St. Louis on the Air

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Disbanded Girl Scout troop vows to continue support for child war victims in Gaza Feb 27, 2024

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A Girl Scout troop in St. Louis County made bracelets to raise funds for child war victims in Gaza. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri told them to stop — or face legal action. The troop’s co-leaders, and one of the scouts, discuss what happened next, why they’ve decided to disband from the organization to create their own group, and their continued efforts to fundraise for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. (Correction: Mariyah Abdelbaset is in fifth grade, not sixth grade, as mentioned in this episode.)

‘My dream came true’: How KSHE-95’s John Ulett became a mainstay at the classic rock station Feb 27, 2024

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John Ulett started as a DJ at KSHE-95 in 1976 when he was just 19 years old. He’s never left, and he’s about to begin his 40th full season as the Cardinals’ PA announcer at Busch Stadium. Ulett reflects on his long career in his hometown in advance of Thursday evening's event at the Sheldon, “Life, Death & Other Scary Things: An Evening with KSHE-95's John Ulett.”

The police chief in St. Louis is paid $100k a year by local foundation, raising concerns about loyalties Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

With a high violent crime rate and claims of inequitable policing in St. Louis, local leaders are questioning the $100,000 per year Chief Robert Tracy receives from local business owners. “Can the criminals get together and pay the chief?” asked one alderwoman. ProPublica reporter Jeremy Kohler talks about his story on the topic.

How Missouri became a national trendsetter for anti-trans bans and laws Feb 26, 2024

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In the Missouri legislature, 2023 was the year of bills targeting trans people. But there is a bigger picture here: For observers of the national picture, Missouri is a bellwether and a trendsetter. We sit down with two trans journalists to talk about what they’re seeing in Missouri in this movement, and this moment. Joining the discussion is Erin Reed, the author of the newsletter Erin in the Morning; and Evan Urquhart, founder of Assigned Media.

How Illinois Gov. Pritzker plans to balance policy dreams with fiscal reality Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

Earlier this week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivered his annual budget address that outlined his priorities. Among the priorities in the $52.7 billion state spending plan are more money to address the migrant crisis and education, and tax hikes for businesses and for sports bettors. STLPR Metro East reporter Will Bauer discusses Pritzker’s speech, and we include Pritzker’s address in this episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones wants to bank some of the Rams settlement Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

St. Louis is in an unusual position of having a lot of extra money — primarily from a settlement from the departure of the St. Louis Rams. City leaders also got more positive news last year with a drop in violent crime. Even with the good news, policymakers still have a lot of work to do to fully address some long-standing problems. In a wide-ranging interview on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones discusses those issues and addresses homelessness, the cause of bad police driving and more.

GOP state Sen. Jil Tracy of Quincy is unimpressed with Pritzker's budget proposal Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Like most Illinois Republicans in Springfield, Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, said she’s largely skeptical of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s $52.7 billion proposed budget. And, Republicans in the Illinois General Assembly are limited in what they can do because they are in the super minority in both chambers. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum and Will Bauer talk with Sen. Tracy on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.

David Sanborn, jazz great from Kirkwood, says the St. Louis scene shaped his style Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Jazz great David Sanborn, a Kirkwood native, got his start playing teen hangouts and clubs around St. Louis. Known for his warm sound on alto saxophone, Sanborn has won acclaim as a solo artist and as a collaborator with a long list of stars in the worlds of jazz, rock and pop. He joins STLPR senior reporter Jeremy D. Goodwin to discuss the lively, mid-century St. Louis jazz scene, the magic of genre-bending in music, and ways the music industry has evolved throughout his storied career.

Is romance dead? How dating apps, societal norms and pandemic isolation changed relationships Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Relationships look differently than they did 50, even 25 years ago. Millennials aren’t getting married at the same ages and rates compared to older generations. And while most people desire companionship, relationships today often vary from the traditional romantic relationships seen in classic films. Dr. Dixie Meyer, professor at St. Louis University and director of SLU’s relationships and brain sciences research laboratory, shares why romance is taking a back seat and how it impacts individuals, families and society.

WerQfest to honor the intersection of Blackness and queerness during Black History Month Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

What do Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, and Bayard Rustin have in common? They are all Black American trailblazers that have had their queerness understated or erased from their identities or in the retelling of their influence in pivotal historic moments — and they are far from the only ones. Tre’von Griffith co-founded werQfest with his husband, Shelton Boyd-Griffith, to uplift Black, queer artists in St. Louis. For this year’s Black History Month, their mission has expanded with the introduction of the digital campaign, “Black, But Make It Queer.”

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