St. Louis on the Air

It’s December: What better time to cozy up and open a great new book? Or perhaps you’re looking for the perfect book to give as a gift this holiday season. Ted Reidy of St. Louis Public Library and Tammy Albohaire of St. Louis County Library share their favorite books released in 2024.

Journalist Steven Thrasher was featured as a speaker at the Missouri History Museum during a commemoration of World Aids Day on December 1. Thrasher's 2022 book, "The Viral Underclass," draws deeply from his reporting in the St. Louis region, and explores the way viruses — from HIV/AIDS to COVID-19 — expose society’s fault lines.

Katie Lee, of Katie’s Pizza and Pasta, talks about writing her autobiography — a work being published in serial, print form — and its focus on her past struggles with alcohol addiction and the development of a thriving restaurant and fine foods business.

Democrats in St. Clair County in Illinois have previously enjoyed double-digit victories over their Republican opponents, but those margins of victory over the last three elections have crept into the single digits. STLPR Metro East reporter Will Bauer discusses his reporting on this topic.

Owen Ragland started his pop-project Whitworth alone, but over time has added friends-turned-collaborators to bring his nostalgic and optimistic sound across the country. In this “producers cut” of “St. Louis on the Air”, Ragland shares the journey behind his debut album “Earth To Dreamer.”

Producer Miya Norfleet and STLPR reporter Chad Davis discuss their favorite recent releases from St. Louis’ music scene, including Brock Seals, Aida Ade, Occults, Foxing and Jordan Ward.

Psychologist Dr. Marva Robinson shares ways to prepare for — and navigate — the potentially challenging situations that could come up at gatherings this holiday season.

Research around adult sibling relationships shows the health of those bonds has a significant bearing on long-term psychological and emotional well-being. Megan Gilligan, professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, directs the Families in Later Life Lab at Mizzou. In this encore episode, she discusses what makes sibling relationships unique, how various stages and phases of adulthood affect sibling dynamics, and how future research can help us understand the roles adult siblings play in one another’s lives — especially as they care for aging parents and family members.

Tonia Haddix, the subject of the HBO series “Chimp Crazy,” is likely to face federal criminal contempt charges after flouting orders from a federal judge. Taxes on recreational marijuana are high, but could come down in Missouri after an appeals court ruling that forbids the so-called “stacking” of taxes by local governments. And, the club of soccer supporters called the St. Louligans says that an unnamed company had sought to trademark their name — without their consent. Those are just some of the cases that attorneys Erin Lueker, Javad Khazaeli and Mark Smith discussed on our monthly Legal Roundtable edition of the show.

Several St. Louis area election reform groups want to set up a public financing system for St. Louis County elections, which they say would help build trust in elected officials. The proposal would set up a dedicated tax to give eligible voters $25 certificates that could be directed to candidates running for posts like county executive, prosecutor, assessor and county council. UMSL political science professor Anita Manion and Benjamin Singer of Show Me Integrity join the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.

The City of St. Louis has about $250 million from a settlement with the Rams over its relocation to Los Angeles. Unlike money from the American Rescue Plan Act, there’s no deadline to spend it. That hasn’t stopped competing proposals and disagreements at City Hall. STLPR reporter Rachel Lippmann breaks down the divisions on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.

Missourians have backed ballot items supported by Democrats in the past decade while also giving Republicans unfettered control over state government. On this episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, we hear from a voter who split his ticket voting for Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, and for legalizing abortion and raising the minimum wage. Longtime Republican political consultant John Hancock also joins the show.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Education shows that millions of dollars of American Rescue Plan Act funding for homeless students still remain unspent in the Midwest, including Missouri. Schools are scrambling to file extensions. Midwest Newsroom investigative reporter Kavahn Mansouri explains why school districts did not know the funds were available or struggled to find ways to use them. Mansouri's reporting continues his look into his investigation of the "hidden population" of homeless students in the Midwest, and what we know about why school districts continue to undercount thousands of students in need.

Bob Costas has been a mainstay of sports broadcasting for decades. He’s done the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and the Olympics. But before he was on national and international stages, he got his start in St. Louis — at KMOX in 1974. Costas is back in St. Louis, the place he considers his hometown, to receive the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship. He reflects on his start in broadcasting, lengthy career, retirement from baseball play-by-play and potential return to NBC Sports.

St. Louis County Animal Care and Control Adoption Center volunteers have spent nearly 28,000 hours walking dogs, cleaning kennels and promoting adoptable pets so far this year. Despite their contributions, the county’s Department of Public Health has decided to end the shelter’s volunteer program. That decision has volunteers and advocates worried about what will happen to the animals at the facility — especially since the shelter has previously come under fire for improper care. STLPR journalists Danny Wicentowski and Ulaa Kuziez discuss their reporting on the decision, share background on the shelter’s history and talk about plans for the shelter’s future.

Eighteen inmates have died at the St. Louis City Justice Center since 2020, which is higher than what public safety officials previously shared. STLPR reporter Lacretia Wimbley investigated the discrepancy between those figures. She shares her findings and how city leaders have responded.

St. Louis-based early childhood art educator Colleen Fitzsimmons-Wiviott (founder of Start With Art) and Missouri Alliance for Arts Education executive Phyllis Pasley speak to the student benefits of art, music, dance, theater, and media arts; and why there’s urgency in turning the tide on disinvestment in arts education locally and statewide, especially post-pandemic.

St. Louis Public Schools has had a tumultuous year. It struggled to transport students to school, and in October, the SLPS school board voted to fire Superintendent Keisha Scarlett. SLPS Board of Education members speak with STLPR reporters Jason Rosenbaum and Hiba Ahmad about how the district is trying to move on under new leadership, while facing scrutiny over its projected budget deficit of $35 million, and with many community members worried about possible school closures. (You can listen to an extended version of this interview on the Politically Speaking podcast.)

A new shop in Rolla, Missouri, aims to make typewriters a more appreciated — and regularly used — mode of communication. Owners Amanda and Shane Byrne discuss what inspired them to open Clickety Clack Typewriters and why it’s a store, workshop, museum and community space all in one. They also share stories about the people and machines they’ve come to know through the shop.

Sara Bannoura, the research and storytelling program manager for Food City, breaks down what contributes to food insecurity in parts of the St. Louis region and how Food City is helping to decrease it.