St. Louis on the Air

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

On September 10, 1910, Thomas Scott Baldwin flew over St. Louis, thrilling 200,000 onlookers along the Mississippi River. That moment of early flight — and many others — is at the heart of Edward McPherson’s new book, “Look Out: The Delight and Danger of Taking the Long View.” The Washington University professor writes about aerial photography, long-distance mapping and how seeing from above shapes power, privilege and perspective. The book is rooted in St. Louis, relaying stories about the Mississippian people in present-day Collinsville and the aerial surveillance of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

A notorious "slave pen" in the heart of St. Louis trafficked thousands of men, women and children in the years before the Civil War. In January, a new plaque will be unveiled near its original location, now a parking garage across from Ballpark Village and Busch Stadium. Kenneth Winn, a former Missouri archivist and author of the plaque’s inscription, shares the history of the slave pen and its owner Bernard Lynch. Also, reporter Rocky Kistner discusses the years-long effort to place the memorial and his own family's experience in acknowledging an ancestor's ownership of enslaved people in St. Louis.

Two time figure skating champion and 2018 Olympic team bronze medalist Bradie Tennell has come to St. Louis to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. An ankle injury in 2023 forced Tennell to take a step back from the sport. She said she used that time to rediscover the joy of figure skating. Now rejuvenated and prepared for the competition, Tennell discusses her figure skating career and her expectations for the upcoming championships.

After more than 40 years in Congress, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s decision not to seek reelection in 2026 has set off a crowded and high-stakes Democratic primary in Illinois. Capitol News Illinois statehouse reporter Brenden Moore joins the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air to talk about the race and the candidates vying to succeed Durbin.

Missouri is currently in the midst of a titanic battle over a map that seeks to transform Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s 5th Congressional District into a GOP-leaning seat. But depending on what the U.S. Supreme Court does to the Voting Rights Act, there could be another fight in the near future over the traditionally African-American 1st Congressional District in St. Louis. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum talks with state Rep. LaKeySha Bosley on the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.

In 1968, a St. Louis criminal named Russel Byers found himself in the middle of a conspiracy to kill Martin Luther King. Before his death earlier this year, Byers spoke to St. Louis native and filmmaker Nina Gilden Seavey about the moment he was offered $50,000. He also revealed something he never told the FBI during its official investigations in the 1970s: that he had discussed the bounty before King’s death. Seavey talks about the significance of that timing, details in recently unsealed FBI files, and why she maintains the “Byers Bounty” is a real conspiracy rather than a conspiracy theory.

When “The Wiz” debuted on Broadway over 50 years ago, Dorothy Gale’s journey to self-discovery and community within the land of Oz was told with groove, funk and emotion. Its impact is still felt today — especially in St. Louis, which shares deep connections to the musical. National tour co-producer for “The Wiz” Nicole Hudson, 4theVille President Aaron Williams and artist Hayveyah McGowan discuss the intersection of art, fantasy and theater. They also share how “The Wiz” has served as a vessel for understanding and holding space for joy — particularly Black joy — over the years.

The multimedia art exhibition “To STL With Love” celebrates the deep roots and wide-ranging impact of hip hop culture in St. Louis and beyond. Curator Kristian Blackmon shares her own hip hop love story and how each of the borrowed items in the exhibition — from an Akai MPC2000 sampler and event posters to a Ferguson protest gas mask — reflect the history and ethos of St. Louis hip hop culture since the 1970’s. “To STL With Love” runs through the end of January 2026 at Sophie’s Artist Lounge in Grand Center.

The holiday season is here, and if you’re looking for festive tunes to get in the spirit, you’ve come to the right place! Holiday music enthusiast and STLPR visuals editor Brian Munoz and self-described “Grinch” producer Miya Norfleet share their favorite holiday songs by artists that call St. Louis home — from old standbys to new releases.

As highly intelligent and adaptive animals, raccoons have learned to live alongside humans for many thousands of years. For the raccoons that live in Forest Park, adaptability includes the careful avoidance of crossing the road, despite the availability of food sources on the other side. Dr. Sharon Deem and Stephen Blake discuss their latest research, which sheds new light on the lives of 10 racoons, including a particularly adventurous forager named “Frankie.”

In September 2023, then St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones initiated a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program that gave $500 direct cash payments to qualifying families across the city. Six months into the program, a lawsuit from members of the Holy Joe Society halted its funding for one month. Despite the pause in payments, researchers and city leaders said the pilot program was successful and provided a public benefit in addition to helping families meet their basic needs. Midwest Newsroom Reporting Fellow Naomi Delkamiller discusses the impact of the GBI pilot program in St. Louis.