St. Louis on the Air

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The stories that will shape the news in 2026 Jan 05, 2026

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2025 was a historic year for the St. Louis region, with issues like tornado recovery and redistricting dominating the headlines. Those issues, and more, will come to shape the news of 2026. On this special reporter roundtable edition of St. Louis on the Air, three STLPR reporters discuss their biggest stories of 2025 and share their thoughts on their ongoing coverage. Economic Development Reporter Kavahn Mansouri, General Assignment Reporter Lacretia Wimbley and Politics Correspondent Jason Rosenbaum take us inside their biggest stories of the past year, from tornado recovery, data centers, jail deaths, and more.

The Gentle Barn closure left heartbreak behind in Missouri. Then animals started dying Dec 29, 2025

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The 2017 slaughterhouse escape of six steers turned "The St. Louis Six" into animal rescue celebrities and inspired an expansion of the California-based nonprofit Gentle Barn to Missouri. But the sanctuary’s abrupt closure in October 2024 left its former volunteers and staff feeling abandoned. In this encore edition of a St. Louis on the Air episode that first aired March 6, producer Danny Wicentowski goes inside the final days of the sanctuary's existence and the aftermath of its closure. The investigation confirms the deaths of five former residents of Missouri's Gentle Barn. We also hear from Gentle Barn co-founder Ellie Laks, who defends the decision to close and addresses the animal deaths at the nonprofit’s Tennessee sanctuary.

A tribute to St. Louisans who passed away in 2025 Dec 23, 2025

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In 2025, we said goodbye to a number of remarkable people who lived and worked in the St. Louis region. In this episode, we explore the legacies of beloved journalists including Linda Lockhart; civil rights advocates Anita Lyons Bond and former U.S. Rep. William L. Clay Sr.; and Patrick “PJ” Gannon and Jim Holloran, who, in different ways, were instrumental figures in building up the region’s Irish music scene.

Transition, conflict and adversity defined Missouri and Illinois politics in 2025 Dec 22, 2025

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This year brought a deluge of political upheaval in Missouri and Illinois, from Trump-backed congressional redistricting in Missouri and a devastating tornado in St. Louis to major leadership changes, legal battles and clashes over voter-approved initiatives. In this episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, we look back on the defining stories of 2025 with STLPR reporters Will Bauer, Sarah Kellogg and Rachel Lippmann.

St. Louis band Foxing says thank you and farewell to its fans as it takes a hiatus Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

After 14 years of recording and performing their unique brand of emo indie rock, the St. Louis-based and internationally acclaimed band Foxing is taking an indefinite hiatus. This comes one year after the release of their self-titled album, which features their single “Hell 99.” Weeks before the band hit the stage for the last time in the foreseeable future, STLPR general assignment and arts reporter Chad Davis sat down with Foxing guitarist and vocalist Eric Hudson.

St. Louis artists dropped some bangers this year – here are our top tracks of 2025 Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

Every month for the past year we have introduced you to new tracks from St. Louis artists. We want to take a look back at those song selections from all 14 episodes to see which ones stand out as our top picks of the year. Host Elaine Cha, music show originator Miya Norfleet and producer Darrious Varner discuss their top tracks from the over 100 songs featured in this first year of our new music round up.

Check out our new music roundup playlist.

Legal Roundtable takes on secrecy, scandals and public accountability Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

A Missouri senator facing accusations of assault. A St. Charles judge hauled before a disciplinary panel to explain why he dressed up as Elvis Presley. In both cases, the public figures at the center of these separate scandals sought secrecy to keep their behavior out of the public eye — however, their legal maneuvers are now in the spotlight. In this December edition of the Legal Roundtable, our panel of expert attorneys discusses St. Charles Judge Matthew Thornhill, State Senator Steven Roberts, and more.

Kris Kringle and the Jolly Jingles bring holiday cheer to St. Louis with a new single Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

The countdown is on. In just one week, Santa Claus will spread Christmas cheer across the world to those on his Nice list. But in St. Louis, Santa, aka Kris Kringle, performs with his band, the Jolly Jingles, at their annual Christmas Extravaganza. They play a medley of traditional Christmas music — and originals — infused with gospel, rock and roll and ska. Kringle sat down with STLPR’s visuals editor Brian Munoz to discuss his music, his special brand of holiday joy and the band's new single “Egg Nog: North Pole Rock and Roll.”

New portrait series at Lambert explores complex answers to the question ‘Where are you from?’ Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

In a new portrait series displayed at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, St. Louis-based painter, illustrator, and photographer Cristina Fletes-Mach explores the complex challenge of responding to the question: “Where are you from?” She shares where themes of migration and identity have been part of her personal experiences, why maps are incorporated into the portraits, and what makes an international airport — inherently an in-between space — a fitting venue to show this series of paintings.

The 12 restaurants we’ll miss most that closed in the St. Louis region in 2025 Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

St. Louisans deeply mourn restaurants lost across the region. Maybe it’s because we have an exceptional restaurant scene supported by a relatively low cost of living and ready access to locally farmed produce. Maybe we’re just a sentimental bunch. Whatever the reason, we reflect on the restaurants we lost this year and trends within the St. Louis food scene. We also share what we’re looking forward to in 2026.

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