St. Louis on the Air

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When LGBTQ Dating Apps Double As A Platform For Drug Trafficking Mar 03, 2020

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While dating apps are making it easier to help people find love, many in St. Louis’ LGBTQ scene are finding drugs through the apps instead. As people put the letter “T” in capital letters in their usernames, or use ice cream or ice cube emojis to let others know they are carrying the drug on the dating apps, getting it is easier than ever. That’s according to former KSDK reporter Jeff Small. He joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss how drugs are being trafficked through digital means to the LGBTQ community, and details his own experience on the apps and how he conquered his own addiction. Brandon Reid, a housing intake coordinator for the St. Louis nonprofit organization Criminal Justice Ministry, and Jason Eccker, a licensed clinical social worker for Synchronicity Counseling Solutions, also join the conversation.

‘Definitely A Huge Problem’: Nurses, Faculty Grapple With St. Louis Nursing Shortage Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

Gabrielle Bahr remembers being fascinated by the medical field even as a young child. And her family’s experience a handful of years later, when her younger sister spent a few months in a neonatal intensive care unit and interacted closely with the nurses there, solidified Bahr’s choice of career: She knew then and there it would become her passion. Now a staff nurse in the emergency department of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Bahr has zero regrets about her job path despite its inherent stresses and difficulties. At the end of each long shift, she knows her work is meaningful. But sometimes she heads home feeling even more exhausted than usual. That’s because her nursing team, like so many in Missouri, is chronically short staffed. Industry veterans like Natalie Murphy describe the situation as a crisis, noting that the region’s nurse vacancy rate stands at about 20% among hospitals, clinics and outpatient provider locations. A leader at the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ College of Nursing, Murphy is working with a variety of partners to address the issue. But it’s not an easy thing to fix, as Murphy explains in this conversation with Bahr and host Sarah Fenske.

GOP Lawmakers Ask That Missouri Supreme Court Repeal ‘Flawed’ Bond Rules Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

Last July, the Missouri Supreme Court enacted rules requiring judges to first consider non-monetary conditions for pretrial release when setting bond conditions. Since then, several high profile crimes have led to backlash against the new Missouri Supreme Court rules. Recently, more than 80 Missouri state representatives signed onto a letter asking the court to revoke the new bond rules. In this episode, we explore what was behind the initial rule changes by the Missouri Supreme Court and the current debate over whether those rules should be rescinded.

Legal Roundtable Tackles Dicamba Verdict, Public Defender Workloads, Pot Pardons, More Feb 28, 2020

Show notes

In this month’s Legal Roundtable discussion, panelists offer their insight on a federal judge’s refusal to approve a deal reducing Missouri public defender workloads, a Kansas City initiative to clear marijuana convictions more easily, and the huge verdict regarding Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup.

Court-Ordered Electronic Monitoring Triggers Pushback In St. Louis Feb 27, 2020

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Host Sarah Fenske hosts a conversation about the role of electronic monitoring services during the pretrial stages and what implications they can have for defendants.

'Lawyers Without Rights' Details How Nazis Targeted Jewish Attorneys Feb 27, 2020

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What happened to Jewish lawyers after Hitler took power in Germany? The truth is a painful one. They were stripped of their licenses, driven from their homeland and, in many cases, murdered, even as their gentile colleagues stood silent. Those horrifying details are at the center of an exhibit that has now been shown all over the world. “Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany Under the Third Reich” makes its St. Louis debut next month.

Lent, Self-Control And Some Tips For More Successful Attempts At Lifestyle Changes Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

’Tis the season for attempted lifestyle changes and vice-forsaking of all sorts. For the more resolute, perhaps a new 2020 goal has really started to stick after two months of hard-fought discipline. Others, particularly many Christians, are just beginning to give something up for Lent, a 40-day period leading up to the celebration of Easter. Or at least they’ll try to give it up, whether it be a substance such as alcohol or sugar or, say, a digital denial of the self — like completely staying off of Facebook. Many people fail at these attempts, giving in before the 40 days are up. Why does this happen? The quick answer is that it’s due to a lack of self-control. But if you ask Washington University faculty member Leonard Green, he’ll insist it’s not so simple. In fact he avoids using the term “self-control” at all.

How The Modern Widows Club Helps Women Turn Grief Into Hope Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Cyndi Williams and Destiny Klimaszewski are the co-leaders of St. Louis’ Modern Widows Club. They both lost their husbands when they were still young. Turns out, they were far from alone. Now the club they started has swelled to more than 100 members. They join host Sarah Fenske and share how the organization helps foster friendships and connections between widows of all ages through regular meetings, community education, service and outreach.

St. Louis Uber Driver Shares Stories of How His Riders Got Through Tough Times Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Donald Bouton started moonlighting as an Uber driver almost five years ago. That’s not so unusual. A lot of St. Louisans took up ride-sharing as a second job — or even a first one — after it debuted in St. Louis in 2015. It’s the project Bouton launched while he was driving that’s unusual. Beginning in April 2016, he began keeping pen and paper in the backseat of his car. He asked his passengers to share what inspired them and helped them pull through adversity. And what he found was a serious dose of inspiration — and, ultimately, a book. “Backseat Inklings: Driving Positivity into the World, One Rider at a Time” is Bouton’s self-published account of his guests’ responses, unexpurgated and in their own handwriting. Bouton talks about the project in this conversation with host Sarah Fenske.

Actor In Metro Theater’s Adaptation Of ‘Ghost’ Aims To Change Perceptions Of Albinism Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

As an actor, Ernest Emmanuel Peeples has portrayed a real range of characters — from Hamlet to the Ghost of Christmas Present. But in recent months, one particular theatrical role stands out from the rest: the opportunity to portray Lu, one of the adolescents at the center of Jason Reynolds’ wildly popular young adult novels, one of which is now also a play. Like Peeples, the character Lu has albinism, a genetic condition involving a lack of pigment that affects one’s skin, hair and eyes. Having this in common with a character is a first for Peeples, and a meaningful one. In this episode of St. Louis on the Air, he talks with host Sarah Fenske about his role in Metro Theater Company’s “Ghost,” which runs now through March 1 at the Grandel Theatre. The production is directed by Jacqueline Thompson, who also participates in the discussion.

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