St. Louis on the Air

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Coal was the curse that darkened St. Louis. It took a future mayor to clear its skies Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

The St. Louis sky was once dark one day out of every three. Sunlight was precious, and often disappeared behind blankets of smoke. The culprit was coal. The book “Black Gold: The Rise, Reign and Fall of American Coal" was inspired by journalist Bob Wyss' interest in how St. Louis became an early environmental success story when it cleared its sky in 1941. In this encore edition of a St. Louis on the Air episode that first aired November 3, 2025. Also joining the conversation about St. Louis' key role in the story of coal in America is local historian Andrew Theising; he shares insights on Raymond Tucker, who led the city's "Smoke Elimination Committee." Tucker, who eventually became an influential St. Louis mayor, is the subject of Theising's 2024 book "Mid-Mod Mayor: How Raymond Tucker Shaped St. Louis."

Missouri historian uncovers the mystery behind two ‘bathtubs’ from the 1904 World’s Fair Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

History professor Rodney Wilson recently discovered that two purported “bathtubs” dug up in Farmington in the 1970s are not bathtubs at all, but rare (and massive) bronze planters from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. An instructor of history and political science at Mineral Area College, Wilson embarked on his own investigation to trace how these artifacts went from sitting in the German Court of Honor in the fair’s Palace of Varied Industries to an out-of-the-way antique store in Park Hills. Wilson also shares what he’s learned about Gustav Lind, the man who created them.

In ‘The Instigators,’ Atima Omara makes the case for Black women’s leadership Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Atima Omara, a top Democratic Party strategist and media contributor, discusses her new book, “The Instigators: How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy (And What We Can Learn from Them).” Omara explains why she embraces “instigator” as a badge of positive change and argues that Black women’s leadership and resilience have repeatedly strengthened American democracy. Omara believes Black women have a key role to play in building a more multiracial democracy and examines St. Louis’ place in that story.

Missouri voters deliver clear verdicts in primary election Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Missouri voters sent clear messages in Tuesday’s primary election, rejecting a proposal to make it harder to amend the state constitution and one to phase out the income tax. Democratic voters also settled two closely watched races, with U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell defeating former Rep. Cori Bush in a rematch and Jake Zimmerman winning a three-way contest for the Democratic nomination for St. Louis County Executive. On this special edition of “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air,” STLPR reporters Rachel Lippmann and Sarah Kellogg break down the results. We also hear from Secretary of State Denny Hoskins about his controversial rejection of a referendum aimed at overturning a 2025 redistricting plan aimed at ousting Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City. Zimmerman and St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann join the program too.

How school closures and consolidation will shape the future of education in St. Louis Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Planned closures could affect more than a dozen public schools in St. Louis. It’s just one example of the pressures facing the region's school districts, parents and students. STLPR education reporter Hiba Ahmad takes us inside her recent coverage, from students staging a musical protest to save their school to a brand-new task force in St. Louis County that’s weighing the pros and cons of school consolidation.

New St. Louis-area restaurants bring flavors from around the world Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Chilean empanadas, Greek coffee, luxe Italian desserts and Midwestern pork fritter sandwiches: that’s a sampling of items offered by new restaurants that opened in the St. Louis area in July. This month’s discussion of the St. Louis-area food scene delivers notes on these additions. STLPR’s Jessica Rogen and Abby Llorico also weigh in on locally-based chain restaurant closures and relocations (Baileys’ concepts, Salt + Smoke, Syberg’s on Market and Panera) — and mount a case for St. Louis to be the next city to host the James Beard Awards.

St. Louis Rams money compromise — What residents want vs. what they're getting Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

The Rams left St. Louis in 2016 and ultimately paid hundreds of millions of dollars for it. Two residents — one who lives downtown and another whose neighborhood was hit by the 2025 tornado — make cases for how that money should be spent. In the newest episode of STLPR’s podcast, “Meet Me,” we hear their conversation, along with 14th Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge’s perspective on the behind the scenes negotiations over how the settlement money was allocated.

Lawsuit between Dr. Brown’s and Dr. Brown’s pits St. Louis bottle maker against soda company Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

A battle of Dr. Browns is heating up in St. Louis, as the local baby bottle-manufacturer Dr. Brown’s is fighting in court against the New York-based manufacturer of Dr. Brown’s soda. The dispute is just one of the cases on this month’s edition of the Legal Roundtable on "St. Louis on the Air." Along with the fate of Dr. Brown’s trademark, our expert panelists discuss a lawsuit filed by protesters after they were arrested at a Wesley Bell town hall, a judge in hot water over his social media posts, and more.

Ragtime’s roots run deep in St. Louis — and so could its future Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

St. Louis is uniquely poised to be the hub for modern ragtime — and to learn about the music genre’s historical roots. That’s according to Ethan Leinwand, the co-founder of the St. Louis Ragtime Initiative. Leinwand joins us to talk about ragtime past and present ahead of the monthly Ragtime Rendezvous at the Scott Joplin House. Also joining the conversation is musician Colin Hancock, who will perform with his band “The Oliver-Smith Incomparables” at the Aug. 3 event.

Branson has a reputation. A book explores what’s true — and what’s missed Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Each year, more than 10 million visitors make their way to Branson, Missouri. Over many decades, the once-small hillside town developed a reputation for being the U.S. capital for performances with overtly religious and patriotic themes, and sometimes, a Christian nationalist bent. We revisit a conversation with Joanna Dee Das, an associate professor of dance at Washington University and author of the book, “Faith, Family and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America.” Her book explores how conservative values and politics have played out on Branson’s stages and with audiences. She also describes what makes Branson an important site for the performing arts and how its presentation of American history, values and politics is far more complicated than its reputation suggests.

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