St. Louis on the Air

Latest Episodes:

Lizzie Weber’s ‘Fidalgo’ traces her music’s ‘full-circle moment’ back to St. Louis Jun 02, 2023

Show notes

Seven years ago, singer-songwriter Lizzie Weber was living on an island off the coast of Washington state when she was inspired to write her forthcoming album, “Fidalgo.” The pandemic brought her home to St. Louis, and she is now set to release it June 9. Weber calls the journey a “full-circle moment.”

Wash U biologist explains how cats evolved from the savannah to your sofa Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

There are some 600 million cats in the world. Not all of them are pets — between 50 and 100 million in the U.S. — but cats share a fascinating history with humans. Washington University evolutionary biologist Jonathan Losos dives into that history in the new book, “The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa.” Losos joins guest host Alex Heuer to talk about all things cats.

Freedom Community Center gives ex-felons a second chance via restorative justice May 31, 2023

Show notes

Restorative justice programs like Freedom Community Centers are gaining attention as the criminal justice system continues to get criticized for racial and economic biases. Kayla Thompson and her colleagues in the Free Us Group Track Program within FCC facilitate an intensive 12-week program which involves community service and therapy.

How one Native Hawaiian family makes aloha in the Midwest May 31, 2023

Show notes

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) became part of the official designation of May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in 2022. U.S. Census Bureau numbers from 2022 show less than 1% of folks who live in the Metro St. Louis area home identify as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Edwardsville educator, social worker, and writer Stephanie Malia Krauss, her mother Laurie Nalani Kilstein, and her two boys are among those "onlys." Krauss and Kilstein share what that's like, and talk about ways they maintain and build strong cultural ties to a vital part of their personal, family, and community identity.

Missouri defends law that puts parents behind bars when their kids miss too much school May 30, 2023

Show notes

You’ve heard “attendance is mandatory,” but, in Missouri schools, attendance is actually a matter of state law. During the 2021-22 school year, two single mothers in Missouri discovered just how powerful that law can be: They found themselves sentenced to jail when their children missed more than two weeks of school. The case is among several burning legal topics taken up by St. Louis on the Air’s Legal Roundtable of attorneys Nicole Gorovksy, Dave Roland and Kalila Jackson

Remembering Tina Turner's deep ties to the St. Louis area May 25, 2023

Show notes

International superstar Tina Turner died Wednesday at the age of 83. Turner moved to St. Louis when she was 16 years old and her ties to the area ran deep. Author Maureen Mahon discusses Turner's time in St. Louis and we hear listener reactions to her death.

Missouri drumline Modulation Z wins a world championship — in convincing fashion May 25, 2023

Show notes

The O’Fallon, Missouri, based winter drumline Modulation Z won their division in the Winter Guard International World Championships last month. The group achieved a score of 96.05. That score was two points ahead of the second-place finisher and the second highest score ever achieved in the division. Modulation Z director Ryan Treasure and senior Lukas McGill discuss what it took to become a champion.

As St. Louis’ Soldiers Memorial adds 254 names, Gold Star families grieve, and remember May 25, 2023

Show notes

Members of Gold Star Families, or families that have lost an immediate family member in active duty, hold Memorial Day in high regards as they honor their loved ones, even those whose true fate remains a mystery. Until recently, the Court of Honor at Soldiers Memorial only listed 214 names of St. Louisans who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War. That changes this weekend with a special observation of 254 newly-identified fallen soldiers.

AG report details how Belleville Diocese underreported sexual abuse and enabled a predator priest May 24, 2023

Show notes

The Catholic Diocese of Belleville underreported the number of clergy who sexually abused children. That’s one of the findings of a 700-page report released by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. The report also details how the diocese enabled a pattern of abuse. STLPR Metro East reporter Will Bauer explains.

How queer ballroom legends in St. Louis cultivate joy amid political and cultural animosity May 24, 2023

Show notes

The countdown to Pride Month ends in just eight days. Soon there will be parades and parties to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities and commemorate the long, continuous fight for basic human rights for queer individuals. For Black queer people, creating space for joy in a time of persistent political and societal oppression is an everyday necessity. One example of that is ballroom culture, which was created and championed by Black members of the LGBTQ community across the nation — and right here in St. Louis.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected