St. Louis on the Air

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Are they sinkholes or cave-ins? Regardless, these holes have St. Louis' attention Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Several St. Louis streets have given way to gaping holes in the past week, exposing a side of our city's built environment most of us have never seen. But are these sinkholes, or cave-ins? Historian Chris Naffziger goes beneath the surface of these definitions to share some of the stories hiding beneath our feet.

National Planned Parenthood president says Missouri provided abortion rights spark Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Missouri provided a spark to the abortion rights movement that’s warily monitoring a GOP-controlled federal government, Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said Wednesday at an event in Clayton. STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum discusses McGill Johnson’s visit.

How Jesuit values shaped Pope Francis — and resonated in St. Louis Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88, was a trailblazer in many ways. He was the first Latin-American pontiff and the first non-European to lead the Roman Catholic Church in more than 1,000 years. He was also the first Jesuit ever elected pope, a detail that’s often overlooked. That Jesuit background is especially relevant in St. Louis, a city with deep religious and cultural ties to the Catholic Church. The Rev. Thomas Flowers, an assistant professor of Ignatian formation at St. Louis University, discusses how Jesuit traditions influenced Francis’ papacy.

Michael Politte is out of prison, but his battle for exoneration isn't over Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Michael Politte spent 23 years in prison for the murder of his mother — a crime that evidence now suggests he did not commit. He won parole in 2022, but a juror who helped put him in prison won’t rest until his name is cleared. Politte shares what he’s been up to in the three years since his release, and we hear from the juror who’s fighting for his innocence.

Police warn Missouri Republicans against reviving a controversial gun rights law Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

Missouri Republican legislators are trying for a second time to prohibit local law enforcement from enforcing federal gun restrictions. Missouri Newsroom investigative reporter Kavahn Mansouri shares the latest development in the saga of the Second Amendment Preservation Act, and why police groups and officials say the law creates the same problems as its predecessor.

The Center for Bosnian Studies will continue collecting artifacts, oral histories at SLU Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

The Center for Bosnian Studies has a new home base. Two decades after its founding as the Bosnian Memory Project at Fontbonne University, the Center is in the process of moving artifacts to St. Louis University. The Center’s director Adna Karamahic-Oates, Bosnian Memory Project founder Benjamin Moore and Jennifer Nutefall, dean of libraries and museums at St. Louis University, share what this transfer means for the Center for Bosnian Studies, for SLU and for the legacy of St. Louis’ Bosnian population.

Missouri's cannabis industry booms despite recalls and struggling diversity program Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

It’s been more than two years since Missouri voters approved the legalization of cannabis for adult recreational use. We explore the two sides of the growing industry — first by checking with several cannabis chefs competing for the approval of hundreds of weed-loving St. Louisans. Then, Missouri Independent cannabis reporter Rebecca Rivas takes us through the latest twists in the state’s embattled program for cannabis microbusiness licensees and a surprise recall of 6,000 products.

Tower Grove Farmers’ Market kicks off its 20th season as community staple Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

Tower Grove Farmers’ Market is now in its 20th season. Chris Geden, known as its Mayor, has been there since its first Saturday back in 2006. He and general manager Bess Kretsinger Heffernan discuss Tower Grove Farmers’ Market’s rich history and development.

St. Louis Alderman Rasheen Aldridge says he can work with new Mayor Cara Spencer Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

St. Louis went through a major transition this week with the inauguration of Cara Spencer as mayor and Donna Baringer as comptroller. 14th Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge discusses the latest elections and what leadership change may mean for the city’s future.

New Missouri Children’s Services chief wants to improve abuse investigations Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

For years, the agency that oversees Missouri’s foster care system and investigates instances of child abuse and neglect has struggled with high turnover, massive caseloads, and inconsistent rollouts of some key legislative initiatives. Missouri Children’s Division Director Sara Smith is in her first month leading the agency. She shares her plan to keep her department on the right track — especially with less funding than in previous years.

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