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Missouri Supreme Court faces GOP wrath after redistricting decision Sep 18, 2026

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The Missouri Supreme Court made a number of precedent-setting decisions this year when it comes to congressional redistricting. And they’ve also held the state’s GOP secretary of state in contempt for disobeying one of their rulings. These actions have prompted blowback from Missouri Republicans, including more than a dozen who called for impeachment hearings for Supreme Court judges. Former Missouri Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff discusses whether these threats are just talk or a sign that Republicans may want to target a plan that selects key judges in the state.

Smidley’s Conor Murphy blends ABBA and Broken Social Scene in new album 'Murphy Horse' Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

A year after the St. Louis post-hardcore band Foxing announced its indefinite hiatus, singer/songwriter Conor Murphy is making music inspired by what he listens to, in his spare time, in his other band, Smidley. The optimistic tunes and oftentimes melancholy lyrics of “Murphy Horse” — Smidley’s third album — reflect changes in Conor’s life, and the evolution of his relationships with the people closest to him. STLPR’s Chad Davis sat down with Murphy ahead of the album’s September 25th release. They discussed what the last year has looked like for Murphy since Foxing started its break and Smidley has taken on new life.

Prepare for ‘Free4All’ with this month’s new music roundup Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Free4All Music Showcase returns to Grand Center in November, and on this month’s new music round up, we share a teaser of the lineup. Free4All co-creator Joe Hess joins music show originator Miya Norfleet and host Elaine Cha to share his favorite new releases from just a few of the 100 artists performing in this year’s showcase. Among them are Piracy’s “Debounce,” Space Quaker’s “Nothing Left” and Hana Canasi’s “No Problem.” After listening to this episode, be sure to check out our new music roundup playlist.

Why people raise monarch butterflies in captivity — and why scientists advise against it Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Populations of migratory monarch butterflies have declined by an estimated 90% since the mid-1990s due to the loss of their natural habitat along their migration route. As monarchs fly through St. Louis on their way to Mexico, we hear from a St. Clair, Missouri, resident who is attempting to boost monarch populations by rearing them in enclosures in her backyard. We also talk with an entomologist who is concerned that captive breeding programs may produce weaker, disease-prone butterflies that aren’t equipped to complete the journey. And, a Missouri Botanical Garden botanist shares the best ways to support monarch butterflies, including when to plant milkweed, which is the only host plant on which monarchs lay their eggs.

A new ingredient will be in U.S. sunscreens soon. Here’s what to know Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

For years, Americans have been prevented from buying sunscreen with bemotrizinol, a chemical that’s long been an ingredient in sun protection lotions and creams in Europe, Asia, and Australia. This summer, an FDA approval put an end to those restrictions. Dr. Aubriana McEvoy, professor of dermatology and dermatologic surgery at Washington University, explains the skin science behind sunscreen, bemotrizinol and what the FDA’s recent approval means for U.S. suncare products.. She also dispels myths about sunscreen and shares tips for how it should be applied and what to look for in ingredients.

New photobook provides a ‘peculiar’ view of Forest Park Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Jessica Page grew up behind the camera, following in her mother’s footsteps as she got older. Now, the portrait photographer has expanded her skillset to include nature photography. Her new book “Silver Lining” features up close photos of plants and plantscapes in Forest Park. Page talks about how her background in portrait photography informs her approach to nature photography and what it was like to capture the “peculiar” parts of Forest Park up close.

With 911 dispatch center delayed, St. Louis faces slow response times Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Although it was initially planned to open this year, a $45 million 911 dispatch center in St. Louis that will combine fire, police and EMS services will open after it finishes construction in “late fall” 2027. The announcement of the delay comes as the city’s 911 system is under scrutiny. We talk with Jia Lian Yang, communications and storytelling director at Forward Through Ferguson, who authored a recent report that analyzed 1.3 million 911 calls made in St. Louis. This region is far from the only one struggling to improve 911 response times: We also talk with journalist Byard Duncan, who obtained data from 911 systems from some 60 American cities, including St. Louis. He found that St. Louis answered just 78% of its 911 calls by the 15-second standard set by the National Emergency Number Association.

STL-Style marks 16 years celebrating St. Louis — and poking fun at it Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Twin brothers Jeff and Randy Vines have spent 16 years turning St. Louis pride into a business. The co-owners of STL-Style, the Cherokee Street shop known for its St. Louis-themed shirts, hoodies, hats and stickers, are celebrating their Sweet 16 after surviving Amazon, the pandemic, increased competition, tariffs and inflation. The brothers discuss how the business got its start, their love for St. Louis and what they’ve done to keep STL-Style going.

To explore 1530s England, a St. Louis professor turned history into a game Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

In 1500s England, King Henry VIII was a force of disruption and reform. But in the classroom of UMSL professor Maureen Quigley, the king is a “non-playable character” in a game called Dissolution. Quigley designed the game as a way for players to experience the conflicts and decisions that followed Henry VIII’s decision to marry a new wife by starting a fight with the Catholic Church. Quigley, a professor of art history, shares her insight into designing a “serious game,” and how students who have grown up with video and roleplaying games relate to history, and the connections she sees between St. Louis today and England 500 years ago.

Missouri Botanical Garden’s rare book collection levels up with first edition Catesby texts Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Missouri Botanical Garden’s Peter H. Raven Library is home to roughly 8,000 rare books dating back to 1464, including Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” and Carl Linnaeus’ “Species Plantarum 1st Edition.” In late August, the library added two more rare texts to their collection: the first edition of Mark Catesby’s “The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands etc. 1731-1743.” This work by Catesby, who was the first naturalist to illustrate birds in their natural habitat, represents the science world’s first documentation of the flora and fauna of any part of North America. Peter H. Raven Library director Holly Hubenschmidt shares the scientific, historic and cultural impact of Catesby’s work, and the Garden’s mission to collect books from around the world that capture new plant species.

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