St. Louis on the Air

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Lincoln University alumni and students sue Missouri alleging nearly $362M underfunding Oct 08, 2026

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Students and alumni of Lincoln University are suing Missouri, alleging the state has illegally underfunded the historically Black university for years. The lawsuit argues Missouri failed to provide Lincoln with funding required under the federal Morrill Act. STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum spoke with former state Rep. Don Calloway, one of the attorneys behind the suit, about why he got involved and what he hopes the case will mean for the university’s future.

Here’s what St. Louis restaurants opened and closed in September 2026 Oct 07, 2026

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Across the St. Louis region, restaurants are popping up, holding grand openings, and, in some cases, making drastic changes to their locations and even menus. It's a sign of a food scene where things are always changing, from downtown St. Louis, to O'Fallon Illinois. On this episode, STLPR digital editor Jessica Rogen and morning news anchor Abby Llorico talk about the latest restaurant openings and closings, including a look inside the downtown expansion of Coffeestamp and saying goodbye to Chao Baan in the Grove.

Retiring Ritenour leader Chris Kilbride reflects on challenges facing St. Louis area schools Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Almost 30 years ago, Chris Kilbride started his career as a teacher at the Ritenour School District. He's spent the last 15 years as the district's superintendent. Next year, his retirement will mark the end of one of the longest serving superintendents in the St. Louis region. In this episode, Kilbride sits down with STLPR education reporter Hiba Ahmad to reflect on his nearly three-decade career as an educator and administrator. He talked about the changing landscape of public school funding and accreditation standards; his experience guiding the district through the COVID-19 pandemic; and what it's like standing by families as they faced increased immigration enforcement.

As Missouri scrutinizes prediction markets, Kalshi says it’s different from sportsbooks Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Prediction markets have become prominent in the last couple years, especially as they enlist sports stars to advertise their products. But greater scrutiny is also coming with the increased notoriety. Many states, including Illinois and Missouri, contend companies like Kalshi are effectively gambling platforms that should be regulated similarly to sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel. Kalshi’s Nicole Kagan joins “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” to discuss how she differentiates Kalshi from sports betting platforms.

Top takeaways from Missouri’s long, frustrating and confusing redistricting push Oct 02, 2026

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The U.S. Supreme Court delivered an unambiguous ruling last week: Missouri has to use a congressional map passed in 2022. That decision was a stunning blow to a Donald Trump-backed effort to draw Congressman Emanuel Cleaver out of office before the 2026 midterm elections. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg analyze the big takeaways over Missouri’s messy redistricting effort on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.”

Latvian composer visits St. Louis for a world premiere — and to visit a famous poet’s grave Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

The St. Louis Chamber Chorus opens its 71st season Sunday, Oct. 4, with the world premiere of a work by renowned Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds at the 2nd Baptist Church in Richmond Heights. Ešenvalds has written for the chorus three times, but this is his first visit to St. Louis for a premiere. While he’s in St. Louis, Ešenvalds is also visiting the grave of St. Louis native and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Sara Teasdale, whose poetry inspired his new suite, “Oh Day of Fire.”

How tree advocates and trauma informed healers seek to improve St. Louis’ relationship with trees Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Last year’s May tornado displaced hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of trees in St. Louis’ north side — an area with predominately Black neighborhoods where the tree canopy is historically thin. The devastation highlighted a disconnect between the Black St. Louisans and trees due to tree-related violence like lynchings, and disinvestment in north St. Louis. Black Healers Collective founder Rebeccah Bennett and Forest ReLeaf’s Kelly Hicks-Holloway have collaborated with other organizations to guide tornado victims through the process of healing tree trauma. They share how they are working with affected community members and what healing from tree trauma can look like.

Legal Roundtable: The collapse of Missouri’s election map was a ‘stress test’ for rule of law Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

A three-time losing streak at the U.S. Supreme Court has turned Missouri’s upcoming election into national news — and a disappointment to President Trump. On this Legal Roundtable edition of the show, a panel of expert attorneys discuss the rulings, counter-rulings and controversies — including why so many people are now suing Missouri’s secretary of state.

‘Meet Me’: Why choosing a school in St. Louis is so complicated Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

About half of the school-aged kids in St. Louis don’t attend the city’s public school district. St. Louis parents face an overwhelming number of school options: magnet, neighborhood, gifted, charter, parochial, private or homeschool. In the latest episode of our “Meet Me” podcast, host Luis Antonio Perez walks to school with a family in Ellisville, then sits down with three parents. Each chose different educational paths for their kids: moving to a school district in St. Louis County, sticking with public schools in the city and homeschooling. In a candid conversation they talk about why they love their choices, what they wish they had from the other options, and how people react when they find out. And, STLPR education reporter Hiba Ahmad explains how a new proposal to close 14 schools next year might affect students and families.

Extra: Listeners share their Forest Park memories Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Last week, we talked with Amanda Doyle and Cameron Collins, co-authors of the new coffee-table book, “Forest Park: St. Louis’s Gathering Place Since 1876.” Our phone lines were full, so after the show, we kept the conversation going. Hear listeners share their favorite memories of spending time in Forest Park.

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