St. Louis on the Air

When House Minority Leader Crystal Quade first won election to her Springfield-based seat in 2016, her fellow Democrats suffered catastrophic losses for state legislative and statewide posts. After eight years of near total GOP control of Missouri state government, Quade believes the state’s voters are ready to move on and place Democrats like her in the governor’s mansion. She joins the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air to discuss her candidacy ahead of the Aug. 6 primary.

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe has worn a lot of different hats over the years: That includes car dealer, highways and transportation commissioner, state senator, and lieutenant governor. As one of three main GOP candidates seeking his party’s gubernatorial nomination on Aug. 6, Kehoe brushed aside the idea that he’s part of the Jefferson City establishment and explained why he thinks he’s the best choice for Missouri.

Missouri is going through what some are calling a "shroom boom." We talk to Missouri Mycological Society’s Mike Snyder about why there's so much fungi interest, his journey to loving mushrooms, and how Missourians can help document -- and even discover -- species of fungi through DNA samples. We also meet Indiana mushroom researcher Steve Russell, founder of Mycota Lab. The lab is trying to document all macrofungi in participating states, including a recent expansion to Missouri.

Food and fashion are common ways people begin acquainting with new cultures. In St. Louis, Adjo Honsou, chef and owner of the food truck Fufu n Sauce, makes both to introduce West African cuisine and her Togolese culture to locals. In just two years, Honsou has garnered a faithful following with traditional homemade meals and handmade clothing. On June 17th, her culinary reach will broaden with the Season 3 premiere of PBS’ reality cooking show “The Great American Recipe.” That same day, she’ll launch her line of spices and curries in collaboration with the St. Louis-based McCarthy Spice & Blends.

Spanning more than 2,300 miles, the Mississippi is one of the longest rivers in the world. The waterway has the distinction of being both a significant ecosystem and a commercial navigation route, which often leads to tension and competing visions for its future. In his new book “The Great River: The Making & Unmaking of the Mississippi” journalist Boyce Upholt traces the history of the river and presents deep questions about the consequences of infrastructure and where the boundaries of nature lie.

While grieving can get easier over time, it is a lifelong process. St. Louis-based content creator Kait Granger aims to illuminate that truth in her TikTok series, “Let’s Not Rot.” The series was born out of her need for vulnerability and connection after experiencing the traumatic loss of her mother. Granger talks about her journey with loss, misconceptions about grief and how showing up for small, everyday tasks can lead to bigger breakthroughs.

For over a century, numbers for baseball in America were missing a huge piece of history because of racial segregation. That changed when Major League Baseball announced the incorporation of Negro Leagues Baseball statistics into the official MLB record book in May. Ed Wheatley, baseball historian and author, talks about the St. Louis Giants and St. Louis Stars players now included in the statistical database and why recognizing the accomplishments of Negro Leagues players is important on a local and national level.

Timothy Nordmann, owner of Mr. Meowski's Bakery in St. Charles, knows a thing or two about a good loaf of sourdough. Behind each loaf, however, is a story of determination in moments of uncertainty. Nordmann shares his experiences as a bakery owner – and what it took to get there – on social media. One video in particular went viral back in May and has been viewed over one million times. The comment section of the video is filled with sentiments from thousands of viewers who resonate with Nordmann’s story, some of which were compelled to share their own difficult road to achieving their goals. Nordmann talks about how business has grown since and why he decided to share his stories in the first place

In our ongoing coverage of issues plaguing the Children’s Division of Missouri’s Department of Social Services, we discuss why a tool aimed at removing children from a home where drug use is evident isn’t being used to a great extent in the St. Louis area. STLPR politics correspondent talks about his reporting on the Temporary Alternative Placement Agreement — or TAPA.

The longtime head of Missouri’s Department of Conservation has stepped aside after taking the helm of the agency in late 2016. For years, Sarah Parker Pauley managed the state’s incredibly vast expanse of pristine wilderness and outdoor spaces where people hunt, fish and hike. During an in-depth conversation with STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum last week, Pauley spoke about the ongoing challenges of balancing the commitment to preserving Missouri’s natural beauty with the need for economic development in struggling parts of the state.

In 2015, Erica Jones’ daughter, Whitney Brown, was killed in a drive-by shooting. Who did it remains unknown. Brown’s case is among the 1,000-plus from 2014 to 2023 that still haven’t been solved, according to a joint investigation by St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports and the Marshall Project. Jones talks about how grief has changed her family, and why she is still seeking answers — and justice. She also discusses Voice of the Voiceless STL, a nonprofit support group she founded to help fellow St. Louisans who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

From fashion-forward folks to those who couldn’t care less about what they wear, everybody – and every body – needs clothes. The fashion industry, however, is notorious for prioritizing certain figures and excluding others. Ethical Bodies x the Good-Ish, a new vintage thrift store in south St. Louis, is centering people whose fashion needs are often disregarded by offering plus-size pieces exclusively. Store co-founders Maura Hampton and Erica Hallman discuss the mission of the store, their plans for its future, and speculate why the fashion industry is hesitant to make clothes inclusive for all.

St. Louis spelling bee champ Sonia Kulkarni placed 17th in last week's Scripps National Spelling Bee. In this follow-up interview with the eighth grader at John Burroughs School, she talks about what it was like appearing in the spelling bee for the final time, and her reaction to being eliminated on a vocabulary word — “gainsay.”

While Christopher Loss was winning the hearts of St. Louisans with his successful apparel line Profield Reserve, he was also building community with local musicians and visual artists. Now, he is shifting focus — Loss has moved Profield Reserve back to online only and is dedicating time to uplift artists by providing an entry into the arts scene by opening Field Club Media, a space for creatives to work and collaborate. He’s also curated Inside/Outside, an art exhibit that opens at Sophie’s Artist Lounge June 8.

St. Louis’ intimate one-ring circus, Circus Flora, is back at the Big Top in Grand Center. Artistic and executive director Jack Marsh and Cecil MacKinnon, the show’s narrator, discuss “Marooned!” The original production takes place on a magical island where two pirates encounter amazing, weird and wacky people — and animals — as they search for treasure.

Before the Stonewall Riot in 1969, queer love, experiences and struggles for civil rights were woven into the fabric of American — and St. Louis’ — culture. The Missouri History Museum will unveil the Gateway to Pride exhibit, highlighting queer history for the first time since the Missouri Historical Society’s founding in 1866.

Fine dining typically isn’t synonymous with cannabis cravings, but a pop-up dinner series is bridging those two worlds. Celebrated St. Louis chefs Nick Bognar (iNDO, Sado) and Alex Henry (El Molino del Sureste, Sureste Mexican) talk about creating elevated edibles and why participating in Swade Cannabis’ canna-culinary series was a no-brainer.

Local scientists have theories about why parts of the St. Louis region are swarming with cicadas while others are eerily silent. STLPR morning newscaster Abby Llorico talks with University of Missouri-St. Louis biologists to learn more.

Telling AI-made audio apart from authentic human voices is getting harder, and that has experts and average people worried. A Washington University professor’s new program works to prevent voice cloning and deepfake scams that often target vulnerable people. Ning Zhang, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at WashU, talks about how his DeFake program works and why artificial intelligence can be beneficial.

High electricity costs are hitting homeowners hard in the Midwest and across the nation, prompting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to adopt updated energy standards for new HUD-funded homes. The rules, announced in April, are estimated to save homeowners $950 a year. Midwest Newsroom managing editor Holly Edgell talks about how the new federal building codes will make homes more affordable, energy efficient and climate resilient.