drives vaccine hesitancy? Fred Scott got his vaccine this morning and explains why. We also talk with James Clark of the Urban League about the organization’s efforts to get more shots in arms.

The manufacturing of every Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine dose produced to-date has started in Chesterfield, Missouri. The company also tests every batch. Justin Sperry, head of R&D at the site, explains how and what it took to develop the vaccine.

The original Paul Artspace is located just over a mile from a busy thoroughfare in north St. Louis County. While founder Mike Behle says the group will still host bonfires and other occasional events on the property, the actual artist residencies will take place elsewhere moving forward.

In defending claims of police abuse, St. Louis officials have generally prioritized protecting taxpayers over making victims whole. That strategy will change with a new city counselor, journalist Bill Freivogel explains

Kara Yannon delves into her her music journey, and preview tracks from her first album “Cohesion," ahead of its debut on Oct. 3.

In 2015, Jeff Harris and his sister Leigh Harris founded the nonprofit with a goal to turn 10% of city parks into native prairie restorations within the next 10 to 20 years.

Christy Ferguson started the Mensi Project in 2018 at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville to donate unneeded menstrual products to someone who could use them. Now the university is funding the effort.

Jacob Kirn of the St. Louis Business Journal discusses his reporting on the Dome, which faces big maintenance needs even as it's set to soon lose funding for them. Locals' lawsuit against the NFL could change the equation.

Twenty years later, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the response to the attack still define America in many ways — and continue to shape the world far beyond U.S. borders. St. Louisans share their reflections in this episode.

Soul-jazz pianist Dave Grelle takes the stage this weekend at the inaugural Music at the Intersection festival with his band Playadors and Funky Butt Brass Band.

Carol Diaz-Granados, along with her husband James Duncan, have devoted years of time and anthropological research to Picture Cave, and are appalled by the prospect of its auction. They would like to see the property in the care of the Osage Nation. In this episode, we hear from the couple as well as Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers.

Post-Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman discusses the Cardinals' triumph in the 2011 World Series in this encore epsiode. Listeners also share their stories about Game 6, Hochman's pick for the greatest game in World Series history.

Edison Agrosciences is the St. Louis based agricultural biotechnology company working to develop alternative rubber crops. In this encore episode, here why it believes sunflowers can become a source of homegrown rubber.

Author and punk musician G'Ra Asim discusses his new book in this encore episode, and how he feels about moving back to St. Louis, the city he left as a 10-year-old.

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.

Rising star Washington University neuroscientist Rebecca Schwarzlose discusses her new book "Brainscapes," and what scientists have learned about the maps in our brains