St. Louis on the Air

For nearly a decade, President Donald Trump's popularity in Missouri was a boon for the state's Republican Party. But new poll numbers from St. Louis University and YouGov show that the GOP chief executive is on shaky ground, especially as concerns about the economy and the Iran War are on voters' minds. St. Louis University's Steven Rogers joins “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” to talk about the poll results and what they could mean for the Nov. 3 elections.

Two years ago, Missourians legalized abortion — and repealed one of the strictest bans on the procedure in the country. Now, Missouri Republicans who oppose abortion rights are hoping voters will take to a proposal, known as Amendment 3, that places a near-total ban into the constitution. Abortion rights proponents say that the proposal is misreading what voters want. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum dives into the Amendment 3 battle on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.”

The Missouri Supreme Court made a number of precedent-setting decisions this year when it comes to congressional redistricting. And they've also held the state's GOP secretary of state in contempt for disobeying one of their rulings. These actions have prompted blowback from Missouri Republicans, including more than a dozen who called for impeachment hearings for Supreme Court judges. Former Missouri Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff discusses whether these threats are just talk or a sign that Republicans may want to target a plan that selects key judges in the state.

A year after the St. Louis post-hardcore band Foxing announced its indefinite hiatus, singer/songwriter Conor Murphy is making music inspired by what he listens to, in his spare time, in his other band, Smidley. The optimistic tunes and oftentimes melancholy lyrics of “Murphy Horse” — Smidley's third album — reflect changes in Conor's life, and the evolution of his relationships with the people closest to him. STLPR's Chad Davis sat down with Murphy ahead of the album's September 25th release. They discussed what the last year has looked like for Murphy since Foxing started its break and Smidley has taken on new life.

Free4All Music Showcase returns to Grand Center in November, and on this month's new music round up, we share a teaser of the lineup. Free4All co-creator Joe Hess joins music show originator Miya Norfleet and host Elaine Cha to share his favorite new releases from just a few of the 100 artists performing in this year's showcase. Among them are Piracy's “Debounce,” Space Quaker's “Nothing Left” and Hana Canasi's “No Problem.” After listening to this episode, be sure to check out our new music roundup playlist.

Populations of migratory monarch butterflies have declined by an estimated 90% since the mid-1990s due to the loss of their natural habitat along their migration route. As monarchs fly through St. Louis on their way to Mexico, we hear from a St. Clair, Missouri, resident who is attempting to boost monarch populations by rearing them in enclosures in her backyard. We also talk with an entomologist who is concerned that captive breeding programs may produce weaker, disease-prone butterflies that aren't equipped to complete the journey. And, a Missouri Botanical Garden botanist shares the best ways to support monarch butterflies, including when to plant milkweed, which is the only host plant on which monarchs lay their eggs.

For years, Americans have been prevented from buying sunscreen with bemotrizinol, a chemical that's long been an ingredient in sun protection lotions and creams in Europe, Asia, and Australia. This summer, an FDA approval put an end to those restrictions. Dr. Aubriana McEvoy, professor of dermatology and dermatologic surgery at Washington University, explains the skin science behind sunscreen, bemotrizinol and what the FDA's recent approval means for U.S. suncare products.. She also dispels myths about sunscreen and shares tips for how it should be applied and what to look for in ingredients.

Jessica Page grew up behind the camera, following in her mother's footsteps as she got older. Now, the portrait photographer has expanded her skillset to include nature photography. Her new book “Silver Lining” features up close photos of plants and plantscapes in Forest Park. Page talks about how her background in portrait photography informs her approach to nature photography and what it was like to capture the “peculiar” parts of Forest Park up close.

Although it was initially planned to open this year, a $45 million 911 dispatch center in St. Louis that will combine fire, police and EMS services will open after it finishes construction in “late fall” 2027. The announcement of the delay comes as the city's 911 system is under scrutiny. We talk with Jia Lian Yang, communications and storytelling director at Forward Through Ferguson, who authored a recent report that analyzed 1.3 million 911 calls made in St. Louis. This region is far from the only one struggling to improve 911 response times: We also talk with journalist Byard Duncan, who obtained data from 911 systems from some 60 American cities, including St. Louis. He found that St. Louis answered just 78% of its 911 calls by the 15-second standard set by the National Emergency Number Association.

Twin brothers Jeff and Randy Vines have spent 16 years turning St. Louis pride into a business. The co-owners of STL-Style, the Cherokee Street shop known for its St. Louis-themed shirts, hoodies, hats and stickers, are celebrating their Sweet 16 after surviving Amazon, the pandemic, increased competition, tariffs and inflation. The brothers discuss how the business got its start, their love for St. Louis and what they've done to keep STL-Style going.

In 1500s England, King Henry VIII was a force of disruption and reform. But in the classroom of UMSL professor Maureen Quigley, the king is a “non-playable character” in a game called Dissolution. Quigley designed the game as a way for players to experience the conflicts and decisions that followed Henry VIII's decision to marry a new wife by starting a fight with the Catholic Church. Quigley, a professor of art history, shares her insight into designing a “serious game,” and how students who have grown up with video and roleplaying games relate to history, and the connections she sees between St. Louis today and England 500 years ago.

Missouri Botanical Garden's Peter H. Raven Library is home to roughly 8,000 rare books dating back to 1464, including Charles Darwin's “On the Origin of Species” and Carl Linnaeus' “Species Plantarum 1st Edition.” In late August, the library added two more rare texts to their collection: the first edition of Mark Catesby's “The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands etc. 1731-1743.” This work by Catesby, who was the first naturalist to illustrate birds in their natural habitat, represents the science world's first documentation of the flora and fauna of any part of North America. Peter H. Raven Library director Holly Hubenschmidt shares the scientific, historic and cultural impact of Catesby's work, and the Garden's mission to collect books from around the world that capture new plant species.

Three new restaurants have opened in St. Louis' Grove business district in the last three months, bringing diners Mexican flavors at Chico Bueno and Malo and a taste of the Italian Riviera at Baia. All three restaurants are backed by the same person: Jordan Goodman. STLPR's Jessica Rogen talks with Goodman about the latest additions to a growing restaurant group that began with Good Company.

Missouri's redistricting battle took another turn Thursday as the U.S. Supreme Court halted a federal order allowing the state to use a Republican-backed 2025 congressional map, meaning the 2022 map will be used in the November election. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins faced a contempt hearing before the Missouri Supreme Court over his handling of the competing orders. STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum explains the twists and turns of the court proceedings.

More than 1,000 Flock cameras and automated license plate readers are spread across the St. Louis area. We dig into how police departments are using the cameras and the reaction of community members to their use — and, at times, misuse. We also explore the broader implications of surveillance technology, what to know about your rights, and privacy protection in the digital age.

The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy has driven curiosity about postpartum psychosis, a rare mental health condition that can put parents and children at risk for violence and suicide. Dr. Mary Kimmel, a perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist and researcher at WashU Medicine, shares what families should know about the condition and other signs of mental distress. She also dispels misconceptions about the “baby blues,” and the biological, psychological and social factors that can affect the postpartum period.

Metal and scrap thieves are at work in St. Louis, frustrating residents and public officials. St. Louis Magazine reporter Ryan Krull recently investigated a recycling company in south St. Louis, where the steady stream of scrap is raising concerns that people are being incentivized to scavenge the neighborhood for parts. Krull discusses his reporting on St. Louis' illegal scrap trade, including his attempt to go undercover selling his own scrap. His effort led to an unexpected revelation and even more questions.

Missouri voters will get a chance to weigh in on the state's new congressional map after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a referendum challenging the map belongs on the November ballot. The ruling also means the congressional districts drawn in 2022 — including a district that has been held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver — will remain in effect for the November election. In this episode of “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air,” we hear from People Not Politicians executive director Richard von Glahn, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and STLPR statehouse and politics reporter Sarah Kellogg.

August was a rough month for area restaurants, with several longtime favorites shuttering their doors. But not all is lost. The beloved Asian fusion spot, Lona's Lil Eats, opened up a second location in Kirkwood. The Grove got a new Italian restaurant. And many locally owned bakeries and cafes opened last month, including Uhuru Bakery & Cafe in north St. Louis. STLPR's Jessica Rogen and Abby Llorico join Elaine Cha to discuss the latest in the St. Louis region food scene.

There's something growing in East St. Louis. In greenhouses and hydroponic farms, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center is bringing scientists, researchers and students together. In this episode, we meet two people pushing the boundaries of plant science in East St. Louis. Vertigreens founder Tova Feinberg shares her experiences growing lettuce in hydroponic farms stacked to the ceiling in shipping containers. Then we meet plant scientist Antonio Brazelton, who has spent years growing and studying different heirloom varieties of collard greens at the JJK FAN Center.

Reporting about literacy rates typically centers on children and the concerning trend of students not reading at their grade level. Linda Mitchell believes the best way to help students have higher literacy is to get the entire family involved. Her nonprofit Metro East Literacy Project offers bags of books for kids and their parents to foster a “culture of reading” within their households. She shares what it took to get Metro East Literacy Project started and the stories from families that have grown to appreciate reading by way of her organization.

The American red wolf is one of the world's most endangered mammals, with fewer than 40 remaining in the wild and found only in northeastern North Carolina. This spring, three pups born at the St. Louis Zoo were transported there at about a week old and placed with a wild wolf family — a first for the zoo and a rare opportunity to add genetic diversity to the critically endangered population. STLPR's Brian Munoz talks with Regina Mossotti, the St. Louis Zoo's vice president of animal care and program director for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' American Red Wolf SAFE program, about the effort and how she came to specialize in wolves.

The traumatic experience of being shot is often just the beginning of the challenges facing those with bullet-related injuries. Keisha Blanchard was shot in the back by an unidentified person in January 2024. In this encore episode, Keisha tells the story of what happened next and the painful, confusing experience of being told by a physician that, “We are not in the business of removing bullets.” Along with Keisha, we hear from trauma surgeon and Bullet Related Injury Clinic founder, Dr. LJ Punch, and Licensed Professional Counselor Tammy Kuykendoll.

The Midwest has a reputation for greater affordability relative to the cost of living on the East and West coasts, but there's no doubt that it's gotten more expensive to live anywhere in the U.S. In its ongoing reporting series, “Costly,” the Midwest Newsroom takes a closer look at what residents of Midwestern states, including Missouri, are facing with inflation and debt — and how financial woes are impacting more families and their futures. Managing editor Holly Edgell shares what she and her reporters have learned from Missourians figuring out ways to make ends meet.

At the start of the pandemic, three St. Louis-area healthcare CEOs promised that they would reduce or freeze their seven-figure salaries. It came at a time when thousands of their employees were losing their jobs and benefits. As it turns out, those promises were never fulfilled. St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jacob Barker evaluated tax filings from the three major hospital systems in the area — Mercy Health, BJC Health and SSM Health — and found their leaders were paid more in 2020 than they were in 2019. Barker takes us inside his reporting, the crises facing hospitals when they announced the pledge in May 2020, and what he's learned about how these leaders fared while their employees suffered.

Since 1973, Missouri has been among a handful of states where judges would not grant divorce if one of the spouses was pregnant. But as of today, that's no longer the case. We hear from the state representative who sponsored a new law that clarifies such proceedings, and we discuss what the change could mean for families, and for courts, with a St. Louis family law attorney.

This week, James Beard Award-winning chef Kevin Nashan opened The Clydesdale, a new tavern in Ballpark Village. Nashan talked about preparing for the restaurant's first lunch service, avoiding a “burger war” on the menu, and what he's learned from his other restaurants, Sidney Street Café and Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. He also shared details of his upbringing and culinary inspirations, including his time working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain and what he learned from growing up near his grandfather's restaurant in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

Questions and concerns continue to swirl about how large-scale data centers could impact the St. Louis region. As more proposals are submitted and elected officials change their stance on these controversial developments, St. Louis Public Radio reporters Kate Grumke and Kavahn Mansouri share their latest reporting about data centers in the St. Louis area. They also answer listener questions regarding the scale of newer data center projects, environmental studies and other states' integration of data centers into their economic and environmental plans.

Missouri's congressional map is one court ruling away from being locked in for the 2026 midterms. In Part 2 of the “Meet Me” podcast's look at redistricting, host Luis Antonio Perez talks with voters about the confusing primary election. He then sits down with STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum to unpack the redistricting drama and the upcoming court battle. Along the way, they revisit why the plot of the ‘90s film “Air Bud” is key to understanding the legal arguments over voting rights and representation in Missouri.

Starting this fall, a new Missouri law will require school officials to define antisemitic behavior in their codes of conduct and report those cases to state officials. The law's requirements raise concerns from attorneys that schools will be forced to violate the First Amendment to enforce them. On this month's edition of the Legal Roundtable, attorneys Brenda Talent, Javad Khazaeli and Bill Freivogel talk about the free speech complications of the new law. The panel also discusses two recent rulings with major implications for November's elections, a discrimination lawsuit with ties to the Mafia, and more.

St. Louis native and composer Julia Riew went viral on TikTok in 2022 with a Korean Disney-style princess she created to fill a representation void in musical theater. This spring, she published her second book, "Shim Jung Takes the Dive," a middle-grades novel inspired by a beloved Korean folktale. Riew discusses the development of the book and its connection to her 2022 TikTok video. She also describes how growing up in St. Louis, being Asian in different spaces including the arts, and taking risks have shaped her journey to becoming a professional artist.

Published by St. Louis board game company Stonemaier Games, the hit game “Wingspan” flew onto the scene in 2019 and has steadily gained popularity ever since. Millions of players around the world have enjoyed its unique blend of card strategy and nature. Each card is based on a real-life bird and its behaviors. The game's designer Elizabeth Hargrave — an avid birder — and Stonemaier Games co-founder Jamey Stegmaier talk about the game's conception, a new pocket edition, and its expansions involving fish and dragons.

When Mike Bush came to St. Louis in 1985, he thought it would be a stop on the way to working in his hometown of Chicago. Instead, St. Louis became home, and Bush spent the next 41 years at KSDK Channel 5. He started in sports coverage, but spent most of his career as a news anchor. Along the way, he found a niche in telling positive stories about people making a difference though his “Making A Difference” segments and as host of the Musial Awards. Nearly two weeks into his retirement, Bush shares reflections and highlights from his career — and discusses what's next.

After the abysmal failure of two constitutional amendments on the August primary ballot, Missouri Republicans gathered at the Missouri State Fair this week and it marked the unofficial kickoff of the state's general election season. STLPR's Sarah Kellogg joins “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” to talk about how the GOP plans to move forward, especially with a favorable environment nationally for Democrats.

Republicans and Democrats agree that the federal campaign finance system is a failure. The limits on contributions to candidates can be easily circumvented and it's difficult to track how money is influencing politics. One of the Democrats who agrees with this assessment is U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, who was in St. Louis last week to talk about, among other things, a national ethics overhaul. Slotkin provides her ideas on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.”

Missouri's Children's Division is on the verge of a major overhaul. Workers who look into alleged child abuse and neglect will transition into more specialized roles on Sept. 1 with the goal of reducing a traditionally high caseload. But the workload for investigators has risen, sparking concern among some who work for the agency. Reporter Steph Quinn with the Missouri Independent joins “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” to discuss her latest article about the agency.

A single suicide affects about 135 people on average. A new study on the construction industry, which sees disproportionately high rates of suicide, shows how employers and peers can play a powerful role in the aftermath of such a tragedy. The St. Louis advocate behind that research shares how its findings could improve on current practices. (Producer's note: While we don't go into graphic detail, our guest does discuss his personal connection to suicide during this conversation. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.)

Also known as the “mouth harp,” the harmonica has deep roots in St. Louis. Those roots run so deep that 40 years ago it inspired the creation of a harmonica review called “Harp Attack!” Jon “Johnny Diamond” Erblich talks about the event's history, the connections between the harmonica and ST. Louis, and why the underrated, versatile instrument has persisted for so many years in jazz, blues and folk music.

This Saturday, Aug. 22, marks the 150th anniversary of when St. Louis chose to split itself in two. The decision, now known as the Great Divorce, created an enduring divide that still shapes the region today. In this encore of the first episode of STLPR's podcast, “Meet Me,” host Luis Antonio Perez visits a family whose home sits right on the city-county line and explores the origin of the split with Missouri Historical Society historian Andrew Wanko.

For international students heading to college this fall, the usual questions about housing, classes and finding community come with an added layer of uncertainty: changing federal immigration policies. New reporting from the Midwest Newsroom examines how those policies are affecting international enrollment — and the bottom line of colleges and universities across the region, including in Missouri. We talk with Midwest Newsroom reporting fellow Steph Conquest-Ware about what they found.

The critically acclaimed 2025 box office hit “Sinners” continues to captivate cinephiles — and foodies. Tenacious Eats owner and executive chef Liz Schuster and Foodies Eat First Fest founder Braden Tewolde have curated a “Sinners” experience complete with themed dishes and a mojo bag crafting station. They share the motivations behind their collaboration, the chefs and plates attendees can expect, and St. Louis' diverse dining culture.

St. Louis passed the Social Evil Ordinance in 1870, making it the first U.S. city to legally regulate and license sex work. Today, the region's adult entertainment footprint is back in the spotlight thanks to “Double Lives of Suburban Wives,” a TLC reality series featuring St. Louis-area creators. We talk with cast member Tammy Thompson about her adult-content journey and the show. With Dr. Heather Berg, a UCLA Associate Professor of Gender Studies and Labor Studies and former WashU faculty member, we also discuss the complexities of the job and the broader implications of sex work.

The St. Louis theatre community is thriving with new companies, shows and events. But in the aftermath of local media closures like the Riverfront Times, the only thing that is missing is a place for both theatre lovers and artists alike to follow what's happening. That is where the new website St. Louis On Stage comes in. Its founders Carmen Garcia, Julie George, and Troy Schnider join us to discuss the importance of the website's upcoming show, auditions and company database, their vision for this new online theatre hub and what we can expect in the future.

This summer, researchers from St. Louis Zoo spent hours in Forest Park studying what the turtles living there eat — and excrete. The work is part of a yearslong mission to understand how plastic affects the natural world. Dr. Sharon Deem, a veterinarian and director of the Institute for Conservation Medicine, talks about why she and her team are focusing on the snapping and box turtles living in St. Louis' largest park, how to “wrangle” a sample from them, and what the plastics in their bodies could tell us about how plastics are affecting humans, too.

In St. Louis, it's common practice for bands to merge together and form new acts. The Grooveliner is no different. The nine-piece, powerfunk band — founded by Toby Mechem and Matt Vianello— released their latest album “Live From Your Mom's House” earlier this year. The tongue-in-cheek title highlights the band's sense of humor and the music exemplifies their immense talent and collaboration. Mecham and Vianello share the band's journey, wittiness, and pursuit finding the perfect voice to compliment their sound.