St. Louis on the Air

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Misty Copeland inspired a generation of Black dancers, says St. Louis dance company founder Jun 11, 2025

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In Misty Copeland’s 10 years as the American Ballet Theater’s first Black woman principal dancer, she has inspired others to see themselves in ballet shoes and on stages across the world — and St. Louis is no exception. Erica Hill, founder of the Florissant-based dance company Pointe of Surrender, speaks to Copeland's influence — on herself and the Black dancers who come to her studio. Hill also describes Healing Humanity Through Arts, her dance company’s nonprofit arm, and its work to make dance accessible to youth through school-based programming and scholarships.

To restore their species, Missouri wolf pups are flown to new wild homes Jun 11, 2025

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On May 6, Missouri's Endangered Wolf Center sent six tiny wolf pups to New Mexico on a rare journey. From that point on, the 10-day-old wolves will grow up wild. The center has raised 289 Mexican wolves since it was founded about 50 years ago by former St. Louis Zoo director — and host of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” — Marlin Perkins. Sarah Holaday, the center's director of animal care and conservation, and Susan Schmoker, the center’s curator, share their insights into the crucial role Missouri plays in restoring these apex predators in their natural environments.

Newly published books to add to your summer reading list Jun 10, 2025

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Dive into a good beach read this summer with fiction, nonfiction and locally-focused book recommendations from Jennifer Alexander of St. Louis County Library and Ted Reidy of St. Louis Public Library.

Victims trapped inside a collapsed St. Louis church say 911 calls went to nonemergency line Jun 09, 2025

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The May 16 EF-3 tornado destroyed Centennial Christian Church in the Fountain Park neighborhood in north St. Louis. One person died and two others were trapped beneath the rubble before they were rescued. In this episode, STLPR afternoon newscaster Marissanne Lewis-Thompson talks about their story. She also details how the people trapped below weren’t able to successfully reach 911 during the disaster.

For the duo behind Passport Bar and Pour Decisions STL, alcohol is an art Jun 09, 2025

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Cultures around alcohol consumption run a range as broad as beverages on a drink menu. For some, drinking culture means afternoons at a vineyard, and for others it’s a night on the town full of raucous fun. In some cases, drinking habits can lead to an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Thankfully, there are bar proprietors who focus on the “art of alcohol” — promoting responsible drinking that stems from the sharing of different histories and cultures linked to wines and spirits. Javia Gilliam-Sanford and Kaje Sanford are the married couple behind Passport Bar, Pour Decisions STL and a June 14 event called the “Art of Alcohol.” They share how they got involved in wine and spirits and what interests them most about the culture and history of alcohol in St. Louis and abroad.

As a tornado relief hub closes in north St. Louis, volunteers brace for an aid gap Jun 06, 2025

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The community response to St. Louis' May 16 tornado has involved hundreds of volunteers putting in thousands of hours over the last three weeks. But some volunteer efforts are now entering a different phase. On June 6, the People’s Response Hub closed its location in O’Fallon Park. We explore the current status of this ongoing, unofficial relief effort with Action St. Louis Executive Director Kayla Reed, and why the closing will result in a “gap” in aid services as volunteers work to reestablish in new locations. We also get to know three members of the STL Cleanup Crew who are also involved in tornado relief efforts.

Mother-daughter librettist team visits St. Louis ahead of ‘This House’ world premiere Jun 06, 2025

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Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter, poet and writer Ruby Aiyo Gerber, talk about co-writing the opera, “This House.” in this encore episode. Taking place in a majestic Harlem brownstone, the opera explores themes of gentrification and losing Black histories. It also delves into what connects – and binds – people to history and to one another. “This House” will have its world premiere at Opera Theatre of St. Louis this May.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA sync perfectly on Grand National Tour stop in St. Louis Jun 05, 2025

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Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s style, stage presence and sonic expression complement each other perfectly on their double-headlined Grand National Tour. The two have collaborated for much of their careers and their working relationship was evident at the sold-out appearance at the Dome at America’s Center. Host Elaine Cha and producer Miya Norfleet recount their experience at the GNX tour stop in St. Louis.

How chess empowered Dorsa Derakhshani to become an advocate for freedom of expression Jun 05, 2025

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When Dorsa Derakhshani was banned from playing for Iran's national chess team because she didn't wear a hijab at an international tournament, she left the country to attend St. Louis University. Now a Mizzou medical student, St. Louis Chess Club instructor and U.S. citizen, Derakhshani is passionate about being an advocate for freedom of speech and expression — and for making room for women to be in traditionally men’s spaces. She reflects on what it meant to leave her home country for the U.S., the parallels between the competitive chess scene and medical school, and how the Trump administration’s new travel ban may affect people like her and her family.

What safety assessment stickers mean for homeowners and renters affected by the tornado Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

More than 10,000 buildings were damaged from the May 16 tornado that tore through St. Louis. Soon after, affected city residents began seeing stickers affixed to their front doors — each signifying the amount of damage to the structure. Red stickers cautioned: “Danger: Entry Prohibited: Violators subject to prosecution.” City building division leadership shed light on how those assessments were made and what they mean. Later in the episode, a legal advisor with Tenants Transforming Greater St. Louis discusses the challenges being faced by renters who are displaced from the tornado — and how renters can empower themselves by knowing their rights as they advocate for temporary housing or changes to their lease agreements.

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