St. Louis on the Air

In “Climate Change in Concert,” delicate violin strings mirror the buzzing of cicadas take the place of data analysis. The performance at Washington University will transform environmental science into sound on Feb. 24. Composer Christopher Stark collaborated with violinist Clara Kim and Dan Giammar, the director of WashU's Center for the Environment, to create a work that invites audiences to feel the rhythms and disruptions of a dynamic climate. We also explore the role of creativity in environmental research and why artists, alongside scientists, are essential in shaping solutions.

For 60 years, the Gateway Arch has defined St. Louis's skyline — a 630-foot engineering marvel and the city's most recognizable symbol. An exhibit at the Old Courthouse, “Hey, There's the Arch!,” explores how the monument became woven into the region's identity, from branding and ballcaps to personal memories. STLPR morning newscaster and host of The Gateway podcast, Abby Llorico, talks about the Arch's evolving meaning and its deep connection to the community.

Inside the Missouri History Museum's “Mill Creek: Black Metropolis” exhibit, a once-thriving Black neighborhood erased by urban renewal comes back into focus. That's where STLPR race, culture and identity reporter Andrea Henderson talked with Lyah LeFlore-Ituen, the new director of the Missouri Historical Society's African American History Initiative. They discussed why Mill Creek's story — and Black history more broadly — is foundational to St. Louis.

Scientists are beginning to decode how floral scents attract specific pollinators. Mónica Carlsen of the Missouri Botanical Garden is taking her research of anthuriums, a common household plant known for their wide leaves and protruding spike, from the Climatron and will soon travel to Colombia to capture plant scents in the wild, aiming to better understand the “invisible language” between plants and pollinators. We also hear from Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum curator Nezka Pfeifer about the museum's latest exhibit “Smelling the Bouquet: Plants and Scents in the Garden.”

Around 70 lawsuits against the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are facing delays and confusion amid a year-long legal battle between lawyers for the state and city: The battle is over which entity is financially responsible to pay millions of dollars in settlements reached by judges and juries in lawsuits over police abuses. St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger shares insights from his reporting about the situation, which he calls a “legal morass.” Arch City Defenders attorney Maureen Hanlon, who represented the family of a 63-year-old man police killed in a SWAT raid in 2017, shares her experience from the middle of this legal confusion. Messenger and Hanlon discuss the current situation's roots, the history of local control of the SLMPD, and why judges are looking to lawmakers for lasting solutions.

Lifelong friends Nathan Colombo and Maxwell Senteney have co-produced hundreds of Tiny Desk Contest entry videos for musicians across southern Illinois and St. Louis. In 2024, they launched Tiny Desk Crashers with a goal to make sure the musical talent of southern Illinois is recognized — and impossible to ignore.

A major voice in the St. Louis blues and jazz community has left the stage. Longtime singer Marsha Evans died last week at 75. Musicians, family and friends pay tribute by recognizing her contributions to the local music scene and her collaboration with artists including Fontella Bass, Oliver Sain and Gus Thornton. They also discuss her music being sampled by Atlanta rapper and Migos member Quavo and her work as a mentor to young people.

It's been nine months since an EF3 tornado ripped a 23-mile path through the area, with most of the damage concentrated in north St. Louis. Many residents say they're still waiting for help — and some have given up on getting relief from city assistance programs altogether. STLPR economic development reporter Kavahn Mansouri talks about his reporting on this topic.

We listen back to our 2023 conversation about “Black St. Louis,” a book that explores the life of Black people, from the founding of the city to the start of the 21st century. Through colorful imagery and detailed documentation, co-authors Calvin Riley and NiNi Harris tell the stories of enslaved people, night-club owners, soldiers and everyday Black St. Louisans.

Missouri's mental health jail backlog is worsening. Over 500 people are currently waiting for court-ordered mental health services that would allow their criminal cases to move forward. Three years ago, the waitlist numbered around 200. Many have not been convicted of a crime but still languish in jails for months or even years. Missouri Independent Reporter Steph Quinn shares her insights from her reporting and a recent legislative hearing on the “crisis” of Missouri's mental health backlog. Annie Legomsky, director of client advocacy for the Missouri public defender's office, takes us behind the scenes of the ongoing struggle to address the mental health backlog.

St. Louis is packed with punk bands in every genre under that umbrella. Organizer of 314 Punk Weekend and lead singer of Wes Hoffman & Friends Wes Hoffman joins music show originator Miya Norfleet to discuss their picks for the hottest new and new-”ish” releases from St. Louis artists on this month's new music roundup. Check out our new music roundup playlist.

Antoine White doesn't shy away from his roots in St. Louis' streets. Known as T-Dubb-O on stage and in his community, the St. Louis native has cultivated a reputation for lyricism as a battle rapper and recording artist. His music and advocacy work flow through his latest album, “Sets on the Wall.” He takes us behind the scenes of his songs, “No Treaty,” “Turbulence,” and “Stand Tall,” as well as the origins of his company Audacity Music Group.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe wants voters to decide whether or not to phase out the state income tax. How will that affect your financial situation — and funding for state services? Two tax experts answer those questions and discuss how the elimination of state income tax has played out in other states.

Many often associate frostbite with outdoor sports and mountain climbers with blackened fingers and faces. But advocates in St. Louis say the issue is also commonly seen in people closer to ground level — people experiencing homelessness or who otherwise lack a stable place to stay in freezing temperatures. STLPR reporter Sarah Fentem shares insights from her recent reporting on the suffering and challenges facing homeless people during the recent streak of bitter cold. We also hear from Kevin Roberts, a resident of an encampment who lost two toes to frostbite last winter; and Dr. Josh Fernelius, a volunteer with Street Med STL, who shares his experience treating frostbite among St. Louis' homeless population.

For professional wrestling fans, the theme music that ushers a grappler into the ring is almost as memorable as a finishing move or signature pose. But Florissant resident Paul Morad has taken the recollection of pro wrestling entrance music to a new level: He was recently recognized as the Guinness world record holder for identifying the most WWE entrance songs in 60 seconds. Morad sits down with STLPR reporter (and admitted wrestling fan) Jason Rosenbaum to explore the meaning behind wrestling's greatest hits. For the special “main event,” Rosenbaum offers Morad the chance to demonstrate his prodigious talent for recall.

Naltrexone is an FDA-approved drug that helps people beat addiction by blocking the effects of opioids and alcohol. Yet it's not as widely known, or used, as the emergency overdose reversal drug naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan. St. Louis journalist Ben Westhoff's new documentary “Antagonist” explores why. Westhoff and Assisted Recovery Centers of America President Percy Menzies join us to discuss why naltrexone is so effective at treating opioid and alcohol misuse and how the drug got sidelined by big money interests.

The community radio station 88.1 KDHX was a lifeline for eclectic, locally curated music in the St. Louis area — until it was torn apart by battles over diversity, accountability and the essence of the station's identity. It went off the air and its broadcast license was sold to the highest bidder in 2025. In Part 2 of our special report “KDHX: How a radio station unravelled,” we examine how KDHX leaders pushed through a controversial sale in the face of widespread community opposition — and what lessons can be learned from the differing public reactions to the station's 2019 and 2023 controversies. We also witness the birth of "a new era for music in St. Louis."

The community radio station 88.1 KDHX was a lifeline for eclectic, locally curated music in the St. Louis area — until it was torn apart by battles over diversity, accountability and the essence of the station's identity. It went off the air and its broadcast license was sold to the highest bidder in 2025. In Part 1 of our special report “KDHX: How a radio station unraveled,” we examine charges of racism and sexual harassment in 2019 and the start of a DJ revolt four years later, after station leaders fired one of their own for bullying and harassment.

Last year, Donna Baringer became St. Louis' first new comptroller in roughly 30 years. And during the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, the citywide official talks about how she's eased into the powerful office that oversees the city's finances – and provides her take on tornado relief efforts and regional consolidation.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway says the state could benefit if the federal government doesn't count certain immigrants in the Census. During an appearance on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, Hanaway talks why she's bringing this case forward – and whether the federal judiciary will be more favorable to excluding certain immigrants than they were earlier in the decade.

For the past year, expanded federal immigration enforcement – and two fatal shootings of protesters by federal agents in Minnesota – have sent ripples of anxiety throughout the country. While the St. Louis area hasn't seen the kind of large-scale enforcement actions that have occurred elsewhere, local community leaders, educators and small-business owners say fear and misinformation are shaping daily life. STLPR journalists Brian Munoz and Hiba Ahmad discuss their reporting on this topic.

Even in tiny amounts, lead can be dangerous. In St. Louis, centuries of plumbing run for miles beneath our feet, delivering water to homes through 113,000 service lines. But even after testing tens of thousands of those lines for lead, city officials say 50,000 remain unidentified. In this episode, we go behind those numbers with Spencer Gould, special assistant to St. Louis City's water commissioner. Gould explains why lead runs through some parts of the city's water infrastructure and how a new rule issued by the EPA 2024 started a 10-year race to identify and replace those pipes.

Nestled inside the whimsy of City Museum, Circus Harmony feels right at home as a space for young people to explore. The acclaimed circus school's dedication to using the arts to teach essential life skills has been at its core since the start. Guests have marveled at the circus world standout for 25 years, and it's not slowing down. This year's full-length production, “Misterioso,” lets the students' creativity and minds truly shine.

The American dream is often presented as the product of someone "pulling up their bootstraps" to a better life. But that's just one way of explaining an idea that economists call "economic mobility.” A new project by St. Louis Magazine, the Economic Mobility Lab, is diving into that idea and the research into what it takes for low-income kids to out-earn their parents. To understand economic mobility in St. Louis, we sit down with St. Louis Magazine senior editor Nick Phillips to talk about his latest story, "How one St. Louisan found something rare: upward economic mobility." We also meet Nehemiah Colyer, whose experience after changing schools to Parkway West High School is an example of what economists call "social capital" and “economic connectedness.”

The new year has provided foodies in the St. Louis region with a lot to celebrate. Hamishe Bahrami is back with her signature Persian dishes at Cafe Natasha on South Grand. East Alton has a new, family-run bakery with from-scratch creations like “The Sloppy Irishman.” A new nonprofit bakery in the Delmar Loop empowers people experiencing homelessness through job training and housing resources. We dig into the menus of the top new spots to visit in February, mourn the local favorites that recently closed, talk date night recommendations and discuss how restaurateurs are responding to immigration enforcement actions across the country.

Awards season is in full swing — and that includes St. Louis theater productions. The St. Louis Theater Circle announced its nominations for their 13th annual awards Tuesday, recognizing productions by 20 theater companies in the St. Louis area in 2025. St. Louis Theater Circle members Rosalind Early and Gerry Kowarsky share some of this year's nominees and an update on the state of local theater productions today.

After last May's tornado put St. Louis' emergency response under scrutiny, the City Emergency Management Agency saw its leadership change. In this episode, we listen to STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann's conversation with new commissioner Greg Favre about why he returned to city government and how he plans to improve preparedness for future crises.

The Gateway Arch Park Foundation has several irons in the fire — and soon, cranes in the sky. After celebrating 60 years since completion of the Gateway Arch last year, the foundation and its partners have begun reimagining the former Millennium Hotel site, studying changes to Interstate 44 near Gateway Arch National Park and exploring an expansion of the park into East St. Louis. Foundation Executive Director Ryan McClure shared updates on those efforts and his hopes for how they could serve the St. Louis community.

Judges and lawmakers are clashing in Missouri, and it all has to do with a unanimous ruling delivered last week by the state Supreme Court. On this episode of the Legal Roundtable, our panel of legal experts unpacks the drama over the court's decision to strike down a law that allowed the secretary of state to rewrite ballot summaries. In response, the law's sponsor called the justices “little kings and queens in their black robes.” In addition to that case, our panel also analyzes major developments in the state's ban on trangender healthcare, a trial over abortion restrictions, a developer suing over lost profits, and more.

150-years ago, 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 STLPR's new 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 historian Andrew Wanko. Then, host Elaine Cha talks with Perez about his work on the debut episode and what's to come.

In 1905, Mexican journalist Ricardo Flores Magón escaped the Porfiriato dictatorship and settled in St. Louis, where he launched the newspaper Regeneración. With 20,000 readers throughout Mexico and the U.S., the leftist publication raised awareness of growing wealth inequality, labor exploitation and political corruption in both countries. Historian Francisco Perez shares how Flores Magón connected the struggles of the American working class with that of the Mexican working class, how St. Louis' labor movement shaped Flores Magón's worldview, and why, more than a century later, the activist's politics still resonate.

The number of people incarcerated in Missouri prisons is lower than it has been in decades; yet, recent years have seen record-high deaths among those in custody. The deaths reflect an ongoing crisis behind the walls of the state's correctional institutions, say activist ML Smith, founder of the Missouri Justice Coalition, and Rika White, criminal justice policy manager at Empower Missouri. Smith and White take us inside their role in a notable Jan. 14 Missouri House Corrections Committee hearing that featured pointed questions for Trevor Foley, director of the Missouri Department of Corrections, about the state of healthcare inside the state's 19 prisons.

When Megan Green became St. Louis Board of Aldermen President in 2022, she made reforming development tax incentives a top priority. Critics of using tax increment financing and abatements say the incentives take away tax revenue that could otherwise have gone toward benefiting public schools and other services. In this episode, we hear STLPR economic development reporter Kavahn Mansouri's conversation with Green. Then, Mansouri discusses the bigger picture around development in St. Louis.

A 20-foot-tall concrete spiral was recently completed at the Audubon Center at Riverlands nature reserve near St. Louis. The structure's practical use will be as a bird blind — a temporary home for migratory birds. But there's something else that's fascinating about this structure: A novel method of shaping concrete. To get to the bottom of this spiral (and inside its concrete walls) we talk with Pablo Moyano Fernández, associate professor of architecture at WashU's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Moyano Fernández is the creator of that structure, called "Avis Spiralis."

The American prairie once stretched across Missouri and Illinois, a vast grassland teeming with wildlife and rich biodiversity. Today, less than 1% of that prairie remains — disappearing even faster than the Amazon rainforest. In this encore presentation, environmental journalists Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty discuss how prairies were destroyed, why their loss is one of the world's greatest ecological disasters, and what it will take to bring it back. Hage and Marcotty are authors of the new book, “Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie.”

President Donald Trump made startling demands to take over Greenland this week. And Missouri's U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt have reacted much differently to the prospects of the United States taking over the Danish island. On the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, we talk with Washington University and Arizona State University's Steve Smith about the differing reactions to Trump's Greenland push.

Governor Mike Kehoe's plan to phase out Missouri's income tax over five years — and replace much of the revenue with a sales tax on services — has sparked a heated debate. Supporters say it could boost population growth, while critics warn of higher costs and fiscal risks. One of the main proponents of eliminating the income tax is Sen. Ben Brown, a Republican from Washington, Missouri. Brown discusses the proposal on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.

House Majority Leader Alex Riley will become Missouri's Speaker of the House next year. But before getting to that powerful post, the Springfield Republican will need to help his caucus get through a difficult 2026 session – especially with uncertainty that major bills will get through the Senate. Riley joins the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air to talk about his legislative vision.

In 2023 Matt Vogel was in London for the coronation of King Charles III. In the royal box, Vogel also had a very special frog with him: Kermit the Frog. Vogel is the puppeteer behind Kermit, Big Bird, Count von Count and more. The Webster University alum joined “St. Louis on the Air” in May 2023 to talk about his remarkable career before he delivered the commencement speech at his alma mater.

In 2025, college graduates faced a job market flooded with many applicants and significantly fewer jobs. Federal funding cuts, rescinded grant opportunities and the rising use of artificial intelligence in the screening process made landing full-time employment challenging. Some graduates say they felt dehumanized and frustrated by the lack of communication from employers. They share their stories in this episode alongside reporter Daniel Wheaton, who recently reported on this topic for the Midwest Newsroom.

Photojournalist Wiley Price captured images of St. Louis' Black community for the St. Louis American, one of the oldest African American weekly papers in the country. After 42 years with the paper, Price retired in December 2025. In this episode, Price talks about his career and experiences behind the camera lens, what he learned while on assignment, and how he came to be as recognizable as the subjects in his photographs.

It's been more than five years since cannabis became legal in Missouri. But rules that govern that multi-billion-dollar industry continue to change, from restrictions on THC content in hemp to protections from predatory contracts in the state's microbusiness program. To navigate these recent updates, we sit down with journalist Rebecca Rivas, who reports on the cannabis industry for the Missouri Independent. She discusses why Missouri lawmakers have struggled for four years running to regulate hemp, and also breaks down the local impact of President Trump's December executive order to reschedule marijuana.

Andrew Weil spent almost 20 years with the Landmarks Association of St. Louis before he resigned as executive director at the end of last year. His long career included projects to protect Sugarloaf Mound and the city's historic water towers. In his first post-resignation interview, Weil reflects on those cases and other examples of how preservationists have tried, and sometimes failed, to save St. Louis' physical heritage over the past two decades. In addition to a discussion of the success and setbacks of preservation, Weil also talked about the long pattern of “catastrophic fires” that pose particular danger to the city's historic churches.

The St. Louis Art Museum's exhibition “Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea” presents visitors with the monumental work of the German-born artist, including six 30-foot-tall paintings. The artist is renowned for using different textures to create vast landscapes. In this encore, museum director Min Jung Kim discusses the installation, Keifer's 60-year career and how Keifer was inspired by St. Louis and the Mississippi River. The exhibit closes Jan. 25.

St. Louis officials announced last week that they plan to use eminent domain on properties near the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in north St. Louis. The majority of those properties are owned by Paul McKee's Northside Regeneration. STLPR economic development reporter Kavahn Mansouri discusses his coverage of this topic — and addresses recent development plans at the Armory which calls for a data center to be built nearby.